http://www.duggarfamily.com/recipes.html
TIPS FOR LAUNDRY SOAP: We use Fels-Naptha bar soap in the homemade soap recipes, but you can use Ivory, Sunlight, Kirk's Hardwater Castile or Zote bars. Don't use heavily perfumed soaps. We buy Fels-Naptha by the case from our local grocer or online. Washing Soda and Borax can normally be found on the laundry or cleaning aisle. Recipe cost approx. $2.
Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- Front or top load machine- best value
4 Cups hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup 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)
-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)
Powdered Laundry Detergent- Top load machine
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup Washing Soda
½ Cup Borax
-Grate soap or break into pieces and process in a food processor until powdered. Mix all ingredients. For light load, use 1 Tablespoon. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 Tablespoons. Yields: 3 Cups detergent. (Approx. 40 loads)
^The basic supplies
^ Grating the Fels-Naptha soap
^Oh god my arm
While this is going on, heat 4 cups of water in a large pot over medium/low heat. We're getting it hot, not boiling
^Approx 7 years later (I need a better grater or child labor)
^Once your soap is grated, add soap to your hot water. Just toss it all in there,
^ While that's heating fill a 5 gallon bucket half way (no need to be precise) with hot water from the tap.
^ Keep stirring
^ Once the soap is melted...
^ Tump the soap into your bucket of hot water.
^ Measure out one cup of Arm and Hammer Washing Soda and add it to your bucket
^ Measure out a half cup of Borax and add it to your bucket.
^ Stir till everything's dissolved
^ Once everything's dissolved, fill your bucket with hot water.
^ Once filled, add your lid and let it sit overnight. I'm using a pickle bucket and lid here that I got for free from a local restaurant. Ask around, you can find these everywhere for free.
^ Jugs ready for filling
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Let sit overnight, then fill your jugs half way with soap mixture, then dilute with equal parts of water and shake.
Shake detergent before each use.
Recipe makes 10 gallons (anyone in STL need some soap?
Total cost of this project? $2.25-$2.75 for 10 gallons which will be 180 loads of detergent. Once you've used half a large jug, it's paid for itself.
Hope you readers who stuck to the end enjoyed
Pictures and assistance by our new member Taichou.
You should have been able to process the soap in a food processor, too. If all you want to do is dissolve/melt it, the soap can be in pretty much any form, as long as it's small and has lots of surface area.
