# Home Made Laundry Soap



## Ninn (Oct 28, 2006)

This was well worth the effort. Less than $10 for everything I need to make nearly 4 months worth of laundry soap. I usually spend that much on soap in a month! Not to mention bleach and fabric softener. 

I made my first batch last night and I love how it came out. I used the dry recipe, as storage space in the bathroom is at a premium and a 5 gallon bucket of the wet is just too heavy for me to move. A single batch fills an old plastic koolaid mix container about 2/3 of the way up. I stuck a 1T measuring spoon in it and the lid still went on nicely. 

My clothes are washing in it now, I did the sheets and comforter last night. We'll see how the jeans and towels come out later. The only softener I'm using is 1/4 of white vinegar in the first rinse, to be sure we leave no soap residue behind. 

If you haven't already tried it, the FN soap actually works pretty good for washing dishes, too! This I discovered when I was finishing up and had to wash the grater. It did better than my Dawn liquid! I'm wondering about melting some down and making liquid soap from it for dishwashing. I like the smell, too. Very clean, no perfumes or dyes or anything like that in my clothes. 

Next step? Finally getting my clothesline put up out back. Just have to figure out what I can attach it to!


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## cow whisperer (May 3, 2007)

Congrats Ninn... I also used the FN soap.... I loved the scent of it...

When I had all the kids at home and living on the farm, and I was doing 4 - 5 loads a day.... But now it's just DH & I here, no farm.... and I do laundry once a week, 5 loads, including sheets & towels.... I spend $16 on the big container of Gain, and it lasts me 6 months ( I don't use anywhere near the amount they tell you too, and my clothes are still clean)....


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## Ninn (Oct 28, 2006)

The real test was Mark's work clothes and Kevin's barn clothes. They came out great! Kevin said his jeans have not been that clean in a long time. I used 1 1/2 T for his work jeans, in hot water. I let them soak for 20 mins, then wash and rinse as usual. No softener in the machine, just 1/2 of a cheap dryer sheet in the dryer for 20 mins, then hang to finish drying. They look so good!


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## COSunflower (Dec 4, 2006)

Ninn - What is the recipe for the dry one? I made the liquid but like you said - that 5 gal bucket takes up alot of room on my laundry counter!


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## Ninn (Oct 28, 2006)

1 bar of fels naptha, grated fine to medium fine
2 cups each borax, washing soda and oxyclean. (i use the cheap stuff from the dollar store, but you don't have to use it at all. This will fill a medium sized cardboard oatmeal box or a coffee can. 

I use 2 T for heavily soiled loads, start the water and soap to be sure the soap dissolves. Then add clothes and wash as usual. 1/4 vinegar in the rinse water to be sure there is no soap residue in fabrics.


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## COSunflower (Dec 4, 2006)

Thanks Ninn! I'm going to try it after my liquid one is all gone. The only thing I don't like about it is that it looks like yellow boogers - LOL


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## Ninn (Oct 28, 2006)

that's from the FN soap. You can use other soap, though. Try Zote, or even Lava if you have really dirty stuff! I used to used Lava soap to pretreat Mark's work clothes when he worked in the bakery. The grease he would come home with was unbelievable! Lava made it a lot easier to get some of it out of his jeans. After a while, I switched to Amway's prewash, which I swear by for everything, but I haven't bought any of that in years either. (that stuff will even take formula stains out of yardsale baby clothes!!)


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## jmtinmi (Feb 25, 2009)

Ninn said:


> Next step? Finally getting my clothesline put up out back. Just have to figure out what I can attach it to!


Consider a pulley clothesline. Ours is attached to the garage and then up higher in a fairly close tree. I stand by the garage, moving the clothes along as pin them up. We got our set up from the Amish. It used heavy duty cable that has a vinyl covering and runs very smoothly through the cables. We've had ours up for two years with no issues.


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## Ninn (Oct 28, 2006)

That's what I've got-2 pulleys that need to go up. The issue at hand is where to put them. I've got a great little back porch, but it's bordered by a concrete retaining wall that is taller than I am. It practically has to go up the staircase, and there is nothing up there to attach it to except my plum tree, which is not tall enough. I'm going to have DH put up a good pole and run 2 lines the length of the yard. Then I can just take a basket up the steps and hang from there. I'd prefer not to take a basket up the stairs, but what can ya do?


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