I am due to make more.....I love it.
Seems like my clothes are so much whiter and so much softer.
I don't use any fabric softeners in the dryer....just those blue plastic balls.
I love it, too, because it is very cost effective.
I make the liquid kind, too.

We find the towels and t-shirts are so much softer. I haven't used a brand-name, retail detergent in years.

A friend of mine makes up a full batch regularly and donates it in jugs, ready to use, to a pet rescue.

I seldom see the washing soda, borax and bar soap in one store. The washing soda and Sunlight bar soap (Canada) are getting harder to find.

just made some last month...making it for my kids...they still don't see how much better it is then store brand detergent!

Its been years! Love it! I also love the all purpose spray!

I have made the liquid detergent twice, and have a question. It tends to get large clumps in it. I try to shake the bottle really well, and that helps a bit, but it is hard to pour it because a large clump covers the bottle opening, preventing the detergent from coming out. I'm also wondering if those lumps dissolve well in the wash water. Also, it is very watery (even when well-mixed), not thick like store-bought detergents. Am I doing something wrong when I make it?

The second time I made it, I ran all 5 gallons of it through my food processor to get the lumps out. It took forever to do that. And then after it set awhile, it was back to its lumpy ways! Is this just the nature of the beast?

I'm thinking the next time I might make the dry powder instead. I really hate the mess of making and bottling the liquid.

I make it all the time,but I do the 'dry' way and just use 2 TBSP per load and works well and I wash nearly all the time in cold water.

I see most of the Wal Marts around here are really stocking all the ingredients and one has the recipe posted where you can take a copy from the shelf.

I'd love to have the recipes for the powder,liquid and the all purpose spray!

Thanks, Donna, I'm glad to hear from someone who makes the dry, and likes it! That's interesting that Walmart has posted the recipe on the shelf.

I make the dry and love it!!

Shea, I use both. I use the dry for my whites, especially.

The liquid does get a gel-like consistency. I smoosh it with my hands then mix half and half with water into my jug. You can even use an immersion blender to mix it up, if you like.

Thanks for that info, Jasdip. I did put it in my food processor to mix it, but after a few days it was back to being lumpy again. Are you saying that if you use an immersion blender, it will stay at an even consistency after being bottled? Somehow, I feel like I'm the only one who has encountered this problem! Some of you have been doing this for years, and of all the threads I've read about the homemade detergent, I've never read of anyone reporting this sort of problem, so I wonder if I'm doing something wrong.

Could you guys repost the recipe, I seem to have accumulated numerous recipes and don't know which is which anymore.

Hey Arkansas Girl! Where have you been lately??? I miss ya around here.

There's a separate thread that I posted yesterday outlining the dry and wet recipe.

I'd like the recipe for the cleaning spray that Lisa FL mentioned. I've seen some online. I use the Dawn and hot vinegar for the bathroom tub, sink and tiles.

Shea, the concentrate gels upon sitting. It needs to be smooshed before diluting it. The chunks in the diluted bottle aren't anything to worry about.

Thanks for getting back again, Jasdip, you've been a lot of help!

I am not sure what spray you are talking about but I've been mixing equal amounts of hydrogen peroxide and regular strength dawn dishwashing liquid into a sprayer. I haven't found any stain it doesn't take out. My husband plays golf on a daily basis and wears white shirts. It's hot and dry as a bone here, he comes home with some major ring around the collar and every where else...I have a front loader and it does not cause any suds. I also use what Jasdip does in the tubs/showers. Hot vinegar and dawn dish soap, it really cleans great...

Ah, yes, that's what I've read too, dbfirewife. I bought peroxide specifically for that, but haven't done it yet. If I remember right, but I could be wrong.....it doesn't keep. You have to use it all at once when you make it. Is that right?

Jasdip I saved my old Shout spray bottle and filled it up with the hydrogen peroxide and dawn mixture. It keeps fine, I have filled the bottle about 3 times now. I did notice that with a freshly made bottle the first day or so that I use it the mixture sprays out a little blue, because of the color of the Dawn then after that there is no color to it. I will never buy spot removers at the store again, this stuff works great. With the Vinegar/Dawn mixture for cleaning showers and tubs, it says to heat the vinegar which I did the first time. I made a whole bottle full of that also and just stuck it under the sink with the rest of the cleaners after using it. It seems to work just as good cold as hot. For both mixtures I did use regular strength Dawn, not super concentrated etc. If you have super concentrated a person might want to dilute it a little, no sense in using more then necessary.

Thanks jasdip!

I was just going to ask if that spot remove with hydrogen peroxide would keep because I had heard before that you have to make it fresh each time so it's good to know that I can just make it and use it later.

For spot cleaning on carpets (after cat yak), I use the concentrated liquid detergent. It works great, too as a stain remover.