Homemade Laundry Detergent and Dryer Sheets

Homemade Laundry Detergent:

For about a year now, I've been using Honest Laundry detergent.  It is gentle on my girls' skin, but it is also fragrance free.  When I do laundry I really like some sort of scent (as long as it's natural).   My good friend has been making her own laundry detergent for a while now and loves it so I thought I'd give it a try.  See original recipe here.  I just finished making our second batch today!  My mom and I put our ingredients and supplies together and now we have a pot, spoon, funnel, grater, and measuring cup all dedicated to making laundry detergent.  It makes so much we've been sharing each batch.

Ingredients:

a bar of soap (your favorite kind.  I stuck with my Honest brand because I love the scents that they make                           and I didn't want to "test" my girls skin with other soaps)
1 Cup of Borax
1Cup of Washing Soda (also used in my homemade dishwasher detergent)
a big pot (2+ Gallon)
a grater
a funnel
a long spoon
2 empty gallon jugs/containers

I kind got into the process of making it and forget to take pictures of each step, but it's pretty simple so here it goes!

 Get your favorite bar of soap

Grate it into your 2+ Gallon Pot

Fill up one of your empty Gallon jugs with Water

Pour Gallon of water into pot. Put over medium heat on the stove top.  Keep stirring until your soap dissolves.

Here is where I forgot to take pictures.  Stir in your cup of Borax and cup of Washing soda.  Bring to a boil. (I still stir mine, not sure if that's a must) You will see it getting thicker.   Remove from heat.  Add a gallon of cold water (cold from the tap works fine). Stir well.

Use your funnel and fill up your gallon jugs/containers.  Done!

It works great!  I like our homemade laundry detergent more than any store-bought.  I never use stain remover either.  If you have a stain just put a little detergent right on the spot and rub.  
*Update*  I use the lid to a store-bought detergent bottle and use the normal amount of detergent I usually do.   

Homemade Dryer Sheets:

Still buying your dryer sheets?  My cousin told me how she makes her own!  Right up my alley!  I checked out Pinterest and found this little recipe. 

Ingredients:

Vinegar

Essential Oil (your choice!)

a container 

I made mine with about 3 cups of Vinegar and a splash of Orange essential oil.  (My soap for the laundry detergent is tangerine/vanilla so I wanted to keep with the theme)

After reading the online Recipe and talking to my cousin I found that there are a couple ways to do it, and I'm still experimenting with what I like the best.

1.  You can use any cloths/towels you have on-hand or the recipe recommends 5x5 pieces of flannel.

2. You can leave your cloths in the container, wring out, throw in dryer as needed. (adding back to the container when your load of laundry comes out)  or  you can wring out the cloths and let them air-dry, then keep them in an air-tight container/ziploc bag.

Drying some dryer sheets and keeping some in the container.  Experimenting!

I'm not sure which way I will like to do mine.  I'm thinking, it's easier to keep them in the liquid until you need them. . . but it is fun to know you can dry them.  Might make a cute homemade gift.  Tie some ribbon around a stack of homemade dryer sheets with a little bottle of essential oil and recipe card? If you are feeling ambitious, a bottle of laundry detergent to go with it!

Worried about the strong smell of vinegar?  Mine actually smells more like the essential oil than the vinegar.  Once dried with your load of laundry, I hear they come out with just a nice, subtle scent of the oil :)

*Update*  My laundry came out Super soft!!!  These recipes are here to stay!

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