Home Made Laundry Soap

[kacaju]

I made this recipe two months ago and I am just running out. I doubled the recipe, it cleaned very nicely.
I used a plastic cat litter container to store it.

Homemade Laundry Soap

1/3 bar Fels Naptha or other type of soap, as listed above

½ cup washing soda

½ cup borax powder

~You will also need a small bucket, about 2 gallon size~



Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan. Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts. Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket. Now add your soap mixture and stir. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel. You use ½ cup per load.

 

[semo233]

I use a similar recipe, but do not liquify it. I add 1 c fels naptha (grated or through food processor), 1c washing soad and 1 c borax. I use 2-3 Tablespoons per load. It desolves fine in my cold water, too. And not making it into a liquid saves on storage space and time.

 

[Carrie772]

Love this stuff. My DH calls it soap snot.

 

[lisam427]

my mom made this for me to try. i love it! it cleans the clothes wonderfully! i think im going to try the dry mixture but i love the liquid stuff. thanks for the recipie!!!

 

[DawnM]

I make the full version with a full bar of soap and 1 cup of each.

I made it about 5 months ago and we still haven't run out.

I do liquify it as we are on a septic and have been told not to use powder. I don't know if this powder would react the same in the septic, but I have decided not to chance it. Plus, I am worried that the soap won't dissolve fully.

So far I estimate it is costing about .02-.03 per load for detergent.

Dawn

 

[tavettava]

Has anyone used this in their front loader?

 

[dclfun]

What exactly is "washing soda"?---Kathy

 

[WeLoveToyStory]

I've been making my own laundry detergent for over a year now. Figure it's cost me in a year what I was paying for it in a single month. Works awesome too!

 

[WeLoveToyStory]

What exactly is "washing soda"?---Kathy

I think it's like baking soda. Should be right beside of the Borax in your stores laundry detergent aisle.

 

[Mermaid02]

I made my own detergent for a while but I had to give it up. My dh equates "clean" with overloaded with perfumes. He kept swearing the clothes weren't clean.....

Now he's swearing his clothes smell like vinegar (although I've been using white vinegar for a year in the laundry) and I had to buy Downy. This man is killing my efforts to save money.

 

[pklein09]

What exactly is "washing soda"?---Kathy

It's made by Arm & Hammer, and it's in the laundry detergent aisle. I typically find it on the top shelf, and it looks like a large box of baking soda - same color and logo. I use it as a laundry booster when the kids clothes are looking dingy.

 

[kacaju]

I made my own detergent for a while but I had to give it up. My dh equates "clean" with overloaded with perfumes. He kept swearing the clothes weren't clean.....

Now he's swearing his clothes smell like vinegar (although I've been using white vinegar for a year in the laundry) and I had to buy Downy. This man is killing my efforts to save money.

When I made my first batch I gave some to my friend who is the laundry Queen. I did not tell her I made it, just said I got this new stuff and I wanted her opinion. She said it cleaned great, she was not crazy about the smell though. She doesn't like Fels Naptha.

 

[worm761]

What exactly is "washing soda"?---Kathy

Washing soda is sodium carbonate. NOT sodium bicarbonate which is baking soda. In some areas/stores you can find washing soda in your laundry aisle. If you can't find it in your laundry aisle...it is also used as PH balancer for pools. It is PHplus. Just look at the ingredients. It should be the only one.

http://www.soapsgonebuy.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=AH1001&Show=ExtInfo

I have been making my own powder detergent for around 2 years now. I spend less than $20 a YEAR. The powder takes only about 2 minutes to make. I never notice I am low until I go to do a load and there isn't any detergent. Here is my recipe:

1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda
1/2 cup laundry booster (Oxy Clean or Sun and the like)

Mix together in an airtight container. Use 1 tablespoon per load.

 

[DawnM]

Yes. We have a high capacity front loader. It is NOT sudsy so you don't have to worry about it being a problem.

Dawn

Has anyone used this in their front loader?

 

[Nancy for Disney]

Does anyone have a good website for making your own household cleaners. I just did a search and it seemed like most of them were just trying to sell me their homemade household cleaners.

 

[worm761]

Does anyone have a good website for making your own household cleaners. I just did a search and it seemed like most of them were just trying to sell me their homemade household cleaners.

What sorts of cleaners are you looking for? Vinegar and baking soda can/will clean almost anything. Vinegar is also a natural disinfectant.

 

[SGMCO]

I have been making my own laudry detergent for over 2 years now and love it.
It has saved our family so much money. The only thing I haven't be able to find in the Fel Naptha--I use ZOTE soap I find at Walmart .98 cents a bar.
We used to buy the All Free and Clear because my family has allergies to reg. perfumed detergant and we haven't had any problems with allergies using this mix. I usually mix the Washing soda, Borax and sometimes add Baking soda then before putting clothes in washer, I start water on hot then add powder and grate some of the soap directly in the hot water (stir to disolve)
then turn temp down to either warm or cold load with clothes. Cost me around $30.00 for a whole years wash (our family has 2 adults and 1 Teenaged Son).

 

[DawnM]

Our local grocery store carries Fels Naptha. It is somewhat hidden on the bottom shelf near the laundry soaps.

Do you have a King Soopers? Online I saw in a Fels Naptha search and Denver that this was where many found it.

http://springsbargains.com/where-in-colorado-springs-can-i-find/

Dawn

I have been making my own laudry detergent for over 2 years now and love it.
It has saved our family so much money. The only thing I haven't be able to find in the Fel Naptha--I use ZOTE soap I find at Walmart .98 cents a bar.
We used to buy the All Free and Clear because my family has allergies to reg. perfumed detergant and we haven't had any problems with allergies using this mix. I usually mix the Washing soda, Borax and sometimes add Baking soda then before putting clothes in washer, I start water on hot then add powder and grate some of the soap directly in the hot water (stir to disolve)
then turn temp down to either warm or cold load with clothes. Cost me around $30.00 for a whole years wash (our family has 2 adults and 1 Teenaged Son).

 

[hambirg]

Does anyone have a good website for making your own household cleaners. I just did a search and it seemed like most of them were just trying to sell me their homemade household cleaners.

I found this sight after reading this thread. . .looks pretty cool.
http://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundry-soap-detergent-recipes/

Here's their page with the household cleaners:
http://tipnut.com/category/cleaning/cleaning-recipes/

 

[Disneycrazymom]

Do you think I could add some kind of something to make it have a "perfume" smell? I really like to use gain (original). I wonder what I could add to mimic that smell? It seems easy enough to make and laundry soap is getting really expensive. Thanks for the ideas!