Leslie's Little Smittles

So I've had people asking for my recipe for my laundry detergent. I stole it from the Duggars. It's very simple, but a little more time consuming than I thought it would be. Mostly because I had to use a fork to grate the soap because we didn't have anything else to use.

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- Front or top load machine- best value

• 4 Cups hot tap water
• 1 Fels-Naptha soap bar(We sub Ivory for the soap. Just make sure it isn't scented)
• 1 Cup Washing Soda
• ½ Cup Borax

- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted. Make sure all the soap is melted completely. You also need to make sure it doesn't start to boil. Just stay with it stirring until all the soap is melted.
-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.
-The next morning the soap will be thick and gel-like. Stir out all clumps. Fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with the soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)
-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.
-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.
-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

TIP: You can use Ivory, Sunlight, Kirk's Hardwater Castile or Zote bars. Don't use heavily perfumed soaps. Washing Soda and Borax can normally be found on the laundry or cleaning aisle. Recipe cost approx. $2.

This is the one that we use. We just leave the 5 gal. bucket out in the garage and use it to fill the containers as needed. You don't have to make it all up at once.

Here is the powder version. I'm not sure that anyone would want this one, but if powder is your thing, here you go!

Powdered Laundry Detergent- Top load machine

• 1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
• 1 Cup Washing Soda
• ½ Cup Borax
  

-Grate soap or break into pieces and process in a food processor until powdered. Mix all ingredients. For light load, use 1 Tablespoon. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 Tablespoons. Yields: 3 Cups detergent. (Approx. 40 loads)

I'm also including these. We use the first one.


Inexpensive Fabric Softener Recipes

Recipe #1

1 Cup White VinegarAdd vinegar to rinse cycle. Works great. Removes residue and odors. Also helps to keep washing machine and hoses fresh and clean too.

Recipe #2
1 Container of Name Brand Fabric Softener4 Inexpensive sponges, cut in half
Pour entire container of softener into a 5 gallon bucket. Fill empty softener container with water twice. (2 parts water to 1 part softener) Add sponges to softener/water mixture. When ready to use wring out extra mixture from one sponge and add to the dryer as you would a dryer sheet.

If you have any questions let me know! Enjoy saving money!!