Okay readers, I have wanted to share this for a while, but have not taken the time until now. I have quite possibly the secret to financial freedom and have been keeping it mostly to myself. Inkling knows about it because I have shared it with her, but here goes readers, my recipe for…
Homemade Laundry Detergent! Now, let me tell you that I stumbled upon this recipe on the Internet about a year and a half ago, and since then I have been using it almost exclusively. I have bought perhaps 3 bottles of the pricey stuff when on sale for a back up, but this is my main detergent. I am posting pictures of the ingredients just in case you are like I was and wondering what in the world I am talking about. Now, mind you, this is not goofy science here, we are not using Kool-Aid and Hubba Bubba and turning them into detergent, these are actual laundry products that with a little work, a little mixing, and your own tap water end up making a liquid detergent that saves you big money. I can purchase enough of these products for a year’s worth of detergent for about $10.00 and just today in Meijer’s ad, you can get 2 bottles of Tide for $10.00. Hmmmm…To save even more money, I have found that I can wash everything in COLD water and still have excellent results!
I will tell you though, that this detergent will not have the same consistency as what you buy, this will be more of a gel like substance. However, if you put it in the washer with water before adding your clothes you will never have a problem. It is wonderful at getting your clothes clean, and yes, I do still use a purchased product for pre-treating tough stains when necessary. I have altered the original recipe to one that I like best and will give you my version. I purchased a large tub with a lid at Wal-Mart and make a huge batch at once. Husband carries it to the basement for me, and when we use it ( yes, husband does laundry) we scoop it out with a long handled ladle. Of course you can funnel it into old detergent bottles, but this works best for me. The hardest part about the whole procedure is grating the bar of soap. Once that is done the rest will take only about 10 minutes or less. Here goes:
Homemade Laundry Detergent
6 pints water
1 bar Fels Naptha Soap, grated fine
1 cup Washing Soda
1 cup Borax
4-6 gallon bucket or tub
2 quarts hot water
More Hot Water
Mix grated Fels Naptha with 6 pints of water and heat on low until dissolved. Stir in the Washing Soda and Borax. Stir until thickened, and remove from heat. Add 2 quarts Hot Water to a large bucket, add soap mixture and mix well. (I use a whisk) Fill bucket with Hot Water to equal 4 gallons, and mix well. Set aside for 24 hours, or until thickened. Use ½ cup of this mixture per load. You may mix this again to break up the gel consistency after the 24 hours.
Let me know if any of you are brave enough to try it. I will never go back to spending what I used to knowing that for just a fraction of the amount and my own water I will have the same results.
5 comments:
@earthlink.netHere's my question, Auntie. Is there any kind of fragrance to the Borax or bar soap? If not, can you add some?
If I had a basement or a slop sink in my utility room, I might be tempted to try it.... maybe....
For now, I'll get the big tubs of whatever free n clear is on sale.
ditto about the smell/fragrance..
This recipe is great, and it works. I've made it twice - once with Aunt Silverbelle and once on my own. I funneled it into a few used containers we had, and kept a measuring cup on top. When we move, I plan to use it exclusively, now that I'm nearly out of all the store-bought laundry detergent people filled our cupbourds with when I first arrived.
As for the fragrance, it just has a clean smell. Nothing else. I like it that way, and just use a dryer sheet during the drying process if I want something else added. I have heard of someone adding essential oils to give it a fragrance, but wouldn't want to try it myself.
If you smell the Fels Naptha soap at the store you will know basically what this mixture smells like. Inkling said it well, it just has a clean smell.
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