Imagine the freedom you will feel when you aren't forced to spend a substantial chunk of your budget on over-priced laundry detergent! Imagine the satisfaction you will feel when you run out of detergent and you don't have to pile your kids into the car to go to the store, you merely walk into your kitchen! Imagine the pride you will feel to have made this everyday necessity with your very own hands! Let's get started!
Supplies Needed
- 3 Gallon Bucket with Lid
- Large Paint Stir Stick
- Cheese Grater
- Large Soup Pot
- Measuring Cup
Ingredients
(first 3 ingredients are found in the laundry aisle at grocery stores)
- 1 Bar Fels-Naptha Soap, grated
- 1 Cup Washing Soda
- 1 Cup Borax- 40 Cups Water
Instructions
- Boil 20 cups of water, pour into bucket
- Add grated Fels-Naptha, stir until dissolved
- Add Washing Soda and Borax, stir until dissolved
- Boil remaining 20 cups of water, pour into bucket, stir
That's right, that's all there is to making your own liquid laundry detergent!
Use 1/2 cup for normal loads or 1 cup for extra soiled. Use same measurements for HE machines.
Purchase a 1/2 cup measuring cup from the $1 store or use a cap from your current laundry detergent- they typically measure 1/2 cup.
You may be able to get a free bucket by going to your local warehouse club (such as Sams Club or Costco) and asking the bakery department for an empty frosting bucket. Just clean it up when you get home. (They are pretty messy, but hey, it's free!) If you don't want to use a bucket to store your detergent in, you may use old containers from your existing detergent. Just keep in mind this stuff gets really thick after it sets, almost a pudding consistency, so pouring can be tricky.
Instead of using a paint stir stick you may use a wood or plastic spoon with extra long handle. Just make sure to only use that spoon for making soap in the future and not for anything to do with food since it can harbor the ingredients. This detergent smells great, but does not taste great...trust me!
You think that's efficient? How about going a step further and pre-making detergent kits! For every kit simply grate one Fels-Naptha bar and put it into a plastic zip top baggie- sandwich size. Place 1 cup Washing Soda and 1 cup Borax in a quart size plastic zip top baggie.
With these kits you can make your detergent even faster, or share the love and give them as gifts!
Now...what to do with all the money you will save?
