A Penny for Laundry?

Okay...yeah, I have do this domestic stuff to save money...don't tell anyone and blow my image...LOL!!

Seriously, we all need to save money these days....so I'm going to share some laundry soap recipes with you.

 

Okay here's the scoop:

The Soap:  The most typical type of soap to use is Fels Naptha.  It is an old-fashioned type of soap sometimes found in the laundry aisle. But I never had any luck finding it locally in GA, I had to order it online.

You can use any bar soap, but if you use something other than Fels-Naptha, use the whole bar.

 

Washing Soda: This is not to be confused with baking soda.  They are not the same thing.  Washing soda is sodium carbonate or soda ash (baking soda is sodium bicarbonate).  It is a white powder.  Its purpose is to help remove dirt and orders.   The brand to look for is Arm & Hammer Washing Soda.  I used to get it at Wal-Mart and Ingles stores.

 

Borax: Borax is a naturally occurring mineral: Sodium Borate.  It is a white powder.  It’s purpose is as a laundry whitener and deodorizer. The brand to look for is 20 Mule Team. 

Yep! Good old 20 Mule Team borax...you horse folks probably have some already - great for soaking cootie hooves. 

It comes in a 76 oz. box.  You should be able to locate this in the laundry detergent aisle at Wal-Mart, Ingles, or pretty much any such store.

1/3 bar Fels Naptha or other type of soap, as listed above

½ cup washing soda

½ cup borax powder 

~You will also need a small bucket, about 2 gallon size~

Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan.  Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts.  Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved.  Remove from heat.  Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket.   Now add your soap mixture and stir.  Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir.  Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel.  You use ½ cup per load. 

You can also add your favorite essential oils to scent it (½ to 1 oz), or if you use the whole bar approach with scented soaps, like homemade/essential oil infused soaps...that will do it. 

~The finished soap will not be a solid gel.  It will be more of a watery gel 

that has been described as an "egg noodle soup" look.

~The soap is a low sudsing soap.  So if you don’t see suds, that is ok.  

Suds are not what does the cleaning, it is the ingredients in the soap.

The above recipe of laundry soap was around 71 cents at the price I bought my ingredients.   With this 2 gallon size recipe you will have enough to do 64 loads of laundry. When I was doing it, the cost was around 1 cent per load of laundry. Can't beat that!

 ~

Just so you know, I didn't invent this, there are loads of sites that offer recipes, and much of this info was pulled from one I used before...I actually did this when I was still back in Georgia. I stashed the ingredients in anticipation of being broke when I came here...and I'm glad I did!  I actually got the idea from watching the show "18 Kids and Counting" on TLC. They seriously have to do things like this to save money! But we all can too....

For a powdered version:

Ingredients:

• 2/3 bar Fels Naptha Laundry Soap (equivalent of 1 cup grated)
• ½ Cup 20 Mule Team Borax
• ½ Cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda.
• Container large enough to hold 2 cups of laundry detergent

Directions:

1. Grate the Fels Naptha laundry soap with a grater or use a food processor. Approximately 2/3 of a bar of soap will make 1 cup of grated soap.
2. Add the ½ cup of Borax and ½ cup of washing soda to the grated soap.
3. Shake and/or mix well

Use: One tablespoon of detergent is sufficient per load of wash. If you have a high-efficiency machine, you might want to experiment with using a little less detergent for normal loads. If your clothes come out feeling stiff, lower the amount of detergent. For clothes that are heavily soiled, add a teaspoon more of the detergent..

Yield: The recipe yields 2 cups of laundry detergent. If you use 1 tablespoon per load, you will be able to wash 32 loads of clothes.

Cost (approximate):

• 20 Mule Team Borax: $2.50 for 70 oz. - Cost per batch: .14 (4 oz needed for recipe)
• Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda: $2.50 for 55 oz. Cost per batch .18.(4 oz needed for recipe)
• Fels Naphtha: $1.24 per bar. Cost per batch: .83 (2/3 bar of soap needed for recipe) *

Total cost to make: $1.15 Yields 2 cups which translates to 3.5 cents per load.

Although it is more expensive than the liquid homemade laundry detergent, it is still cheaper than buying from the store. You may have personal preferences for using one over the other. With the liquid recipe, you will have to store gallons of laundry detergent. This is not a problem unless you live in a small apartment, where storage space is limited.. The powder on the other hand is neat, compact and takes up less space.

NOTE: If you use a food processor to grind up the Fels-Naptha (which will make it mix better with the powders, be warned...the fresher it is, the more pliable it is (more so than many soaps) and it won't grind!. You have to grate it, then freeze it (or let it sit out to dry out), then grind it, or it will just gum up your processor.

Have fun!

