Homemade Laundry Products

A while back, Tyler was diagnosed with eczema.  While he was undergoing treatment, I also began to rethink our laundry products.  I had read about making one's own laundry products to help with problem skin conditions, and all of the difficulties people can have with some of the additives to commercial products.  I thought I'd give homemade products a try.  There are tons of "recipes" out there, all very similar.  I think it is trial and error to find the best one for your needs.  So far, the combinations and proportions I used (below) seem to work well.

Powdered Laundry Soap

1 cup of soap flakes (I used Zote Laundry Flakes)
1 cup of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
1 cup of baking soda
1.5 cups 20 Mule Team Borax
(Mix all together, store in airtight container.  I used a cheap glass jar with a seal that I got at Walmart, along with everything else.  Use 2-4 Tbsp per load.  Note for front loading machines: be sure to remove the liquid detergent insert in your machine when adding this.  The homemade soap has to go in the powder cup or it will clog.)

Homemade Fabric Softener

3 cups of water
1 cup of hair conditioner (I used VO5 Freesia)
1.5 cups white vinegar
(Note: it is best to mix in a big bowl and stir well, or if mixing in the container you will use, gently invert the container back and forth to mix.  If you shake, it will suds up terribly.  Gently invert container back and forth before each use.)

This time around, since I am satisfied with the way they work, I used a double recipe of each homemade product, which nicely filled my containers to the top.