Easy-peasey Homemade Laundry Detergent

Pinterest is one of my favorite sites.  I have gotten so many great ideas and projects pinned, just waiting to be tackled.

But what I'm about to share with you, came straight from my Momma.  Easy, homemade, frugal liquid laundry detergent.  It requires no shaving of bars or cooking of ingredients.  And as a Mom of three kids ages eight, six and three, I testify it works!

Here's what you'll need:

• Borax detergent booster (found in the laundry aisle of most grocery stores)
• Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (found in the same aisle)
• original blue Dawn dish soap (not the concentrated)

That's it!  And the prep work to make a gallon is less than 5 minutes!

For your gallon container: I originally used a clean milk carton.  However, I come to find that after awhile, the carton becomes a little flimsy.  My Mom gave me a couple empty cartons of SunnyD.  These work much better and seem to be a thicker plastic.  So no flimsy.

Into your carton, add 3 tbsp. of Borax and 3 tbsp. of washing soda.  Then add about two cups of really hot water to dissolve.  Once dissolved, fill with cold water until about 2-3 inches from the top.  Then add 2 tbsp. of Dawn.  Cap and turn gently to mix.

Use 1-2 cups of the liquid per load depending on size and soil.  I pre-treat any stains with my normal stain remover.  (I prefer Oxi-Clean spray, but use whatever you like.)  As the clothes go into the dryer, I add a dryer sheet, and voila!  Clean and fresh!

I haven't figured out cost per gallon, but I've been using this for about three months, and I've only had to buy about three or four Dawn soaps.  At 97¢ a piece, I'm sure I'm saving boatloads of money.

Oh, and to make my life a little easier, I use two containers.  So one is always full and ready to use.  I mean, who wants to stop and make detergent in the middle of a load?  Right?

And since we're talking laundry, I will share with you a couple other things that I love.

I am Queen at splattering grease on my shirts when cooking.  And we all know, that dark grease spot is destined to be there forever.  Well, not with an awesome little product called Goo Gone.  A spray of Goo Gone before the wash and that dark spot is no more!

In addition to the laundry, I also use it to remove those pesky price stickers that you can't remove with a chisel!  Check the laundry/cleaning area of your local store.  And if you can't find it, ask!  Definitely worth it!

Finally, I also love the Shout Color Catcher.  Any red or dark new clothing that may fade...throw one of those in and let it work it's magic!  Now, I wouldn't suggest washing a red shirt with your whites.  But with a little common sense, no more separate loads for new clothes!

And a tip from my Grandma, sweet, frugal little thing she was: when you finish your load, use that color catcher to wipe down your washing machine.  No more fuzz or spilled laundry detergent!

I do hope you'll try it out and let me know what you think.  If you like it, feel free to pin it and share it with your friends!  Just click the Pinterest button!  And happy laundering!