I have been using the soap for week and have come to the same conclusion!! I love it!!!! So now . . . I am passing it on to all of you quilty friends in case you could use a little laundry savings as well :) You can read it below or on Char's post, or on the Original post :) You take your pick :)
Here is what you will need :
(Most of this can be found in the detergent aisle, with the exception of the Baking Soda and the Zote Soap)
1 (4 lb 12 oz) Box of Borax
1 (3 lb 7 oz) Box of Super Washing Soda (Arm & Hammer)
1 (3 lb) Container of OxyClean
2 (14.1 oz) Bars of Zote Soap (I found this at our local Latino market. If you can't find it, you can use an equal amount of Fels Naptha, but those bars are smaller, so be sure you get 28 ounces, not just two bars)
1 (4 lb) Boxes of Baking Soda (Arm & Hammer)
1 (55 ox) Bottle of Purex Crystals Fabric Softener (optional--but it smells nice, makes the detergent look pretty, softens the fabric, AND provides a bottle for you to store your soap in so that you don't have to have a giant bucket of soap cluttering up your laundry room)
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| We were doing a double batch here :) |
Grate the bar soap-- A food processor will save you a whole lot of time here ;) If you want smaller bits of soap, you can do it by hand, using the smaller holes on the grater but your wrist might be a little sore :)
It's looks like pink shredded gum from the 80's :) But don't confuse it with gum, that would be nasty :)
Next, get a five-gallon bucket, and start mixing everything together. Charlotte recommended us to have a layer approach to this--i.e. dump about 1/4th of each ingredient into the bucket, then stir them all together (I use a wooden spoon). Then repeat three more times. This will totally save your arms ;)
Then just use a measuring cup to pour your soap into your bottle and the remainder store in your bucket, I just put the lid on and set it in the garage :)
Now you're done! To use the soap, just put in 1-2 Tablespoons in with each load of laundry. You'll think you need more, but really you don't. I marked my lid at the 2 TBSP so that it is easy to see. Charlotte says and I have found as well that when washing the water doesn't have the suds that you're used to. That's okay, your clothes will still get clean.
So there you have it :) Homemade Laundry detergent. To make one batch it cost $31.00, and at 2 TBSP a load and about 2 1/2 gallons of soap, I figure it will last about 1 1/2 to 2 years :) It actually makes me smile to throw a load in the wash now, just a little triumph of savings each time ;)
So that's it for today. Yup, a little off topic from our normal quilting but hopefully still helpful ;) Have a Happy Quilting Weekend, and maybe fill it with a little laundry as well :)
Just wondering - I have made this recipe and I have absolutely no suds at all. Does that sound right? The water gets cloudy but no sudsing action at all. Could you check with your laundry soap guru?!
ReplyDeleteYup, that is what I have found as well. No suds. But my clothes are still coming out clean :)
DeleteWOW...does this work in Energy Efficient washers? I know they require specific detergents.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a great idea, but I think that would last me the rest of my natural life lol
ReplyDeletemy mil used to make her own soap all the time. wonder if front loaders would like this?
ReplyDeleteI had sticker shock last night when I bought a new box of laundry detergent. My will last me 5 or 6 months. The home made stuff might last me 5 years! Maybe I can talk my friends/family into splitting a batch to make sure we like it.
ReplyDeleteI have been making laundry soap this way for a while. We live on a farm and it gets out the stink! I don't add oxyclean to my mix, just add a little to the loads that need it.
ReplyDeleteI've tried homemade laundry soap before, but it was the liquid kind and they all said the same thing "It works sooo good!" but it didn't. It sucked. I may as well have just not had any soap in there at all. I am hesitant to try this. But Maybe I should. But maybe I should wait and see what kind of new appliances we get before I do. Yay! We're getting new appliances!
ReplyDeleteI have made laundry soap before but haven't in a while. Here is what I found about whether it works in HE washers.
ReplyDeletehttp://laundry.about.com/od/HomemadeLaundryProducts/f/Can-Homemade-Detergent-Be-Used-In-He-Washers.htm
It seems that regular detergents contain sudsing agents which is not present in HE detergents. This explains why you don't see suds, and also explains why it should work fine in he washers.
My recipe only calls for Borax, fels naptha and the super washing soda. Worked like a charm. I wonder what your additional ingredients do?
ReplyDeleteI am guessing with front loaders it needs to be put in with the clothes and not use the dispenser since it is in powder form. I read the article that Melinda posted
DeleteThe last time we used homemade laundry soap, our whites got SUPER dingy. :/ I think we'll try this recipe, though.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think it is so funny that on every homemade recipe I've seen, there's a note that says, "No, really, only 2 Tbsp!" Have you looked at the detergent scoop from the store bought detergent? My current detergent has a HUGE scoop... with the line ALL THE WAY at the bottom... about 2 Tbsp. :-D Even the 3 line for those super dirty loads is only halfway up the scoop (at least 4 times the 2 line and the 1 line is just under the 2). Way to fool us, laundry detergent makers! Anyway, excuse the bunny trail.
Looks interesting: I have a daughter who is very sensitive to scents and dyes: does you SIL have any experience with that with any of her kids? I'm still tempted to make it: the cost of laundry detergent is so high!! Have a great weekend and thanks for sharing this with us! It's ok if you get a little off the quilting with us: I haven't been bored yet!! BTW, have you finished the quilt you're doing for the St George event? I'd love to see it when you're done: getting ready to sign up as soon as you do! :-) Hugs, H in Healdsburg
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great idea for clean laundry and saving money. Do you know if you can use it in a cold water wash? Will the shaved soap break up in cold water or do you need hot water? Just curious, I'd like to know before I make it. Thanks, this recipe is a little different than I've seen but, looks like it would work better. ;-> Toni Anne
ReplyDeleteAnd of course the million dollar question - how does it do for washing fabrics and quilts? There - now it's quilt related, LOL!!
ReplyDeleteSound good. I had head of a DIY liquid laundry soap. But this is first to hear of the dry kind. I should try this. I go through tons of detergent
ReplyDeleteDo u know if anyone with a front loader has tried it?
DeleteJust a heads up: You put a huge amount of Oxyclean in this batch. You might want to watch your laundry very closely for loss/fading of colors. I used it in my first batch, but don't now--we are a lot happier with it. When we have a genuine need for the extra power, we just add the oxyclean to the wash. (Didn't want you to end up with favorite things faded.)
ReplyDeleteCool!!! Quite an informative post!
ReplyDeleteDo those shreds of soap dissolve all the way in a cold water wash in the washing machine?
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen this recipe before. I've been using a liquid homemade laundry detergent for 18 months and love it. I love how much money we're saving without sacrificing cleaning power and that fresh, clean scent.
ReplyDeleteI also make my own laundry soap (the liquid kind) and I will never go back to store bought. Its amazing how much money we are saving!
ReplyDeleteI have used this recipe (without the Oxyclean and baking soda and crystals) for a long time and never a problem. Yesterday, I made a batch addint baking soda, so we will see what that does. I have been very happy with this for over a year. On a sad note, yesterday my food processor broke as I was shredding the fels naptha. So now we have cheap, good laundry soap, but I need a new food processor. I think I will go back to the zote soap, maybe the fels was too hard.
ReplyDeleteI have been making laundry soap for years! Great stuff and so much cheaper. =)
ReplyDelete