Step Two: Making Laundry Soap

I finally took Step Two!  Tuesday afternoon, my son and I made homemade liquid laundry soap! 

We followed the Moms Aware recipe...

• First, we boiled 3 cups of water and dissolved 1 oz. of liquid castile soap in it.
• Then we added ¼ cup of washing soda--at which point the water bubbled up and over the side of the pot.  This was unexpected, and we actually got a great laugh out of it.  We even laughed while we cleaned up the mess.  J
• Next we added ¼ cup of borax.
• We stirred until all was dissolved in the water.

Andrea Fabry suggested putting it in a 1-gallon glass jar.  I had saved a liquid detergent plastic container, the size that washes 96 loads.  We put 10 cups of water into that container and then poured in our soap mixture.  We shook it up and let it sit for 24 hours, waiting for it to form a liquid gel.

After 24 hours, it still hadn't formed a liquid gel, so I waited until this morning to wash clothes with the new detergent. 

After 36 hours, when it still hadn't gelled, I decided to try it anyway.  I washed a load of whites in which there were some noticeably dirty white napkins.  They came clean!  And the whole load smelled fresh!  Success!

 

I then washed a colored load with some smelly shirts, and those also came clean and smelled great!

 

I calculate that I used less than $2 worth of cleaning supplies to make this batch of detergent.  It half-fills my 96-load container, so I assume I'll be able to wash at least 48 loads of laundry.  All it cost was a little effort and time, and it was so much fun to do it with my son!  It was definitely worth it!


(I updated our progress on making liquid laundry soap here.  We tweaked the recipe just a bit, so check it out!)

 

Now for Step Three...

 

Natural Year Challenge: Household Edition



 Step 1: Buy Five

I Bought Five...

Natural Year Challenge:  Household Edition

 

Step 1:  Buy Five

 

Well, here they are! My five cleaning supplies plus the recommended bonus items. 

 

 

I already had the Borax.

 

I bought the Washing Soda at Publix.

I bought a big box at Publix.

Publix again!

I bought the Castile Soap at Organic Harvest.  The Liquid Soap was $15.99, comparable to the Amazon price.  The Bar Soap was $4.29.  I could have saved a little by ordering the bar soap from Moms Aware for $3.50 (free shipping), but I was eager to have it in hand. 

I already had these Beeyoutiful Essential Oils on hand.  Andrea recommends Tea Tree Oil for its medicinal properties.  I've chosen Lemon and Lavender for good-smelling cleaning!  These and other oils are available from Smith Family Resources.  Click here for more information.

 

All total, I spent about $30.  I could have spent less if I hadn't been in such a hurry! 

 

I'd love to hear about your shopping.  Please tell us if you're able to find any good deals on any of these products!

 

If you're just joining us, click here to read the earlier posts:

 

Natural Year Challenge: Household Edition

 

Step 1: Buy Five

Starting Today...

I'm on my way to cleaning without chemicals!

I'm taking the Moms Aware Natural Year Challenge:  Household Edition, which you can read for yourself by clicking here.

Step 1:  Buy Five
These five supplies will be used to make my own all-purpose cleaners.

• Borax
• Washing Soda
• Baking Soda
• White Vinegar
• Castile Soap (liquid and bar)

There are also some recommended bonus items:

• Essential Oils
• Designated grater or inexpensive food processor for grating the castile soap bars.

I'm going to start gathering and shopping today.  Are you taking the challenge with me? Watch this video for a little encouragement from Andrea Fabry...