Tweet Pin It Laundry and Dishwasher Detergent Recipes

Last week I posted recipes on how to make your own cleaning products and received several emails from those wanting more info and possibly pictures. These are really simple recipes...I'm all about the simple way (: The photos should help you know what to expect as you're preparing your own detergents.

I know there are several recipes out there for liquid laundry detergent. I've tried all of them, but found the process took too much time, not to mention the space needed to hold large quantities of the stuff (: I prefer the dry detergent because it takes up less space and can be made within 10-20 minutes at the most!

Laundry detergent

• ¼ cup liquid castile soap
• 1 cup borax
• 1 cup baking soda
• 1 cup washing soda

Use a fork to blend the liquid castile soap with one of the dry ingredients first. A hand pastry blender works even better and the process goes much faster. Then add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix.

Once all of the ingredients are added and the clumps have been blended out it should look like this.

Make as much as you need! I keep mine in this plastic container that fits perfectly above the washer.

1 Tablespoon does an entire load! If you have a really large load or one that’s extra grungy, use 2 Tablespoons.

I prefer not to use essential oils in the laundry detergent because the castile soap has such a beautiful scent all on its own. But feel free to add oils if you like. Just make sure they are clear oils, as those with any color will end up coloring your clothes. On my first batch I got a little trigger happy with the lemon essential oil and quickly found white towels to be a lovely soft yellow (: If you have a favorite essential oil, just add several drops on a cotton rag and toss it in the dryer with the clothes. Instant dryer sheet! Not only will your clothes smell great but the scent will fill your home too (depending on the location of your dryer).

Dishwasher detergent

• 1 cup borax
• 1 cup baking soda
• 10-20 drops of lemon, lavender or tea tree essential oil

Add borax and baking soda to the bowl. Then sprinkle essential oils on top and blend with a fork.

Store in an airtight container. I use this type and keep it under the kitchen sink. All it takes is 1 Tablespoon per load! Use vinegar instead of products like Jet Dry and pour into the rinse compartment of your dishwasher. Dishes come out sparkling!

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