Frugal Laundry Soap : Get Started Already!
Ok, ok, so I've posted about making my own laundry soap a few times. I knew I'd eventually get around to it. I found Jennifer's blog Knittin' and Noodlin' last December while researching soap making recipes and had been telling myself that I'd get to it... I'll get to it... I'm getting to it...
I've been procrastinating due to my lack of Laundry Soap Making ability confidence. What if I mess it up? What if I ruin our clothes? What if it doesn't smell good? What if...? What if...?
I'm afraid to fail sometimes. I hate it. It's just part of what has been ingrained in me from childhood. It's messy, we are not going there today or anytime soon. You are welcome.
This recipe is great because it only takes 3 ingredients and it doesn't take up a lot of room to store. It yields just over 3 cups of powder laundry soap and with only using 2 tablespoons for each regular load or 3 for each heavily soiled loads... I should get about 19 loads for $2.07.
Here's what you'll need:
Grater
1 Bar Fels-Naptha
1 Cup 20 Mule Team Borax
1 Cup Washing Soda
Grate the Fels-Naptha, see photo above.
Combine with the remaining ingredients, mix well with spoon and store in an airtight container. Honestly, if you hopped over to Knittin' and Noodlin' and read that it took forever for her to grate her Fels-Naptha, mine didn't take that long. It's possible that my grater may not be as well loved and used as hers and is a bit sharper.
Now, if you have thought about making your own laundry soap and just haven't gotten to it yet or have had the same "I'm not so sure about this" feelings, stick around. I'll post our progress and you can live vicariously through this blog. ha ha I'm not that vain.
On the flip side, do you already use your own homemade laundry soap? We'd love to hear your tips, ideas and experiences.
As always, thank you for stopping by! Until next time!
4 Comments:
Hey! I was poking through my blog reader this morning and saw that you linked to my laundry soap post...I'm so glad you decided to give it a try! =) I've fine-tuned things a bit and switched graters, so it's a five minute process for me now lol. I also discovered that the Fels Naptha grates up more finely if you buy the bar, open the package, and let it sit for a week or so before grating it...I don't know if it dries out but it does dissolve more quickly when I do that.
Let me know how the soap works out for you!
Hey Shana! It's been a while since I've been here. You are getting really ambitious! I grate the Fels Naptha soap for a pre-treatment thing. Is it cheaper to make your own detergent? Have you figured out the cost?
I don't use the Fals-Naptha and it still works great. Make sure you don't use more than suggested or you will wear your close out faster than normal.
Also, we don't use fabric softner because of chemicals. It takes several washes to get rid of all fabric softner remnants...after that, we have never had a problem with static. We have been doing it this way for over 5 years now.
Glad you finally tried the soap!
@knittinandnoodlin Thanks for the tip on letting the Fels-Naptha dry out a bit before grating it.
@OrganizingMommy Thank you for stopping by! The recipe, as posted, netted me 42 tablespoons of "powdered detergent". Using 2 tablespoons per regular load or 3 tablespoons for really soiled loads, I figure I can get 19 washes out of it. This brings me to about $0.11 a load. Now, I've thought about using plain baking soda and not the Washing Soda (it's a bit cheaper). These figures are without using coupons, if any are available for these items.
@Anne Thank you for the tips and suggestions. I did use fabric softener last night. Are you saying that I could eliminate the need for a softener all together? I have in the past, in a pinch, used vinegar in the rinse cycle and it works like a charm. So, I've naturally planned to switch my softener routine to vinegar.
I also wondered about any added wear and tear on my clothes through washing with these detergents vs. the commercial liquids we had been using.
Oh, an eliminating the Fels-Naptha will reduce my cost even more. I'll have to give it a try. Do you have a specific recipe that you use for your family?
Thank you ladies SO MUCH for your questions, sharing and offering suggestions.
Post a Comment