Laundry Detergent - The Simple Living Way

Hello, Simple Livers!

I mentioned to several people over the last few days that I make my own laundry detergent. It is so easy, and believe me, it would have to be for me to do it! So with great Simple Living style, here it is. If you have any questions, please post them below. I'm sure if you have questions, other people will to and you can help them out.

I got this recipe from my new friend Michelle. I met Michelle while writing a piece for Focus on the Family on Getting Back to the Basics. If you would like to read how Michelle and her family live the simple life with Christ, click here.

What you'll need:

Large pot and spoon - designate one pot big enough to hold 4 quarts of water and one spoon to solely use for laundry detergent making. I use a big wooden spoon. It feels more rustic that way. :oP

2-3 gallon milk or water jugs (or any containers you like to put the soap in)

1 Funnel

4 quarts of water - any ol' water will do
Ivory or Fels Naptha bar soap - I always use Ivory since I never can find Fels Naptha in my super market. If you want to purchase Fels Naptha, visit a great site called SoapsGoneBuy.com to purchase any soap you can imagine!
1/4 cup 20 Mule Team Borax - I find this in the laundry aisle.
1/4 cup Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda - In my market, it is right next to the 20 Mule Team Borax. God made it easy for me. LOL Make sure you use the WASHING soda and not BAKING soda. I am not responsible for results with use of baking soda. :oP

Alrighty...

Pour 4 quarts of water in your pot on medium heat. With a grater, shave one-half to three-forths of the bar soap into the pot. Stir as you desire and allow the soap to completely dissolve before the next step. Believe me, if you have any chunks of soap, they will never, ever, ever dissolve. At least they don't for me. I know. . .it's a conspiracy. It will not take long at all for the soap to dissolve.

When your soap is sufficiently dissolved, slowly pour in 1/4 cup of 20 Mule Team Borax and 1/4 cup Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda. One time, I poured this in when the pot was at a raging boil. It overflowed and I had a yucky, gelatinous mess throughout my stove top to clean up when it cooled. So, please be advised. At least your stove will be really clean afterwards:o)

At this point, I stir and let it all dissolve together. The mixture will not be thick so don't expect laundry detergent consistently yet. Let the detergent cool until you feel comfortable pouring it into the gallons jugs. A funnel is a life-saver for this. PLEASE USE ONE. :o)

Fill each gallon jug 1/4 to 2/3 with the detergent mixture, then fill the rest of the way with water, put the lid on (very important!) and shake, shake, shake. I played around with consistency for a while and now I know I like the consistency when I split the soap between two jugs and add water. If the soap is too thick for you, add more water. Please note, the solution will separate when cooled so whenever I am in the laundry room I give it a good shake to keep it all together.

I use about 1/2 cup of detergent with each load. I love this detergent. I tend to have sensitive skin and haven't had a problem at all when using it. I hope you enjoy it!

Live simply God's way!

DMM :o)