Homemade Laundry Detergent - that WORKS!

For years I have wanted to make my own laundry detergent but never bit the bullet... until now! What got my attention with this detergent "recipe" was the simplicity of it and that it made a concentrated detergent. And after seeing that a ranching momma friend used it one her family of four boys' clothes, I figured it would get our occasional dirt out too!

I had saved up about six empty laundry detergent bottles over the past year, so that when I finally made liquid detergent I would have something to store it all in. Now those can be recycled! All you need to store this Whipped Laundry Detergent in is two quart sized mason jars! Easy peasy!

Thanks to Budget101.com for this AWESOME homemade detergent called "Mom's Super Laundry Sauce". The original recipe has great pictures and information for you to follow, there is even a "no cook" version of this recipe available. Even so, I would like to add a bit more info from my own experiences in making and using this Whipped Laundry Detergent.

From My Experience:

•  For our family of five, I do about 4-6 loads of laundry every week. One batch of this detergent makes two, full quarts and that lasted me exactly two months. At times, I used a bit more than just a tablespoon per load, especially if it was a fuller load. The clothes always came out clean and fresh, without a "soapy" scent at all!

• Even though this recipe calls for dry ingredients, they cook and are incorporated together and when used in my washing machine, this detergent doesn't leave any white residue on our clothes (like powdered laundry detergent tends to do). This is especially important when it comes to my husband's navy blue uniforms. 

• The smell of the ingredients cooking on the stove, especially the Fels Naptha bar, is very overwhelming to me and at times gives me a headache. Proper ventilation while making this recipe (even an open window and fan on during the winter) is important!

Ingredients:

1 bar Fels Naptha (grated)
1cup 20 Mule Team Borax
1 cup Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda (NOT BAKING SODA!)
4 cups of hot water

Quick Note: Follow the directions carefully, adding the ingredients at the wrong time will result in a grainy textured detergent that will not dissolve well in the washer.

Directions:

Step 1: Put 4 cups of water in a large heavy saucepan over high heat. While that is heating, mix the borax and washing soda together in a bowl, mixing well, set aside.

Step 2: Grate the Fels Naptha- I have found that using a cheese grater and a little elbow grease gets the job done quickly and efficiently. Another way is to grate it is to cut it into several smaller chunks and then run it through a food processor.

Step 3: Add the freshly grated soap to the boiling water in the saucepan, stirring constantly (I use a whisk and stir it around slowly, so as not to make many bubbles). Reduce the heat to medium, It will take approximately 10 to 15 minutes for the Fels Naptha to complete dissolve. If it takes longer, your heat wasn't up high enough. DO NOT let this boil over, or you'll have a big mess!

It should be a rolling, simmering boil where you must stir constantly but it does not foam heavily. The photo below shows how much "foam" you should see.

Step 4: Once the Fels Naptha has completely melted, remove the pan from the heat and add in the Borax and the Washing Soda, stirring constantly until the powders are completely dissolved. This will take about 3-5 minutes. Do not under-stir or your soap texture will be very grainy rather than smooth. (You can fee the "graininess" on the bottom of the pan - once you can't feel it, it's incorporated fully!)

Step 5: Pour the liquid equally into (2) 1 quart Mason jars. (my jars were both a little over half full with the mixture)

Step 6: Add just enough water to bring the contents up to the “shoulders” or Rounded part of the jar, leaving approximately 1 ½ inches of head space.

Step 7: Put the lid on the jars and turn them UPSIDE DOWN and let them sit a few hours (about 4 hours - any longer will make the mixture more grainy). The reason for this is that the soap is going to separate into layers while it's resting and instead of scraping the bottom of the jar with a spoon, when you are ready to mix it, just taking the lid off and pouring it into a bowl will make it easier to incorporate!

Step 8: Using a hand mixer (or see original website post for directions on how to use your blender to mix it), whip the ingredients one jar at a time until fluffy and well blended. Transfer the ingredients back into the jar, cover and store until needed.

