# Save money and buy only 1/4 the soap



## digdirtplanthar (Jun 22, 2007)

OK my washing machine went out a few years ago so I called the man out to fix it.

He went into the laundry room and came out in a few minutes with the pump out of my less than a year old washing machine.

Look here he said pointing to all the soap in the pump. Then he told me something that has save me lots of money, my cloths feel cleaner and softer.

But best of all it is real easy for anyone to do to both save money and have your cloths cleaner.

Soap companies want to sale soap and as much as they can. Use only 1/4 cap of soap not the full cap as the soap companies tell you to. 

This will give you cleaner softer cloths and at 1/4 the cost for each load you do.

digdirtplantharvest


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## chamoisee (May 15, 2005)

The instructions on the bottle say to use just half a capful....but I always fill it up, because my boys really soil their clothing. I'll try it with less.


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## Pink_Carnation (Apr 21, 2006)

The amount needed changes more on how hard your water is than how dirty the clothes are. I use less than half what they recomend because our water is really soft and you can actually cause oversuddsing by using to much. The same info applys to dishwashers too.


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## kellymy (Feb 3, 2007)

And did you ever notice how the lines marked on the cap are faint, raised lines, in the same color as the plastic cap.

Even the tallest marking is about 1/2" below the top of the cap. They really do just hope that you fill up the cap to the very top and waste, waste, waste.

I LOVE making my own laundry soap. $1 for 2 gallons. Makes me giggle when I do laundry.  

-Kelly.


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## Metagirrl (Oct 8, 2006)

Kelly-

Care to post your recipe? I'd like to give it a shot.


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## cow whisperer (May 3, 2007)

I too would love to try making my own laundry soap..... My husband has allergies to a lot of soaps, right now I can only use Arm and Hammer powder......

Thanks in advance!


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## kellymy (Feb 3, 2007)

Check out this current thread here in the Cleaning forum:
http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=184406

They're talking about using the same recipe I do. I use Fels Naptha soap though, never tried using Ivory soap.


1/2 bar grated fels naptha soap
3/4 c. washing soda
3/4 c. borax
put 3 pints water in a large pot, add the grated soap, stir to dissolve over med. high heat, remove from heat add the soda and borax, stir to dissolve, in large 2 gallon pail or bucket, add 1 Qt. hot tap water, add the soap mixture, fill to top with cold water, will thicken as it fills. let cure 24 hours prior to using, I use aprox. 2/3 cup per load, good luck.

-Kelly.


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## RachAnn in NW Okla (Aug 28, 2002)

you could use a sharpie and draw a line on the inside of the cup....

I used a sharpie for awhile to judge how many loads I got out of the box....this was pre-frontload washer so it must have been about 2 years ago....IIRC I was getting 90+ out of a 63 load box.....I need to buy a small thing of liquid soap for the frontload and keep track like that again....because we can afford to stock up, I tend to buy the bigger ones as they are cheaper per ounce and I dont have to shop for it as often!

Rachel


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