First, I love saving money when and where I can. I love spending money just as much and prefer to spend my money on the better things in life and save money on the things that are marked up. One thing I found online is how to make your own laundry detergent. You have a choice of either making liquid or powdered. I prefer the liquid type of detergent as I feel it is mixed better and easier to make sure it is well mixed. There is something about using the powdered version and having to use a food processor to make the powder. The best directions I found is from “The Green Guide“. They recommend using “Fels-Naptha” but I used regular bar soap and found it works just as well. I was not able to find any Fels-Naptha locally but you can purchase it at Amazon (Single Bar or 24 Pack of Bars). Some websites have mentioned the use of regular bar soap like I am using and I find it works quite well. Having used Tide and Many different types of liquid detergets - I have to say this concoction works just as well if not better.
Here is all you need:
1 - Bar of Soap - (Fels-Naptha or What ever you prefer)
1 - Box of Washing Soda - (Note This is not the same as Baking Soda)
1 - Box of Borax - 20 Mule Team Borax - Found in the Laundry Section of the Grocery Store.
1 - 5 Gallon Bucket with a Lid - (I used an empty Cat Litter Bucket)
3 - Gallons of HOT tap water
1 - Huge Spoon (Found a cheap one at the dollar store) - I only used it for this purpose
1 - Measuring Cup (Again Found a cheap one at the dollar store) - Again only used it for this
1 - Knife or Grater - Used to cut the bar of soap into teeny tiny bits. - at the dollar store I saw a cheap cheese grater that can also be used.
Uno: (The Melting Pot) - You will be melting down the bar of soap - To do this in a pot that will handle about 5 cups of water - Place 5 cups of water and start a simmer - keeping the water just below boiling point. Start placing the shaving from your bar of soap that you should have been shaving while waiting for the water to simmer. slowly mix and stir the mixture and in a short time you will have a very very soapy mixture.
Dos: (Mixing it up) In the large bucket - Place 3 gallons of HOT water into the 5 gallon bucket. (You can use anything handy to measure this out - I used a empty Ice Tea container that I finished earlier in the day (Hey it was a half gallon container that didn’t cost me anything) Now pour in the hot soap mixture into the bucket. Make sure you stir it for a bit to make sure it is mixed. Now add a cup of the washing soda into the bucket. Again make sure you mix it well. A minute or two will due. Now you can stir in a half cup of borax and stir for another minute or two. The final step - let the concoction sit overnight. In the morning you will be you will have a bucket of slippery, soapy, gelatinous mess in your bucket.
Sidenote: You can add essential oil into the mix when mixing in the Borax and washing soda. This will give you a pleasant scent to the detergent. I have read that many people are using lavendar oil to make it work similar to the scented lavender detergent.
Now to use this mix － Ｉuse about 3/4 cup of the mixture to a load of laundry. This is equilivent to about 64 washes - give or take a few ounces. With all the items you bought you can make this concoction about 6 times. I love being thrifty. $15 total in supplies to produce 384 loads of laundry - or you can buy 6 bottle of tide @ $17 a bottle for a total of $102 dollars. For a grand total of a saving of 87 dollars. - Now I know there are alot of things you can do with $87 Dollars. Plus I will say this again - This stuff works in my mind better then the liquid stuff and saving a huge wapping $87 dollars.
Good luck in your soap making process and happy saving money!!!!
And a Video of someone making he Liquid Soap:
The Help Meister
- - - - - Making life fun and Helping you Save Money
Technorati Tags: Liquid Soap, Liquid Detergent, Detergent, Soap, Frugal, Cheap, Money, Make, Create, borax, mule team, washing, laundry, washing soda, laundry soda
Leave a Reply