I found it in there a couple of weeks ago and looked at it more thoroughly. I couldn't believe the savings. I am totally a Tide girl. That is all I ever use, but let's face it, with 2 kiddos I do a ton of laundry, and the huge bottle doesn't last very long. So I decided to put this homemade soap to the test. I bought all the ingredients, made a batch, and did 6 loads with it. I think it works really well. I did a little research and since there is no sudsing agent I can even use it in my front load HE machine. And it is supposed to be great for babies and those with sensitive skin since there are no additives or perfumes.
Here is what you need:
- 20 Mule Team Borax
- Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
- Felsnaptha Soap ( I LOVE this stuff and have been using it since Nathan was born. It is wonderful at getting out stains!)
- 5 gallon bucket
- Gamma Lid- you can use a regular lid, but this is way easier to open, and comes in lots of colors!
Here is what I spent:
Mule Team Borax = $2.99 @ Target (runs about $4.99 @ grocery stores)
- This will make 24 batches.
- Price/ Batch $0.12
Super Washing Soda=$3.19 @ Smith's
- This will make 6 batches.
- Price/Batch $0.53
Fels-Naptha= $1.59 @ Smith's
- This will make 1 batch.
- Price/ Batch $1.59
This comes out to $2.24 per batch, with 1 Batch being 5 gallons or 200 loads!
Bucket= $3.88 @ WalMart
Gamma Lid= $5.99 @ WalMart
None of the ingredients were carried at my Walmart, and they didn't have everything at my Target- just the Borax. I know they carry all the ingredients at Smith's, Lin's, and Harmon's. (I have also bought Felsnaptha online before)The lids may be sold at a preparedness store and are sold online if you can't find them near you.
Ok I hope that wasn't overwhelming. Here is how you make the soap.
You will need:
1/2 cup of Borax
1 cup Super Washing Soda
1 Bar of Felsnaptha
5 gallon Bucket
Grate the Felsnaptha.I just used a regular cheese grater. (Ava thought these were noodles)
In a large saucepan bring 4 cups of water to a boil.
Add the soap a little at a time, stirring constantly until completely dissolved. This stuff almost bubbled over every time I blinked- so keep a good eye on it!
This was after all the ingredients were mixed together. I probably should have put more water, but I didn't. It will just be more concentrated this way...
When I went to check on it in the morning the consistency had changed quite a bit and it looked like egg drop soup(pictured below) and was thick! I gave it a good stir before using it.
Some of ladies using this just pour the mix into old detergent bottles so they can shake them up and pour out the correct amount a little easier. Just use the same amount you usually do, use a cap from one of your old bottles. If you use have an HE machine use the cap from an HE bottle.
Remember there is NO SUDSING agent in this. It was a little difficult for me- I NEED those bubbles. Anyway, I did a load that had some filthy socks of Ava's and they came out so clean, I didn't even pre-treat them!
Now just to compare. The last bottle of Tide I bought was about $14 (Walmart) for 100 fl. oz. which does 64 loads. I had a coupon so let's say it came out to $12 for 64 loads. That equals $0.19 per load.
The soap I made was $2.24 for 200 loads which equals $0.01 per load!
This soap was so easy to make. I was intimidated at first, but it was not bad at all. I hope you try it! Let me know if you have any questions or need help! Start enjoying the extra money! Oh and I am still sticking with my Downy or Snuggle softener, if you were wondering....
