Laundry Soap

My mom's group at church recently had a day where we learned to make our own laundry soap. You make it one five-gallon bucket at a time, so it lasts a while, it's a great stain remover, it's gentle enough to be used on Liam's clothes, it smells good, and best of all, it saves money! It ends up costing about $2.70/ bucket by the time you divide out all of the materials. Each bucket provides approximately 184 washes. Here is the recipe:

1 Bar Fels Naptha Soap, Grated (if you live in where there are Meijer's you can get it there!)

1 1/2 cups of 20 Mule Team Borax

1 1/2 cups of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda

Put 12 cups of hot water into a large pot. Add all of the above ingredients and melt on Medium High heat, stirring often with a wire wisk or slotted spoon until mixture is completely dissolved and boils up, but not over. Put 8 cups of hot tap water into the bottom of a clean 5 gallon bucket. Pour soapy mixture into bucket and stir briskly. Add two gallons plus 12 cups of hot water and stir briskly again. Put the lid on tightly and let sit for 24 hours.

Your soap will "gel" and turn into a big lump of jelly-like stuff. After 24 hours, you need to get in and break up the gell and make it into a liquid. Use your hands, get your kids involved, however you want to do it...it takes a while to get the lumps out, and you probably won't get them all.

Funnel the mix into old laundry soap bottles, and shake before using, to finish getting out the lumps. Use 1/2 cup full per load of laundry. This soap doesn't bubble up when you add it to the water...don't worry- it's working!

Here is Liam making his own soap while I was making mine.