Recipe for Your Laundry

Today is supposed to be Tummy Tempting Tuesday, but my recipe isn't for the tummy, it's for your laundry!  I don't know how many of you will identify with me and how many will think I am crazy, but doing the laundry is my favorite household chore!  I love sorting the laundry.  I love smelling the laundry soap and fabric softeners (even the bleach when I wash my whites!).  I love folding the warm soft clothes so neatly and filling up the drawers and closets with fresh clean clothes!  Before I had kiddos, I bought my laundry soap based strictly on how it smelled! :)  After I had kiddos, though, I switched to TIDE because I couldn't find anything else that would remove the spit up (and now the amazing amounts of grease and dirt!) from my kids' clothes.  I've always heard of people making their own laundry soap, but most of them admitted that it did not remove the stains as easily as TIDE did.  

This summer I visited my sister for a few days and tackled my laundry while at her place.  She, being of the Martha Stewart breed, makes her own laundry detergent.  I was curious as to how well it would tackle my family's (definitely NOT of the Martha Stewart breed) dirty laundry!  I was impressed!!!  So impressed that I came home and made my own and have not even been tempted to purchase TIDE since.  It is CHEAP!!!  It is easy!  I have not used my stain booster hardly any since I've begun using this detergent.  My clothes are cleaner and brighter because it seems to tackle our well water better than TIDE did.  Even the inside of my washing machine no longer builds up the ugly brown soap scum line at the top of the washer like it used to!  I've had several people ask me about the recipe, and so I thought I'd share it today.  Hopefully, the directions are clear, but if you have any questions, let me know!  

1 Sels-Naptha Soap Bar
1 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (NOT baking soda)
1/2 cup Borax
(ALL THREE OF THE ABOVE CAN BE FOUND IN THE LAUNDRY DETERGENT AISLE)
5 gallon bucket with a lid
Lots of hot water

Grate the bar of soap into a medium sized pot.  Add 4 cups of hot water. Stir over medium heat until soap dissolves.  Fill a 5 gallon bucket 1/2 full with hot water.  Add the melted bar soap, the soda and the borax.  Stir until dissolved.  Once the soap is dissolved, finish filling the bucket full of hot water.  Let sit overnight.  It will thicken somewhat, and you will need to stir before using each time.  Using an old liquid laundry detergent bottle, mix 1 part soap mixture with 1 part water.  Use 1 cup per load of laundry.  

This gives you 10 GALLONS of laundry soap!!!  If you've been thinking about making the switch to a home made detergent, you definitely should give this a try!  Speaking of laundry, Tuesday is my laundry day, and I do need to go switch my loads around.  Did I mention that now that my kiddos are older, they fold their own laundry as well as the rags and towels while I read the most interesting books out loud to them?  I love doing laundry, but laundry times 7 can be a bit overwhelming!  This has been one of the best tips I have used in helping to manage my house keeping!  Happy Tuesday and Happy Laundry, Everyone!

Wishing you a day full of blessings,

Christy