Homemade Laundry Soap

As I started laundry this morning I realized I was officially out of laundry soap but I am disgusted at the cost of everything just seems to be going up and up. Then I remembered a friend of mine telling me she makes her own and I knew it was at least worth trying. 

When we went shopping, I grabbed the box of Borax ($3.38) but forgot the washing soda so I began to do a little research and see if I could find either difference recipes or alternatives to the washing soda. What I did find out is that not only can you make your own washing soda by cooking baking soda but I already had some with our pool supplies. Washing soda is sodium carbonate the same exact pH stabilizer we use in our pool. So while we have a huge bag I understand that you may not. Find out how to make your own here. HOMEMADE WASHING SODA

So now to make your laundry soap. This does make about 5 gallons I would suggest a 5 gallon bucket.

Ingredients

· 1 cup Borax
· 1 cup washing soda
· 1 bar Fels Naptha soap
· One 5 Gallon bucket
· water

To start, the Fels-Naptha needs to be broken down into small pieces.  To microwave the soap, put it in a microwave safe bowl and cook it on high in 30 second intervals. After each interval, give it a quick stir or chop to help break it up. It takes about 4 minutes to get the soap broken down into small enough pieces to use. 

Once the soap is broken up, place it in a pot on the stove and add 4 cups of water. 

Cook on medium low, stirring frequently, until all of the Fels-Naptha is dissolved. This took about 10 minutes to get it all dissolved. Also if your mixture starts to foam up where it doubles in size take it off the burner. You do not want to make a mess of course.

Add the Borax and washing powder and stir until it is completely dissolved.

Pour your mixture into a 5 gallon bucket and then fill the bucket with water.  

I then filled up a smaller container out of my 5 gallon bucket to keep handy in the laundry room. Before each use, shake the container just to be sure everything is mixed well.

Use a ¼ cup of soap for each normal load.

The finished product takes on some interesting consistencies as it cools down. It goes from a floating cottage cheese like mixture to a lava lamp type one. By the time it’s cooled completely, it almost completely separates. It’s nothing a little shake won’t cure though.

While making the soap there is definitely a very strong soapy smell. My entire house smells super clean! But it’s not irritating or anything like that. Just clean :)