homemade laundry detergent

[kimsmamaw]

Help! Several months ago my sis got me two recipes for homemade laundry soap. I have been using one of them, but I need a copy of the other one (made with washing soda, borax and Fels Naphtha, I think). I have saved so much making my own and am always looking for things I can make myself. If you have either or both of these recipes/instructions, please let me know!!
Isn't this place great?! answer here or to my email: [email protected]

[ajrsmom]

Hi

Check out these posts ........

http://www.familycorner.com/forums/s...&threadid=4486

http://www.familycorner.com/forums/s...&threadid=4455



There are many different recipes for laundry detergent along with many different opinions.



Tami


[corrected by moderator]

[rivermom]

This is the recipe I use--it has very little, if any odor, and that's one of the things we like about it--besides the fact that it doesn't irritate my kids' skin and is probably easy on our septic system:

Use a lg. pot (capable of holding more than 2 gallons of water)--I have a lg. canning pot and make a double batch each time, which yields a 5 gal. bucket full

Grate a bar of fels naptha soap with a cheese grater into 3 equal portions. Put l portion in the pot with 2 c. of water and bring to a boil. When soap has dissolved, add 1 gal. of water, 1 c. of borax and 1 c. of arm & hammer liquid deterg., cook over med. to low heat for 20 mins. Shut off heat and add another gal. of water. When cool, put into old containers.

I generally use 1 c. per load. Cost=2c per load. It seems to clean our clothes well and we haven't noticed any problem (maybe less) with our clothes wearing out or fading.

Hope this helps!! It saves a ton of money and doesn't take much time. Plus--I actually get alot of fulfillment out of making it myself and omitting the chemicals, dyes, fragrances, etc.

[nagymom]

kimsmamaw

I used to make that very same detergent! I went back to my Tide though since I really like it and found other ways to be frugal. I just wanted to share a tip with you that I read once for pre-treating. Use a bar of Ivory soap! It lasts forever. Just rub the soap over the stain (may need to dampen the spot) let sit as you would with Shout, etc then wash as usual. I used to do this and found it worked fairly well. Now if I need to pre-treat I just use my Tide Kick.

Jayne

[Tami8595]

Originally posted by kimsmamaw
Help! Several months ago my sis got me two recipes for homemade laundry soap. I have been using one of them, but I need a copy of the other one (made with washing soda, borax and Fels Naphtha, I think). I have saved so much making my own and am always looking for things I can make myself. If you have either or both of these recipes/instructions, please let me know!!
Isn't this place great?! answer here or to my email: [email protected]

I've never heard of Fels Naphtha. Where can you buy it?


Tami

[SherBear]

I found fels naptha in HyVee in the laundry soap isle... Walmart didnt have it.
So I would check your grocery stores... it is like a bar of soap and I paid 99 cents for it.

I LOVE my homemade laundry soap....

[nagymom]

You can order fels naptha on-line as well. (It's very hard to find in some areas. When I made it I had to order too.)

http://www.felsnapthasoap.bigstep.com/

Jayne

[mom2-4]

I believe you can use most any soap in place of the fels naptha, I believe nagymom recommended Ivory soap. I hope so because I made some today, and that is what I used!!! It smells so much better than when I made it with the fels naptha, have not used the stuff made with Ivory, yet tomorrow!!

Karen

[nagymom]

Yes Karen I did recommend Ivory. FN is stinky!

Jayne

[mom2-4]

Yes it is stinky, but I think it works good as a pretreater. And, thank you for the Ivory tip.

Karen