homemade laundry soap {tutorial}

hi friends. it's been a while. had you noticed?

well there is lots to fill you in on and projects that need showing and thrift loot to show you but for now here's this.

the other day i posted a photo of Fels Naptha soap.




it was laundry soap making day and i shared that it is one of my favorite days. i mean the smell alone is reason enough to make this soap!! anyway, my caption was something like "$20, 20 mins., laundry soap for 6 months-done. boom."

well i got some texts, messages, notices, comments asking what i use etc. so i thought i'd share it here.  
the cool thing is all it really takes is what my caption said and to me that's the best part.
i'm a huge proponent of diy, natural and inexpensive solutions. so here it is.

i know there are lots of recipes out there. this one is the best that works for us. 




Homemade Laundry Powder


most of the ingredients are easy to find. i pick mine up at our super center but i know you can find these items other places as well. 

ingredients-
2-3 bars Fels Naptha soap (i like 3)
1 box borax
1 box arm and hammer baking soda (roughly 5 cups)
1 box arm and hammer super washing soda 
2 sm or 1 lg bucket oxyclean (i consider the one in the photo large)




the original recipe i used called to grade the Fels Naptha on a cheese grater. this took forever!! 
when i had done this a couple times i almost gave up and said forget it. i'm far too lazy :)
then i got a fancy kitchen blender! i have used that ever since! 
i was worried about it dulling the blade or leaving a soapy residue on in there but it's been 3 years and it's still trucking with no funny after taste! but i do clean the whole thing pretty good after so just keep that in mind :)



directions:

-cut Fels Naptha soap in cube-ish sections (ps don't let anyone mistake this for cheese on the cutting board ;-D) 


- section out the bar soap in even batches
-get your blender ready


-add a few cubes of bar soap to the blender. then add a little bit of each powder into the blender.
-keep layering like a trifle until the blender 3/4 full (i think i usually do 4-5 blender batches but i have a really big pitcher)
-blend! i pulse a couple times then set it to the high or chop ice setting
-watch as your soap gets blended
-pour your 1st batch into your laundry soap storage container. (i use an enamel tin that says laundry on it, but a glass or plastic container will work fine. it doesn't have to be fancy. just use what you have!) 


-repeat until all powders and bar soap are blended
-you're all done!
wasn't that easy!? 


couple things-
-be sure to clean up your work space as sometimes those powders like to float.
-it's ok if each blender batch is not identical in proportions. i like to stick my hand in the storage container when it's all done and mix it up anyways. 

i love this stuff!! 
this is my favorite recipe i've found. i like the powder detergent over liquid because i can rub it in and scrub a stain if need be (or hubby's greasy work hands). 


i only have to use about a tablespoon on each load! that's crazy! i was using 1/4-1/2 cup of the concentrated liquid way back when! 
i pretty much wash everything on cold and this dissolves great! 
i like what the Oxyclean does for grease fighting and my whites. we don't use bleach in our house because of the damaging qualities so it's nice to have that little boost in there. 

there you go! i hope you take the time to get some supplies and try this out. oh and your house will smell amazing after! ;)

do you diy detergent? what do you use? got any tips?


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