Powdered Laundry Detergent
1 4#12oz box of Borax
1 4# box of Arm&Hammer Baking Soda
1 3#7oz box of Arm&Hammer Super Washing Soda
4 bars of Fels Naptha Soap grated (I grate this fine)
This is the basic recipe. I use 1 - 2 Tablespoons per load and it has not upset my kids sensitive skin at all and is HE machine safe. If you want extra stain removing in your detergent add 1 3# Container of Oxy Clean to the above and if you want it to smell pretty vs. clean soap smell than feel free to add 2 containers of Downy Unstoppables or your favorite pebbled laundry freshener to the above. Enjoy your 5 cent per load detergent that works as well as any expensive detergent.
1 4#12oz box of Borax
1 4# box of Arm&Hammer Baking Soda
1 3#7oz box of Arm&Hammer Super Washing Soda
4 bars of Fels Naptha Soap grated (I grate this fine)
This is the basic recipe. I use 1 - 2 Tablespoons per load and it has not upset my kids sensitive skin at all and is HE machine safe. If you want extra stain removing in your detergent add 1 3# Container of Oxy Clean to the above and if you want it to smell pretty vs. clean soap smell than feel free to add 2 containers of Downy Unstoppables or your favorite pebbled laundry freshener to the above. Enjoy your 5 cent per load detergent that works as well as any expensive detergent.
Liquid Laundry Detergent
4 cups HOT water
1 Fels Naptha Soap Bar, finely grated (you can use 1/2 bar if you do not have laundry that is heavily soiled)
1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
1 bar of your favorite bar soap, finely grated
you will also need a CLEAN 5 gallon bucket with a lid (Walmart paint section), an old pot, long spoon
In a NON FOOD purposed pot bring 4 cups water to a near boil. Add soap that has been grated and allow to melt totally, stir occasionally during this step. In your 5 gallon bucket...fill with warm water until 1/2 full. Remove melted soap from heat and add Borax and Washing Suds, stir until powder dissolves. Add mixture to 5 gallon bucket and stir until it combines. Once mixed fill the remainder of the bucket with water and seal with a lid (so that nothing falls or gets into the in the bucket). Let mix sit overnight.
The next it is ready for use! Use a clean gallon conatiner and fill 1/2 way with soap mixture, fill the remaining portion with water. I did this in a smaller bucket and mixed with a not for food use immersion blender until smooth. Then I put into a clean and well marked gallon jug.
I use 1/4 cup per load which for the teachers in the world means that you just made 10 GALLONS or 640+ loads for $2.70. WOW!!!
1 Fels Naptha Soap Bar, finely grated (you can use 1/2 bar if you do not have laundry that is heavily soiled)
1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
1 bar of your favorite bar soap, finely grated
you will also need a CLEAN 5 gallon bucket with a lid (Walmart paint section), an old pot, long spoon
In a NON FOOD purposed pot bring 4 cups water to a near boil. Add soap that has been grated and allow to melt totally, stir occasionally during this step. In your 5 gallon bucket...fill with warm water until 1/2 full. Remove melted soap from heat and add Borax and Washing Suds, stir until powder dissolves. Add mixture to 5 gallon bucket and stir until it combines. Once mixed fill the remainder of the bucket with water and seal with a lid (so that nothing falls or gets into the in the bucket). Let mix sit overnight.
The next it is ready for use! Use a clean gallon conatiner and fill 1/2 way with soap mixture, fill the remaining portion with water. I did this in a smaller bucket and mixed with a not for food use immersion blender until smooth. Then I put into a clean and well marked gallon jug.
I use 1/4 cup per load which for the teachers in the world means that you just made 10 GALLONS or 640+ loads for $2.70. WOW!!!
Liquid Fabric Softener
6 cups HOT water
2 cups (or even less) hair conditioner....yes you read that right!
3 cups white vinegar
20 drops of essential oils if you desire
Heat water and mix in you hair conditioner until dissolved and not clumpy. Add vinegar and oils if you desire. Mix well.
I use about 1/8 cup in my machine and it is plenty to make laundry fresh and soft.
2 cups (or even less) hair conditioner....yes you read that right!
3 cups white vinegar
20 drops of essential oils if you desire
Heat water and mix in you hair conditioner until dissolved and not clumpy. Add vinegar and oils if you desire. Mix well.
I use about 1/8 cup in my machine and it is plenty to make laundry fresh and soft.
Homemade Castile Soap
WARNING!!! This is a Lye Soap and is common in MANY soaps that you purchase over the counter BUT...THIS IS A CHEMICAL! Use exact amounts.
16 oz Sunflower Oil
Potassium Chloride
Distilled Water
MIX:
Pour 16 oz. of sunflower oil into your crock pot, with the heat on high. In a
separate bowl, mix 5.5 oz. of potassium chloride with 16 oz. of distilled
water. Add this lye mixture to the warm oil in the crock pot. Mix this all
together using a hand-held stick blender on low. You may stir by hand with a wooden spoon, but
the hand-held stick blender will make the task easier. The mixture will likely
appear as though it is going to separate. This is normal. Just keep mixing.
