How-to make your own kid-friendly laundry detergent

Have you ever given much thought as to what ingredients are in the laundry detergent you use? The reality is, the majority of store-bought detergents are chock full of scary-sounding chemicals, and the eco-friendly options can cost an arm and a leg. So why not make your own kid-friendly laundry detergent instead?

Homemade clean

There are plenty of reasons why it makes sense to make your own laundry detergent. To begin with, it’s dead easy — so easy, in fact, that you can get your kids involved in the process!

Homemade laundry detergents are also super cheap. The ingredients you need to make your own kid-friendly detergent can all be found in the laundry aisle of your local supermarket, and they’ll cost you less than $10 — and for that outlay, you’ll create homemade laundry that cleans your clothes for literally a few cents per load.

For those families where one or more of you suffer from allergies, homemade laundry detergent also serves to cut down on the irritants in the home, and the ingredients are safe for children.

And finally, homemade laundry detergents are environmentally friendly: not only will you reduce the amount of plastic packaging you’re bringing into your home and turfing into the trash, but you’ll also reduce the amount of unrecognisable chemicals that you’re releasing into your waterways.

So what are you waiting for? This kid-friendly laundry detergent recipe takes less than 30 minutes to prepare, and it will last you several months.

Homemade soap recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 bars of soap, natural eco-friendly if possible
• 1 cup washing soda [sodium carbonate]
• 1 cup borax
• Water [a few cups]
• Natural lavender oil [optional]

Equipment:

• Grater
• Large pot
• Recycled milk, juice or soft drink bottles

Method:

1. Grate the soap into the pot and cover with water until all of the soap is submerged.
2. Heat on the stove at a low/medium heat, stirring continually, until the soap is fully dissolved.
3. After heating and dissolving, fill pot the rest of the way with more water.
4. Add one cup of washing soda, stirring until the soda is dissolved.
5. Add one cup of borax and stir until the mixture thickens and all of the ingredients have dissolved.
6. If you’d like to add a refreshing scent to your homemade laundry detergent, mix in around 50 drops of lavender oil. You may want to skip this step if you’re trying to create a natural, scent-free, allergy-free detergent.
7. Stir well and let the mixture cool.
8. When the mixture is completely cool [after 12-24 hours] pour into a large recycled airtight container, such as a juice, milk or soft drink bottle that can be firmly sealed.
9. Use around 1/3 of a cup for a full load of washing, or use less homemade laundry detergent for smaller loads.

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