Do-It-Yourself Laundry Soap

This tip is for anyone who wants great laundry soap that works better than store bought, and doesn't leave residue in clothes. All this at less than $2.00 for 160 wash loads. AND it's phosphate free!

This recipe, found on The Dollar Stretcher, has several variations, but the one my friends are trying, reads as follows:

1 bar Fels Naptha, grated (laundry bar sold at Reams and other stores, or can use Ivory instead)
1 cup 20 Mule Team Borax
1 cup Washing Soda (NOT baking soda. Arm & Hammer make washing soda and it's in the laundry section of supermarkets)

Melt the grated soap in 6 qt pan with about 3 pints water over medium heat. Stir until soap dissolves. Add borax and washing soda. Stir until thickened. Add more warm water nearly to top of pot. When mixed, pour into a bucket (4-5 gallon) of warm water. Mix well. When cool, it gets thick. Stir every now and then as it tends to separate.

For laundry, use half a cup per load.

There is no lye or anything dangerous. The product is low sudsing and can therefore be used with cold water for most of your laundry--another money saver.


Thanks to JJM at Morgue File.com for the blue washing photo.