The mixing of your ingredients will create a pasty consistency. Now pour 40
oz. of tap water into the crock pot. Combine this with the paste using your
hand-held stick blender.
COOK:
Leave the mixture in your crock pot and check it every hour or so. If it is separating, mix it for a minute with the stick blender. If not, simply give it a
stir with a wooden spoon. The consistency should go from paste to an applesauce-like consistency. From there it should become smooth, although still
quite thick--sort of like pudding. At some point in the cooking, it may even become hard and sticky like taffy. If this occurs use a potato masher to break
it up. Within a couple more hours it should transform to the consistency of petroleum jelly. At this point you'll know your liquid castile soap is almost done.
TEST:
It is now time to test the soap to see if it is done. Boil some water in a tea kettle, and measure 2 oz. into a clear measuring cup along with 1 oz. of the
soap mixture. Stir it with a spoon until the soap dissolves in the water. If it appears to be a little bit cloudy, that's OK. You don't, however, want it to
appear milky. This may indicate that the soap hasn't cooked long enough or that you haven't measured the oil properly. Try cooking it a bit longer and test it again if that is the case.
If the clarity is just a bit cloudy, it's time to add a few drops of essential oil for scent. Simply add your scent of choice. Six to eight drops is
usually enough to produce a strong, but not offensive scent.
Pour your warm liquid castile soap into bottles or jars and allow it to cool before using.
16 oz Sunflower Oil
Potassium Chloride
Distilled Water
MIX:
Pour 16 oz. of sunflower oil into your crock pot, with the heat on high. In a
separate bowl, mix 5.5 oz. of potassium chloride with 16 oz. of distilled
water. Add this lye mixture to the warm oil in the crock pot. Mix this all
together using a hand-held stick blender on low. You may stir by hand with a wooden spoon, but
the hand-held stick blender will make the task easier. The mixture will likely
appear as though it is going to separate. This is normal. Just keep mixing.
The mixing of your ingredients will create a pasty consistency. Now pour 40
oz. of tap water into the crock pot. Combine this with the paste using your
hand-held stick blender.
COOK:
Leave the mixture in your crock pot and check it every hour or so. If it is separating, mix it for a minute with the stick blender. If not, simply give it a
stir with a wooden spoon. The consistency should go from paste to an applesauce-like consistency. From there it should become smooth, although still
quite thick--sort of like pudding. At some point in the cooking, it may even become hard and sticky like taffy. If this occurs use a potato masher to break
it up. Within a couple more hours it should transform to the consistency of petroleum jelly. At this point you'll know your liquid castile soap is almost done.
TEST:
It is now time to test the soap to see if it is done. Boil some water in a tea kettle, and measure 2 oz. into a clear measuring cup along with 1 oz. of the
soap mixture. Stir it with a spoon until the soap dissolves in the water. If it appears to be a little bit cloudy, that's OK. You don't, however, want it to
appear milky. This may indicate that the soap hasn't cooked long enough or that you haven't measured the oil properly. Try cooking it a bit longer and test it again if that is the case.
If the clarity is just a bit cloudy, it's time to add a few drops of essential oil for scent. Simply add your scent of choice. Six to eight drops is
usually enough to produce a strong, but not offensive scent.
Pour your warm liquid castile soap into bottles or jars and allow it to cool before using.
Liquid Dish Detergent
This is for handwashing dishes NOT the kind you use in a dishwasher. Someday when I have a dishwasher I will figure that recipe out too...For now my husband likes to "joke" that we have a "mobile" and "multipurpose" unit.
1 ½ cup of hot water
½ cup liquid castile soap
-1 tablespoon of white vinegar
-1 tablespoon of Arm&Hammer’s Super Washing Soda (used to thicken the soap)
Combine all ingredients into a large bowl and then pour in 1 1/2 cup of very hot water. Be sure to whisk/stir this mixture until all ingredients are thoroughly blended (immersion blender is great here). Allow mixture to cool completely on the counter. Stirring occasionally. Store in any dish soap dispensing bottle and use as you
would the commercial brands.
Note: You may choose to naturally increase the anti-bacterial qualities of the soap by adding 1/4 tsp. of lavender or eucalyptus essential oils. I personally love apple cinnamon or lemon...Call it aromatherapy!
1 ½ cup of hot water
½ cup liquid castile soap
-1 tablespoon of white vinegar
-1 tablespoon of Arm&Hammer’s Super Washing Soda (used to thicken the soap)
Combine all ingredients into a large bowl and then pour in 1 1/2 cup of very hot water. Be sure to whisk/stir this mixture until all ingredients are thoroughly blended (immersion blender is great here). Allow mixture to cool completely on the counter. Stirring occasionally. Store in any dish soap dispensing bottle and use as you
would the commercial brands.
Note: You may choose to naturally increase the anti-bacterial qualities of the soap by adding 1/4 tsp. of lavender or eucalyptus essential oils. I personally love apple cinnamon or lemon...Call it aromatherapy!