Laundry Soap

I decided to try and make my own laundry soap. There are so many different recipes out there; it took me a while to decide on one. I chose this one for the fact is that it is powder, so it takes up less room and seemed easier to make than a liquid version. This version also claims to last a year, so saving time is also a great perk.

All the ingredients can be purchased at Wal-Mart in the laundry aisle, but you can also find these things at most any grocery store. Listed are the size and price of each item.

Ingredients:

1 box (3lb, 7oz) Super Washing Soda       $3.29
1 box (4lb, 12oz) Borax powder                $3.49
1 box (4lb) Pure Baking Soda                     $2.24
1 jar (1.3lb) OxyClean                                  $3.86
3 bars (5.5oz) Fels-Naptha soap                $2.91
1 jar(28oz) Final Touch Scent Crystals      $3.97

1 fine grater                                                  $1.00
1 container to store soap                           $4.00

You may also substitute Ivory or Zote soap for Fels-Naptha. It is optional to add the scent crystals at all, but you may use Purex or Downy crystals. I used Final Touch simply for cost reasons.

I purchased a fine grater from the local dollar store simply because I did not want to use the one I use in my kitchen. This one also had a container on the back so it wouldn’t be so messy. So total ingredient cost was $19.76 plus the one-time $5.00 cost for the grater and container.

Instructions:

1.       Grate all 3 bars of Fel-Naptha soap.
2.       Mix all ingredients in a large trash bag to make sure mixture is mixed well.
3.       Put into container and enjoy! Use 1-2 tablespoons of detergent per load.
 
 

It took a lot longer than I anticipated to grate the bars of soap. I also suggest placing cardboard or newspaper over your work surface to make clean up easier. One thing I did do was place the soap in the freezer to help the grating process. It did help some, but the grater would often clog with the soap and I would need to clean it off. A pen cap or tooth pick worked well. After grating all the soap, I was happy I would only be doing this yearly!

Also I used the scoop from the OxyClean to measure the detergent, a scoop full equaled 2 tablespoons. As an FYI, this detergent does not make suds in the washer like a regular store-bought detergent.

I have only used a few times so far, but it seems to be working well! There is something satisfying about making something yourself! :)

 

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