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11:28 am
August 15, 2008
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For those that might want to make their own laundry detergent – here is the recipe that I have been using for the last 3 years. Love love this….and saves me so much money.
Here's my recipe
Laundry Detergent Recipe
1 bar Fels Naptha soap, grated (any laundry bar soap will do when Fels Naptha isn't available)
2 cups washing soda (use only 1 if you have soft water)
1 cup Borax
¼ cup Ultra Dawn dish detergent (optional)
You’ll need a 5 gallon bucket with a lid.
In saucepan over medium heat, melt grated Fels in 4 cups of hot tap water, stirring constantly.
Pour into bucket. Add the other ingredients and 3 gallons of hot tap water. Stir until mixture is no longer gritty.
Let set overnight. It will gel. Use approximately 1/4 – 1/2 cup per washload.
NOW – if you have an HE machine, you can leave out the Ultra Dawn, and use only a tablespoon or two of detergent at a time.
Canning and dehydrating will now become a part of my life.
5:46 pm
December 11, 2008
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Actually I just today made my first batch of homemade laundry detergent. I had planned to make some earlier this month but then our girls came home for Christmas and I decided it was best not to experiment with something new.
I used one of the recipes from the link that Suzanne provided in her post back on Dec 14th about making homemade laundry detergent… Recipe #3. And I ended up using Ivory Bar soap rather than Fels Naptha because the moment the Fels Naptha hit the hot water the scent was so strong that I started sneezing and I knew that wasn't going to be an option for us.
So now I'm just waiting for it to gel before pouring it into the Tide bottles I've been saving and then we'll see how it works.
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9:40 am
November 23, 2008
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I made a batch of laundry detergent a week or so ago and I am VERY impressed! I can't see myself buying ready-made stuff again. It cleans beautifully, smells great. I made enough for two gallon jugs. I just give it a shake before I use.
Also made my own dishwasher soap. 1 cup washing soda, 1 cup borax. My dishes have just been sparkling. Don't put it in the little soap dispenser, just put in the bottom of the d/washer. I use two tbsp.
I like the idea of saving money, but I like the idea of not having to HAUL the heavy jugs of soap into the house.
It is really, really cool to make your own! 
“You never know what’s around the corner. It could be everything. Or it could be nothing. You keep putting one foot in front of the other, and then one day you look back and you’ve climbed a mountain.” ~Tom Hiddleston
6:04 pm
February 21, 2010
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I see that I am a year behind the times on this homemade venture, but I have only just arrived a week ago so forgive me…I had to make some homemade firestarters first!! 
(with an old vanilla candle…mmmmm) But I DID accomplish Suzannes recipe for laundry detergent. I could not believe how cheaply this was made ( I SO hate paying the price of the store stuff) and I did actually find the ingredients in the supermarket in my small town!! wow!! I think the 3 boxes were $11 bucks!! and I barely used any of it! Hope my girls are ok with gel detergent instead of powder when they do their laundry cuz I made 2 gallons!! LOL!
thanks for the recipe! Now to catch up with y'all and make some regular SOAP!!! that seems to be the next thing to be doing, so off we go!!
lovin' the inspiration, keep it coming!
11:14 pm
February 6, 2010
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Okay, so here is my idea of “homemade laundry detergent”: Dawn, or whatever else will sud! I'm very interested in making this homemade concoction….but what in the heck is Fels Naptha soap and where can I get it? Also, Borax: Is this something we can purchase at the store?
Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.~~Kurt Cobain
11:38 pm
December 28, 2008
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Commonly available at the grocery or hardware store.
Anulos qui animum ostendunt omnes gestemus!
6:40 am
August 30, 2008
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I get mine at our Grocery store.. I am sure Walmart carries it all. I buy a couple bars of the Fels Naptha and a box of the borax, washing soda, and I have laundry soap for a year! Awesome!
6:58 am
October 17, 2008
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I found a pic of each ingredient……. depending on which store, all 3 of these can be found in the laundry aisle or sometimes I find the fels naptha in the bath & beauty aisle. But be careful, I've seen big boxes of baking soda, not washing soda, in the laundry aisle at Walmart and this isn't the same thing!
“Learn all you can from the mistakes of others. You won’t have time to make them all yourself.” ― Alfred Sheinwold
7:00 am
October 17, 2008
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stoermmy said:
Hope my girls are ok with gel detergent instead of powder when they do their laundry cuz I made 2 gallons!! LOL!