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Oh, there are specialty uses for Fels-Naptha....just so you know:

Poison Ivy Prevention: Fels Naptha Soap has been used for over 100 years for the treatment and prevention of poison ivy, sumac and oak rash.  My family has personally used it for over 10 years.  If you think you have been exposed to poison ivy, oak or sumac, shower immediaetly with Fels Naptha to remove the resin from your skin.  This will greatly reduce and in most cases, prevent any skin reaction to the poison ivy oil.  Make sure to launder your clothes in some shaved or grated fels naptha (about 1/16th of the bar) to remove the resin from your clothes.  Poison Ivy resin can stay on your clothes for over 1 year even if the clothes have been washed with normal detergent. 

Poison Ivy Treatment:  If you are exposed to poison ivy and you have a reaction, simply shower with Fels Naptha to remove any resin left on the skin and it will help to dry up the rash as well.

To clean your shower, rub a non-abrasive scouring sponge with a wet bar of Fels Naptha and start cleaning. It will take a little hard work the first time you use it but it will be a breeze after that.

Washing with Fels Naptha can greatly reduce the itching and discomfort from bug bites. Though it is NOT a hand soap, it can cut even the grimiest of messes. Wash hands with Fels Naptha to remove ink, grease, or a variety of other nasty stains. Again, remember that this can be a skin irritant and should be used carefully and only after reading the warning label on the soap.

To clean paint brushes, simply drag the wet brush through a lathered bar of Fels Naptha and work in. Rinse well with warm water. The brushes stay soft and supple using this method.

 

Spring and Fall Lawn Tonic

*1 cup of fels soap solution 1 flat beer, 4 ounces of liquid dish soap, household ammonia and a 20 gallon hose-end sprayer. (*Fels soap solution is made by shaving 1/2 bar of Fels Naptha Soap into a quart of very hot water to dissolve. Add 4 ounces of liquid dish soap as an emulsifier. You can store the solution until needed. Shake well before use.) Mix the 1 cup Fels solution, 1 can of beer in the sprayer. Fill the remainder of sprayer with ammonia. For spring and fall garden spraying, add 2 oz of molasses.

 

Spray aphids with 3 tablespoons grated Fels Naptha Soap dissolved in 1 gallon of hot water. Mix well and let cool. Spray as needed.

Insect Control: Prepare Fels Naptha Solution first. (Solution - shave 1 inch of Fels Naptha bar in a nylon stocking and place it into a gallon of boiling water along with 4 oz. liquid dish soap(Ivory). Store as needed and shake well before use. It will have a gel-like consistency.) Mix 1 cup of Fels Naptha Solution with 1 cup antiseptic mouthwash (mint flavored if nematodes are a problem) and 1 cup chewing tobacco juice. Spray with a 20-gal hose-end sprayer with a golf ball in it to keep mixture mixed. Follow-up with an application of Dursban or Diazinon, if needed.

For Black-spot fungus on roses: Make the Fels Naptha Solution by shaving 1 inch of Fels Naptha bar into a nylon stocking and placing it into a gallon of boiling water along with 4 ounce of liquid dish soap (Ivory). This will keep nicely and you can use it as needed. It will have a gel-like consistency so mix well before using. For the black-spot fungus, mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon of Fels naptha solution and 1 gallon of water. Spray as needed.

IMPORTANT***** In recent years soap manufacturers have added degreasers and antibacterial ingredients to their products. These are VERY harmful to your plants and most likely will burn or kill them. When a home gardening technique calls for liquid dish soap be very careful that you use only Ivory or Fels Naptha Solution. You can also use the original liquid lemon type detergent which has no additives, just be careful that it does not contain a degreaser or is antibacterial.

Fels Naptha Soap is a fantastic stain remover and pre-treater. It works especially well on oil-based stains. Just rub the stain with a wet bar of Fels Naptha Soap. Let it sit for a while and launder as usual. It works great on baby clothes which have formula stains.

* For chocolate smudge on clothes, rub the stain with Fels Naptha Soap and let sit in your filled washer with 20 Mule Team Borax for 30 minutes. Launder as usual.

* Thoroughly wash all clothing including hats, gloves coats in Fels Naptha Soap to prevent an outbreak of poison ivy. Poison Ivy resin can remain on your clothes for over 1 year. Washing with Fels Naptha will eliminate the resin from your clothing.

* To remove Halloween makeup from clothing, simply work a little Fels Naptha into the stain and launder as usual. It may take a repeat washing to completely remove the stain.

* To clean white canvas tennis shoes, simply work the Fels Naptha Soap into a lather and use a soft brush to work into the canvas. Launder as usual without chlorine bleach.

* To remove old stains on colored clothes, make a solution of 2 cups warm water and 1/2 cup white vinegar. Pour on stain. Let soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Rinse well and work in Fels Naptha Soap. Launder as usual.