Pure-n-Simple Soap

Who isn’t trying to stretch a buck today, with gas prices still pretty high and unemployment through the roof; the unstable economy has many of us cutting back, looking for ways to save money and live more practical.  Well I would like to share with you a project that could save you and your family some extra cash and that is to make your own laundry soap.  Not only will you save some money but it is much milder and safer for you and the environment, still keeping your clothes freshly clean.  You do not need to be an experienced soap crafter to make your own laundry soap, it is actually very simple and unlike making some handmade soaps that take up to 4 to 6 weeks to cure, you can make your own laundry soap and use it in just a day.

There are several different recipes you can find on the Internet, here is one that I use and am very pleased with.  All you need is a 2 gallon bucket with a lid, 1/3 bar of Fels Naptha, ½ cup of washing soda, and a ½ cup of borax powder.  Your Fels Naptha will need to be graded and have 6 cups of water added to it in a sauce pan and heat until soap begins to melt.  Then you will need to add 1/2 cup washing soda and 1/2 cup of borax and stir until it has dissolved.  Now remove from heat and pour 4 cups of hot water into your bucket, add your soap mixture and stir.  Add 1 gallon plus 6 cup of water and stir.  Now all you need to do is let it sit for 24 hours and it will gel up. When it is ready to use it will have a gel like clumpy appearance; you can use a large wooden spoon to stir the gel substance into liquid form and use only 1/2 cup per load.  This recipe will supply you with an estimated 64 loads and cost less than six bucks!