Homemade Laundry Detergent and Gift Idea!

Homemade Laundry Detergent!

Laundry soap is expensive!

I walked down the soap aisle of a store as a young mother and just cried while looking at the prices of laundry detergent. It was so expensive for our tight budget! On top of price, we all have high allergies and soap is packed full of scents and stuff that we are allergic to.

I felt defeated.

Then a friend of mine mentioned she had made her own laundry soap. I was thrilled--I may have hugged her for joy! I discovered quickly that making laundry soap was super cost effective, low on the allergens scale, and totally liberating as a budget conscious mother!

Cost breaks down to about $1 (or less) a gallon! I know--life changing!

And, I've decided to share the wealth to those looking to cut costs.

Laundry soap also makes a great holiday neighbor gift!

So here is what you need:
Fels Naptha soap

(found in the laundry soap aisle at the store...less than $2...most places under $1)

Super Washing Soda
(huge box about $5--turns out you can make your own by baking baking soda...)

20 Mule Team Borax
(about $5 a box)

You will use the entire bar of Fels Naptha, but only about 1/6 of the other items.

So, buy 6 bars of soap ($6), SWS ($5), and Borax ($5), about $16-20 and that will make 30 gallons of laundry soap!

Guess what? 5 gallons of laundry soap lasts my family of 5 about 6 months. Booyah!

Grate your entire bar of soap.

Add grated soap to large pot of 6 cups of hot water...
with the heat on medium/high.

Once the soap dissolves add

1 1/2 cup of washing soda

and 1 1/2 cup of borax, stir well.

Then add 12 cups of water...don't breathe in the steam!

Turn off the stove top element.

Pour the soap mix into a 5 gallon bucket and add about 4 gallons of water...it will fill nearly to the top!
Stir well.

It will get gelly and chunky...Perfect!

I use a pitcher and a funnel and fill up my old laundry
soap bottles or cleaned out plastic containers...or quart mason jars!

The soap is a plain scent (great for our allergies!)

You can add essential oils if you like a scent.

Let it set up overnight. It will "gel"...it still remains slightly chunky...

so I shake it up before I pour it out!

Use about 1/4 cup per large load.

This works great as a stain fighter prewash too!

I will never pay high laundry soap prices again.
Love it! I've used it in High Efficiency machines and

regular washing machines...both work GREAT!

And because I love homemade gifts that are useful non food items...

this one is perfect!

"I'm dreaming of some White Laundry!"

Here's my plan for neighbor gifts for Christmas this year!

1 quart of soap...25 cents,

mason jar...about 70 cents...

Under $1! :)

And super useful...and not fattening!

(Feel FREE to copy my genius idea! Right click to save off the printable tags!)

Check out my blog Doodlecraft for more daily fun and budget friendly ideas!