Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Liquid Laundry Detergent

1/3 bar Fels Naptha Soap, grated
1/2 C Washing Soda
1/2 C Borax Powder

Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan. Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts.

Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved.

Remove from heat.

Pout 4 cups hot water into a bucket or very large pan.

Now, add your soap mixture and stir.

Add 1 gallon (16 cups) plus 6 cups of water and stir.

Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel.

Shake or mix before use.

Use 1/2 cup per load.

The finished soap will not be a solid gel. It will be more of a watery gel that can be described as an "egg noodle soup" look. This is a low sudsing soap.

Melanie J. gave me a powder version of this recipe that I have used for a long time. I decided to try the liquid version because occasionally I would find some powdered soap that didn't dissolve since I have a low water use washing machine. I've used the liquid version several times now and I like it and it saves me a lot of money on laundry detergent. It's VERY easy to make.