Homemade Laundry Detergent

I thought I would share with you today our recipe for homemade laundry detergent since I was out and needed to make more.

 

I first discovered this recipe from one of the Duggar family books a couple of years ago and have been making my own detergent ever since. We really like the way it cleans and it saves our family a ton of money.

 

The recipe: 4 cups (or I use a large stock pot) hot water

1 Fels-Naptha Soap bar

1 cup of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda

1/2 cup Borax

 

 

 

Fill stock pot with water and put on stove top. 

 

 

 

 

Grate the Fels-Naptha Soap Bar (you can do this in several different ways, we have used a food processor but I find it just as easy to grate it by hand.)

 

 

 

The grated soap will resemble grated cheese.

 

 

 

Add the grated soap to the pot of water.

 

 

Stir continually over medium-low heat until the soap dissolves and melts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water.

 

 

 

Add Borax and Super washing Soda. Stir until dissolved.

 

Add melted soap and stir again (some people may want to add essential oils here of your favorite scent. That is totally up to you. Honestly I really like the smell of the Fels-Naptha soap. It has a clean smell and the scent is not too overpowering.) 

 

 

Fill the remainder of the bucket to the top with hot tap water. Stir and Cover.

Let sit overnight to thicken.

 

 

 

 

The next day the detergent will be thick and gelatinous. It is supposed to be :D .

 

 

Give it a good stir to break up the jelled liquid.

 

 

The last step is to fill your containers half full with the soap mixture and fill the rest with water.

 

 

Give it a good shake before each use.

 

We use old detergent bottles or fabric softener bottles to store the ready to use detergent in. That way we can store the large 5 gallon bucket in a closet out of the way until needed.

 

When I first began making this I probably only made it twice a year. (Remember we have a family of 8 so it should last a regular size family a bit longer. ) But recently we have been sharing the detergent with my Mom so I have been making it a little more often. Maybe 3 to 4 times a year.

 

Have you ever tried making your own detergent? If so how do you like it?

 

 

 

Blessings,

 

Amy