Tags

, ,

I’ve been wanting to try making some of my own cleaners for quite a while now, but I’ve had so much stockpiled from my couponing days that there was no point until I used it all up.
And for the first time in more than two years I ran out of laundry soap.
It was kind of a sad day, really.
I mean, who wouldn’t love to have laundry soap stockpiled for years at a time?

On the flip side, I finally got to make my own!
It was easy.
And much more cost effective than purchasing more detergent.
In fact, it has me excited to attempt more homemade cleaners, so be on the lookout for some future projects.

All-Natural DIY Laundry Soap
(recipe found here)

 

What you’ll need:


Zote bar soap
Arm & Hammer washing soda
Borax
5-gallon bucket

I was able to purchase all of these items at WalMart (in the laundry detergent aisle).

First, cut off 1/3 of the Zote soap bar.

Then grate it up (1/3 bar).
I used my cheese grater.
Hey, at least I know it’s clean!

Pour grated soap into large pot and add 6 cups of water.
Stir over medium heat until soap is completely melted.

After Zote is fully melted, add in 1/2 cup each of Borax and Washing Soda.

Stir together until completely dissolved, then remove from heat.
Pour 4 cups of hot water into 5-gallon bucket, then add the soap mixture.

Stir together, then add another gallon + 6 cups water.
(Also at this point you could add some essential oil drops if you want a certain smell, but I decided not to for this batch, so it’s completely optional.)

Mix well, then cover and wait 24 hour before using.
I found it really difficult to open the lid to the bucket so I have a smaller container I keep filled up by the washer.
Plus, it’s much cuter.
Which is important, right?

Use 1/2 cup per load (more for heavily soiled clothing).
The total cost was under $8 and one batch cleans between 60-75 loads.
There is enough Zote to make two more batches (one bar is $0.99) and there’s a LOT of Borax and Washing Soda left over, so this was definitely a much more frugal way to clean our clothing.
Next up, homemade dishwasher detergent! :)

Parties I link to: Craft-O-Maniac, Lines Across My Face, Sew Can Do, Talking Dollars and Cents, Sew Chatty, C.R.A.F.T., Mad in Crafts, Making the World Cuter, Skip to My Lou, Creating My Way to Success, Sumo’s Sweet Stuff, Joy of Desserts, Moms Crazy Cooking, The Girl Creative, The Southern Institute, Sew Happy Geek, Chef In Training, Confessions of a Stay at Home Mom, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Sweet Little Gals, Vintage Wanna Bee, Sugar Bee Crafts, Nothing But Country, Funky Polkadot Giraffe, The Kurtz Corner, Todays Creative Blog, Tip Junkie, Reasons to Skip the Housework , Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Mandy’s Recipe Box, Running with Glitter, Rook No. 17, the Sasse Life, the Stuff of Success, Trendy Treehouse, My Girlish Whims, Handy Man, Crafty Woman, Sew Woodsy, This Chick Cooks, Sew Much Ado, Sweet Peas and Bumblebees, Polka Dots on Parade, Night Owl Crafting, Ginger Snap Crafts, Southern Lovely, Seven-thirty-three, House of Hepworths, Katie’s Nesting Spot, The Crafty Blog Stalker, Momnivores Delimma, Somewhat Simple, Something Swanky, Luxe Boulevard, Frugalicious Me, A Glimpse Inside, Crafty Scrappy Happy, Fireflies and Jellybeans, With a Shot of Brandy, 5 Minutes Just for Me, Delicate Construction, Simply Sweet Home, Tidy Mom, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Fun to Craft, Creation Corner, Kojo Designs, Simply Designing, Thirty Handmade Days, Sassy Sites, Tatertots and Jello, Bacon Time, Flamingo Toes, Homemaker on a Dime, Six Sisters Stuff, Sweet as Sugar Cookies, The Sweet Details, Candace Creations, Cooking at Cafe D, Passionately Artistic, Naptime Creations, Crazy for Crust, Frugally Sustainable, A Little Nosh, Lolly Jane Boutique