Chunky and watery before mixing

Smooth and creamy after mixing!

Ready to ladle back into the quart jar.

The jar on the left is how the detergent looks after sitting upside down for four hours, before mixing it in a bowl. The jar on the right is the finished product!

Whipped and ready to use!

Step 9: To use, add 1 tablespoon to a load of laundry in any type of machine. Add the detergent directly on the dirty clothes. The detergent is smooth and creamy and looks a lot like Mayonnaise. Be sure to label the jar to prevent anyone trying to taste it!

 So easy and quick to use!

To use: fill the machine with dirty clothes, start the water (any temperature you prefer), use a spoon to measure a tablespoon of whipped detergent, hold it under the running water to let it fall into the wash, close the lid and let the machine do all the work!

And if you aren't sold on giving this a try yet, check out this cost breakdown from Budget101:

Fels Naptha:  .99 bar
Borax:  76 oz box = 9.5 cups     $3.29 box = .34 c per cup
Washing Soda:  55 oz box = 6.875 cups     $2.97 box = .43 per cup

Total Expense for 128 loads of Laundry = $1.76

I hope that you are encouraged to try this laundry detergent recipe and reap the benefits of clean clothes AND saving money!


Have a blessed day,

PS. Wondering what to do with that left over Borax? Use a teaspoon or two and make some FLUBBER! One of our favorite rainy-day activities!

I'm linked up with some lovely bloggers over at:

Fun Flubber Recipe {Thoughtful Momma Monday}

What kid doesn't like to feel goo ooze through their fingers or make bathroom noises at the table?

I know mine do! We had a HOOT laughing and visiting as we played with our Flubber, and made silly sounds  :o)  The play ideas with this medium are endless!

 

Add a tall, plastic cup to the mix and you get OUT LOUD LAUGHS!

(remember playing with Flarp and making rude noises???)

It's quick and simple to make and kids want to play with it f-o-r-e-v-e-r! (which is nice on a cloudy fall day when you are stuck indoors with a cold)

The three ingredients that you need to make this are Water, Glue, and Borax*.

To add color or a bit of sparkle, you may use paint, food coloring and glitter, if you choose.

We made 2 separate batches of Flubber 

Jo's Flubber: 

White glue, water, Borax, and yellow and orange poster paint to add some color

Mo's Flubber: 

Clear glue, water, Borax, green and blue poster paint and purple glitter

To make one batch of Flubber you need to prepare:

• a small bowl with 1/2 cup water in it.
• a medium bowl with 1 cup water in it.
• 1/2 cup school glue (clear or white Elmer's glue works great)
• 1 teaspoon powdered Borax* (20 Mule Team brand Borax can be found in the laundry soap isle at your local grocery store)
• paint or food coloring to add color to your Flubber (we used poster paint)
• glitter to mix in if you are using clear glue (it won't be seen well if using white glue)

Jo mixing in his paint.

Flubber Instructions:

• Mix your 1/2 cup glue in the small bowl with the 1/2 cup water. Stir well.
• To this glue/water mixture, add your paint or food coloring and glitter

• Mix your 1 teaspoon Borax* into the medium bowl with 1 cup water. Mix well

• Dump glue/water mixture from small bowl into the Borax/water mixture and swirl with a spoon or your fingers. You will see it begin to gel together. Wanna see it in action? Check out Mo on our YouTube video!

• Scoop the Flubber out of the water and place into a third bowl or onto a plastic mat, to let the excess water drain from it. Knead the Flubber a bit and it's ready to go!

 

I hope that you and your kids have as much fun as we did. Clean up is easy and if it does get into clothes or carpet, I read that regular white vinegar will help remove it.

To store your Flubber, place in a Ziploc bag to play with another time!

