How'd You Do That: Laundry Soap

So I learned a while ago that you can make your own laundry soap. WHAT?! Yup that's right. And it's super duper easy. No seriously it is! So I started to research it a bit. Their are recipes ALL over pinterest and blogland. So I talked to some friends about it and one of them has been making it already to save some money. Really? How much money can you really be saving? I mean is it really worth it? OH MY GOSH YES!!! The recipe she used was the one from the family that has nineteen kids, I think they are the Duggar family. Anyway, I cut it in half because their recipe made TEN GALLONS!! So I cut it in half and made only five. It turned out really watery. It washed my clothes great, just like regular soap, but I wasn't to happy about the wateriness (is that even a word) of it and the fact that I had to use a five gallon bucket to mix it. So I tried a new recipe that I found here via pinterest and I like the texture of this batch way better and that I just put it in my bottles and shake it to mix it up. She has way more detailed instructions so go check her out.

So, in short, here's what you need:

1 bar of soap ( I love Fels-Naptha!! I love the smell and the fact that it's laundry soap)

1 cup borax

1 cup washing soda (not baking soda)

Grate up your bar of soap. Then melt it down on the stove top in about 8 cups of water. Stir until all the pieces are melted (don't let it boil, it will foam). Add Borax and Washing Soda. Stir until dissolved, then remove from heat. Evenly distribute into 3 to 4 containers. (I used old juice containers that I washed out, I wouldn't use milk jugs because the heat from the water makes them warp) Then add hot water, around 4 cups to each container. Give each container a good shake, Then let cool. It will harden a little into jelly like substance. As its cooling you can give the containers a shake every now and then to keep it broken up a bit but it isn't needed. Once cooled, evenly add hot water to each container until full. Leave a bit of space so that you can shake to mix one last time. Cap 'em and store 'em. I use about 1/4 cup with each load. As they sit, they will separate so you will need to give them a shake each time you use it.

That's it! Pretty simple huh? Now the break down in cost. I got all the supplies at my local walmart.

Soap 97 cents

Big Box of Borax was 3 buck and some change

Big Box of Washing Soda was 3 bucks and some change.

So with taxes about 10 bucks for making 3 - 4 gallons of laundry soap!! And since you only use a little of the Borax and Washing Soda it only cost a dollar the next time you make it!!

So worth the savings to me!!