So if you you've been with me a while you've seen the recipe I posted for homemade laundry soap... Well this is the same recipe (sort of) but this time I'm including a little picture tutorial.
Here's the recipe:
1/4 bar of Felps soap
1 bar of Ivory soap (I didn't use this last time)
2 cups of baking soda
2 gallons of hot water (not boiling)
What you'll need:
Cheese grater
Medium size pot
5 gallon bucket (or a container that could easily hold two gallons)
Something to stir with (I used a paint stick)
Last time I just used a full bar of Felps soap... This time I wanted to try a bit of Ivory since it works well at getting out stains simply by itself... however a bar of Ivory soap isn't as large as a bar of Felps so I used a 1/4 bar of Felps to make up the difference.
Last time I also wasn't quite prepared... So we scoured the house looking for something that would hold two gallons and we ended up using a small trash can... This time I went to Home Depot and grabbed myself a 5 gallon bucket for I think around $5. This was MUCH easier... Oh and I grabbed a handful of paint sticks on my way out. (FYI they have about a zillion uses so I always grab some when I'm there!)
First... We grate the soap... I got tired out after a bit so hubby helped me out.
Then you put the grated soap into a pot and fill with water just enough to cover the soap.
While the soap is melting over medium heat (stirring occasionally) I filled the 5 gallon bucket with two gallons of hot tap water. By this time soap is melted and I add it to the bucket with the water. Then finally I add the baking soda and stir.
You should end up with a bucket full of liquidy goop.
I then used a funnel and filled two empty gallon jugs with my new laundry soap. Remember to label those containers!!! Oh and pour slowly and keep an eye out for overflowing bubbles!! I did a little at a time to let the bubbles settle.
So there you have it! Easy peasy! A little goes a long way and keep in mind this will not give you suds... But that doesn't mean it's not doing its job! I add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup depending on the size of the load.
This batch seems to be working out just fine... However, for some reason that I cannot pinpoint yet... I think I liked it better when I used the full bar of Felps with no Ivory. If you haven't heard of Felps it can be found in the laundry aisle at Walmart.
Oh and have I mentioned that I throw in about a 1/2 cup of vinegar to the load as well as a fabric softener and static reducer? It works wonders!!
