How to Make Laundry Powder and Liquid

Commercial laundry detergents can cost a lot of money and they include ingredients that are not environmentally friendly. The ingredients in commercial laundry detergents can also irritate sensitive skin. Instead of purchasing these detergents, you can make your own at home and live frugally with ingredients from your local convenience store. You can store the laundry soap in the same manner as you store commercial laundry products.

Laundry Powder

• 1

  Pour 1 cup of borax and 1 cup of washing soda into a plastic container.

• 2

  Stir the ingredients with a spoon until they are blended well.

• 3

  Store the covered container at room temperature. Add ¼ cup of detergent to each load.

Laundry Liquid

• 1

  Grate a bar of soap into small pieces over a bowl.

• 2

  Boil 1 qt. of water on the stovetop in a saucepan. Add the grated soap and stir slowly until the soap dissolves.

• 3

  Reduce the heat to low. Add 2 cups of washing soda and 2 cups of borax. Stir until the ingredients dissolve. Add ½ cup of citric acid and stir one more time.

• 4

  Remove the liquid detergent from the heat source. Pour the solution into a large 3-gallon bucket. Add 2 gallons of cool water and stir to mix the water with the detergent.

• 5

  Cover the bucket with a lid. Add ¼ cup to each load of laundry. Allow the detergent to sit overnight before using.