DIY Laundry Detergent and Fabric Softener

'Think ECO- ecological and economical!'

I will start this post with fabric softener, because I started to use it much earlier than homemade laundry detergent and have to say I love it! 😊
No chemicals and synthetic softeners, it´s ecological and economical. Vinegar is not great only for the desinfection, but also the washing machine is happy with it. If you are afraid that you will feel the smell, don´t be, it doesn´t smell like vinegar at all. When you add some essential oils, a great scent is guaranteed.
Here is the basic recipe:  

Mix the water and vinegar in ratio of 1:1 in big bottle. I´m adding about 70ml to washing machine for 5kg of laundry.

I already tried some of essential oils so here are my tips 😉
My number one is LEMON BALM, which with its great herbal- citrusy smell is just great for washing(not only). When I do the laundry the whole flat smells amazing. 
My second favourite is LAVENDER. I love adding this oil eeeeverywhere, it´s just MUST HAVE and it´s also perfect for washing. 
I would say that with these two oils the laundry smells longest. 
If you want to try something more fresh I recommend TANGERINE or ORANGE- only for dark clothes, because the color is really orange, so rather be careful. 
I tried also PALMAROSA, it´s nice and sweet, but the scent doesn´t stay for long. 

I´m adding about 10-12 drops to the water-vinegar mix to each wash load. 

And let´s go to the laundry detergent.
There are many recipes on the internet, but this one is easy to remember, so I don´t have to check it every time I´m making it.

Process: 

• Shred the soap to fine flakes

• Pour half of hot water over the flakes (so it´s 100g of soap and 100ml of water) and mix till they dissolve (yes I know huuuge bowl 😃)

• In your closable container mix washing soda and the second part of hot water (so it´s again 100g of washing soda and 100ml of hot water)

• Add the dissolved soap to the mixture of soda and water and mix together

• Slowly and cold water and mix well

• Let sit to next day. It´s possible that after few hours there will be layer of water and the soap, mix it again and after few hours the gel will be produced and ready to use

For those who want to make their own laundry soap the recipe is  HERE.

My experience with this homemade detergent is positive, but sometimes not 100%, mostly what goes about sweaty and deodorant stains, but that could be caused also by my natural deodorant testing.

I´m adding about 150-200ml of this gel directly to washing drum. The amount depends on the density of the gel. If you add more water it will be more liquid so you can add more. 

Before I started to use this detergent, I did my own research on this. There are many articles and they are so different in opions. Some people love to use it, some don´t recommend it at all. It´s on you to make your own opinion. I would say that I´m still in my testing period, so maybe I can tell later, if this works perfectly with every fabric any kind of stain.

However I will write you the positives and you can decide if you will give it a try: 

• no allergens
• suitable for kids
• easy to make
• cheap
• ecological 
• you can control the ingredients

Do you already use your own washing stuff? Share you experience with us 😊