Laundry Soap

My sisters-in-law Katie and Melanie turned me on to the idea of making your own laundry soap. They each use different recipes. I tried both and ended up settling on Melanie's recipe. With how much laundry I have to do each week, I'm amazed at how long this one batch is lasting (almost 4 weeks now) and there is still a lot left, so I'll probably get at least 6 weeks out of one batch. The best part is that is cost me less than $1.50 to put together! Wow!! Some people had asked for the recipe so I thought I would post it here--

Laundry Soap
-1 bar of laundry soap like Fels Naptha (I used Zote because it comes in a larger bar, you only need 1/3 of it for each large batch)
-1 Cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (NOT baking soda)
-1/2 Cup Borax (I used more like 3/4 cup to get extra stain fighting action)
-3 gallons tap water
-Knife or Cheese Grater
-Container with a lid that holds at least 3 1/2 gallons

1. Put approximately 4 cups of water in a pan on the stove. Heat it over high heat until almost boiling (do not let it reach boiling). Grate or slice the soap and put it in the hot water. Stir until completely melted into the water.

2. Put 3 gallons of warm tap water into your large container. Once the soap is melted, add to the 3 gallons of water and stir until well mixed.

3. Add 1 Cup Washing Soda. Stir for a minute or two.

4. Add 1/2 Cup Borax. Stir for a minute or two.

5. Put the lid on and let it sit overnight. In the morning it should look a little paler and more slimy. My first batch looked more like egg drop soup than slime, but it still works fine. I transfer an amount from the bucket to an old, washed laundry detergent bottle to use. I shake it before each load and use about 3/4 of a cup for a large load. For high effeciency washers you would use much less.

I have been very pleased with how this works for washing and also for stain pretreating and removal. Greg had a big mustard stain that I didn't know was there, so I didn't pretreat it and it completely came out. This is an unscented soap, so if you like a little scent, you can add some essential oil (buy it at Whole Foods or a store like that). Add it after the soap has had a chance to cool and stir it in well. This has also been great for Kyle's asthma since it doesn't have the harsh perfumes and dyes of regular laundry soap. All around it has been a great investment of 20 minutes to make!! Enjoy!