Laundry Detergent Recipe

[MoniDew]

So happy to see this new board here! On another forum on which I participate, they have a thread going about ideas for saving money. This recipe was posted by one of the participants. I really liked it, so I saved it and printed it out for my own use at home. When I saw that we, too, have a frugality board, I thought I'd share it with you all here.

1 cup Borax powder (found in the laundry aisle)
1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (NOT baking soda. Also found in the laundry aisle)
1 cup OxyClean powder
1/2 bar of Sunlight Laundry Soap (or Fels Naptha, but I like the citrusy scent of the Sunlight), finely grated.

Mix it all together.
Use about 3/4 TBSP per load, or a full TBSP for really dirty clothes.

Costs less than 2 cents per load, and gets clothes really clean.

Use vinegar in a Downey Ball in the wash instead of fabric softener.

[GoldenAcres]

I too have starting making my own laundry soap and am loving it, make me feel like a real homesteader. Because I only wash with cold water I have found that for my washer liquid is better so this the recipe I use. Because of chronic migraines I don't like scented soap so this is perfect.

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap
This makes between 8 to 10 gallons of soap at a time.

4 Cups hot tap water
1 Zote soap bar
1 Cup Washing Soda

Sorry not sure why the instructions won't show up. I have tried twice now.
SimplyForties instructions are more or less the same.

[SimplyForties]

I make my own laundry detergent too. It's easy and I love having so much and hardly ever need to think about it. This is what I do -

Use a 5 gallon bucket (clean): Add to it about 3 gallons of warm or hot water. Add to that warm water 2 cups of washing soda. Add to the water about 2 cups of borax.

Grate a bar of soap;

Bring a pot of water to almost a boil, just not quite and add in all the shredded soap. Keep it from boiling and stir often for about 3-4 minutes till dissolved. Keep an eye on it because it tends to foam up if left unattended.

Once dissolved, pour molten soap mixture into the batch (already containing water, soda and borax). Top off with hot water to fill it up and start mixing.

And VOILA, you have just made laundry soap. You just add it as usual (1 cup) to your loads in the usual amount. I have tried it on grassy stains after mowing and it works just as well as ERA or whatever you use.

[JWTREPPA]

Ok this is a first for me.......

1-cup Borax powder
1-cup Washing Powder
1-Bar Fells Naptha Soap shreaded like with a potatoe pealer


1 gallon water mix in Fells Naptha Soap, heat on stove on Med till it's
all liquid....add
Borax and Powder,stir in 5 gallon more water................stir as soon as it starts to thicken its ready.......pour into jugs and use 1-cup per load.......

= 6 GAL........Shake up before using as it seperates. I use this w/cold water and seams to work very well.....even on whites.........

[Blossome]

Anyone try the soap nuts, I've heard of these on YT, but haven't tried them myself.

[LDMT]

I've been thinking of making my own for a while....interesting! :)

[gardengirl72]

Thanks for all the tips. I hae used soap nuts, it seemed to work, but I didn't have a whole lot to try.

[GoldenAcres]

I have been playing around with different recipes and finally found the one I really like.

1 bar Fels Naptha (found mine at Albertson's)
2 cups washing soda
2 cups Borax

Finely grate the soap and one gallon of water and over medium heat until the soap is melted.
In a five gallon bucket add two gallons hot water. Dissolve the washing soda in the water. Once dissolved add the Borax and stir until dissolved.
Now add the melted soap, stir. Add another gallon of hot water and stir.
Periodically stir the soap to keep it from setting up into a big blob.
Fill old laundry soap bottles 2/3 full of soap and the add two cups of water. Cap and shake the bottle to mix it.