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Thursday, March 1, 2012

SIMPLIFY MY LIFE: HOMEMADE LAUNDRY SOAP = $1.76 FOR 7 GALLONS!



Homemade laundry soap is amazingly easy to make.....Not to mention very cheap!

What I LOVE about making my own laundry soap:
1.  It is safe to use in my HE Machine
2.  Doesn't have the added perfumes & junk that irritate sensitive skin
(3 members of my household have severe Eczema - homemade soap has been the best for them)
3.  Only cost $1.76 for 7 gallons! (based on Walmart prices)

HERE IS A COST COMPARISON:
  • My stock up price for name brand laundry detergent is $1.99 for 32 loads (60oz)
    • Breaks down to $.06 a load

  • Homemade laundry detergent cost $1.76 for 7 gallons (480 loads)
    • Breaks down to $.003 less than a penny a load!


WHAT YOU NEED: (all 3 ingredients are found in the laundry isle)
  • (1) 5 Gallon Bucket with lid
  • (1) old empty laundry detergent container
  • 1 cup of Borax $.33 a batch 
  • 1 cup of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda $.46 a batch
  • 1 bar of Fels-Naptha $.97 a batch

DIRECTIONS:
  • Heat 4 cups of water in a saucepan
  • Grate the bar of Fels-Naptha ( I use a cheese grater) and add to the water
  • Heat on medium heat, stir until the soap is comletely melted. 
  • Fill the 5 gallon bucket half full with hot tap water
  • Here is one way of getting it done if you don't have a spray nozzle:

How to fill a bucket with water using a dustpan.

Set the dustpan on top of the sink, such that the leading edge of the dustpan is on the far edge of the sink and the handle hangs over the near edge.
Set the bucket on the floor in front of the sink.
Overfill the dustpan so that water spills down the handle into the bucket.
Obviously, how well this works will depend on the proportions of your sink and your dustpan, and only a dustpan with a hollow or open handle will work for this.

On the other hand, it doesn’t need to be a dustpan.
  • Add the Borax and Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda, Stir to dissolve
  • Add the melted Fels-Naptha mixture thoroughly combine.
  • Finish filling the 5 gallon bucket to the top with hot tap water.
  • Put lid on the bucket and let the detergent set for 12 hours
  • After setting, stir the detergent until well combined
  • I fill an old empty laundry detergent container 3/4 full of the homemade detergent
  • Top off with tap water
  • Shake before each use
  • Use the laundry container lid measurements as normal!





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8 comments:

  1. LOL!!! I Love your method for getting the water in the bucket!! :D

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  2. HA! My husband is convinced I have lost it! But it works!

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  3. lol Heck yes it does!!! :D

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  4. Can you tell me what it is supposed to look like after 12 hours? I just took my lid off this morning all excited and its kinda separated like the bottom was a gluing white the top more yellow. I started to try to mix it up just wondering if this was right?

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  5. Yep, that is right! It will separate so just stir back together. It will do this all the time so you will want to shake the bottle you put it in before every use.

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  6. Thanks for your quick reply! What is your best method just a giant spoon? I am finding none of mine are long enough and its hard not to make a big mess. :)

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  7. Go get a 5 gallon paint stick from the hardware store or use a broom or mop handle!

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  8. If you add one cup of dawn doahsoap it will be smooth not chunky

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