A great way to save money is by making your own laundry detergent. It’s not as difficult as it sounds and takes less than an hour. I paid less than $10 for the ingredients (excluding the essential oil) and I’m estimating the batch will last me close to a year. If I can do it anyone can. Plus you can use essential oils to add your favorite scent naturally.
– Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.
-(I don’t do this step. I just use less when I pour in the wash.) Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. It will gel, but that is okay. Shake well before each use. (I used 5 gallon size orange juice containers that I collected over a couple of months.)
-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: Purification, lavender, rosemary, Melaleuca. Or you can simply add a drop of Purification with each load.
-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons if you split it. I just use less in each wash since it is concentrated.
-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)
*Arm & Hammer “Super Washing Soda” – Baking Soda will not work and neither will Arm & Hammer Detergent – It must be sodium carbonate.
•Works well in all machines.
•The detergent is low sudsing. It is the ingredients in the soap, not the suds, that do the cleaning.
•Clumping and geling of the detergent is normal. Stir before putting in dispenser, and shake before each use.
