Homemade Laundry Detergent for a PENNY PER LOAD

I made and used this recipe for the first time today. I made a few changes though. I used Dr Bronner's Organic Baby Mild Soap bar (unscented) instead of Fels Naptha to avoid synthetic frangrance and some other unpleasant ingredients. I also did not boil the water. I just put some really hot water in a basin inside my laundry room sink and let the soap soften. Once it was soft, I scrubbed it with a brush until it melted into the water. I then added the other two ingredients. We'll see how it goes!

I used to use Aubrey Organics Earth Aware Cleanser for laundry because it's 100% natural and cheap at 12.5 cents per load. Then Aubrey stopped making it :(.  Then I started using Seventh Generation at 18 cents per load (100 oz container).

I'm really excited about going down to 1 cent with a 100% natural detergent!

Miriam

P.S. Distilled white Vinegar works well as a cheap, natural softener!

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Living on a Dime

Homemade Laundry Detergent

1/3 bar Fels Naptha Laundry Soap, grated
6 cups water
1/2 cup washing soda
1/2 cup borax

Heat 6 cups water and soap in a large pan until dissolved. Stir in washing soda and Borax. Mix and heat until dissolved. Boil 15 minutes. Remove from heat. (It will have the consistency of honey.*) In a 3 or 5 gallon bucket, add 1 quart of hot water, then add the soap mixture. Mix. Add enough cold water to make a 2 gallon mixture. Mix until well blended. Let sit 24 hours. The soap will gel*. Use 1/2 cup for each load.

Makes 2 gallons. (Approximately $ .40 per gallon)

*If the detergent doesn't gel or reach honey consistency it will still work.

Notes:

Stir before each use as this soap does separate. Detergent can be stored in a liquid detergent bottle. Just shake it up each time you use it.

This detergent will not suds up in the washer, but it is still getting your clothes clean.

If you have extra hard water the soap may not clean as well. Add 1/2 cup borax or washing soda to the load and that may help.

If you do not like this laundry soap, you can still use the Fels Naptha bar for spot cleaning and to rub on stains. The Borax and Washing Soda are great to add to your regular detergent for extra cleaning.

http://www.livingonadime.com/recipes/homemade-laundry-detergent.html