HOMEMADE LAUNDRY DETERGENT
1 Bar homemade soap, about 3-4 oz, grated[My Ole Pioneer works fabulously for this. If you want me to pre-grate this, let me know and I will be glad to send you a grated bar for the same price]
1/2
C Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda (dry in a box with
laundry additives.)
1/2
C Twenty Mule Team Borax (also in a box in laundry aisle)
Water,
about 1gallon
Bucket
for mixing and a big sauce pan
Grate
the soap. [If you microwave soap for 30 seconds, it softens it up making it
easier to grate]
In
a large pan, put in 4 cups of water and
the grated soap and heat until dissolved.
Stir in washing soda and borax.
Mix and heat until all ingredients are dissolved. Cook for 15 minutes; it will look similar to
thin honey. Remove
from heat. In a large bucket add
cooked mixture and enough cold water to make 1 gallon.
Mix
until well blended. Set aside for 24
hours to a week. It will have a gel-like
consistency (and may separate. I usually blend well again at this point. If you have a immersion or stick blender it works great for this, but just beating with a wooden spoon would work OK.] Use 2T per load [top loader] or 1 T in a high efficiency machine. I just put the detergent in with the clothes. If you have a HE machine I find that the detergent is too thick to put in the liquid dispenser and too thin for the dry, so just put it in with the clothes.]
I store in old ice cream bucket. It may look weird, but it works well. You may want to add a little essential oil for scent or use scented soap.
I store in old ice cream bucket. It may look weird, but it works well. You may want to add a little essential oil for scent or use scented soap.
To
keep clothes from getting dingy, add ¼
to ½ C vinegar to the rinse water . I put it in the fabric softener dispenser.This is essential. In order to get all the soap out, you need the vinegar. Also, vinegar acts as a natural fabric softener and once your clothes are dry you won't smell it at all.
As a note, many recipes call for Fels Naptha Soap for making laundry detergent. I discourage this because it has a petroleum base and why make your own natural detergent from a highly processed, petroleum based soap. Just look at the ingredients and you won't want to use it. If use use my Ole Pioneer your detergent will have the following ingredients:
Lard, water, lye, washing soda [all natural product] and borax [all natural product]. That is it. If you use the Ole Pioneer Lavender it will also have lavender essential oil. I don't recommend highly moisturizing soap because there will be added fats in your soap and you don't want to moisturize your laundry, you just want it to be clean. :)
You can order my soap at http://prairiekari.com
You can order my soap at http://prairiekari.com
Feel free to ask me if you have further questions.
Take care,
Jill