Homemade Laundry Detergent:
- 1 bar Fels-Naptha laundry soap (I have read you can use most any bar of soap except for "beauty bars" with lots of lotion and additives).
- 1 cup Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda
- 1 cup 20 Mule Team Borax
- (Some recipes I have found suggest using 1/2 cup Oxyclean, especially for whites; I may try this if I feel the whites are not maintaining their brightness over time)
1. In a large bowl mix together the washing soda and Borax.
2. Place your shredder disk in your food processor. Shred the bar of soap in the processor. Remove shredding disk and place the metal blade in the bowl. You can also grate the soap with a hand grater.
3. Add about 1/2 cup of the dry mixture into the FP bowl with the shredded soap. Process until the texture of sand.
4. Dump the soap mixture into the remaining dry mixture and combine thoroughly.
5. Use 1 heaping tablespoon per full load, 2 for heavily soiled loads. (Some recipes say 2 tbsp. per full load, but I thought 1 worked fine for my full load of jeans and t-shirts). Store in a yogurt container or large butter tub.
*As this is a compilation of many things I have read, there may be some variation depending on your water hardness and preferences.
*Be aware that this does look strange because the soap doesn't completely blend in with the powders.
*Another useful tip I have discovered is that vinegar works great for a fabric softener and also keeps your washer clean and deodorized.
This recipe is an incredible savings per load. I haven't done any figuring but it is something like between 1 and 2 cents per load. The Simple Dollar Blog did a cost breakdown and found that commercial laundry detergent is 10 times more expensive. I'm actually surprised that more people don't do this; it's pretty easy!
My only question is this: IS IT SAFE TO USE MY FOOD PROCESSOR FOR LAUNDRY SOAP MAKING AND FOR FOOD AS LONG AS I THOROUGHLY CLEAN AND SOAK IT? I know Borax can be toxic. I would appreciate comments on this.
8 comments:
Hey... where did you get this "recipe?" I heard about one on the Duggar's website that I THINK is liquid... but I can't find it :P
Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- Front or top load machine- best value
4 Cups - hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax
- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.
-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)
-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.
-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.
-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
I found it!!! Just thought you'd like to compare ;) I'll try it and let you know!
-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)
*Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in some stores or may be purchased online here (at Meijer.com). Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!
Yes, I looked at the Duggar recipe in my research. I got this recipe from a LOT of blogs. I got the food processor specifics from a blog, but now I can't find it...Just type in homemade powdered laundry detergent. I notice they use less Borax, so that's interesting. I think the liquid would be a lot messier to make, but a lot of people like it!
Hi Amy. Looks like Becky posted one where you melt the soap instead, which sounds good. I would not use the same blender for food and soap. With plastics, you never know what they are absorbing.
I have used my food processor for the soap for months and just clean it good. I havent had any problems with food smelling or tasting bad.
I really want to try this but I don't have a food processor. I'm intimidated to try the liquid since it makes 10 gallons! That much would last me 2 years at least, maybe 3 and that's a whole lot of soap if I don't end up liking it. Once I get a food processor I want to try the powder.
On this last batch I used Ivory soap, which is super easy to hand grate. Until I find a food processor at a yard sale or thrift shop to devote specifically to soap making, I will probably just hand grate. It just takes a couple minutes.
Update: I like the Walgreen's green bar of soap the best of all the soaps I've tried. Also, add 1/2 cup oxyclean ("sun" is the generic and works fine). I now keep my mixture in a cracker jar.
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