So, if I remember correctly, I owe you all some pictures! Laundry detergent making process pictures! My last batch lasted 6 months (wow!). Since then we've moved into a new home with our own washer & dryer and in light of that, we've started cloth diapering. So detergent isn't lasting quite as long these days since I'm doing diaper laundry as well...but it costs .87 cents per batch of detergent, so who cares?!
First, a review of the Recipe:
1/3 bar of Soap grated or finely chopped. I've used Fels Naptha and Kirk's Castile soap, both work great!
1/2 cup Washing (NOT BAKING!) Soday
1/2 cup Borax
A whole lotta water
Big bucket (I use a 5 g
allon bucket)
Similar sized storage container (I use a few old laundry detergent containers)
Directions!
1. Combine grated soap and 6 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Heat until soap melts.
2. Stir in 1/2 cup Washing Soda and 1/2 cup Borax. Stir until dissolved.
After the soap, washing soda, and borax have dissolved, your mixture should look like this:
3. Add 4 cups HOT water to your bucket.
4. Pour in 1 gallon + 6 cups water (doesn't have to be hot) and your soap mixture. Let this sit in the bucket overnight and you're done! Use 1/2 cup detergent for top load washing machines and 1/4 cup detergent for front loaders.
A word on texture: A few friends & family have tried this recipe. Almost every single one of them called me saying that they must of done something wrong because their detergent looked like coagulated animal fat. Yes, this detergent has a weird texture...it gets chunky. Usually if you just shake it up a bit, it'll be fine. This doesn't have any impact on the functionality of the detergent, don't worry! If you're like my borderline OCD husband and REALLY can't stand the chunks, an emersion blender works fine to smooth it all out :).
Looking forward to many more posts!
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