Martha for a Day- Making Laundry Soap

As I have mentioned many times before, I am no Martha Stewart. I typically glue things when they should be sewn and throw things on top of other things in hidden places instead of organizing them. I can follow recipes, but do not consider myself to be a good cook. And the only crafts I have done with R up to this point is chalk.

All that being said, the one thing I manage to make for my family is detergent. My Aunt Patti told me over and over again that I should try it and then finally gave me some to try for myself. I was pretty skeptical. With two babies, I do not have much free time. Then I took one look at the finished product and said, "What is this stuff??" Nevertheless, I tried it and it works. So I thought I would give it a try and make it myself.

I have made it a few times now. It makes two gallons at a time, so you don't have to do it very often. I guess it just depends on how much detergent you use per load and how much laundry you have. Our laundry seems to be multiplying even as I look at it.

I thought today that I would share with you how to make it. I know that this is not for everyone, but it definitely saves us some money. Saving money is the main reason I make it. It's also nice because I know what is going into my detergent and making sure it is sensitive enough for my little ones. I originally planned on buying Dreft for my laundry when R was on her way. But at $10 a bottle only containing 32 loads, I changed my plans pretty quick. You can make an entire 2 gallon batch of detergent for less than 75¢! If you use the 1/2 cup for each load as recommended, you can wash 64 loads for less than 2¢ per load!

There are TONS of different ways that you can make detergent, this is just one option.

What you will need:
1 bar of soap (Dial/Ivory)
2/3 Cup Washing Powder (also called Washing Soda)
2/3 Cup Borax
2 gallons of water (1 gallon hot & 1 cold)
Container large enough to hold 2 gallons of water and can withstand heat
Container(s) to put the finished product in

I bought two plastic gallon pitchers from Walmart, as seen on the right. They each cost less than $5 and come with a spout (not pictured here). I will probably buy a third one soon, because with only two containers I have to wait until they are both totally emptied to make a new batch. Some people use milk containers or the like, I just considered it an initial investment to buy them.

Step #1 - Heat ONE gallon of your water.

Step 2: Grate your bar of soap and put it in the water to dissolve. I use a potato peeler because my grater is tiny. You can grate it over the stove as the water heats, if you'd like. I was just getting too hot to do that today.

Step #3- Once the soap is completely dissolved, pour in the cold water, Borax and Washing Powder.

(Most of you probably have a pot big enough to mix it all together in one, I do not. I use this decorative metal bucket because it is the ONLY thing I have for the moment. You can also use that random 5 gallon bucket in the garage and make double if you'd like.)

I have also been told that if you like the fresh scent of store bought detergents, you can either add your scent through oils or by adding a few of the scented Downy Unstoppables to your mixture. 

Step #4- Stir occasionally for a couple of hours.

At this point the mixture will start to congeal. Don't worry, it's supposed to look that way. 

Step #5- You are DONE! Put your detergent in your containers and get to washing (and saving money!). I use a funnel, but I'm not sure that's the easiest way. 

Here's what the girls were up to while I decided to make detergent. Playing on the bowls and laughing. 

So the simplified version of those steps without my commentary is as follows:

#1 - Boil ONE gallon of water

#2 - Grate soap and dissolve in boiling water

#3 - Once soap is dissolved turn off heat, add cold water, Washing Powder and Borax- stir

#4 - Stir occasionally for a few hours

#5 - You're Done! Put your soap in it's containers and get to washing.

You can use 1/2 cup to 1 cup per load depending on your preference. The recommendation is 1/2 cup.

If I can do this, anyone can! Give it a shot!

***Note- My recipe came from my Aunt Patti. Thanks! : ) I got the cost breakdown from this site. Her recipe is a little different than mine. She actually uses 1/2 cup of the cleaning agents, and makes her own soap (Good luck with that!). She also answers a lot of different questions you may have. Feel free to check out her information.***