A {lazy} CHEAP way to make laundry detergent 06/26/2010
 Earlier this Spring, right around Earth Day, I stopped by my friend MaryBeth's house. She is one of those ladies who is overflowing with domestic advice AND she runs a Day Care AND she is always willing to lend me baby gear. So, every time I stop by, I leave with a recipe, cooking tip, baby tip, etc... Boy she makes me tired! Anyway, back to Earth Day. MaryBeth and her Day Care kids made their own laundry detergent, put it into recycled bottles (obtained by rifling through the neighbors recycling bins... if I have to put Zel in Day Care, I totally want her there!), and delivered it to every neighbor on the block. HOW COOL IS THAT? There was more than enough left over for her to give me a few cups worth and she offered to refill it for infinity... which she is also doing for her neighborhood. Well, I LOVED it and begged to learn the process when she makes her next batch. (psst: click "read more") $2.70 for 10 GALLONS. Need I say more? Just think of the money you'll save and the packaging you'll save and all of the bottles you can reuse instead of recycle... MIND BLOWING! And as the resident expert on {lazy}... I declare this project SUPER EASY. I'm not even being generous with that description. So here it is... (this recipe was chosen by MaryBeth's friend who tried numerous recipes found online and chose this one as the best.) *One bar of Fels-Naptha (supposedly you can also use Ivory, Sunlight, Kirk's Hardwater Castile or Zote bars, just nothing heavily perfumed or deodorizing) *2 cups washing soda *1 cup borax *hot tap water 1. Grate bar of soap and add to 4 cups hot water in a saucepan. 2. Stir continuously over med-low heat until soap dissolves. 3. Fill a 5-gallon bucket half full with hot tap water (note: in the pictures we were dividing the recipe into two, but still used 5-gallon buckets so that they wouldn't spill when I transported my bucket home) 4. Add melted soap, washing soda & borax. Stir well till dissolved. 5. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. 6. Stir, cover & let sit overnight to thicken (turns into a gel). 7. Stir and fill your recycled containers 1/2 full with the gel. Fill the rest of the container with warm water. OPTIONAL: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Haven't tried this yet, but plan to! INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE: SHAKE WELL before each use. Use 5/8 cup for top load machine or 1/4 cup for front load machine. How easy was that? The hardest part was grating the bar of soap! I've already given away most of the soap I made and plan to make another FULL batch this week so I can continue to give it away to everyone I meet. I found empty laundry detergent bottles and empty plastic juice bottles to be the easiest because of their wide-ish tops. However, reusing wine bottles has a certain class to it, n'est pas (doesn't it?)? To steal Levar Burton's (remember... the guy from Reading Rainbow?) favorite pharse: BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE MY WORD FOR IT... Last weekend my friend, the Geoligista, was visiting and had a trunk full of dirty clothes from "the field". I was super excited for her to try my homemade detergent (and Nellie's... but I'll save that comment for the GIVEAWAY next week!). Her comment "my stuff is so clean and has a light, fresh, soap smell... YUM! Plus, it got out all the (luke warm) coffee that Zel spilled o". CommentsMelany Barber 06/26/2010 11:11am
I've been using homemade soap for the past few months. Almost done with the first batch which was a relic of a 4H project from many years ago that involved lye. Not quite sure where the recipe for that is, but this sounds easier and safer. Thanks for sharing! I wonder if you got a food processor at a garage sale that you only used for soap, if it'd work to shred that bar of soap? Then again, if it's just one bar, it's probably not too bad. Love you blog - I've made my own soap for quite a while 06/28/2010 8:14pm
I use the same recipe but just do it in a powder. I used to use Fels Naptha but stopped after I heard it's not that great for your lungs (to breath in - and I have asthma) - so I switched to Ivory but wasn't too impressed - now I used either dr. bronners or kiss my face. I love it!!! I've also used the recipe above w/ borax, washing soda and oxyclean and that works great too - I used that for my cloth diapers for awhile b/c it didnt' leave the buildup that happens when you add soap to the recipe. Geologista 07/05/2010 9:08am
I'm so impressed by this soap!! I've been telling everyone I know about it!! Cynthia 07/06/2010 4:51pm
One question, are you using this on your cloth diapers? Bao 07/06/2010 6:39pm
Same question as commenter above: are these safe for CDs? I've heard of FN being safe...but is Ivory? I suppose it would depend on the formula, eh? 07/09/2010 8:38pm
Gonna try this soon! I'm a new follower! Please follow me to ! mimilovesall8.blogspot.com Thanks!! 02/18/2011 1:27am
You gave great points here. I found nearly all people agree with your blog. 02/21/2011 8:42pm
I've move through your own outstanding weblog that place on the net, have quite a few associates together with me to looking through your own content articles. No matter what we are, and also whatever we would like, the primary concept you've been displayed was fulfilled by us. Thank you so much for sharing so excellent opinion, and it create us have a sense of relaxed and ease. 02/24/2011 2:33am
Enjoy your blog very much. I have read your chest on frame article noticed you make your own forged nails from common nails. I wonder if you might tell how you do this in a future blog. 02/24/2011 10:19pm
you can find what you want to in here,make your life full of color ,it's a perfect website. 02/25/2011 1:21am
Your blog is so great . I'd like to read the information about it, so how does it work? Do you want to know the MBT shoes ? MBT shoes on hot sale ! 02/27/2011 7:39pm
We shall defend ourselves to the last breath of man and beast. 02/27/2011 9:51pm
Life world, the total will have its own life, and who always kept in the practice and theory Success and failure to achieve a higher level of life philosophy. It's truth. 03/02/2011 9:51pm
you can find what you want to in here,make your life full of color ,it's a perfect website. 03/02/2011 10:51pm
you can find what you want to in here,make your life full of color ,it's a perfect website. 03/03/2011 3:50am
Thank you for this blog. Thats all I can say. You most definitely have made this blog into something thats eye opening and important. You clearly know so much about the subject, youve covered so many bases. Great stuff from this part of the internet. Again, thank you for this blog. 03/03/2011 4:12am
your website is so great that i love it very much. thank you for sharing it with us. Leave a Reply | Choose one or all of the following ways to receive LGM updates & special offers!Grab my Button!
   
CategoriesAll ArchivesMay 2012 Header/Button designed by South of Sheridan
Image Credits: IStock |
RSS Feed