Homemade laundry soap recipe and WHY IT totally rocks!!

2011-09-05 16:03
Mountain Standard Time
 Here's my 2 recipes for homemade laundry soap. Both use the same ingredients except the water.
This is the liquid soap.
1 + 2 gallons Water (hot) Used separately
*1 bar Soap (I make my own, but regular store bought kind works great too.  Needs to be grated, I use a magic bullet and grind it in 3 batches)
2 cups Baking soda (not super washing soda)
1 c of cheap oxy-clean.  I buy the one at the dollar store (you may need to adjust the amount depending on your water hardness)
3 gallon jug ( I use a 5 since they are easier to find)
>I also like to add in organic lemon oil for the smell of it, but it isn't essential to add it in.  I wouldn't add it if the soap you are using has a strong fragrance.

Melt grated soap in a saucepan with a gallon of hot tap water. Melt over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until soap is dissolved
In your jug pour 2 gallons hot water. Add melted soap, shake jug.  Add the baking soda, and oxy-clean shake well again.  (great exercise for your under arms)
Use 1/8 cup per full load, up to 1/2 cup per very soiled load.  This soap does gel and you will need to shake it every so often.  I also use this as a pretreatment as well just put a little on the stain and rub it on with a wash cloth.

For powdered detergent grate the soap finely, put into an air tight container ( I use an old mayonnaise jar with a screw on lid), pour in baking soda,  oxy-clean.  Put the lid on and give it a good shake.  To use it all you need is 2 tablespoons, we put an old children's medicine dosing cup into it.  Put it into the water as the water is filling, to let it start to melt a bit then add your clothes in on top.  That's it.

Follow with a 1/2 cup of white vinegar in the rinse cycle it works better than fabric softener, even when line drying.

**Some people use fels naptha, borax and super washing soda.  I on the other hand do not.  I use baking soda and oxy-clean in place of washing soda, it works better and it's easier to find.  Also, I discovered that  grated plain bar soap (I make my own, but regular store bought kind works great too) work best for us.

5 comments:

  1. I LOVE this!!
    I cannot wait to try it.

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  2. Looks wonderful!! What would you recommend instead of the Borax? I have heard it is not good to use on infants, and my son has SUPER sensitive skin as it is.

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  3. I don't use borax. My oldest son had eczema so I am pretty careful.

    When doing baby diapers and clothes I use the grated bar soap and baking soda and a sprinkle of the cheapest oxy-clean. I melt them in a cup of hot water and dump it in my washer. And make sure to do a double rinse.

    For stubborn poo stains I just make a past of baking soda and water and sorta rub it in and leave it til it dries then wash as usual.

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  4. You put both liquid and powdered. Which do you prefer and why?

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  5. The powdered stores better and longer.

    The liquid works better, and you can use it as a pre-treatment. It does sorta gel up, so you have to shake it every so often to keep the soap dispersed.

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