Homemade Laundry Soap

We saved $90 making our own laundry soap this year!!

4 Cups - hot tap water

1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax

- 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.

-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)

-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.
-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.
-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

TIPS FOR LAUNDRY SOAP: We use Fels-Naptha bar soap in the homemade soap recipes, but you can use Ivory, Sunlight, Kirk's Hardwater Castile or Zote bars. Don't use heavily perfumed soaps. We buy Fels-Naptha by the case from our local grocer or online. Washing Soda and Borax can often be found on the laundry or cleaning aisle. Recipe cost approx. $2 per batch.

A New Laundry Recipe

I found a new recipe that another mom, Lisa Metzger, had found and brought to light, (and also found in the wonderful "New Harvest Homestead Newsletter" put out by Lisa Vitello), that originated initially from Michelle and Bob Dugger (who are a family of 20, so far)! I really wanted to share this with you...

It is a recipe that will make enough for a family of 11, to last for 1 year for $18.00 - $21.00. I probably use about $18.00 a month for all of us, or more. It only requires 4 ingredients:

4 cups of hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha Soap bar
1 cup of washing soda
1/2 of Borax


1. Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water.
Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap
dissolves and is melted.

2. Fill a five-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.

3. Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser
half full with soap and then fill rest of way with
water. Shake before each use. (It will gel.)

4. Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil
per two gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas:
lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons. Top-load
machine: 5/8 cup per load. Front-load machine: 1/2
cup per load.