the Amishway Homesteaders

make your own laundry detergent

This recipe will make 2 gallons of liquid detergent for about 75 cents, maybe even less. That's 75 cents for the TOTAL 2 gallons! It doesn't take that much time and it's kind of fun to make. Oh, plan ahead and have something to store it in, like an empty liquid laundry detergent bottle. Or store the bulk of the mixture in a sealed container and the rest in something pretty like a glass jar or jug.
You'll need:
1/3 bar Fels Naptha Laundry Soap
1/2 cup Arm and Hammer super washing soda
1/2 cup Borax

]Grate the Fels Naptha Soap. Put in a pan with 3 pints of water. Heat until dissolved. Stir in 1/2 cup washing soda and 1/2 cup Borax. Mix and heat until all ingredients are dissolved. Continue cooking for 15 minutes. It will be the consistency of honey. Remove from heat.
In a large bucket (3 or 5 gallon), put 1 quart of hot water, then add the soap. Mix well. Add 5 1/2 quarts cold water (or enough to make 2 gallons total mixture). Mix until well blended. Set aside for 24 hours. The mixture will eventually gel.
]Use 1/2 cup for each load. \
N o t e s
]Sometimes the detergent doesn’t really gel up or even reach honey consistency as described. Don’t fret, dearies. It will still work.
]The gel tends to separate in a couple of days. Just give it a stir each time you use it. You can keep it in a detergent bottle like liquid detergent comes in

and give it a shake each time you use it.
]This detergent will not suds up in the washer, but it is still getting your clothes clean.

They say that store-bought detergent has ingredients put in it especially

 to make it suds so you will think it is cleaning.
]The Fels Naptha Soap does have fragrance added so the laundry soap

is not fragrance-free.
]If you'd like you can add essential oils to customize the scent to suit you.
]  Cost per load: 1 shiny penny.   \