This may sound backwards, but I have made my life easier by making something at home: laundry detergent. Doubters, hear me out.
I use four ingredients: dish detergent, Borax, and washing soda, and water. I mix them in an empty one gallon water bottle and then use 1/4 to fill a quart size bottle that is easier for my teens to manage. The gallon fills the smaller bottle four times. On the fourth fill, I mix up more. Simple.
If I run low on detergent, Borax, or washing soda, after mixing the latest batch, I have plenty of time to pick up more from the store. I love this cushion in the laundry detergent supply chain. No more frantic trips to the store just to pick up detergent because the laundry has become a mountain overnight.
Mixing is easy. Use a funnel to pour 1/2 cup Borax and 1/2 cup washing soda into an empty gallon bottle. Pour in a quart of warm to hot water (not boiling) and swirl gently to dissolve.
Once all of the powders have dissolved, fill the bottle almost to the top, leaving enough room to add in 1/2 cup of dish detergent at the very end. I usually use the Costco or Sam’s Club version of Dawn. Put the lid on the bottle and carefully invert several times to mix the detergent throughout. Done!
Use 1/4 cup of this detergent for standard loads and 1/2 cup for super sized loads. Our washer is pretty large, so I use 1/2 cup if it is a full load. This works out to 64 standard loads or 32 super loads per gallon. I am not going to do the math, but considering how inexpensive the ingredients are, making the detergent is a pretty economical.
Super easy to make, easy to use, works great at getting the clothes clean. Vinegar complements the detergent as a fabric softener for another cheap and easy alternative to store bought stuff full of fragrances. As a bonus, a well rinsed vinegar jug is a great gallon sized bottle for mixing up more detergent!
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