I have always been one to make things homemade. Whether it be a version of food from a favorite chain restaurant , air freshners, chapstick {I'm an addict of moist lips}, baby wipes, or laundry soap......I am game to try it. I simply get a thrill from making it myself and often times it's a cheaper option than buying it at a store. Who doesn't like to save money!!!!!! The first thing I made homemade {other than food...LOL} was baby wipes. When you live miles from town where stores are not open 24/7 and everything is closed on Sunday sometimes you have to figure out a second option for the products you need.
My latest homemade product is laundry soap. If you have followed my blog you know that laundry is a huge obstacle in my life. If you care to read about all my laundry sagas you can read about them here, here, here, or here. With four kids and a farmer husband laundry is constantly a huge chore in this household. I spend a lot of time in my laundry room and I also spend a lot of money on laundry supplies every month. With that being said, I decided to save some money and make my own.
It is soooo simple. Here is what you need.... Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda {this is different from baking soda}, Borax, Oxi Magic or any oxygen booster, and Fels-Naptha laundry bar which you should be able to find in the laundry isle.
Grate the Fels-Naptha bar with a cheese grater and then put it into a food processor and grate it up until it is a thick powder consistency. Then add 1 cup of Borax, 1 cup of Super Washing Soda, and 1/2 cup Oxi Magic. Mix all together and store in a container. Use 2 tablespoons per load. This recipe is HE friendly. You can probably use 1 tablespoon for each load, but in my household we have dirt, cow poop, and grease all over most of our clothes so I have stuck with 2 tablespoons for every load.
I have been impressed with it so far. I think my whites seem whiter than they did with my Tide. My husband is always dirty and his greasy jeans are clean too. The smell is very subtle, but clean. I figured this homemade laundry soap cost just a couple pennies a load compared to my Tide that cost $0.24 a load. Twenty-two cents difference doesn't sound like much but it will add up fast in this household.
{{{HUGS}}}
Thanks for the visual!
ReplyDeleteI have been wanting to try making homemade laundry detergent from a friend's recipe, but was having trouble finding the ingredients. Now I think I'll just use your recipe because I SAW all the ingredients. Being a very visual person, it should make it easier for me to find them! I am anxious to see what I think of the scent. I just traded in my Tide a few months ago, for Arm & Hammer detergent ~ this combined with airing the clothes to dry outside on a clothes line makes for some yummy scented laundry!
Using the Clorox is such a great idea! I have made a similiar recipe in the past- but it just wasn't cutting it. Excited to try this! Thanks so much! Looking forward to checking out your blog!
ReplyDeleteNew Follower- Aubrey
http://sweetnessoftheeveryday.blogspot.com/
My recipe is similiar but it doesn't have the Clorox oxi in it and it's made up into liquid, instead of being dry, I might try this one, too!! Loving my homemade laundry soap!
ReplyDeleteAubrey, I am glad you are going to try this recipe. Let me know what you think!!
ReplyDeleteNina, I thought I would try making a liquid version. My plan is to talk someone out of their empty liquid detergent container with the spout and fill it up with homemade laundry soap. Do you add any essential oil to yours? I have a lot of EO on hand so I thought I would try that when I make the liquid.
I love the idea of creating your own laundry soap!!
ReplyDeletethis is great! I just had to resign at my job due to back issues and will need to tighten the belt on my spending!
ReplyDeleteI will definitely try making this..my question is that I have a high efficiency wash machine...does that work too?
Hugs,
natalie
Natalie, yes this works with HE machines. I haven't had any trouble with my HE machine (well...from the laundry detergent anyway...lol)
ReplyDeleteI hope your back issues get better. I can relate, I have had neck issues and had to have fusion done and was off work for 3 months.
I have made the liquid but without the Clorox oxi, do you know how much I would use in the liquid recipe? Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteCheryl, is your recipe the same as mine? If so, I would use the same amount of oxi.
ReplyDeleteYou use the whole bar of grated soap? Seems like a lot so I thought I better check before I get my magic on :)
ReplyDeleteBev, sorry it took me so long to get back to you. For some reason your comment didn't show up in my inbox. Yes, I do use a whole bar of grated soap. Good luck getting your magic on!!!!!
DeleteWith the HE washer do you put it into the little soap drawer or directly in the washer?? I so want to try this.
DeleteJust made my second batch of liquid detergent. I have been using a half bar of grated soap to keep it in a more liquid state. Tonight, I added the oxi, but it was prior to reading this feed. Just had some on hand and figured it couldn't hurt to try it. I decided to add a cup of oxi as all the other ingred. called for one cup. This was probably a mistake. There were so many bubbles that I had to transfer the pot to the sink while it overflowed, and overflowed and... well, you get it. Love my homemade soap. LOVE not spending ridiculous amounts of money for detergent. I think we are paying for the pretty bottle!
ReplyDeleteI'm getting ready to make a batch and was wondering...how long does 1 batch of this last you?
ReplyDeleteCouldn't find oxi magic but got oxi clean will it work the same?
ReplyDeleteAlthough my recipe is slightly different (mine is a liquid/gel), I usually use Ivory soap (it is easier for me to find than Fels Naptha and I prefer the scent.). I may just have to try this one, too. Seems much easier than dissolving the soap & other ingredients. How much do you use per load?
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I have used a liquid version of this same recipe for years now and will use nothing else. Does it clean any better than commercial brands.I don’t know all I know is that it works for my septic system and for my wallet. I use 1 bar of Felis Naptha soap grated and melted in approx gallon of water. I make sure this is disolved then I add it to 4 gallons of hot water in which a cup to cup and half of each, borax and arm and hammer washing soda has been disolved. Put the lid on your 5 gallon bucket and leave it sit over night. The next day I use my hands to break up the gelatanous supstance and mix it well. and walah I have 5 gallons of laundy soap. I got this recipe from a 4h girl at her very first presentation day and have used it ever since. I have also used the pink soap and have another brand (name excapes me) both bought at our local hispanic market place. My father use to use the felis Naptha soap after he came home from deer hunting. He claimed it stopped any poison oak or ivy from spreading from his clothes to his body. Mom used the bar as a pretreat for stains for as long as I can remember.
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Michelle, I'm so curious to try this, how much do you use per load of laundry?
DeleteThank you!
I have used this before and will definitely add the oxi too it. I have used Zote as well as fels naptha and the zote is easier to grate and it has a whitening agent in it as well and it is the same cost as fels naptha. I personally think the zote works better.
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