Homemade Laundry Cleaners

Baking Soda Detergent

• Baking soda is the key ingredient in this homemade laundry cleaner. All you need are 2 cups of baking soda, a bar of soap and warm water. Shave the piece of soap into pieces then put them in a saucepan with enough water to cover them. Heat the water to melt the soap, stirring it often. Pour the soap mixture into a bucket then stir in the baking soda. A 1/2-cup of this mixture added to your washing machine will be enough for one load. Double the amount for heavily soiled items.

Sodium Borate and Sodium Carbonate

• Combining sodium borate with sodium carbonate will give you an effective laundry detergent. Despite the ingredients' confusing names, these are common products you may already have. Sodium borate is the actual name of the product Borax, often found in the laundry aisle. Sodium carbonate is another name for washing soda, found in the same aisle of your local store. Grate one-third of a bar of soap and melt it in 6 cups of hot water. Stir in 1/2-cup each of sodium borate and sodium carbonate then remove the mixture it from the heat source. Pour 4 cups of hot water into a bucket and stir in the mixture. After it is thoroughly combined, add another gallon of water and stir it again. Let the mixture sit overnight and form into a thick gel. Use 1/2-cup of homemade cleaner per load of laundry.

Adding Fragrances

• No matter how you choose to make your homemade laundry cleaner, you can adjust how it makes your laundry smell based on your own preferences. All you need are some essential oils. Lavender, tea tree or rosemary oil are popular scents. Simply add 10 to 15 drops of the oil to each 2-gallon batch of homemade detergent to make your laundry smell fresh.

Hard Water Additive

• Some homes have the additional challenge of dealing with hard water when it comes to laundry. You can add an extra ingredient to your laundry load to combat the effects of hard water. Simply add 1/4-cup white vinegar directly to your laundry load, during the first rinse cycle, to reduce hard water effects, including the formation of soap marks on your clean clothes and a reduction in cleaning ability.