Ingredients:
Hot water
1/2 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
1/3 bar Soap (grated)
In a large pot, heat 3 pints of water. Add the grated bar soap and stir
until melted. Then add the washing soda and borax. Stir until powder is
dissolved, then remove from heat.
In a 2 gallon clean pail, pour 1 quart of hot water and add the heated soap
mixture. Top pail with cold water and stir well.
Use 1/2 cup per load, stirring soap before each use (will gel).
Some Tips:
For the bar soaps required in the recipes, you could try Fels-Naptha, Ivory
soap, Sunlight bar soap, Kirk’s Hard water Castile, and Zote. Don’t use
heavily perfumed soaps.
Washing Soda and Borax can normally be found in the laundry and cleaning
aisles.
Some people with really hard water or well water may have to adjust the
recipes if the clothes look dingy.
You can make huge pails of this at once, or smaller quantities. Also if you
can get your hands on a few empty liquid laundry detergent bottles they work
great for storing the detergent. Just make a big batch and pour in bottles,
cap then use as needed–shake before use.
Homemade Dryer Sheet
Recipe:
Ingredients:
Bottle of Fabric Softener
Towels from around the house
Take one towel at a time and soak them in the fabric softener. Ring out each
towel and hang dry. Once towel is dry it can be used as a dryer sheet!
Total savings from making our own detergent and dryer sheets is at least
$200 a year!!