Transform your Laundry Room with 4 EASY DIYs!

photo:David Hillegas

Thanks to lots of inspiration from One Good Thing By Jillee and DIY Naturals, I have gained some great inside on how to DIY all the products in my laundry room!  The recipes I have found could not be easier and work better than store bought.  Have I mentioned how much money I’m saving???

 First things first, let’s talk about Laundry Detergent.  I used to spend so much money on detergent.  Especially when I went for the “green” option.  Laundry Detergent is full of chemicals such as sulfates, fragrances and phenols. Most soaps contain things like petroleum distillates, which are linked to cancer and lung disease. Detergents are full of artificial fragrances which can cause skin scensitivity and even hormone disruption!  This recipe is just so simple you’ll wonder why you didn’t convert sooner!  You only need 3 ingredients-Super Washing Soap, Borax, and Fels Naptha bar soap.  You can find all these ingredients in the detergent section at Walmart.  You might be raising an eyebrow about the ingredients Borax.  I have done my research and I believe it is safe.  Please read this article for more clarification.  Fels Naptha is a readily available bar soap that I like, however I am concerned about it’s strong fragrance.  A better alternative (if saving money is not your primary goal) is Dr. Bronner’s bar soap.  This soap is excellent, just a little more pricey. Let’s get started! 

 DIY Laundry Detergent Recipe

• 2 cups Super Washing Soap
• 2 Cups Borax
• 1 bar Fels Naptha soap

Cut bar soap into chunks and grind in a food processor.  Mix ingredients and you are done!  The best part about this recipe is that instead of the usual cup you only need 1 heaping tablespoon!  Sometimes I use a little under 2 tablespoons if I know I am washing a particularly dirty load. This detergent is perfectly safe to use in all washing machines.  It is actually great for front loaders because it does not suds up as much which works well since front loaders do not use as much water as top loaders.  I do add a homemade fabric softener with this recipe.  I don’t know if it’s absolutely necessary but this softener is so easy to make and great for your machine and clothes.  

UPDATE: 8 years later and I’m sorry to say that I did not continue making my old laundry detergent. The only reason I quit is because it ruined my food processor. The Fels Naptha soap is tough to grind. You could shred it by hand though. 

DIY Fabric Softener Recipe

• 1 quart of vinegar
• 1 tsp. alcohol
• 25 drops Lavender essential oils(optional)

Mix ingredients together.  Use 1/2 cup per load.  Hint-I make a huge batch of this at a time because 1 quart goes fast. The next recipe is an alternative to bleach.  We use white towels in our bathrooms so I used to use bleach.  I hated to do it but it’s the only way to get our towels from having a mildew smell.  Since we’ve moved to our current home, we are not on city water-this made a huge difference in how “clean” our laundry smelled.  So, this alternative is a must, and it works!!

DIY Bleach Alternative

• 3 quarts of water
• 1 cup of Hydrogen Peroxide
• 1/4 cup Lemon Juice

Mix ingredients together.  Use 2 cups per load. 

DIY Bleach Pen

• 1 cup water
• 2 TBSP cornstarch
• 5 TBSP bleach

1. In a small pot add cornstarch to the water.
2. Mix it until the cornstarch has dissolved.
3. Turn on the stove and stir until it begins to boil.
4. Once it boils, turn off the stove and let it COMPLETELY cool.
5. Add 5 TBSP of bleach and mix.
6. Add to a condiment bottle.

*FYI* My mix was a little thick so I added tiny amounts of water until I got the consistency I wanted.

As you can tell-I really like to make things pretty. A clean organized cabinet with my homemade goodies that have cute labels just makes me happy. It gives my life order, but that’s just me. 

If you want to create your own pretty labels I have a tip-I buy labels from Avery on Amazon. I’ve tried out their waterproof labels and they are OK but they don’t hold up for long. I put a strip of clear packing tape over all my labels that sit by the sink or could potentially get wet. It works great! You can also design your own labels and create great quality water-proof labels at Sticker You.

So, let’s recap-this is an easy conversion-you are going to be so happy with yourself because you will be free of toxins and have more money to spend on fun stuff at the grocery store!

Grocery List:

This is all probably under $20 and will last quite while!

• Borax
• Fels Naptha Bar Soap (you can buy 4 bars and make 4-5 batches of detergent with just one box of Borax and 1 box of Super Washing Soda!-at 1 TBSP. a load this will last ages!)
• Super Washing Soda
• Vinegar-1 gallon jug is under $3 and you can add the alcohol and lavender right in the jug!
• Alcohol
• Lemon Juice
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Cornstarch
• Bleach-get the smallest container you can, cause this is the only TOXIC ingredient in all these recipes!

Have you recreated your laundry products? I’d love to hear your experience! Comment below!

xx, Jenni