~Homemade Laundry Soap, My Weekend Project~

I feel like part of my job as a housewife is to make sure we aren't wasting money on things, if I can make it, I will, rather than buy it. I also have a mini obsession with the Duggars, you know "17 kids and counting" I loved their book, it was full of great tips and recipe's and it was very inspirational.. That many kids and debt free, Wow! Michelle ( the wife ) is SO organized and thrifty! Well I am no where close to THAT thrifty but I am willing to try one of her money saving tricks. Homemade Laundry Soap! Saw the recipe in the book then found it online.. Here it is.

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap-
Front or top load machine


4 Cups Hot Tap Water
1 Bar Laundry soap ( Zote )
1 Cup Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Borax




Directions - Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted. -Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. -Stir well until all powder is dissolved.
*The Chopped (way to soft to grate, in my opinion) Zote Soap*

*Water and soap mixture before melting*

*Melting the soap and water mixture double boiler style..*

Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel) -Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads) -Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

I see the number 640 loads YOWSA! I usually buy HE tide Free and Clear for $13 for 36 loads so that was $0.36 PER load!With this method I will only be paying $0.02 per load! Next time I make it ( when I don't have to buy the bucket, or Borax, OR washing soda ( you don't need much ) I will get 10 loads for $.02. All I will have to buy is the Bar of soap, Just over $1! That is totally amazing to me! And I feel good that I won't be wasting the plastic Tide containers any longer!Hope this inspires some of you Wifey's to try it, it doesn't smell much and was fairly simple. The hardest part was grating the soap.. And I used a double boiler method because I didn't want to put the soap in my cooking pot.