This recipe is great for clothes and cloth diapers and does not contain borax! I am personally a-okay with borax in my detergent but many readers have asked for another solution and this is it. In addition, it uses Eco Nuts Soap Nuts, not manufactured soaps, making it even more natural, earth & skin friendly. I hope you enjoy it!
LARGE BATCH RECIPE
3 Boxes Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (55 oz ea)
1 Tub OxiClean Free or “Baby” (3 lbs)
1 Large Box of Eco Nuts Soap Nuts (approx 8 cups of berries) (or 4 cups soap nuts powder)
1 Box Baking Soda (16 oz)
Reminder: Soap Nuts are not actually nuts, they are a dried berry shell that looks a bit like a nut. They are completely safe for those with nut allergies. Learn more in my post, Cleaning With Fruit: Let’s Talk Soap Berries.
You will also need:
A blender or food processor with a good seal (grinding the berries can be dusty!), a hand towel (to help contain the dust) and a trash bag or large bucket with lid.
MAKE IT!
You will need to first grind up all of your berries. Do so by adding half of the berries with half of the baking soda. Pulse until finely and evenly ground. Repeat with the second half of the berries and baking soda. Holding a hand towel on the top of the blender will help keep the dust to a minimum. Wait for the dust to settle before opening the lid.
Pour all of the ingredients into a trash bag or bucket with lid and shake/toss/massage until well blended.
Pour into a bucket for storage & scoop out a jar full to keep by your washing machine!
This detergent will dissolve best in warm water. To help, you can swirl a tablespoon or two in a cup (I like to use a jar) of warm water before tossing it into your washing machine. This large batch recipe makes approximately 870 loads.
SMALL BATCH RECIPE
1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
1/2 cup of OxiClean Free or “Baby”
1 trial size box of Eco Nuts Soap Nuts
1/4 cup Baking Soda
HOW TO USE: Use 2 tablespoons per standard load and just 1 tablespoon per HE load, you can add more depending on soil level. As with any detergent, be sure to pretreat any tough spots. Be sure to check out my DIY Pretreater Recipe for that. Remember that this detergent will dissolve best in warm water. Swirl your tablespoon or two in cup (I like to use a jar) of hot water before tossing it into your washing machine or simply use warm water (though cold will save electricity!) The views, opinions, depicted results and experiences expressed in this article and in user-submitted comments are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Eco Nuts and may not be representative or typical of the product under actual conditions or use as directed. User comments are not edited for accuracy or safety. The statements made in this article are meant to be educational and not as a guide to treat or cure any disease or illness. This is a syndicated post from The Eco Friendly Family and published with permission from author Amanda Hearn. We love her blog! We encourage you to check it out.
Amanda Hearn