Our Homemade Lives Homemade Detergent

We have been making our own homemade laundry detergent for three and a half years. Michelle received a five gallon bucket filled with all the supplies for her birthday!  It actually turned out to be a gift of saving thousands of dollars over the years.

About once a month we grab the cheese grater and grate a bar of Fels-Naptha laundry soap.  

This morning before all the children arrived at 7:00, Marah and Ivan helped with the final phase.

Grate the Fels-Naptha (this step took place yesterday)

Is he adorable at 6:30 in the morning?!

This is the consistency after sitting overnight

"Go ahead, make my day, punk."

Alright, 6:30 in the morning, we can figure this out.

Got it.

Stirrrrrrrr....

Whirrrrrr....

Ta-Da!!!!

Ingredients:

1 Bar Fels-Naptha soap, grated

1 Cup Arm & Hammer WASHING soda (NOT baking soda)

1/2 Cup Borax

4 Cups hot water

5 Gallon bucket

• Grate the bar of Fels-Naptha, and combine with water in saucepan
• Stir on low-medium heat until soap is fully dissolved (boiling ruins the soap)
• Fill your bucket with hot water until it's about half full and add in all ingredients
• Stir ingredients until well dissolved, and then top off with water.
• Let congeal overnight, and then stir, whir, and whiz with the drill bit until well dissolved

We distribute what is needed to our family until the last drop is used and start again.  It has saved us literally thousands of dollars.  This recipe is to be doubled with water, making ten gallons of laundry detergent.  

Marah uses one cap full (from a regular laundry detergent jug) per load of laundry. Michelle uses three caps full because....well, less is more or more is actually more, right?!