DIY Homemade No-Grate Liquid Laundry Detergent

The blogger that I've learned the most from is One Good Thing by Jillee. She's totally awesome. When I need a "homemade" recipe, I check Jillee's website. Here's the no-grate liquid laundry detergent that I've learned from her. It smells great. I like to use this recipe even for mopping the floors or washing dishes by hand. My husband recently commented that the house smells so nice since I started making my own detergent. This is what he is smelling around the house! This is my go-to universal recipe....... Thanks, Jillee!!

Recipe:
3 Tablespoons 20-Mule Team Borax {all-natural laundry booster and multi-purpose household cleaner}
3 Tablespoons Arm & Hammer Washing Soda {not baking soda}
2 Tablespoons Dawn Dish Detergent

Pour all ingredients in a one gallon jug. {I use an old orange juice jug}. Pour 4 cups boiling* water into the jug. Swish until ingredients are dissolved in the liquid. Let liquid cool. Then fill almost to the top with cold water. The bubbles will overflow out of the bottle. You can pick a scented Dawn Dish Detergent. Dawn works the best because it gets grease out. {Totally.}

*I cheat and save time by using my hottest tap water. I just fill nearly to the top with hot water, swish, and then let cool. You use a cup per laundry load. {Although you may use more or less depending on your preference and laundry type. Stinky teenage boys, one cup!}

Check out Jillee's blog. You'll definitely find neat ideas and helpful hints: http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com.

DIY Homemade Powdered Laundry Detergent

I've been reading DIY websites, blogs and pins looking for economical items for around the house. After mixing and trying different laundry detergent recipes, I like this one the best. {No, I'm not being paid by any of the following companies to advertise their products. I'm just passing along what I like.}

Let's start with the secret ingredient: Purex Crystals! I use the 28 oz. blue bottle with "fresh waters" scent. It was a safe "manly" bet. {My guys don't want to smell like lavendar.} It smells terrific. It makes your clean laundry - and the whole house - smell nice, but not overpowering. Whatever laundry detergent you use, don't leave out this secret ingredient.

Next, is 20 Mule Team Borax. This was a little difficult to find - or at least it was for me - until I finally asked for it. The white box is the new packaging, and some stores may still have the old mustard yellow box. You'll need 10 cups.

Then, you'll need Arm & Hammer Washing Soda. NOT, Arm & Hammer Baking Soda....Washing Soda. You'll find it in the laundry aisle. It's in a yellow box (not orange). You'll need 10 cups.


Finally, you'll need one bar of Zote soap. Yes, Zote. My Walmart has pink or white - I use the pink. I buy one bar and finely grate it at home. You can buy the laundry flakes but it's 3 times as much money, and the whole point is the most economical laundry detergent. My Walmart has it on the top shelf at the end of the laundry aisle for 98¢. One finely grated bar makes about five cups. Mix the other ingredients first. If you start with the Zote soap, it'll melt.

So, four ingredients - 1 28 oz. bottle of Purex Crystals. 10 cups of 20 Mule Team Borax. 10 cups of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda. 1 finely grated bar of Zote soap. Oh, and a 5-gallon bucket with an airtight lid for safekeeping. {I used an old laundry detergent bucket w/lid.} I use an old Oxyclean bottle for day-to-day use, so I'm not dipping into the 5-gallon bucket all the time. The best part?! You only need 3 tablespoons of detergent per load. Yes!! 3 tablespoons. That's so great.