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A {lazy} CHEAP way to make laundry detergent

6/26/2010

22 Comments

 
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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 over me this morning.".
22 Comments
Melany Barber
6/26/2010 01:11:50 am

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!

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Marianne link
6/26/2010 01:48:37 am

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.
Fun! I'm going to give it a try. . . Well, after I use up my huge jug of laundry detergent AND those crazy laundry balls that ought to last me my whole lifetime.
GREAT TIP!

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Melanie link
6/26/2010 03:22:34 am


Hi there!

New follower! Green mama too!

I would love if you would come and visit my blog and become a new follower :)

Have a great day!

Melanie
Going Green with Noah
www.jonathanandmelanie.blogspot.com

Come and grab my button :)

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Elsie link
6/27/2010 11:18:04 am

Love you blog - I've made my own soap for quite a while
1 box borax
1 box washing soda
1 container oxyclean
Just add 2T to each wash and good to go! I used to grate up a bar of Fels Naptha but then I heard it wasn't good to put lots of it into a septic (don't know if that's true or not though), so I switched to the oxyclean.
I like the idea of the liquid soap though, so I might try yours!
Left an award for you on my site -
http://littlesproutgrowing.blogspot.com/2010/06/oooh-oooh-i-got-award.html

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Jackie @ 3 Little Ones link
6/28/2010 10:14:05 am

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.

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Geologista
7/4/2010 11:08:01 pm

I'm so impressed by this soap!! I've been telling everyone I know about it!!

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Cynthia
7/6/2010 06:51:44 am

One question, are you using this on your cloth diapers?

I just ordered my first CDs (YAY) and was reading the "how to wash" things and they all recommend different detergents... any thoughts?

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Bao
7/6/2010 08:39:15 am

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?

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7/9/2010 10:38:40 am

Gonna try this soon! I'm a new follower! Please follow me to ! mimilovesall8.blogspot.com Thanks!!

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