Laundry soap can cost a lot of money. There is no need to spend $100 a year on detergent. Making your own is so cheap and easy to make. I don't feel comfortable using things for both food and my laundry soap so I have things that are dedicated to making this.
What you need is:
- 1/3 bar of Fels Naptha
- 1/2 cup of Borax
- 1/2 cup of Washing Soda
- Grater
- 5 Gallon bucket
- Funnel
- Double boiler (I use a pot with a glass bowl on top)
- Container for your laundry soap. I use 3 one gallon jugs. I replace them every couple times. The soap ends up being jelly like with some separation so you either have to shake it or stir before each use.
I start by grating the full bar of Fels Naptha. That way I don't have
to do it the next 2 times. I divide it into 3 and put it into ziplock
bags for easy storage.
I then fill the bottom of my double boiler with water, leaving enough
room for the top pot. I don't have a double boiler so I use a pot with a
glass bowl on top. I then add 6 cups of water and 1/3 of my grated bar
of Fels Naptha to my glass bowl (or top of double boiler). Then turn the heat onto medium and stir occasionally. (don't let the soap boil)
I then fill my 5 gallon bucket with 26 cups of water (1 gallon plus 10
cups if that's easier). The first time I did this, I put a mark on my
bucket so I didn't have to measure the next time. I also wrote the recipe on the side of my bucket to simplify even more.
I then add 1/2 cup of Borax and 1/2 cup of washing soda to my 5 gallon bucket. Then once the Fels Naptha is melted, turn off the heat and pour your liquified Fels Naptha into the bucket and stir.
Once it is all mixed, I pour the mix into my one gallon jugs using a funnel. I let it cool a bit before I put the lids on.
I pour in about a 1/2 cup of my laundry soap per load. Enjoy!