Homemade laundry detergent about $6 to make

Homemade Laundry Detergent: Cost about $6 to make and will last 180-600 loads depending on your washer

After I had my little boy I was freaked out about chemicals in certain everyday products I would use around him. One of my concerns was with my laundry soap. So I started buying draft and other dye free all natural laundry soap, but this started getting REALLY REALLY expensive! So I went to a class to learn how to make all my own cleaning products. The laundry soap has by far been my favorite of the products I make. It is so easy to make and it works great. I have a 16month old son so I have tons of messes to wash away and the stuff really works. You still need to pre-treat stains but it works great. You will also want to continue to use fabric softener. There are recipes for softener online that you can make but I have not found one that I like yet. So here is your Thrifty Thursday for the week! Homemade Laundry soap
1 5 gallon bucket and lid

4 Cups - hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Washing Soda (this is not the same as baking soda! Make sure to get washing soda)
½ Cup Borax

All of these items I always find at Walmart in the laundry detergent section (except the 5 gallon bucket)

- Grate the bar of Fels-Naphtha soap and add to saucepan of hot water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted. ( I bought a cheap cheese grater at the store, I only use it for grating soap)

-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. (it will look like egg drop soup)

After the soap has set over night it is ready to be used...

-Stir the 5 gallon bucket full (you need a really long stirrer) 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. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil. (I add my essential oil to the to my soap dispenser not to the 5 gallon bucket. My favorite in lemon grass and tea tree. Tea tree oil has disinfecting agents)

-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)

This is what it will look like after sitting overnightThis is what it looks like in your jug. Remember to shake before each use.