You can make powdered, too! Just grate the bar really fine, add the washing soda, and borax. Mix together really well. Use 2 Tablespoons per load.
“Learn all you can from the mistakes of others. You won’t have time to make them all yourself.” ― Alfred Sheinwold
7:10 am
Members
February 8, 2009
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I have been making and using only homemade laundry detergent since July 2008 and love it – works great and costs about a dollar a month! And the ingredients – aren't available in every grocery store or Walmart, but they aren't too hard to find once you know what you are looking for. The borax is the easiest to find and it is in most stores. Look for 20 Mule Team Borax. The washing soda is made by Arm & Hammer – and is NOT baking soda. One box of each of these will make a huge amount of laundry soap – a year's worth for some folks! The Fels Naptha soap may be a bit harder to find. You can also use Zote soap, homemade soap, any good cleansing soap except 'complexion' bars such as Dove. I add grated Ivory soap also because I like the scent. I have had good luck finding Zote in Big Lots stores. Zote and Fels Naptha are 'laundry soap' and can be found in the laundry aisle, not the 'bath soap' area. Your local store may start stocking these items if you ask. I have also known of folks who have Mexican groceries near them and can get a good laundry soap bar there – I don't remember the name of the soap though. I make 6 gallons at a time and store the soap in recycled laundry jugs. Also – you can cut costs on laundry softening by buying inexpensive liquid fabric softener, diluting with water, tossing in some sponge pieces. Use a sponge, squeezed partially dry in each dryer load.
Dede
If common sense were truly common, wouldn't there be more evidence of it?
11:09 am
October 17, 2008
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After reading many tips on adding vinegar to help with dinginess when using homemade laundry soap and to help cut grease, I’ve been wondering about adding vinegar right to the laundry soap itself. Anyone have ideas on this?
“Learn all you can from the mistakes of others. You won’t have time to make them all yourself.” ― Alfred Sheinwold
12:01 pm
December 28, 2008
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If it were distilled vinegar, it should be all right. You probably wouldn’t want any organic material in with your laundry soap for long term storage. Still, I don’t think I’d want it mixed in just on general principles. Too many chemicals sitting around without stabilizers.
But then I cannot articulate any real reason not to try it… 
Anulos qui animum ostendunt omnes gestemus!
12:10 pm
October 17, 2008
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It is distilled white vinegar that I’m talking about……….
“Learn all you can from the mistakes of others. You won’t have time to make them all yourself.” ― Alfred Sheinwold
1:45 pm
Members
February 8, 2009
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I have been putting some white vinegar in my laundry soap, Cindy – the last 2 batches. Do not see any difference in the viscosity of the soap etc. Figured it would be another cleaning booster. Cheap enough to add in a bit. Hopefully it makes for cleaner rinsing. I love my laundry soap.
Dede
who has to make a new batch ASAP – down to a quart!
If common sense were truly common, wouldn't there be more evidence of it?
2:01 pm
October 17, 2008
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how much did you add dede………my batch makes 5 gallons…….i was thinking 1/2 gallon white vinegar to that.
“Learn all you can from the mistakes of others. You won’t have time to make them all yourself.” ― Alfred Sheinwold
2:09 pm
Members
February 8, 2009
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LOL I knew you were going to ask 
Mine makes close to 6 gallons and I put in over a quart – maybe not a half gallon, but truthfully Cindy I don’t remember exactly! I had a couple of partially filled gallon jugs left from making pickles and grabbed the least full one and dumped it in so probably quart and a half? 
dede
If common sense were truly common, wouldn't there be more evidence of it?
3:04 pm
October 17, 2008
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and I figured you were going to come back with something like that or you would have told me in the first place
“Learn all you can from the mistakes of others. You won’t have time to make them all yourself.” ― Alfred Sheinwold
3:08 pm
December 28, 2008
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Anulos qui animum ostendunt omnes gestemus!
5:56 pm
Members
February 8, 2009
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uh yup …….
If common sense were truly common, wouldn't there be more evidence of it?
8:53 pm
May 14, 2005
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Hunh. That is interesting about adding vinegar! Does the odor carry on the clothes? My nose squinches up at the thought, LOL. But, on the other hand, if it’s GOOD, I want to do it!
Clover made me do it.
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