January 4

Okay, so maybe this isn’t your normal recipe – but it is a recipe nonetheless.  And, it’s a recipe that me and my best friend have been using for months with great results. 

It all started when I ran out of laundry detergent and I really didn’t wanna get out to go to the store.  (Have I mentioned that I’m just a tad lazy?)  Anyway, I remembered that The Duggars, from 18 Kids and Counting, make thier own detergent so I thought I’d give it a try.  Turns out, it works great and cost about .78 cents a gallon!  Really great when you have 6 people in the house!

There are several versions of this recipe but this one is the easiest.

Liquid Laundry Detergent

2 gal. hot water

1 bar of soap, grated

2 c. baking soda (not washing soda)

This recipe just calls for a bar of soap. We use the same soap that we use in the shower (Ivory).  I’ve read that Fels-Naptha  is great for stain fighting, but we use what we have on hand and have not had any problems.

Grate the soap.  

Put the grated soap in a saucepan, cover with water and cook on low until the soap melts.  Be patient, it takes a while.  I don’t think that I’ve ever gotten every little bit melted completely, but take some time and get most of it melted into the water.

Now add 2 gallons of hot water into large bucket. Add the dissolved, melted soap and stir well.

Add the baking soda and stir again.

Use a half a cup on regular loads and a full cup on heavily soiled loads. That’s it!

I find it’s best to cover and leave overnight before using.  Just know that  after sitting, your soap will be lumpy and gel-like, that’s normal, just stir well before use.

It is nice to have some old washed out liquid laundry containers or leftover milk jugs to store your homemade laundry soap, then you can just shake and pour in to a handy measuring cup.

Trust me, it works!  :)

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