Homemaking: Laundry Style + Recipe

This weekend Ruthie Jane and I made Homemade Laundry Soap. Many people say...WHY? Well folks, because it happens to be dirt cheap to make your own laundry soap. So, we gave it a try. We bought the list of ingredients with a cost of roughly $8. And, when you consider how many batches/loads of soap you will get from a measely eight bucks you will be in awe of just how cost effective this homemaking task turns out to be.

First, I started by grating my bar of soap. Ruthie Jane ran around playing outside while I grated my little fingers off. Literally.

Ruthie Jane lovingly referred to it as maccaroni and cheese.

Next, we went indoors to melt the grated cheese.
And, Here are the rest of the ingredients.

Ruthie Jane took great pride in helping out on this project.
She was so excited!

Here's my big helper packing it up for the night.
We were anxiously awaiting for this it to "gel" overnight.

And, guess what!?
It did!
Hip Hip Hooray!

We've been washing our clothing with this Homemade soap for a few days now. It's washing them very nicely. We tend to be a "sensitive family" so I didn't put any type of fragrance in it. However, it has a nice clean orginal scent.

I like it.

Happy Homemaking!

You can find this recipe here.

Or, for you HERE. :)

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap
Front or Top load machine
4 Cups - hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax
- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
-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 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 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 Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)


*Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in some stores or may be purchased online here (at Meijer.com). Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!

This recipe is a Duggar Family Recipe.
Enjoy!