Dirty Laundry

When my neighbor's husband found out I was making my own laundry detergent he called me a hippy! I refuse to be called a hippy, I support our troops, I shower regularly, I do not protest nor do I wear flowers in my hair. A penny pincher, yes, a nut, maybe, but a hippy I am not. Yes, my youngest daughter is wearing cloth diapers and it is true that I make most of my household cleaners, but I do it all to save some pennies.

There are many recipes online for homemade laundry soap. First, you need to decide if you prefer liquid or a powder. I prefer liquid for my front load HE Kenmore. I scanned through dozens of sites, spent hours on pinterest and then decided that I was brave enough to try it.

What you'll need:

--(10-15) 1 gallon containers (milk jugs or I prefer my old Tide bottles)
--5 gallon bucket with lid ($4-5 at any hardware store or wal-mart)
--Fels-Naptha bar soap (found in the laundry aisle of most grocery stores for about $2)
--Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (found in the laundry aisle of the store about $3 a box, not baking soda)
--Borax (also found in the laundry aisle for about $3)

(Hmm...$12-13, about the cost of a bottle of detergent, and the crazy thing is this will last far longer)

1. Get out your grater and grate the entire Fels-Naptha bar.
2. Combine the soap flakes with 4 cups of hot water in a pot. Stir continuously over med-low heat for about 10 minutes or until the soap has completely melted.
3. Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot water.
4. Next, add the soap mixture, 1 cup washing soda and 1/2 cup Borax to the 5 gallon bucket and stir. (you can use a mop handle, an extra long spoon, a drywall mud mixer attachment for a cordless drill or anything else that is long enough so you scrape the bottom of the bucket)
5. Now, add water to the mixture in the 5 gallon bucket until it is full (about 2 more gallons of water). Stir well.
6. Next, place the lid on the bucket and let it sit over night.
7. 24 hours later, remove the lid. There should be a thick gel at the top of bucket. Stir again until smooth.
8. Grab your empty bottles/containers. Using a funnel, fill them half full with the detergent mixture. Then fill the other half with water. Shake well, but be sure to seal the container first with a lid! :)

Congrats, now you have made your first batch of laundry detergent!

To use:
In an HE front loader, add 1/4 cup of detergent.
For a regular top loading machine, add 1/2-3/4 cup.

You can add some essential oil of your choice (found in the laundry aisle), but I prefer Scentsy Washer Whiffs for my towels and linens.

Thanks for reading!!