Monday, March 19, 2012

~Homemade Laundry Soap~

 

Sorry for the lack of activity on here. After working all day, trying to stay awake late enough to have quiet time to blog is so hard for me. Are there any other mothers out there besides me that are ready to go to bed at 9p?  Please tell me I’m not the only one!
So I have been on the road to personal improvement for quite some time now and out of that has  grown the desire to make homemade household products. Body scrubs, lip gloss, and homemade cleaners.  It really is rewarding to clean something and realize that you made it from stuff you had on hand, it works well, and it cost you so little.  If you find all of this “homemade” stuff a little odd, then think again. With the economy the way it is, I don’t know anyone that couldn’t learn to save money on the basics that they use every day.
Today I bring you the wonders of HOMEMADE laundry soap. It’s being pinned all over Pinterest. There are all sorts of different recipes out here. Most are very similar. There are liquid versions and powdered versions. I use a liquid version.  My coworker uses the powdered version. Take my word for it, it’s awesome!  I have been using my own homemade laundry detergent for 6 months now and I can tell you that I will never buy laundry soap again. Yes, I do mean never. Well I’m here to tell you that there is no reason to be skeptical any longer.  This stuff works and it’s cheap! The total cost for all the supplies will probably range from $7.00-$10.00 depending on where you buy them. You will have leftover ingredients so the true cost of making the detergent is MUCH less than $7.00-$10.00. 
As I said before I have been using this laundry detergent for 6 months. Please note I didn’t say I have been making this stuff for 6 months. That’s because I only made it once. Yep, I have only made one batch of this stuff and it lasted me 6 months. There are 5 very active people in my home and we spent maybe $4.00 on that 6 months worth of laundry detergent. If that alone doesn’t convince you to try this, I don’t know what will.
I can’t tell you where I ended up getting my recipe from. I looked all over the internet and gathered many different variations of the recipe and finally settled on one what made the most sense and had the simplest process. I think I picked a good one because I love it.  I wouldn’t change a thing about it. Below are the recipes for both a liquid detergent and a powdered detergent. I haven’t used the powdered detergent, but my coworker uses it and she loves it. I think it’s just a matter of personal preference really.  Some things to note…The Fels-Naphtha soap does have a strong lemon/citrus scent, but your clothes will not smell like that when they are done washing. The clothes just smell clean, no scent really at all. As a matter of fact I add scented crystals to my wash if I want it to smell like something.  For the liquid soap recipe, you will have to shake your soap before each use. It gels after it sits so in order to break up the gel you need to shake it up.
As an added bonus I have also included my recipe for homemade dishwashing detergent. It’s been way too long since my last post so call this my “I’m sorry gift” to you. Don’t be overwhelmed by its simplicity. It really does work. LOL
Have a Blessed Day!
Kimberly
Liquid Laundry Detergent
½ bar Fels-Naptha Laundry Soap, grated
6 cups water
½ cup Washing soda
½ cup borax
Heat 6 cups water and soap in a large pan until dissolved. Stir in washing soda and Borax. Mix and heat until dissolved. Boil 15 minutes. Remove from heat. (It will have the consistency of honey.) In a 3 or 5 gallon bucket, add 1 quart of hot water, then add the soap mixture. Mix. Add enough cold water to make a 2 gallon mixture. Mix until well blended. Let sit 24 hours. The soap will gel. Use 1/2 cup for each load. As it sits it gets gelled again you will have to shake your laundry soap bottle before you use it to break up the soap before you pour it out of the bottle.
Makes 2 gallons. (Approximately $ .40 per gallon)
I change the amount I use per load depending on how soiled the laundry is, but I would say I use about 1/3 of a cup per load of laundry.

*You can also use Zote soap if you would like. I haven’t, but from what I have heard it is comparable to Fels-Naptha. Also Zote soap is pink and the thought of pink soap is so cool to me.
**If the detergent doesn't gel it will still work. The original recipe said to use 1/3 bar of Fels-Naptha. I use ½ of a bar and fill my 5 gallon bucket with water. I think that the soap is just less concentrated.  

***There are almost 0 suds with this type of soap. So it works well with HE washers. 

Powdered Laundry DetergentOne 4lb 12oz box of Borax
One 4lb box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
One 3lb 7oz box (55 oz) Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
Three bars of Fels-Naptha soap (Zote soap can be used instead of Fels-Naptha)
Two small containers of Oxyclean or store brand Oxyclean (for a total of about 3.5lbs)
This detergent is fairly mind smelling. If you love a strong scent you may have to add a fabric softer to each load or the dry crystals (my preference) that can be added to laundry for a nice fresh scent.
Start out by grating your Fels-Naptha (or Zote) just like cheese. You can use a food processer or just use your hand held grater, whatever you have on hand.
Toss all ingredients in a 5 gallon bucket lined with a garbage bag. Once everything is mixed store soap however you like. You may want to keep the majority in the bucket and then keep a smaller container in your wash room with a small coffee scoop inside. That’s it…you are done. Use 1 tablespoon per load.

Dishwasher Detergent

1 cup of Borax
1 cup of Baking soda
½ cup of Kosher Salt
Mix….DONE
Use 1 tablespoon per load.
*Make sure to put vinegar in the dishwasher (where you would put your jet dry) so you don’t get spots on your dishes. I always know when I need to add more vinegar because my dishes will start to get spots.
**You do have to rinse your dishes clean before putting them into the dish washer. This will not take off stuck on foods. But most people I know rinse their dishes before putting them into the dishwasher anyway. :)


1 comment:

  1. we make our own detergent too. Ivory soap bars work great too (and I stock up when I have a coupon and its on sale). I think I will try the Fels Naptha soap next time.

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