Homemade Laundry Detergent

[woodsman86]

I can't take credit for the recipe. Came across it on another site.

The link to the original recipe is: http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm

Your local Chinese Outlet Store (Wal-Mart) should have everything needed. Ace Hardware also carried all the ingredients.

Recipe

1/3 Bar Fels Naptha
1/2 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
2 Gallons Water

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Equipment

Storage Container(s)
2 gal+ bucket
Spoon
Cooking Pot
Burner
Cheese Grater

Start by grating 1/3 bar of Fels Naptha (1/3 is approx to the L on the bar and 2/3 is to the H)

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Melt the Fels Naptha in 6 cups of water over high heat. Once melted, add the Borax and Washing Soda. Turn the heat down to prevent boil over and cook until all ingredients are dissolved. Remove from heat.

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Pour 26 cups of hot water in the bucket and pour the mixture in. Stir until everything is mixed well.

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Place bucket in a place to cool. I use my garage since the floor is always cold. I stirred the soap about every hour until it cooled into a gel to prevent any big clumps. Took about 6-8 hours. It will be more of a watery gel. I am sure you can let it cool and stir it later. Once cooled, pour into your storage containers.

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Use 1/2 cup per each average load of laundry.

Comes out to about $.71 a batch or $.01 per load. No store brand can beat that.

See the Making Stuff section for my comparison review.

[TresMon]

Cool thanks...

[your_comforting_company]

We made dry detergent with a similar recipe. With the wife and I both working, we haven't had time to sit down and make another batch, but it's a heckuvalot cheaper and IMO works just as well. Now that hunting season is over, I hope to get a chance to try some lye-fat based detergents. Nice work!

[Rick]

You brought back some old memories. About the only time mom bought store bought detergent was to get the glass inside the box or whatever she happened to be after. Anyone remember Duz or Soapine? Sure you do. Dish towels, saucers, cups, glasses, etc. That's how they changed a nation from home made to store bought.

Mom used the same recipe or she made lye in a wash tub. She would wash clothes with the lye but we couldn't use it for bath soap.

Good post!!!!

[woodsman86]

Thanks.

According to the original website recipe, it can be mixed up dry as well. Just grate the soap really fine and use 2 TSP per load. I wonder if Scent-A-Way soap for hunters could be used to make laundry detergent that would work the same?

From what I have read, any bar soap will work. I think the Fels Naptha being designed for laundry will work the best and only $.97 at Wal-Mart. My Mom did a lot of homemade when I was a kid, but never laundry soap. It is interesting how they marketed it then to get people to switch. My next project will be making soap, it is on the list of "To-DO"

[hunter63]

After my GM died, mother took home all the homemade soap, made from rendered fat and lye......That would clean anything....but as I recall she did mix up a batch on laundry day.

Sounds like this mix is similar....
Great post.

[oldtrap59]

Great post. Going to give this try. Been called cheap or frugal many times. Looks like this will fit right in to our present lifestyle. Doing more or at least as much with less.

Oldtrap