God bless you abundantly,

***Borax is harmful if swallowed and may cause eye irritation if it gets in a child's eye. Please use caution when using this ingredient and wisdom when allowing your children to play with this medium.*** 


I'm partying with some great ladies over at:

 

DIY Tri-Fold White Board {Thoughtful Momma Monday}

Thoughtful Momma Monday

As we dive into the world of Classical Conversations this week (Wow! Already?!), I wanted to be prepared to substitute for any CC class that may need me. In my online searching, I came across this excellent idea for creating a tri-fold whiteboard.

I can use it at home to review our weekly memory work, and if called upon, I can write the week's work on it and tote it to our CC campus to tutor a class! I'm very excited to be prepared and ready to help out.

This Do-it-yourself project can be traced back to the Kids Activities Blog and Suzanne Shares blog. Both Rachel and Suzanne are great examples and an encouragement to my heart in our own home school journey - especially when it comes to using Classical Conversations' method and curriculum.

I think he was more excited to sit on the kitchen table than about writing on his new lapboard :)

While making my tri-fold whiteboards, I found that I needed a bit more clarity than what was offered on either site mentioned above. So I thought I'd snap pictures along the way and share them with you! I hope this helps you out a bit.


DIY Tri-Fold Whiteboard Instructions 
(Makes 2 tri-fold whiteboards and 4 lapboards)

Tools and Supplies Needed:

• Scissors
• A pen or pencil
• One 4x8 Tileboard
• One roll of duck tape (or a variety for fun looks)

 

You can tell I have a little girl in the house :)

Just to give you an idea of the board I purchased for this project.

I purchased my tileboard from our local Home Depot for $15 and I had fun duck tape on hand, but picked up two new rolls for my boards at $3 each. My total bill for 2 tri-fold whiteboards and 4 lapboards came to $21! That breaks down to about $2 for each lapboard and $6.50 for each tri-fold board!


Here's how to have your new best friend (aka store clerk) at your local hardware store rip the tileboard for you:

1. Have them first cut one foot off, straight across the bottom of the board (blue line). This leaves you with a 3x8 foot piece to cut the tri-fold pieces from. The bottom piece that is 1x8' will become your 4 lap boards. 
2. Cut the larger board at, 2 feet, 2 feet, one foot, one foot, and one foot - leaving one last foot. (red lines).
3. Lastly cut the long, thin board by one-foot increments, creating 4 lap boards that are 1x2' each (green lines).

Board Assembly Directions:

Gather up your materials on a level surface - a large table or on the floor. 

 Tape around the outside edge of each board, leaving the insides (that will be taped together) alone.

(the only edge missing boarder tape is the edge closest to me)

To get a great look around the edges - cut your piece of tape about an inch longer on each side of the edge of the board you are working on. 

Press the tape to the back of the board, keeping half of the tape hanging off the edge.

Fold the tape up and gently press it against the very thin edge of the board.

 Fold tape over to the front of the board and press out any bubbles that occur. 

Smooth to the edges and trim any excess off the sides.

 Turn the boards over, keeping the taped edges on the outsides. 

Place your pen or pencil between the center board and a side wing and stick a 

piece of tape next to it to keep the gap in place.

Slide the pen down to the other end and stick a piece of tape there as well.

Remove the pen and tape over the gap, creating the wing effect!

After gaping and taping both wings, turn the entire board over carefully 

and tape down the gap on the front side!

And TADA!!! Your tri-fold whiteboard is ready to go!

 

To make the small lapboards, just tape a boarder around the entire board and hand them out. Your kids will love to draw for large amounts of time and practice writing on them. It's a good idea to give them their own whiteboard pens and a rag to erase that they can keep in a basket nearby. 

My three-almost-four-year-old is learning not to press the life out of whiteboard markers, so having his own set keeps mine fresh to use for school :)

 I would love to hear any ideas you come up with when either creating or using your tri-fold whiteboards. 

And remember, you will have 2 boards -  one to use in your home, and one to bless a friend with! 

Who can you bless today?

 Enjoy and God bless!