Easy DIY Laundry Detergent for only $0.04 per load!

Last year I made my own laundry detergent using the grate-and-boil method, and after slicing open my hand on the grater and an hour inhaling soap fumes while cooking it, I swore I would never do it again.  I was over-the-moon ecstatic to find an option that does not require grating or boiling, and leaves my clothes clean, soft, and smelling amazing, while still saving a bundle. 

One of my biggest hangups with homemade detergent is the smell. I love laundry that really smells lovely, and most homemade detergent is at best scent-free. I think I could probably camp out in the laundry aisle of the grocery store and just live there until my dying days and be happy. When I came up with this idea to incorporate fabric softener into my homemade detergent, I was beyond excited.

Are you ready for the recipe? Here we go! 

SUPPLIES:

Recycled Bottles (drink bottles work great for this)
Funnel
6 Tbs Borax
6 Tbs Washing Soda
3 Tbs Blue Dawn Dish Soap
1/3 cup Downy Unstoppables (or your favorite fabric softener)
Water

DIRECTIONS:

1. Fill a bottle a little less than half way with HOT water from the tap (not boiling water -remember this is no cook).
2. Add the Borax, Washing Soda, and Fabric Softener.  (If you have sensitive skin, or want to skip the fabric softener you can - the recipe will work otherwise just as well.)
3. Shake, shake, shake for about a minute.  You want to incorporate the ingredients into the water and get the Downy Unstoppable beads to start dissolving.
4. Fill the rest of the way with HOT water from the tap, making sure to leave a little bit of head room at the top of the bottle.
5.  Add in the Dawn Dish Soap.
6. Shake, shake, shake for about a minute more to disperse the Dawn and get those Downy beads moving again.
7. Go back and shake again every few minutes until you see the Downy beads have completely dissolved.
8. When you are ready to use it, shake the bottle once more to incorporate all the ingredients (they separate when sitting), and then pour about 1/2 cup into your washer with your clothes like you would any other detergent.  You can use this in a HE washer as it has very low suds.  Just make sure to use a smaller amount.

COST BREAKDOWN:

Box of Borax (4 lbs 12 oz): $3.38
Box of Washing Soda (3 lbs 7 oz): $3.24
Med Bottle of Blue Dawn (24 oz): $2.49
Downy Unstoppables (19.5oz) : $5.97 (I actually got mine much cheaper on a sale at Target, so keep your eyes open)

Total Cost: $15.10

The bottle of Downy Unstoppables is the smallest, allowing for 7 gallons of detergent, so we will do our math based on that number, though you will have PLENTY of leftover Dawn, Borax, and Washing Soda for future detergent.

$15,10 divided by 7 = $2.15/gallon.
There are 16 cups in a gallon, so 32 loads worth in each gallon.  That makes each load a total cost of 6.7-cents.

If you calculated it based on the amount of products actually USED for 7 gallons....

Borax - 1 lb, 5 oz used  ($0.93)
Washing Soda - 1 lb. 5 oz used ($1.23)
Dawn - 10.5 oz used ($1.06)
Downy Unstoppables - whole bottle used ($5.97)

Total Cost of products USED: $9.21
Total Cost per Gallon: $1.31
Total Cost per Load: 4-cents
Total Loads in 7 gallons: 224

If you are using an HE washer, you will need even less soap per load, bringing your total down as low as even 1-cent per load!!

Have fun and let me know if you try it!! :D