Make Your Own

I have been getting ready for my big "homemade laundry soap" presentation for Enrichment tonight, and realized that a while ago I was going to post about my laundry soap making experience and my findings... just in case someone out there might find them useful! So... wait no longer... that blog post is here!

Here's what I know:

- I feel like I do massive amounts of laundry already (4-5 loads per week)& I can't imagine what it will be like with a bigger family!
- Laundry soap is WAY 2 EXPENSIVE for what you're getting (a little soap mixed with a lot of water!)
- I'm always game for saving a dime... as long as the saving process still remains decently convenient for me!

Here's what I found:

- My actual time spent in making the laundry soap is about 20 minutes! Definitely do-able!
- I thoroughly enjoy the smell of my soap a lot better than others I've used.
- The last batch I made lasted just over 4 months @ 4-5 loads per week! Not bad!
- I was skeptical about the cleaning power at first, but it proved to get poop stains out of Ava's underwear when she was potty training, so I'm sold!
- It seems to work just as good as any other detergent; some stains come out and some don't (& that's life when you have kids!)

Here's how you do it:

6 C. Water
1/2 C. Washing Soda
1/2 C. Borax
Grated Soap (Fels Naptha is recommended; I use Dove)
- 1/3 bar Fels Naptha OR
- 1 bar Dove

Mix grated soap & water in large pan and heat until soap is completely melted. Stir in washing soda & borax until dissolved. Fill a bucket with 2 gallons of HOT water. Add soap mixture & stir well. Cover bucket & allow soap to sit for 24 hours; stirring occasionally. Soap will gel as it cools. Use 1/2 C. per load.

My Tips:

I just saved my last few laundry soap containers to pour the soap into when it was done. I went to DI and bought a large saucepan and a grater that I use specifically for soap making. I use Dove soap because I like the smell (Cucumber & Green Tea; next up is Nectarine & White Ginger). When making the soap, you can add a little extra of the borax and washing soda to boost the cleaning power a little. If you use the Fels Naptha soap you can also add some drops of essential oil for scent when you mix everything together.

And... The Cost(just in case you were wondering):

- Made with Fels Naptha = $0.04 per load
- Made with Dove = $0.06 per load
And this is compared to these prices of other liquid laundry soaps (prices obtained from Wal-Mart):
Tide = $0.22 per load
Gain = $0.21 per load
Purex = $0.14 per load
ALL = $0.14 per load

AND THERE YOU HAVE IT! IN ONE OF THE LONGEST POSTS I'VE EVER DONE...MY VOTE IS... MAKE YOUR OWN!

PS. Happy Seis de Mustard to anyone out there who knows what I'm talking about!