Homemade Laundry Soap

I don't know about you, but I do a TON of laundry. It's a good day if I manage to get through more than a day or two without washing a load of clothes. Funny thing about washing clothes--it requires detergent. I found myself spending a small fortune on detergents due to my slight obsession with treating stains and keeping clothes smelling fresh and clean. I used coupons, but that only created a small collection of various products I couldn't afford to buy full price!

When I first heard of homemade laundry soap, I thought it sounded crazy and even a little bit gross. How could you make sure the clothes are actually clean? I'll give you a hint...the homemade soap is made with soap. Trust me. This stuff cleans!! Not only that, but one batch lasts forever. I whipped up my last batch back in December, it's now June, and I'm not even half-way through it! Talk about saving some money!

Homemade Laundry Soap

-1 Fels Naptha soap bar

-1 cup Washing Soda (NOT baking soda!)

-1/2 cup Borax

Instructions:

-Grate Fels Naptha soap bar into a small saucepan and cover with water. Heat to med-high and stir occasionally until soap completely dissolves.

-In a 5-gallon bucket, mix washing soda, borax, and dissolved Fels Naptha mixture. Stir well until powder is dissolved. Fill bucket with hot tab water, cover with lid tightly and set overnight.

-The next day, stir mixture. Mix equal amounts of soap concentrate and water and store in a smaller laundry-detergent dispenser or container. 

-Shake before using. Use 1 cup for top loading machines and 1/2 cup for front-loading machines. Use half the required amount for smaller loads.

Now start saving money!

-Mama Ruffles