I started making laundry soap about 3 years ago. It is the best decision I have made, EVER!! Out of each recipe I usually get 5-8 regular size bottles of detergent and it costs approx 4.00 per batch, MAYBE. That is likely a high estimate.
I do have to say, I do NOT know how this works on extremely dirty clothes. For someone with a hubby who works outside, or farms or mechanics, I do not know. My husband sits in an office all day!!
I can tell you my clothes are extremely clean, and stains even though I sometimes still treat bad ones, are always gone. I love it and I usually add fabric softener as well. We like our clothes to smell nice :)
Here it is, let me know if you try it how it works for you!!! Fels Naptha bars you usually find on the TOP shelf of the laundry aisle. If you are going to do this for the long haul, invest in a long mixing bit for your drill and a good bucket with lid, especially if you have little ones or pets!!
2/3 of a bar of FeLS NAPTHA Heavy Duty Bar soap (grated)
1 cup ARM AND HAMMER All Natural Super Washing Soda
1 cup 20 MULE TEAM BORAX Natural Laundry Booster
5 Gallon Bucket (clean)
Use an old pot and add soap to 6 pints of water cook on
low/medium until all soap is dissolved. When it is completely
dissolved add arm and hammer and borax. Cook until it thickens,
stirring all the time. Pour 2 quarts of water into 5 gallon bucket.
Add soap mixture and stir well. Fill bucket with more hot water
until about 4 inches from the top of the bucket. Skim off the soap
scum. Let sit 24 hours to thicken. It will be a gelatinous like consistency.
After 24 hours, mix with a long drill powered paint stirrer. We got
one at home depot pretty inexpensively. Mix completely and repeat in
24 more hours. You can add a bottle of fabric softener for the
scent and softening.
I actually only beat mine once, and then bottle immediately after
the second time. On the same note, I have forgotten and waited 2
days before I did it the first time, it just takes a bit more mixing,
but is no big deal. Save some laundry bottles, it is what I do. I
think I get close to 5 or so batches of soap out of the arm and hammer and
borax. The fels naptha of course you need one bar every time
basically but i buy it for 1.00 a bar.
Hope you try it, hope your happy with it if you do........sure makes
a huge difference money wise.
Your " I LOVE doing laundry and no I am not joking"chefwannabe
could you email me this recipe for liquid laundry soap? you can not read it on your blog page cos its overlaping.
ReplyDeleteshelimarie@hotmail.com
thanks
sheli
HI Shelly it is fixed and I emailed it to you! I am apologize for this!!
ReplyDeleteCan i use a paint stirrer and do it by hand or would it not work the same? Or would it be really hard to do it that way?
ReplyDeleteSportzMomJen, I think you would need to use a drill mixer. I got one at Home Depot for less than 10 dollars. I think it would be really hard to do it by hand, probably impossible since you need to break up the lumps that form. If you can, invest in it, I have spent INCLUDING the drill bit mixer, maybe 50.00 on laundry soap in 4 years. MAYBE!!
ReplyDeleteOK! Got a great tip today~~ My (brand new grrr) box of Washing Soda simply disappeared out of my house for some reason (still trying to hunt down the perpertrator) Anyways, no money to buy more til next week. So i was googling trying to find out if my soap would still work. Found out that Washing Soda and Baking Soda have basically the same components--- IF you BAKE the baking soda in a baking pan at about 400 degrees (it took about 20 mintues) It changes the chemical compound of the baking soda to exactly what the chemical compound is of the washing soda. While its baking, simply stir around several times during the baking process. My laundry soap came out perfectly!
ReplyDeleteAND its even cheaper than buying the washing soda!
ReplyDelete