Katie Marie Photography

I’m not one for extreme changes.  I’ve tried big changes here & there throughout my life, and it seems like I always (or most of the time) fail when I try to do too much at once.  So I’ve been trying a different approach lately…little things, one at a time, until they stick.  And it’s been working!  One of my changes has been making my own laundry detergent.  There are a lot of questionable things in store-bought detergents, even ones that are for sensitive skin.  I like that I can make a detergent that I know exactly what’s in it, and I know that it works & works well.  I’ve actually found that my clothes and towels are coming out of the dryer SOFTER than when I used Tide. So here’s what you need: Castile SoapBiokleen (this is not a bleach, more like an oxyclean)Citric AcidBaking Soda & Washing Soda (I buy mine at Wal-Mart in the detergent aisle)Epsom Salt (I buy mine at Wal-Mart in the same aisle as band-aids)Essential Oils EOs are good for SO many things.  I use them on a daily basis.  If you’d like to know more about them, I would love to help!! 🙂  For laundry, these are just a few I would recommend, although there are many more that would work. **UPDATE** After months of using this detergent, I have found that I prefer to mix doTERRA’s Lemon oil over any other oil.  Lemon oil helps to get my laundry cleaner by loosening dirt & other things as well.  It’s wonderful for cleaning in general, and works so good in my detergent.  I add about 30 drops after I have everything else mixed together.  Another plus using this EO…it’s very inexpensive!  You can purchase Lemon oil, as well as any other EO here.Now to make the detergent… First, you need a Food Processor.  It is so fast & easy using one, and I wouldn’t want to attempt making it without one.  Here are the attachments you’ll be using:You’ll want to shred ONE bar of soap before you mix anything up.Measure out everything else into cups.  You’ll need: 1 cup washing soda 1/2 cup baking soda 1/2 cup citric acid 1/2 cup Epsom salt 1/2 cup bioclean (also the cup of shredded soap)Make sure to change to the metal blade for the rest of the mixing, and then put all the ingredients into your food processor.Mix for 20-30 seconds, and it should look like this:You should not have clumps, and if you do, mix a little longer. If you would like to add some Essential Oils to your detergent, you’ll want to add about 30 drops and mix at this point.  You won’t smell the EO when you’re all done, but the ones I mentioned (lemon specifically) are so good at cleaning, and will boost your detergent’s ability to get your clothes clean. aaaaaaand, you’re done! **UPDATE** Another thing I’ve learned after making this detergent is that it’s helpful to shred and pulse the bar of soap ahead of time and let it dry out. Otherwise when you mix everything else in, the moisture from the soap (even though it doesn’t feel wet) will cause the detergent to harden. So the best way to fix this problem is to shred & pulse the soap, let it dry, and THEN mix the rest. You can even let the final mixture set out in the open, stir it every now and then, and then after a few hours on the counter, put it away in your laundry room sealed up. It’s a little extra work, but the results are MUCH better. One other thing that I like to do is mix up a biiiiiiiig batch of this. I’ll normally do 3 or 4 times the recipe, and it lasts so long, you don’t have to mix it very often that way.Make sure to store in an airtight container.  I use 1 Tablespoon for a small load, 2 TBS for a medium load, and 3 TBS for a large load (and usually an extra TBS to any load that’s extra dirty!).  It doesn’t lather up, and it may seem like you’re not using enough, but a little goes a long way. One more (very important) thing.  I don’t use fabric softener.  I actually haven’t in years.  Instead, I fill the cup for my rinse cycle full with white vinegar.  If you haven’t tried this before, you may be thinking, um, ew?  But I promise you don’t smell the vinegar one bit after the clothes are washed & dried, and it really does make your wash soft. Now go have fun doing your laundry.  I know I am 😉 **to read more about WHY home made laundry is a great choice, and how it can even save you some money, please check out this and this.