Basic DIY Laundry Soap
Can be made as natural as you want
Making your own laundry soap serves several needs. It's extremely cheap, it cleans better than average laundry soap, and it's hypo allergenic. This recipe can be modified to suit what you want your laundry soap to do. I post only the liquid form because I feel the liquid does a far better job of cleaning, especially in cold water situations.
Laundry Soap (aprox 5 Gal)
1/2 c Borax (thickens the soap, and is sold as a laundry brightener)
1/2 c Washing Soda (NOT Baking soda. Sold as a stubborn stain remover)
1 bar soap Grated (Castile is a great natural soap, Ivory or Fels Naptha, which is a stain pretreater)
In a medium sized sauce pan, add 4 cups of water and simmer. Add the grated soap flakes to the water and turn the heat off. Stir till all the flakes are desolved. In a 5 gallon bucked, fill half full of warm tap water and add the Borax, Washing soda, and melted soap. Stir well and add water till a couple inches from the top. Let it sit overnight then mix well and use. Shake before each use. 3 TBS is all you need for a standard washer.
TIPS!
I have an old saucepan I use just for melting soaps. Some pots can absorb the soap, and will release that "flavor" into your food.
A food processor will make grating the soap easier and faster. I prefer my old hand held one though.
I love my Gamma seal. It puts a screw lid onto my 5 gallon bucket and has made this so much easier to store and mix.
I have a drill attached paint stirrer I picked up to mix my finished soap, it keeps it from separating a lot longer than stirring or shaking.
Fels Naptha is a low suds soap and can be used in the newer washers. I am unaware if Ivory and Castile soaps are low suds or not.
You can add essential oils, or fabric safe scents to your laundry soap if you like. Some people use the Crystals laundry boosters as a scent, though it would add chemicals and allergens so be aware.
What is Borax??
What is Washing Soda??
What is Castile Soap??
What is Naptha??