I was trying to get some super awesome mud out of a white shirt, we all know how fun that can be. Anywho I read somewhere that stains come right out if you rub them with a bar of Fels Naptha soap. I figured for 98 cents a bar I could give it a go, and it worked. It was magic what with the stain disappearing before my very eyes. I even called Hubs at work and told him all about it. He obviously shared my enthusiasm. Not.
I found about a million different recipes for homemade laundry soap and all most all of them required 5 gallon buckets. Not for me thanks. My house (log cabin) does not have closets so storage space is at a premium. Then I found a recipe for Laundry Soap Concentrate. Yes please.
Math: Ug.
Cost of supplies about $10.00. Yeild: 4 quarts (1 gallon). Amount used per load: 1 tablespoon.
Number of loads from 1 batch: 256. So for about 10 dollars you can now wash TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY SIX loads of laundry.
Cast of characters:
2 bars Fels Naptha
2 cups 20 Mule Team Borax
2 cups Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
6 cups of hot water (+ more water as needed)
Here we go:
Grate/chop to tiny pieces, throw into food processor- the 2 bars of Fels Naptha. Combine with 6 cups hot water in a large pot on medium heat. Stir until soap dissolves.
Or if you are like me: turn on the heat and then totally forget that it is turned on
while helping Littlest with her homework.
NOTE: you do not want this to boil. Boil = Bad.
This was almost Bad.
Once the Fels Naptha has dissolved add in the Borax and Washing Soda.
Stir, Stir, and Stir some more until dissolved. (Mine took about 2 minutes)
Ladle into quart jars.
The next part is super easy. Screw on the lids and totally forget about it overnight (or about 8 hrs)
The mixture will separate and get firm so take a knife and chop it into bits
Pour it all into your stand mixer
Once you have the hard stuff out there might be some stuff stuck to the bottom of your jar
Add a few tablespoons of warm water, replace lid, shake.
Into the stand mixer it goes: beat on medium high until it looks like this:
Once fluffy and creamy return it to the jar and screw on your lid
Ta-Da! You made your own Laundry Soap Concentrate!!
1 tablespoon per load. That's it. One.
Can be used in HE washers as this is a NON Sudsy soap.
Also- if 256 loads seems like a bit over the top you could always
cut this recipe in half.
So what do you think? Are you going to give it a try?
