For those who asked here is the laundry detergent recipe that Rachel uses.1/3 bar of Fels Naptha soap (grated)
1/2 cup of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax Powder
Grate soap and place in a deep soup size pan. Add 6 cups of water. Heat until soap melts. Add the Arm & Hammer Washing Soda and the Borax powder. Stir until dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups of hot tap water into a 5 gallon bucket with a lid. Add soap mixture and stir. Add 1 gallon + 6 cups of water to bucket and stir again. Let soap sit for 24 hours. It will gel. Use 1 cup per load.Mid April is when I started using this bucket of detergent. So far I've used 2/3s of my bucket. I've been happy with the quality of the cleaning . Rachel says she has plenty of the ingredients to make a couple more recipes, so you can see that it is very economic.
You can check this web site and others like it for more money saving cheap cleaning ideas.
Sorry it took me so long to post the recipe.
I use a similar recipe, but Ivory soap (because I couldn't find Fels-Naptha) instead. I also just grind everything up together in the food processor and use it dry - 1 Tablespoon per load...works great!
ReplyDeleteTry a cup of vinegar in your fabric softener dispenser, too - works beautifully - the soap gets all rinsed out and clothes dry on the line nice and soft!
I dont do the laundry, nope, its one of Husband's chores and I do not see him concocting this ... tho he would be all for saving $$ ... last I looked he was using Tide
ReplyDeleteVery interesting; to bad I can not obtain any of these here.
ReplyDeleteDoes this homemade detergent smell nice? I hate when my laundry doesn't have a fresh washed scent.;)) But then again, why throw out money for a detergent; they are very expensive here.;)
wow - sounds easy. but I agree with the smell question. I'm curious about that.
ReplyDeleteHmm. Fels Naptha? I've never heard of this. Is it a southern thing? Intriguing, but I think I'm gonna stick with my old standby, Tide.
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard of that soap either. I also agree with the scent factor. I love me my Gain! But I don't love the cost, so this sure is a helpful alternative. Thanks for posting it.
ReplyDeleteI love how your header looks. :)
Diahn, I like your idea about using it dry, also the vinegar tip.
ReplyDeleteEveryone, if you want the detergent to have a smell you can add fragrance. I think she added lavender the first time.
Willow, Rachel bought all the ingredients at Publix...do you have that chain there? Everything together cost about $10 and she says she still has enough for a lot more buckets.
Rachel has gotten very thrifty. She quit her job to stay home with the baby, so she is trying to economize to make that possible. Since detergent is so expensive, she saves a nice little amount this way. Add that to her Superwoman couponing skills.
Good recipe! I like both Boraxa and Arm & Hammer.
ReplyDeleteI love Tide, but I also love saving money so I just might try this. Thanks for sharing... and thanks to Rachel too.
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking of trying something like this. I have a similar *recipe* from a friend. Glad to know you've had good success with it.
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