Laundry Soap

This might be a snore fest for some people, but I love this sort of thing!  Here’s my recipe for homemade laundry soap.  It is cheap and works great!

Combine the following and store in an airtight container to prevent caking {I use a clean coffee can}:

1 bar Fels Naptha soap, grated

1 cup Borax

1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda

1/4 cup Oxi-Clean (optional)

Directions: Use one heaping Tbsp for a small load; use 2 heaping Tbsp for a large or heavily soiled load.  I’ve found that it works best with warm or hot water, not cold.

Natural fabric softener = vinegar.  Just pour a little {approximately 1/4 cup} into the fabric softener dispenser of your washing machine as you would store-bought softener.  The smell totally dissipates once the laundry is dry.

Here’s a slightly different soap recipe that I found and want to try next time.  Obviously it makes quite a bit more, but either recipe can be increased or decreased as long as the ratio of ingredients is the same.

3 bars pink Zote soap, grated

4 pound box Borax

4 pound box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda

4 pound box Arm & Hammer Washing Soda

1 small bucket Oxi-Clean or other oxygen cleaner

Same directions as stated above.

Product Recommendation

If you live in the country with well water like us, or if you have hard water or any other water problems that leave your dishes cloudy for any reason  – I strongly suggest you use this product in your dishwasher.

It is called LemiShine and works like a charm.  I was introduced to this product by my hero – The Pioneer Woman.  You can buy it at Wal-Mart or other grocery stores.  And you use it along with your regular dishwasher detergent.  I only use it about once a month, but it is safe to use every washing cycle if you need to.  Just read and follow the directions on the bottle or website and you will have success. 

I believe the directions say to put the LemiShine in the main detergent compartment and put your regular dishwashing powder in the pre-wash compartment.  But, because I use dishwasher tablets (Cascade?), I have recently started using the LemiShine in the pre-wash compartment and the tablet in the main section and that works fine too.

Seriously – go buy it!  Your life will be changed forever!