Homemade Laundry Soap

Ingredients:

   1 cup Super Washing Soda (Arm & Hammer brand but NOT Baking Soda)

   1 cup Borax

   ¾ cup Purex Crystals (they make your clothes smell better, but are optional)

   1 bar Ivory soap (Zote or Fels-Naptha are used by some)

The first 3 ingredients are found on the laundry detergent aisle of your local grocery store or department store. The Ivory soap is found in the personal hygiene section of your store next to all the other bar soaps. 

Directions:

  I use the small side of my cheese grater and grate the Ivory soap into a large bowl. I then measure out 1 cup of Borax and 1 cup of Super Washing Soda and add to the bowl. I then add the ¾ cup Purex Crystals to the bowl and stir thoroughly for about 5-7 minutes. I put it all in a plastic container (We have a smaller version of a Rubbermaid-type cereal container that we use along with a dollar-store 1 Tablespoon measuring spoon)

Method:

  The original recipe I was given calls for 1 Tablespoon per load. We have always done 2 Tablespoons per load (we have a little boy that always has very dirty clothing so this works best for our family).

NOTES:

 

  *This recipe is a “low-suds” recipe so it is safe to use in top-loading, front-loading, and High-Efficiency (HE) washing machines.

  *We have a top-loading washing machine that requires that the soap (whether it be liquid or powder) be placed in the washing machine before the clothes are put in, I would read the recommended washing instructions for your particular washing machine.

 ***I do not take credit for inventing/coming up with this recipe. I did get it from my sister, who got it from her friend, who probably got it from someone else, too. I did tweak it a bit to fit the laundering needs of our family.