Guest Post: Homemade Laundry Soap

This post is courtesy of Lori at Moms By Heart.

Here's what you need:

2 Cups finely shredded bar soap (about one 4.5 oz bar)
1 Cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
1 Cup 20 Mule Team Borax

Each batch makes 4 cups laundry detergent and costs approx $.95-$1.00 to make. I use 2 tablespoons per load - yielding me 32 loads per batch ($.03 per load). This is for a super capacity washing machine!!! I make about 8-10 batches at a time so I don't need to bother with it very often.

THINGS TO REMEMBER:

- Stock up on bar soap when it's on sale. My favorite is the Walgreens Gentle Bar. This goes on sale occasionally for $.25. It shreds nicely and doesn't have an overpowering scent. I have also used Ivory and Fels Naptha.
- The Washing Soda and Borax are usually found on the top or bottom shelf in the laundry aisle (never at eye level). In my area, Washing Soda is $2.99 for 55 ounces. Borax is $3.59 for 76 ounces. I find both at Wal Mart.

Many of you have contacted me to let me know you've had a hard time finding the ingredients needed. Well here is your reason for joining Alice.com if you haven't already! Each of the three ingredients are available on Alice for a great price - and always with free shipping. Plus when you sign up HERE, you'll get a $10 credit in your account once you've reached $50 in purchases.

Here's how the pricing breaks down (as of 4/10):

20 Mule Team Borax 76-oz $3.50
Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda 55-oz $2.76
8-pk Jergens Mild Bar Soap $2.49 (that's $.31 per bar!)

My 6 year old was put to work today shredding soap! This is the most unpleasant part of the process because it can be a bit messy. It also produces a strong soap smell - don't worry, your clothes won't smell like this. Luckily this detergent lasts so long that I only need to make it every 3-4 months.

Find a plastic container with a tight-closing lid to store your detergent. This one use to hold my household file folders!