I am super stoked to have my big sis guest post for me today. She may not be a blogger but she is one crafty mom that I have been looking up to for years. A special thank you to her for coming to share with us today. I must say I made this after she shared it with me and love it. As always I hope you might enjoy it too.
DIY/Homemade Laundry Soap
DIY laundry
soap seems to be a big buzz on facebook and Pinterest lately. With the economy
where it is today people are looking for ways to save money. So I thought I'd
give DIY laundry soap a try. After reading about the different recipes between
the liquid and the powder I went with the powder. It was less time consuming to
make and everywhere I read the liquid comes out lumpy, never as smooth as the
liquid laundry soap in the stores. *When you use the bar soap that is.
I have been using the powder laundry soap for a
week now and I love it! I researched a lot of different recipes and the two
ingredients you will find in every recipe is Borax ( not to be confused with
boric acid ) and Arm & Hammer Super Washing soda (not to be confused with
regular Arm & Hammer baking soda)
This is the recipe I went with and I followed from Liz Marie Blog to start my ideas tweaking
it a little.
Ingredients: ( everything can be found on the
laundry soap isle )
*1 four lb. box of Borax
*3 bars of Fels-Naptha soap ( you can use Ivory
bar soap and a few other brands but I went with Fels-Naptha because it's also
good on stains)
*4 lb. of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
*1 3lb. box Arm & Hammer Super Washing
Soda
The items above cost about $13.00 if you add the
Oxy and Purex Crystals add another $33.00
Optional 4 lb. of Oxy Clean You can add this to
the mix or I just use it as an extra boost to the loads that need it.
Optional (2) 55 oz. bottles of Purex Crystals for a
bolder scent. I just use this as needed I did not mix it in my laundry soap.
This was really easy to make!
(Makes about 3 to 4 gallons depending if you add
the Oxy and Purex Crystals and you use less of this soap so it last longer. An
estimate of about 256 loads when using 3 tbsp. per load )
Directions:
*Grate the
Fels-Naptha soap with a cheese grater or in your food processor
*Line your bucket with a trash liner ( I used a 4
gallon pink bucket from Lowes )
*Dump your grated soap and dry ingredients in the
bucket.
*Start mixing. I used my hands. Caution it will
make some smoke so wear a face mask or turn your head. Then I pull the trash
liner out and give it a good toss to mix it up.
*Then place it into a container of your choice. I
used a glass jar from Wal-Mart and had my sister use her chalk board paint to
make me a label on front.
*I use 1-3 TBS per load. 3 TBS = just under 1/4
cup so I have a measuring cup I use on a normal size load. Use less if a smaller
load.
My laundry comes out fresh and clean smelling. If
you want the more bold smell add the Purex Crystals. I have sensitive skin and I
have not had any issues with this soap. Our clothes, even our towels come out
soft. This soap does not make a lot of suds so it is safe in the HE washers. I
just toss a scoop in with my clothes. I normally buy liquid soap in the store so
I wasn't sure I'd like the powder but so far so good and no worries the grated
bar soap dissolves nicely in warm or cold water.
What do you think of DIY laundry soap? Have you
tried it before? If so, what recipe do you like? I'd love to hear your
comments.
My name is Melissa W. I am married to my best
friend, Doug and we have two lovely children. Tyler 17 & Brianna 11. I’m a
house wife and I own my own cleaning business. I’m a lover of Pinterest, new
ideas, and mocha coffee.
NOTE:
Ok, so here it is September and I just made a new batch of this soap. It lasted forever! I wash on average twice a day. Some days more. We haven't had any problems with the soap. I do keep tide boost and color safe bleach for those loads that need it. I did this with regular store bought soap too. I do use the gain scented pellets to give it a better smell.
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Other post you may like: DIY Cleaner
All kids are different and only you can decide how you let your kids play. And with what materials you let them play with. My children are supervised when playing. Please keep this in mind with any post you read of mine!
I've been looking for a good dry recipe! I'll give this one a try on the weekend. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds wonderful! It looks like a great way to save money.
ReplyDelete