Cast of Characters:
Borox, Washing Soda, Octagon Soap, Essential Oil (lavender)
*Update #1: You can make your own washing soda by baking your baking soda in a 250degree oven for 1 hour.
*Update #2: Since originally writing this post, I have switched to plain old Ivory soap. It's cheaper and I'm happier with the results.
I had a Whittling Chip card carrying Cub Scout shave the bar of soap for me. I've seen the recipe done with ZOTE, FelsNaptha, and Kirk's Castile soaps. I could find none of those. I did find Octagon at Food Lion. It smells nice (sort of lemon grassy).
We dumped our shavings into a 5 gallon bucket and poured a large pot of boiling water over top and stirred until the soap was completely melted.
Then we mixed in 2 cups of washing soda and 2 cups of borox and stirred. It got nice and fizzy.
The boys poured another pot of cold water into the bucket.
My stirrer.
While it was cooling I added about 15 drops of the essential oil. I might have been just a tad more generous than that...I'm married to a smells man.
Then we filled the bucket the rest of the way to the top with cold water.
Then end result is about 5 gallons of really nice smelling laundry soap.
Expense Report:
$3.36 Borox (whitener and deoderizer)
$2.16 Washing Soda (dirt remover and deoderizer)
$.90 Octagon Soap (stain remover)
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$6.42 Total to get started. I have enough Borox and washing soda to make 4 more 5 gallon batches. It comes to about 2 cents per load, if I only use 1 cup.
The essential oil, I already had. I *think* I spent about $5.00 on it, give or take, and used so little of it.
I have washed and dried our first load and it passed Leon's smell test. I would have added more lavender if it didn't.
I'm so glad you tried this. I got all the 'ingredients'! On your picture there's 'baking soda'. I have 'washing soda'. Does it matter which one?
ReplyDeleteI'm not really sure. I got this box on the laundry isle and it says sodium carbonate. Actual baking powder is sodium bicarbonate. Washing soda is what you need. I *think* I have the right stuff.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Yes, I checked my Washing Soda and it says contains sodium carbonate---do not swallow! :-) So for sure you used the right stuff. Only the box was confusing!
ReplyDeleteLOL! I went and read the label again. Apparently I didn't read it closely enough in the store. This is what Wal*Mart had in the washing isle. I wasn't sure so I picked it up. It is sodium bicarbonate (baking soda like it says). Oh well, it seems to clean nicely just the same. :P
ReplyDeleteGood to know! So both would work I guess! LOL Thanks for posting! You inspired me!
ReplyDeleteI am laughing so hard. I made laundry detergent weeks ago and took pics with the idea that I might have to blog it so my sister could see how to do it.
ReplyDeleteI don't have pics of cute kids in my laundry-detergent-making pictures though.
And you even did the cost breakdown --- cool.
Tina
Update:
ReplyDeleteYou can make your own washing soda by baking your baking soda at 250deg for 1 hour.