My Laundry Soap

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Small Recipe:

1/3 bar Fels Naptha Laundry soap, grated

6 cups hot water

½ cup Washing Soda

½ cup Borax

Heat the 6 cups of water and grated soap in a large pan until soap is 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 3-5 gallon bucket and 1 quart of hot water. Then add the soap mixture. Mix. Add enough cold water to make a 2 gallon Mix until well blended. Let sit 24 hours. The soap will gel*.

**Use ½ cup for each load.

Makes 2 gallons.

(Approximately $.40 per gallon)

*If the detergent doesn't gel or reach honey consistency it will still work.

Notes:

*Stir before each use, this soap does separate. Detergent can be stored in a liquid detergent bottle, just shake well before each use.

*This detergent will not suds up in your washer, but it is still getting your wash clean.

*If you have extra hard water the soap may not clean as well. Add ½ cup Borax or Washing Soda to the load that may help.

*If you don't like this laundry soap you can still use the Fels Naptha for spot cleaning and to rub on stains.

*The Borax and washing soda can also boost cleaning with your regular detergent.

*For the bar soaps required you could try Fels-Naptha, Ivory, Sunlight, Kirk’s Hardwater Castile, and Zote.

Large Recipe:
Hot water

1 cup Washing Soda

1 cup Borax

1 Soap bar (grated)
Grate the bar and add to a large saucepan with hot water. Stir over medium-low heat until it dissolves and is melted.
Fill a 5 gallon pail half full of hot water. Add the melted mixture, Borax and Washing soda, stir well until all powder is dissolved. Top the pail up with more hot water.
**Use 1 /2 cup per load, stirring soap before each use (will gel).