Friday, February 25, 2011

Homemade Laundry Soap

I made a fresh batch of laundry soap the other day and even though I have already shared my recipe on here before, I wanted to repost it for anyone who missed it the first time around and wanted to try making it.  This is what mine looks like using a cheese grater for the bar of soap, but a friend of mine recently make some for the first time and used a blender for the soap after slicing the bar into thin strips.  I'm sure a food processor would also work well.  I'm going to try that next time to make the soap into more of a powder.
Dry Laundry Detergent

4 cups grated soap (I use Fels Naptha)
4 cups Baking Soda
4 cups Washing Soda
8 cups Borax

Use approx. 2 Tablespoons per load.

I mix it all in a 2.5 gallon Rubbermaid tub with a lid and keep a Tablespoon measuring cup inside the tub.

I have been using this for about 2 years now and the first time I made it I added up the cost to less than $12.50 and it lasted me over a year!  As I do more laundry now with more family members it doesn't last quite as long, but still saves me a bundle compared to store bought.

6 comments:

  1. When I made mine I used a food processor and it makes the soap into little balls, not really a powder. It was still good, but just not as fine as you might think. It's way easier than grating it by hand though!

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  2. I make this too without the baking soda! I use a grater I got at the thrift store, and sometimes substitute Kirk's Castile soap for the Fels Naptha.(I make smaller batches)

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  3. jenica, i want to try this soon. where do i find washing soda? laundry soap asile? and also why do you only use 2 tbsp per load?? that doesn't seem like very much????

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  4. i know i should give this a try, with how much soap we use. but i LOVE my tide!!!!!!!!!

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  5. uhhh..... what's "washing soda?" Adam and I want to make this!!! Twelve fiddy a year???? Wow!

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  6. Jenica- Im getting the stuff to make this tomorrow! I still have a bottle of Tide from my Mom but I decided Ill use that and only wash our bedding in it bc I love our bedding to smell fresh. I bet that bottle will last me a whole year too!

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