I have been using my homemade laundry detergent for a few months now. I love not having to spend the money on detergent every month. It is such a relief to have a big bucket of detergent just waiting for me when I run low. However, I have missed the smell of freshly laundered sheets, towels and t-shirts. I love pulling out clean towels and wrapping up in the scent of lavender, fresh flowers, the outdoors, any of them.
I did a little research and found an option- Downy Unstoppables. They are small little pellets, like a split pea, that have a strong scent. You pour them into the washing machine while the water is pouring in and they will break apart and make your clothes smell great! They work in regular or HE washing machines and say the scent lasts 30 days. I haven't used them that long, but so far, so good! I bought mine at Target, so I am sure they have them on the laundry aisle of most stores.
Just to make sure my clothes smell good, I also bought the Bounce Dryer bar. It looks like a big bar of soap and is attached to a sticky plastic piece that attaches to the dryer drum. It provides a dryer sheet for 2-6 months, depending upon the size you buy. Pretty cool, huh? I always forget to add a dryer sheet!
I have no idea how long these products have been around- I haven't been on the laundry aisle in a few months!
If you haven't made your own detergent yet or the thought of a big 5 gallon tub of detergent isn't appealing to you, I found another recipe for a dry version that is much smaller since it doesn't use all the additional water.
1 cup Borax
1 cup Washing Soda
1 grated Fels Naptha bar
All of these are on the laundry aisle at Walmart and were used in my original "wet" detergent post.
Mix these together and use 1 tablespoon of detergent per load.
I plan to try the dry version next and see how it compares.
Just to be certain everyone knows, this post wasn't compensated in any way. Downy and Bounce have no idea who I am and didn't even provide me free product. My opinions are solely based upon my experiences.
