I'm feeling dirty

I don't assume this is by any means a coincident that I just started making my own laundry detergent a week before BOTH of my kids caught a stomach bug. It has either been one end or the other (you wanted to know THAT) for one or both of them and I literally, have been covered in throw up or poop for the last 4 days! Told you I was feeling dirty! ;) 

I was tired of paying $20+ for a little over a gallon of detergent that lasted me MAYBE a month. I was on my last 'shake the jug and get as much out as I can' when I decided to try making my own. I've seen other blogs where people show how to make the detergent and promise that it works but I never see any pictures where it did actually work! So...leave it to me and beware. These are pictures from this last week which really put the homemade detergent to the test!

What you need:

1 bar of any soap you like  

1 cup Borax

1 cup Washing Soda

Large pot for cooking

grater

long spoon

a container/containers that will hold up to at least 2 gallons

Side note: I used a whole bar and the detergent is kind of chunky thick, which I don't mind. However, if you want less chunky, use half a bar of soap.

How to do it:

Step 1: Grate your soap into your large cooking pot and add 1 gallon of water. Boil/heat until the soap has dissolved. 

Step 2: Add Borax and Washing Soda, bring to a boil! (Watch this step carefully b/c the mixture WILL overflow and spill everywhere...not that I would know or anything)  ;)

Step 3: Remove mixture from heat and add 1 gallon cold water, let sit to cool down. 

How much to use: 1/2 cup per load.

No, that is NOT lemonade unless you really want to act like it is for the purpose of not getting sick. I added what I normally would for stains, a little oxyclean and that's it.

EVERYTHING came out! There is your proof that it works and I actually prefer this detergent to my regular name brand detergent, it doesn't leave a weird smell. 

Maybe Tuesdays will be 'try it out' Tuesday...next: homemade stainless steel cleaner!