DIY Liquid Laundry Soap

Happy Sunday, world! Usually on Sunday morning I would not be here blogging but at my favorite church family's house worshiping. However, today is it actually freezing rain and turning our highways into a bobsled track. Sad face and welcome to Minnesota.

So, instead I am catching up on household stuff. I knew that I had to make some more laundry soap. I found this recipe on Pintrest (imagine that) and thought I would give it a try. I have tried a few other homemade laundry soaps. One was a powered soap from Being Creative to Keep My Sanity and another liquid laundry soap recipe from One Good Thing by Jillee. I love the powdered soap and still use that on most of my white loads and for my hubster's really nasty work clothes. I also really liked Jillee's recipe but this other recipe was just a little more suited for my laundering needs.  

So, while making this for my own household I thought I would also share this amazing and CRAZY FRUGAL recipe with you! 

Yes. I keep my Borax in an ice cream container. ;-)

 What you will need:
1 Bar of Fels Naptha Soap, grated (I have also heard of people using a bar of Ivory or Zote soap)
1 Cup Borax
1 Cup Super Washing Soda
4 Cups Hot Water
5 Gallon Bucket

First, dump your four cups of hot water into a pot on the stove over medium heat to get it working. Grate your bar of soap and add it to your heating water on the stove. 

My grated soap. Not to be confused with cheddar cheese much to my toddlers dismay.

Stir your soap and water combo until all of the soap is melted. It takes about ten minutes for the shreds to melt.

 While waiting on your soap to melt you can start add about two and a half gallons of hot, hot, hot (your singing the song now aren't you?) water to your five gallon bucket. You don't have to boil the water or anything it just should be hot enough to get the soap mixture combined well. Your bucket should be just about halfway full.

After your soap is melted, carefully dump it into the bucket. Watch out for splashing and little people who constantly have to be 'helping'. Next, add your one cup each of Borax and washing soda. Stir it up really well with a very long spoon or whatever you can find. I use an old axe handle...cause that's how I roll.

Adding my Borax.

 Fill up the remaining space with hot water and stir again with your axe handle. 

  And that is it. Let it sit for about 24 hours to thicken up and you are ready to kill that pile of laundry. It really is too bad that there is some sort of magical concoction that will fold the clothes and put it away for you as well. I will work on that and get back to you. 

 You will use about a cup of soap per wash load. Don't freak out. I know that seems like a lot of soap for one load but I am telling you, it is so cheap to make you can still wave your El Cheapo McCheaperton Flag.

I said it was cheap and I will prove it! I get pretty much everything at Walmart. They seem to be the lowest price around so I will just give you their product prices. 

Felz-Naptha Soap: $0.97
20 Mule Team Borax : $2.99
Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda: $2.99
Total:  $6.95


However, you are not using all of the Borax or the washing soda. So here is another breakdown. (My hubster did the numbers. I am not mathematically gifted.)

Felz-Naptha Soap: $0.97
20 Mule Team Borax : $0.44/cup
Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda: $0.32/cup
Total: $1.73

Under two bucks for 80 loads of laundry!!!! That's bananas!!!

 I did not figure in the five gallon bucket. I was able to find mine at Runnings and it was extremely a bit over priced. Frowny face. It was something like 15 bucks for the bucket and the lid (yes I had to buy the lid separately...growl, snarl, hiss). However, once you have purchased it, you have it forever. You can shop around to find the best price. My sister also told me that you can go to certain fast-food joints or restaurants and buy their old five gallon pails for very cheap. 

So, there you have it. Five Gallons of Homemade Laundry Soap for $1.73. It doesn't get much better then that. 

Thanks for stopping and God Bless!