HOMEMAD E (Front or Top load machine = best value)
submitted by Bonnie Ramsburg My uncle finally convinced my mom to make her own homemade laundry soap. She successfully purchased all of the items she needed to do so, which included a paint stirrer…. notice the funny looking thing on top of the blue bucket of congealed soap? She and my dad spent an afternoon cooking up some pennies on the dollar laundry soap. The following recipe is the one she used, and when I couldn’t find the hardcopy, I went searching for something similar online. Check out this link for a wide variety of recipes including powdered versions and some handy dandy information that will help you if you should decide to make your own. Ingredients: • 4 cups of Hot Tap Water • 1 bar Fels-Naptha Soap* • 1 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda ** • ½ cup Borax Directions: Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted. -60-
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 bottle half full with soap and then fill the rest of the way with water. Shake before each use, as it will gel. When it’s time to refill your soap bottle, you will need to Stir*** the 5 Gallon bucket again until it’s mixed well. ~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 Machines¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads) * Visit the FelsNaptha website to find a store in your area that carries the product.
