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Low Cost Homemade Laundry Detergent Goes A Long Way

This is a simple old fashioned homemade laundry detergent which will last you a very long time. The cost of this homemade soap is very low compared to commercially purchased laundry detergents on the market. For only about ten dollars of raw ingredients you will have years of laundry detergent using this recipe. One single batch makes about ten gallons of finished product.

 

For families who are living on a budget this recipe will save you a ton on your laundry bill. For families looking for a good old fashioned laundry soap recipe, you have found the right place. For preppers or survivalists this is the perfect laundry soap recipe because a few boxes of raw materials will last you many years. This is the best solution for long term survival in a grid down scenario.

 

Mom shows us how to make a very simple, old fashioned laundry detergent. She has been using her own homemade mixture for a while now and is very pleaseed with the results. Thanks Mom for taking the time to show us how this is done.

 

 

Materials Needed

 

1 bar of Fels Naptha or Castile soap

1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax

1 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda Laundry Booster

2 cups Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda

(Optional) Thieves essential oil mix or other essential oil for scent

About 5 gallons of tap water

 

 

Tools Needed

 

1 five gallon bucket with lid

1 cooking pot

1 wood or stainless steel spoon

1 cheese grater

1 measuring cup

1 long handle stick or broom handle

Stove top or other heat source

 

 

 

 

How To Make Your Homemade Laundry Detergent

 

Take one bar of Fels Naptha or castile soap and grate it up fine with a cheese grater. If using Fels Naptha it will literally look like grated cheddar cheese although I would not recommend adding it to your favorite food recipe.


Once you have the bar of soap grated, put it into a pot and add four cups of warm water.

 


Put the pot on the stove on low heat and stir until fully dissolved. Keep the heat low to avoid bringing the mixture to a boil. You want a gentle heat simply to help you dissolve the soap easier.


You can use a wooden spoon or stainless steel utensil to stir the soap. Do not use the wood spoon for anything else later. Keep it just for soap making after use.


Now fill a five gallon bucket half full with hot tap water.

 

When you have the soap dissolved in the water, on the stove pour this mixture into the five gallon bucket of water that you just prepared.

 

Now add one cup of the Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda Laundry Booster to the bucket.

 

Next add a half cup of 20 Mule Team Borax into the bucket of laundry detergent.

 

Now add two cups of Arm & Hammer baking soda into the mixture.

 

If you are using the Thieves essential oil cleaning mix then you can now add five capfuls at this time. With other essential oils you can add oil to the mixture for a pleasant scent.

 

Stir up the mixture well using a long rod. A cut off broom handle works perfectly for this job. Stir well until all of the powder is dissolved into the liquid.

 

When you have the laundry detergent fully mixed in, add warm water to the top of the bucket.

 

If desired at this time you may also include a whitener but this is not at all necessary. Mom says that her laundry comes out nice and white all the time with this homemade laundry detergent.

 

Now stir the mixture again to mix in the water.

 

Put a lid on the bucket and let it sit overnight. The next day there may be some solids that have formed on the top of the laundry detergent. Simply stir this into the soap and mix well. You will not have to repeat this once it is mixed back in. Mom uses a hand crank egg beater to mix this in easier.

 

 

 

Directions For Use

 

This is a concentrated laungry detergent so you will have to mix it 50/50 with water when you use it. One 5 gallon bucket of this homemade laundry detergent will make ten gallons of final product.

 

To use this old fashioned laundry detergent simply take an empty bottle and mix half and half with tap water. Use about 1/4 cup of the mixed laundry soap for a normal load. For larger loads or for heavily soiled laundry use up to 1/2 cup of mixed detergent in your washing machine.

 

For ease of use you can take an old, empty liquid laundry detergent bottle and fill it with a 50/50 mixture of your homemade laundry detergent and water. Before each use simply shake the bottle well and measure out the desired amount into your washing machine. This is especially convenient for those who use a laundromat and have to take their laundry on the road with them.

 

Watch the full video of Mom making laundry detergent here: Making Old Fashioned Laundry Detergent

 

While you are over there please subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow my daily videos as we strive to become self sufficient and off the grid on a budget.





About the Author

Troy Reid

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