Has anyone tried homemade laundry soap?

[JessesGirl23]

I got this recipe from a friend of a friend & was wondering if anyone has tried it? If so, where do you get your Fels Naptha? I just ordered 5 bars off eBay, but with shipping its over $25, there's gotta be a cheaper way.

1 bar FELS NAPTHA
1 1/2 cups super washing soda (arm&hammer)
1 1/2 cups borax (muleteam)
(i foung these at our local hyvee)

grate bar soap, put in pan with 6 cups water
heat unitl dissolved stir occasionally
add 6 cups water stir
add washing soda and borax
heat and stir until dissolved
poar hot mixture into 5 gal. bucket
add hot water and stir
keep adding in hot water and stirring until your 5 gal. bucket is nearly full
if you want to add essential oil, now is the time

I use lavender for tea tree oil for it's antiseptic qualities and lovely smell
I have heard of folks using Bergamont or other citrus oil for the grease cutting qualities, and of course the nice smell

if 5 gal. is too much for you , the recipe is easily adjusted

[1babysmom]

Those are the ingredients I use in mine. I LOVE the stuff...so inexpensive and works great. I found my Fels Naptha at a grocery store in the laundry isle (sometimes stores don't know what kind of soap it is, though, and they put it in the soap isle). It was only a little over $1/bar.

[avendesora]

Hi,

I'm lucky enough to find Fels Naptha at my local super-grocery store, under $2/bar (probably closer to $1, but I forget).

I grate the soap in my food processor. I've also used Ivory Pure bar soap, and it works nearly as well. After I grate the soap, I change the blade to the regular S-blade, and then I process with the soap, washing powder, and borax. That's it for me.

My washer has a powdered-detergent dispenser (it runs hot water over it, even if I've asked for a cold wash), so I don't do all that boiling that's in your recipe.

Aven

[StormySar]

I use the same ingredients but keep it dry in powdered form. Works just fine. Fels naptha in my local store costs just over $1 but you should be able to find fels naptha somewhere other than ebay for much cheaper.

I know of others who make their own soaps that they then grate and use in place of the fels naptha. When I get into soapmaking that will be one of the things i'd like to do.

[krankedyann]

If you go to Dial at www.dialcorp.com you can search by zip code to see if they carry it in your area.

I know you can buy fels naptha on the internet cheaper than what you got on ebay, too.

[eden/averymum]

I know alot of people who use that recipe (myself included) with success

[Julia Rose]

I used this recipe at the height of our post-new-baby brokeness last summer. We're rich enough these days to buy laundry detergent at Costco, though probably when the 3-gallon jug of All I'm using is gone, I'll try this recipe again. When you leave it as a powder, does it work as well? I would think you'd end up using a lot more?

[1babysmom]

Originally Posted by Julia Rose

I used this recipe at the height of our post-new-baby brokeness last summer. We're rich enough these days to buy laundry detergent at Costco, though probably when the 3-gallon jug of All I'm using is gone, I'll try this recipe again. When you leave it as a powder, does it work as well? I would think you'd end up using a lot more?

I've never used the liquid, but I only use about 1 Tbsp/load and it last me a VERY long time (I make batches by each bar of FN...so as much as 1 bar makes at a time).

[krankedyann]

I also use 1 tbs per load and it lasts a long time.

[Julia Rose]

So in other words, you mix the grated Fels Naptha, washing soda and borax together and that's it?

[Leta]

I use the stuff dry, too. I grate my Fels Naptha in the Cuisinart, where it becomes like powder. I also put generic OxyClean and baking soda in mine. And I use my OxyClean scoop as my measure. I use one scoop (1 oz.) per load. I make a 5 gallon pail at a time, and that lasts us a year. It works in the dishwasher, too. We have really good water, and this stuff works great. It has saved us a ton of money.

[1babysmom]

Originally Posted by Julia Rose

So in other words, you mix the grated Fels Naptha, washing soda and borax together and that's it?

Yep! Can't get easier than that, huh?

[krankedyann]

Leta, how much oxyclean do you use? I've been thinking about trying that.

[Leta]

I use two 20 oz. containers of OxyClean per one 4 lb., 12 oz. box of Borax. Does that make sense?

[krankedyann]

Thanks!

[momto l&a]

I have made it a couple of times. Wasn't impressed. But then again I had a hard time finding anything that washed well in that water. Wonderful tasting water, left no deposits but it just didn't wash clothes well with some detergents.

Havent made any since we have moved

[jrpbrown1]

Originally Posted by Leta

It works in the dishwasher, too.

Really? Do tell. :

[krankedyann]

I make my own dishwasher detergent. It's got the same base as the laundry detergent. From my website, cookingTF.com

1 cup borax
1 cup baking soda
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup citric acid
30 drops citrus essential oil--lemon, grapefruit, orange, tangerine, or a mixture

To use, put a tablespoon or so into the wash cup of your dishwasher. I don't put it into the pre-wash cup, since that gets wasted.

[Leta]

Yeah, I use the laundry powder with added lemon Kool Aid (for citric acid). I've never put salt in mine, I'll have to try that. I put white vinegar in as the rinse aid.

[glorified_rice]

Originally Posted by Leta

Yeah, I use the laundry powder with added lemon Kool Aid (for citric acid). I've never put salt in mine, I'll have to try that. I put white vinegar in as the rinse aid.

It's ok to put the grated fels naptha in the dishwasher?