Laundry Detergent

Before going to your local water hole on wash day, don't forget your homemade detergent.

Washing Clothes for Pennies

Ingredients:
3.1 oz bar Ivory soap (Ivory is natural but you can use soap of your choice)
1 cup 20 Mule Team Borax
1/2 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
Water

Tools:
5 gallon container
knife or grater
pot large enough to hold 5 cups of water
long stirring stick/spoon (for 5-gallon container)

Instructions:

Shave the soap into small strips and place in pot with 5 cups of water. Bring the water just shy of a boil and stir until the soap is completely melted. When the soap is just about melted, pour 3-gallons of hot water into the 5-gallon container and let it set until the soap in the pot is totally melted. Once all of the soap shavings are melted, pour the mixture into the 5-gallon container and stir.

Forgot to take shot of 5-gallon container. I had to use my large kitchen wastebasket.

Once the soap and water are thoroughly stirred (in the 5-gallon container) add the 1/2 cup washing soda and stir until dissolved. Once washing soda is dissolved, pour in the cup of borax and stir again until dissolved. Optional: If your prefer a fragrance, here is when you add a few drops of your favorite essential oils.

Now you have a huge container of hot soapy looking water. Cover the container, place it somewhere out of the way and let it set overnight. I set mine out on the porch overnight. Once it's cooled it will gel, but not uniformly. It will be lumpy and watery and won't look very attractive, but it works.

Store in smaller containers for your convenience. Usage: 1/2 cup per laundry load is adequate to clean your clothes. This homemade laundry detergent works well in high efficiency washing machines since it is low sudsing. If using high efficiency machine, stir to break up lumps before pouring into the receptacle. Very large clumps may not fully dissolve. It's all natural so does not hurt the environment. Because I read the directions over and over while doing this, it took me less than an hour. Next time will be less because it's so easy.

Yield:
This recipe yields 442 ounces of laundry detergent, of which 4 oz. are required per laundry load, so you will be able to wash 110.5 loads of laundry.

I found this on natural-products.suite101.com It shows the cost breakdown at the end of this article. As of 2007, the cost per 1/2 cup = $.01

I've washed two loads using this recipe and it works as well as the commercial detergent.