Homemade Laundry Detergent Experiment

My husband and I have just returned home from vacation and we had a fantastic time.  We drove down to the Philadelphia area to visit a very dear friend who recently had her 2nd beautiful baby boy. On top of the baby cuddles, toddler games, and early morning chats over coffee, we were able to participate in the 4th of July traditions in their small town. Needless to say we had a fantastic time and we were sad to leave.  From there the hubby and I drove into Manhattan for two days in the big apple.  We were in great need of a distraction from life back home and NYC delivered, yet again.  We spend 2 days trucking our sweaty bodies around the city in the 47 degree heat but we enjoyed every minute of it.  We hit most of the hotspots and accomplished more in 2 days then most would in a week. Our itinerary consisted of Bryant Park, NYC Public Library, Time Square, Rockefeller Plaza, Magnolia Bakery, a game at Yankee Stadium, 9/11 Memorial, a walk in Battery Park, the Bull, Wall Street, Empire State Building, a walk along the High Line, a stop by in front of Madison Square Gardens, Radio City, Trump Tower, bike ride through Central Park (the whole thing!), and shopping along 34th Street. This was my 7th time to NYC and I think I've finally had my fix. It is a beautiful city that has an energy like no other.  If you haven't been you need to go.  It's an experience!

While we were gone my wonderful sister-in-law stayed here to watch the pup and to enjoy some space of her own.  I realized the night before we left that I didn't have any laundry detergent left, and based on her previous stays she has done a load of laundry or two while visiting.  Over on my Pinterest page I have been stockpiling laundry detergent recipes for months.  This was a perfect time to try a few out since I had a bunch of the ingredients already from my other homemade cleaners.  I made a super simple liquid detergent and have used it for 6 loads since getting back from vacation with much success. Today I made a relatively easy powdered detergent to compare it to.  I will be using both over the next month or so and will report back to you with which is better.  I did a ton of research about both and if they were ok to use in HE front loaders -- they are both a-ok!  The cost savings is fantastic with homemade detergents.  Let's hope this isn't a bust like my homemade dishwasher detergent. I have a feeling the powder is going to be better since it has more cleaning agents to it but I will let you know shortly. Here are both recipes I made.

Liquid Laundry Detergent
3 Tablespoons Borax
3 Tablespoons Washing Soda
2 Tablespoons Dawn Ultra Dishwashing Liquid
4 cups hot water from the tap

Method
I used an old sunlight detergent bottle and put a new label on it.  These bottles tend to be small so you might want to double or triple the recipe if you have larger jugs. Add water first then all remaining ingredients. Swirl around to make sure everything is dissolved. Use a 1/4 cup for medium to large loads. Add to detergent dispenser in HE front loaders. I like to give a little shake before I pour it in. It's as easy as that!
Yield: 16 medium-large loads
Cost per batch: ~$0.30
Cost per load: ~$0.02

Powder Laundry Detergent
1 bar Sunlight laundry soap, grated
3.5 cups Borax
3 cups Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
4 cups baking soda
3 cups Oxi-clean powder

Method
Using a food process, grate the bar of soap using the cheese grater blade. In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon.  Transfer to an air tight container.  Use 1-2 tablespoons per load depending on size and dirt factor. ****add powder to the drum of washer, NOT the dispenser.
Yield: 145 large loads (290 small loads)
Cost per patch: ~$10.00
Cost per load:~$0.07- $0.14