Say what?
Homemade Laundry Detergent.
It is SO easy. I just made my 3rd batch and it took about 10 minutes. The hardest part was grating the soap, once that is done this comes together very quickly.
The really awesome thing is it makes doing laundry incredibly inexpensive. This recipe makes a 5 gallon – yes GALLON – bucket of 2x concentrate so that is actually 10 *GALLONS* of liquid laundry soap all for the glorious price of $4.80.
$4.80 for 10 gallons of laundry soap.
I have been making this soap for about a year and a half and I have made 3 batches now so two buckets lasted my family of 5 a year and a half. That’s pretty much worth it for me.
The only problem with it is that I cannot use it with the cloth diapers I use. With regular indian fold liners it’s not a problem, but the liners I have for my diapers have a water proof backing and the borax in this soap strips the water proofing. But that’s ok, I just wash the diapers in detergent safe for them and I wash everything else with this stuff.
So here’s the ‘tutorial’:
Ingredients
1 bar fels naptha soap (I found this at my local kroger store aka. fred meyer or king soopers. But I have also used a non scented dove bath soap with great success)
1 cup washing soda
1/2 cup borax
Lots of hot tap water
Preparation Instructions
Grate the bar of soap with a cheese grater – I like to use the smallest grater.
Next in a large sauce pan bring 4 cups water to a boil and add the grated soap to it. Stirring until the soap is completely dissolved.
Next, fill a 5 gallon bucket halfway with hot tap water
Then add the melted soap, washing soda and borax. Stir until dissolved.
Fill the bucket the rest of the way with more hot tap water.
Stir just to combine the ingredients and then put the lid on it and let it sit overnight to thicken.
The next day pour into a clean, used laundry soap container until it is half full and then fill the rest of the way with water and it’s ready to use!
You do need to remember to shake it before each use.
-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)
Did you know you can also add vinegar to your rinse cycle for a fabric softener? I use a downy ball and that works great.
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