An
"all natural," quick an easy way to make laundry soap using
three main ingredients.
Large Batch of Detergent:
1 Bar Fels Naptha -
1 1/2 Cups Arm and HammerWashing Soda
1 1/2 Cups Borax
4 1/2 gallons of water
6
one gallon containers with lids. If using smaller containers, you
will need more.
Chop the bar of Fels Naptha into marble size pieces and melt over medium heat in 2-3 quarts of water. (This takes @ 30 - 40 minutes). Once melted, add in the washing soda and borax. Simmer 3-4 minutes, making sure powders have dissolved. In a 5 gallon bucket add one large pot of HOT water. Add your soap mixture to the bucket and stir well. Add more hot tap water to within 2 - 3 inches from top of bucket. Stir. Using a funnel, while mixture is still hot, pour into empty containers. Old laundry containers, Clorox, and vinegar bottles are heavier duty and great to use. I initially used rinsed out milk containers until I had enough of the other bottles. Leave about 4 inches of head space. Place lids on top. Wait 24 hours for detergent to set up before using. You will need to shake the bottles quite a bit to break up the chunks of detergent that will form after it sets up. Detergent will stay a little clumpy. Lightly shake bottles before each use.
Use 1/2 cup detergent for regular loads. 3/4 to 1 cup for heavily soiled.
For
Front Loading Machines: Use
half the amount. This is a low
suds detergent.
Small Batch of Detergent:
1/3 bar Fels Naptha
1/2 cup washing soda
1/2 cup borax1 1/2 gallons of water.
Use a 3 gallon bucket.
Melt the soap in 2 quarts of water and then add your washing soda and borax. Mix til dissolved. Add 4 quarts of HOT water to your bucket. Add soap mixture to bucket and mix well. Pour into smaller containers. Let set up for 24 hours. Shake before use.
Small Batch of Detergent:
1/3 bar Fels Naptha
1/2 cup washing soda
1/2 cup borax1 1/2 gallons of water.
Use a 3 gallon bucket.
Melt the soap in 2 quarts of water and then add your washing soda and borax. Mix til dissolved. Add 4 quarts of HOT water to your bucket. Add soap mixture to bucket and mix well. Pour into smaller containers. Let set up for 24 hours. Shake before use.
Cost
of Ingredients
Fels
Naptha: I
pay $1.06 per bar. Use one bar per five gallon bucket
Arm
and Hammer Washing Soda: I pay $2.99 per box. This will make
approximately 4 - 5, five gallon buckets of laundry soap.
Borax:
I pay $3.15 per box. This will make approximately 6 five gallon
buckets of laundry soap.
So
if you purchase 5 bars of Fels Naptha, one box each of the washing
soda and borax, you can make five (5) gallon buckets of laundry soap
for about $12.00. This makes the cost of each five gallon bucket
$2.40.
One 5 gallon bucket makes approximately 144 half cup loads of laundry. This comes out to less than 2 cents per load!!
One 5 gallon bucket makes approximately 144 half cup loads of laundry. This comes out to less than 2 cents per load!!
I
love this detergent. In my opinion, it works just as well as the name
brand detergents. I have many friends and relatives who also like
this detergent. We are a family of four and a 5 gallon bucket lasts
me quite a while. I make this detergents about 2 - 3 times per year.
It takes less than one hour each time I make it.
