Homemade Laundry Soap

Last night we made laundry soap for the first time. We got 5 gallons out of the batch for about $9.00. That cost included the bucket! I think we will be set on laundry soap for the next 3 years. I love using it so far. It's got a funny texture, but it smells good and seems to work well. I have a hard time with laundry soap scents, but this one works for me. It has a very fresh, clean scent. I put a little fabric softener in each load and now I can't stop smelling my laundry :)

Here is the recipe. We tripled it and got 5 gallons.

Homemade Laundry Soap:
1/3 bar Fels Naptha or other type of soap
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.

**A few things to note about the soap**

~The finished soap will not be a solid gel. It will be more of a watery gel that has been accurately 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.