Laundry Soap

Hey everyone!!! So I am all about saving money where ever I can.  About 3 years ago I made my first attempt at laundry detergent. I was hooked at that moment, I grew up making my own cleaners but never laundry detergent. This is my powder soap version. I use the powder, mainly because in my HE machine, the powder seems to hold up better!  This version is also much more concentrated than the liquid is. You see when you make it with liquid it tends to clump up all the soap gets all funky looking,  I for some reason do about at LEAST one load of laundry every day it seems. (it is probably more like every two days). This recipe will last about a month!  It has taken me years to master the diy home products and like I said when it comes to cleaners I have been making my own since I was young. I am advocate for it! I really do save a ridiculous amount of money doing it myself. Just with laundry soap alone I save about $250 a year. My hubby will have to buy soap when he goes to police academy. I am dreading wasting the money. I seriously have converted people to diy cleaning products. I have been accused of preaching about it. It really saves you so much money. $10 is what all the ingredients cost (I am saying ten because that is the ball park but it ranages between $7-10  mainly because if I buy actually Oxy Clean instead of dollar store verison. The dollar store brand works just as good. If you have extremely sensitive skin, I would buy the oxy.)

Here's my mastered recipie: 

1. Grate your Fels Napa bar down so it looks like this. Remember that whatever you use to do this can no longer be used for food. Same goes for the pot you mix in. This does that matter if you do powder of liquid. Also if you are making liquid I would grate it with a smaller side of the grater.

2. Yes that is what you see is the dollar store version from dollar tree! I can tell you that my husband is ginger, the paleness makes his skin more sensitive. Probably because he has no melanin at all but anyway. I had earlier to use dollar store brand unless sensitive. But I am talking for if you are using it for small children. So when I say sensitive I mean like you look at scented soap and you break out! I usually put in about 1/4 of jar in there(approx, 5 scoops of the spoon it comes with). You can do as little as two of the scoops or to 7 scoops. Depending on how concentrated you would like it. Just remember the more concentrated the soap the less of it you can make at one time. 

(Note: If you were making liquid you will fill this pot half way. You would take Oxy and Fels Napa and melt. Melt it completely and stir you want the mixture to break down in the water.)

3. Add 2 1/2 cups of Washing soda to mix. You can do as little as a 1 1/2 cup (recommended for very small batches of liquid or as much as 3 cups for large batches of liquid and 2 cups if you feel that 2 would be to concentrated).  Remember that whatever measurement you do for Washing Soda use for borax. (Also another side not you liquid people, you do not add the soda or borax until you Fels Napa and Oxy have completely broken down. You must remove from heat before adding the powders). 

4. Like I had just said above add Borax equal to the same amount of Washing Soda you chose. 

(Remember Liquid People: remove from heat and add after the soap you melt has broken down completely.)  

5. Once it is all in the pot (Powder or liquid) You need to stir until the mixture is completely even. (Liquid People: Stir and let it stir over night, the use man strength to stir it the next day. Add water you can make as little as 3 gallons at a time and as much as 8 gallons at a time. You could do a ten gallon bucket and make that many but you would need to add more ingredients. It is too watered down)

 6. Finished Product! Super easy! Only use about two scoops, which I believe my scoop is two table spoons. That is for my HE Machine. You would need 1/4 cup (powder or liquid) for a regular machine, and 1/4 cup of liquid for HE machine. 

Just some notes for everyone. I would recommend Fabric Softener (liquid and dryer sheet for all machines).  Remember how old this recipe is and it can make you cothes starchy. You can use scent crystals as well if you like a gain or particular brad. However the crystals made everyone in my house break out. So I used Essential Oils. I could also add rose water or any flower water to give scent as well. 

If any one is interested in a more detailed instruction for liquid let me know!