Friday, July 31, 2009

{friday's finds} Homemade Laundry Detergent

My sister in law, Jana, whom I love dearly, emailed this recipe to me. I have to say that I LOVE IT! I knew I couldn't go wrong when I saw the "Fels Naptha" I have been using this as a stain remover for about 7 years! LOVE IT! Not to mention this stuff comes with fabulous reviews from all the ladies in her ward and her sisters that have tried it!


I absolutely knew I HAD to make this when I found that your total cost on this stuff is $2 per 5 gallon bucket of detergent which does about 400 loads! SERIOUSLY?! I laugh at you laundry detergent isle! I will no longer spend $15 to do 36 loads! MWAH HA HA!!



Let me show you how it is done......
Get your self a clean 5 gallon bucket and all this fun stuff. (All will be found in your laundry detergent section of the grocery store. Your total cost will be about $7.50).

Grate up the bar of Fels Naptha. I loved this part! I am such a texture person. Mal kept telling me she doesn't like cheese. Looks like it huh?!


Now place the grated bar & 4c. of hot water in a pot and heat, stirring constantly over medium low heat until the soap is completely melted.


Fill your bucket half full (oh yeah, I AM that type of person) with very hot water.


Pour your soap mixture into the water.


Add 1 cup of Arm & Hammer Laundry Soap


Then 1/2 c. Borax



Now stir it up really good. You want all the powder to be dissolved.


Now fill the bucket the rest of the way and cover. Leave over night to allow it to cool & thicken.


Since I paid an arm and a leg for my last container of liquid Tide, I rinsed the container out really good and using a funnel, filled the container with my new improved detergent. You can use any kind of container you would like.


Now, just so you know, the smell of the Fels Naptha bar itself is strong. Don't let this discourage you. The final smell is a very clean almost lemony smell. I like it. You can, if you would like, add 10-15 drops of essential oil per two gallons once the detergent has cooled, if you would like to add your own scent.


Now, if you are using a top loading machine you will use 5/8 cup of the detergent. Front loaders only 1/4 cup.


If you want to get real fancy/thrifty you can also mess with your fabric softener. Here is the recipe for that:



FABRIC SOFTENER
1 BOTTLE OF YOUR FAVORITE LIQUID SOFTENER
2 BOTTLES WATER
2 SPONGES
Combine in a container of your choosing. Leave sponges in liquid. Ring out and throw in dryer with wet laundry. Works great.
And here is the recipe to the Laundry Detergent.


LAUNDRY DETERGENT


4 C. HOT TAP WATER
1 BAR OF FELS NAPTHA
1 C. ARM & HAMMER LAUNDRY SODA
1/2 C. BORAX


Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with the water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted. Fill 5 gallon bucket half full of very hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.


You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per two gallons, add once soap has cooled. Top loading machine: 5/8 c. per load Front loading machine: 1/4 c. per load Makes approx. 400 loads
ENJOY!

9 comments:

Unknown said...

what a great idea!! I am going to go buy a bucket right now...I get so sick of spending a bundle on Tide!

thanks for the great tips!

Alea said...

Wow... I just got back from buying detergent at the grocery store. Ugh! I usually buy powder detergent and it works alright as long as I put it in with the water running first before the clothes.

Do you know how the recipe does with sensitive skin? My husband's wimpy skin doesn't like scents and things... ;)

Richins Family said...

oh man i'm always trying to find new ways to save money! i'm excited and am totally going to try this one :) does it work good on getting out stains? how does it compare in that way to normal soap? you can e mail me if you have time :)

carlee_richins@yahoo.com

Amy Lindstrom ~ YourLifeUncommon.com said...

Alea, I am pretty sure it would be perfect for sensitive skin. There isn't any sort of perfume or anything in it. Jake & Dawson have pretty sensitive skin too. I haven't noticed any problems, but I will let you know if there is any.

Carlee, I think my sis in law told me that there was someone in her ward or her sister or something that washed their clothes in normal detergent and they were still dingy then they washed in this and it totally cleaned them. Fels Naptha is great for stains. Maybe buy a bar (they are a dollar) and get the stain wet, rub it with a bar to pretreat and then wash with the detergent. I think you will like it! It is worth the seven bucks to find out!

Megan said...

I've been making this for a while now and it's worked great for our family. My kids and I have sensitive skin issues and this is very good for us. No irritants at all.

muggins mahooney said...

How great is this?! I've used Borax alone and loved it, but this looks so great. Thanks.

Gear Gang said...

Wow! I just might have to give that a try- Ryan would be so impressed. Thanks

Hardy Party said...

I can't wait to try this... I was hanging on the line since you tempted us with it a few weeks ago. It's so expensive to buy detergent... YEA!!!! Thanks again Amy!

Julie said...

I think I'm going to try this. Thanks!!!!

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