How to Make Your Own Powder Laundry Detergent 2

We have been using our own homemade laundry detergent for 6 months, and here is the original post, if you are interested. The results have been very good, with a slight learning curve. Some of the early loads came out a little soapy and had to be re-rinsed.  We started using warm water instead of cold, and putting the detergent into the water after about 2-3 gallons had filled the tub. This solved the problem.

The four cup batch before it got mixed. The paint bucket from Lowe's has been a great place to keep the detergent.

The results have been very good, and the only noticeable difference has been the savings. The last batch ( 11 cups ) was made on May 11th, and cost us $7.99. So a little over a dollar a month for laundry, and we need to do at least one load a day to keep up. I made another 4 cup batch today, the only change has been that the Fels-Naptha has been grated to a fine consistency.

I have also been using a little white vinegar on occasion as a fabric softener, whiten the whites, and remove the sweat stains from my undershirts.

I prefer the scent of the homemade detergent over some of the store bought brands. The scent is best described as a lack of artificial scents.

The last six months has included clothes from yard work,restaurant level dirty, and workouts. I haven't seen any difference between Tide and our homemade detergent. Sweetheart would like a occasional scented version, perhaps a little oil concentrate could be added to the recipe? She does a vast majority of the laundry and has been rather indifferent to the change in detergents.

Our six month experiment has been a success. We will continue using our homemade version, and save some serious money for other preps. I ran the numbers and $32.00 will provide enough laundry detergent to last two years, with a load being done everyday. Not too bad.

In a long term situation, the ingredients do need to be safe guarded against moisture, since I had some minor clumping of the Borax and Super Soda. Clean clothes would be a huge morale booster and a possible way to barter services for goods in an economic collapse. Any thoughts?

Keep Right On Prepping - K

UPDATED:

On the first batch, I ran out of Fels-Naptha and used Ivory soap to get the right ratio. Here is a little trick to save some time instead of grating it. The ivory soap scent is rather strong after it is microwaved, just as a warning.

MM - If you could comment on the acceptability of using Ivory soap for allergies, it would be greatly appreciated.