DIY Natural Powdered Laundry Detergent

I posted on Facebook that I was "testing" DIY powdered laundry detergent a few weeks ago, and I am sure many of friends are wondering what I thought of it and how well it actually worked!  I have to tell you that I tried two different batches, and chose to make powdered versions rather than the liquid.  The reason is simply that I am pregnant and extremely impatient right now (and remember this blog is supposed to be about simplicity, right?).  Plus, I was not looking forward to mixing liquid detergent in a 5 gallon Home Depot bucket.  :)  I made one batch with Ivory soap (which is 99.4 % pure) and one batch Dr. Bonner's lavender soap (which is vegetable-based and contains organic oils).  I have to say that I prefer the batch with the Dr. Bonner's, however, both batches will clean your clothes effectively and work well.  Why do I prefer the Dr. Bonner's?  Simply put, I like the very subtle lavender smell it leaves on my clothes.  I love ALL things lavender, which is probably why I prefer this detergent batch so much.  Both batches worked well for my extremely sensitive skin (Yea, no itching for me!).  I have been using a name brand detergent for years now and cannot stray from it because of my sensitivity issue.  I truly had no trouble using either batch of detergent, and I would recommend using these detergents to anyone who has sensitive skin.  I believe this recipe would work well for babies too.  Both my children have been "cursed" with their mother's sensitive skin and eczema, and they have not had any reactions with these detergents either.  Let me also tell you that while both detergents work well, the batch with Dr. Bonner's seemed to dissolve better in a cold wash cycle.  I did notice some little soap bits on my washing machine door when I ran a cold wash cycle with the Ivory batch, however, no soap bits were left on my clothes.  The ingredients within the recipe are natural, Eco-friendly, and this detergent is safe for HE washing machines.  I noticed two things about the batches of detergents that truly surprised me.  One, the detergent washes clean (yes, both batches).  Meaning that there was no residue left on clothes.  In fact, when I washed a load of clothes with my unmentioned name brand detergent, I could feel a slight residue on the clothing ("free and clear" suddenly did not seem so free and clear to me).  The clothing just felt cleaner with the DIY detergent batches, and the clothes also felt softer.  Two, there was less lint in my dryer from the clothes washed in the DIY detergents.  From my internet research, this is probably due to the fact that the DIY detergent batches are low sudsing, which is great for HE washers.  I have yet to try this on cloth diapers, but I think it would work well since most cloth diapers require or suggest that you use a low sudsing, natural detergent for washing.  Here is the "recipe," it really is simple to make.

DIY Natural Powdered Laundry Detergent

1 bar of Dr. Bonner's or Ivory soap (Castile soap does seem to work best), grated
1 cup Borax
1 cup Washing Soda

I mixed the ingredients in a bowl and then ran them through the food processor to combine them better, as well as make the soap into even smaller pieces.  Running the ingredients through the food processor does seem to help the soap dissolve better in the wash. (The pictures below are from the Ivory soap batch)

Store your detergent in an air tight container.  You only need to use 1-3 tablespoons of detergent based on the soil level and size of your loads.  I have been using 2 tablespoons per load (I typically have large loads and normal to heavily soil levels-HELLO, I live with a man and two kids!).

If you choose to make your own detergent using this recipe, you will save lots of money and be living a little greener.  And who wouldn't want to save money while being green?