Homemade Laundry Soap

I got the following from a friend I grew up with in California. The rest of this is in her words:

4 cups hot water
1 Fels-Naptha bar of laundry soap $1.09/ bar
1 cup Arm and Hammer washing soda $3.19/ 3 lbs 7 oz box
1/2 cup Borax $3.99/ 4 lbs 12 oz box

Grate Fels-Naptha bar (small grater side). Dissolve in 4 cups hot water over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, till completely dissolved (about 10 min). Fill a 5 gallon bucket 1/2 full with warm/hot tap water. Stir in dissolved soap mixture, 1 cup washing soda and 1/2 cup borax. Stir till completely dissolved. Fill bucket the rest of the way with more warm/hot tap water. Stir. Cover and let sit overnight so it can gel. Next morning, stir, fill an empty Costco liquid soap dispenser carton half way with newly made laundry soap and fill the rest of the way with water. Shake to mix. All done! Save the 5 gallon bucket to refill Costco container about 4 more times with same half and half method.

When you add up the cost, it's about $2 for the 10 gallon mixture - about a 6 month supply for my family of 8. To buy the equivalent Kirkland brand at about $15 a carton, that's $75. Spending about 20 minutes to save yourself like 90% is worth it in my book. So try it. Try it and you may, I say.

I got the recipe from googling "Duggars". They have a show on the discovery channel called "17 kids and counting." It's a documentary style program that shows how they make things work for a family of that size; making their own laundry detergent is one of their staples to financial freedom.


**Update: I realized that this is missing a key note: Once you mix the soap and water, each at 50%, into your Costco container, use 1/2 c. per load of the mixture for regular loads and up to 1 cup for large loads. I use 1/2 cup for all loads with my and my husband's clothes, and 1 cup if I'm washing my kids' clothes. For added stink-remover, put up to 1/2 cup white vinegar in a Downy ball (or add during the rinse cycle). You will not believe how well it works until you try it, and I guarantee no vinegar smell can be detected on the clothes!

Food Storage Sale at Macey's

For those who are interested, Macey's is having a sale on food storage items this week. Most of their items can be purchased cheaper at the Lindon Cannery, but they are selling 16 oz yeast packages at 2 for $5 (a cheap price is $3.50 each, and this is $1 cheaper than that!), and 27 oz. wheat gluten for $5 (I think this is a good price, but I've never bought wheat gluten before).

August's Specials

Freeze-dried sliced peaches: $17.50 (FYI, Walmart is selling freeze-dried diced peaches for $16.52 without tax; however, the peaches are diced instead of sliced, and I've never had that brand so I don't know if it's any good)
# 10 can baking soda: $9.26
# 10 can cornstarch: $7.20
Freeze-dried ice cream sandwiches--approx 16 sandwiches in a #10 can: $21.62

Money is due to me by Sunday, August 30th.

Limited time only! Macey's is selling #10 cans of baking soda for $6.17 and #10 cans of cornstarch for $4.11. Sale goes through August 25th. I am buying a few extra for members of the ward on a first come, first serve basis. Or, you can buy your own at Macey's in Pleasant Grove through August 25th.