Laundry Detergent 101

Early in the summer, I paid about $30 for a big box of Tide at Costco. And it really wasn't even that big. As I put it in my shopping cart, I was thinking, there must be a better way.

So yesterday I made the laundry detergent! Here are the ingredients:

Everything was easy to find and very inexpensive (grocery store & Target) except for the Fels-Naptha. After going to various stores and not finding it, I discovered an online soap store that sold it, along with other old-school soaps. Shipping was the same price for 1 bar or for 7, and they were on sale for $.99, but I thought buying 7 bars would be frugal overkill. So instead, I bought 3, and 4 other bars (castile, and something called Lifebuoy).

First, grate the Fels-Naptha.

Secondly, I demoted a wooden spoon that has, until now, been completely useless because it's flat. I stirred the soap in some hot water over medium heat until it was completely melted.

Then I put the Borax and the washing soda into a 5-gallon bucket, courtesy of Nate. When I asked him for a bucket, he asked what I needed it for. "To make detergent!" A couple days later one appeared in the kitchen. Nate has long accepted the fact that I was born in the wrong decade and doesn't ask too many questions.

Once the Fels-Naptha is melted, pour that into the bucket. Mix it well until the powders have dissolved.

Add hot tap water to fill the bucket. Stir, cover tightly, and let sit overnight.

This is actually a detergent concentrate. You add equal parts detergent concentrate and water into a smaller container, and that is your final detergent. So technically, this recipe makes TEN GALLONS of detergent. For about $5. Plus the cost of a bucket, if you don't already have one (and a new grater!). Isn't that crazy? It's crazy.

Nate's cousin's wife, Carmen, uses this recipe and told me that it took blood out of a pair of white pants. That sold me on it!

This recipe is from the Duggar Family. You know, the family with 19 kids? It takes them 2 to 3 months to go through this recipe. I figure that we're set for at least a year. I'll let you know when we run out!

Thrify Laundry Detergent

1 Fels-Naptha bar, grated

1 C washing soda (NOT baking soda. Can you imagine?!)

1/2 C Borax

Grate the soap bar and put in a small saucepan, just covering soap with hot water. Cook on meduim heat until soap is dissolved. Your kitchen will smell very clean.

Put washing soda and Borax in a clean 5-gallon bucket. Add melted soap mixture. Stir until powders are completely dissolved. Add hot tap water nearly to top of bucket. Stir, cover tightly, and let sit overnight. The next morning, stir the mixture. Mix equal amounts of detergent concentrate and water in a smaller laundry-soap container. Shake before using.

For top-loading machines, use 5/8 C per load, for front-loaders, use 1/3 C.