I made Liquid Laundry Detergent!!!

So, I am going through my homemade laundry detergent like crazy!  At first I was not totally convinced our clothes were clean. I tracked down a few bars of Fels Naptha laundry soap, and then I was in love.  Our clothes are spotless!  I am a girl that truly likes the liquid type of detergent.  I use it to pretreat, so I was looking for something liquid.  I finally found one.  The same ingredients in a batch of powder make 5 gallons of liquid concentrate, and 10 gallons of usable detergent!  That is a few weeks worth, I would say.  You only use 5/8 of a cup for a top load washer and 1/4 of a cup for a front load.  I am super excited to share this with you.  I really like the way the Fels Naptha soap smells, so I didn't add any fragrance.  It has a clean scent, not a perfumed scent.

On a different note, Most of you know I have struggled with a rash on my face the looks like a type of acne.  This has driven me crazy!  Any type of make-up will make a hot rash, so I have stopped wearing it. I know, shocking.  So even with prescription medication, still no end to the rash.  A few years ago, I was convinced to see what was causing the rash, and had an allergy skin patch test.  It was miserable.  I reacted to most of the irritants, as well as the adhesive!  As I have removed these items from my environment, I still had the rash.  Finally, the homemade laundry detergent has taken the rash away.  I guess the irritant was in our laundry and now it is gone!  Hurray!!!  I am so excited, I don't look like I am not in high school anymore! 

So, until next time, keep adventuring, and looking for joy in life's little details!

Sarah

Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

1 bar of Fels Naptha laundry soap, grated
1 cup washing soda
1 cup Borax 20 mule team

Place grated soap in a medium saucepan and fill with water. Cook, stirring constantly over medium heat until soap dissolves.  Remove from heat.  Fill a 5 gallon bucket 1/2 full of hot water. Add dissolved soap mixture. Add washing soda and Borax.  Stir well until powder is dissolved.  Fill bucket to the top.  Allow to sit overnight. It should form a soft gel.  To use, mix 1 part detergent and 1 part water in a clean laundry container.  Shake well. Use 5/8 cup for top load machines and 1/4 cup for front load machines.

FYI, Washing soda and baking soda are not interchangeable.  Washing soda is found in the laundry isle of some grocery stores.  It is sodium carbonate, and baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. 



The final product will gel, almost like Jello! You then stir and mix with water to use.