Thursday, January 12, 2012

Happy Homemade Money Savers

After I found the recipe for Softener, I looked for soap and was blown away by the many different recipe variations out there. The authors all said they  used them and they all said they work great! I am going to try some of them and if you decide to also let me know how it goes!




**As I read people's experiences I learned that some of them had issues with these how to's and One tip I read said that after a failed attempt she went and got someone to show her how to do them. They advised her that when you make the liquid you should be doing it in a 5 gallon bucket and
it should be half full when you are done. You should start the soap on the stove in a pot with boiling water and then add the shredded bar, be sure the soap is completely melted in the boiling water not just low warm water because that won't make the soap melt this is to ensure it will not get solid and grose, then you add it and the dry ingredients to the bucket, stir, add warm tap water until the bucket is half full, then cover and let it sit for 24 hours before putting it in smaller containers. They said it will  separate but if you use juice bottles to store it in then it is a lot easier to shake up before you use it.




 (photos found on google)
(What it should be like)
So here are the recipes I found!


Soap Brands commonly used to make your on detergents:
 Pure & Natural, Fels-Naptha , Zote and Ivory

#1
1 quart Water (boiling)
2 cups Bar soap (grated)
2 cups Borax
2 cups Washing Soda
Add finely grated bar soap to the boiling water and stir until soap is melted. You can keep on low heat until soap is melted.
Add 2 gallons of water, stir until well mixed.
Pour the soap water into a large, clean pail and add the Borax and Washing Soda. Stir well until all is dissolved.
Cover pail and use 1/4 cup for each load of laundry. Stir the soap each time you use it (will gel).

#2
Hot water,1 cup Washing Soda,1/2 cup Borax,1 Soap bar
Grate the bar soap and add to a large saucepan with hot water. Stir over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
Fill a 10 gallon pail half full of hot water. Add the melted soap, Borax and Washing soda, stir well until all powder is dissolved. Top the pail up with more hot water.
Use 1 cup per load, stirring soap before each use (will gel).

#3
Hot water
1/2 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
1/3 bar Soap (grated)
In a large pot, heat 3 pints of water. Add the grated bar soap and stir until melted. Then add the washing soda and borax. Stir until powder is dissolved, then remove from heat.
In a 2 gallon clean pail, pour 1 quart of hot water and add the heated soap mixture. Top pail with cold water and stir well.
Use 1/2 cup per load, stirring soap before each use (will gel).










(read the next one in several places)
Powdered – Recipe
 #4
2 cups Fels Naptha Soap
 (finely grated – you could also try the other bar soaps listed at the top)
1 cup Washing Soda
1 cup Borax
Mix well and store in an airtight plastic container.
Use 2 tablespoons per full load.

#5
Hot water
1 bar (4.5 oz) Ivory Soap – grated
1 cup Washing Soda
In a large saucepan add grated soap and enough hot water to cover. Heat over medium-low heat and stir until soap is melted.
Fill a large pail with 2.5 gallons of hot water, add hot soap mixture. Stir until well mixed.
Then add the washing soda, again stirring until well mixed.
Set aside to cool.
Use 1/2 cup per full load, stirring well before each use (will gel)

#6
2.5 gallons Water (hot)
1 Bar soap (grated)
3/4 cup Washing Soda
3/4 cup Borax
2 TBS Glycerin
Melt bar soap over medium-low heat topped with water, stir until soap is melted.
In a large pail, pour 2.5 gallons of hot water, add melted soap mixture, washing soda, borax and glycerin. Mix well.
Use 1/2 cup per full load.

#7
2 cups Bar soap (grated)
2 cups Washing Soda
2 – 2.5 gallons hot water
Melt grated soap in saucepan with water to cover. Heat over medium-low heat and stir until soap is dissolved.
Pour hot water in large pail, add hot soap and washing soda. Stir very well.
Use 1 cup per full load.
#8
2 gallons Water (hot)
1 bar Soap (grated)
2 cups Baking soda (yes baking soda this time–not washing soda)
Melt grated soap in a saucepan with enough hot water to cover. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring frequently until soap is melted.In a large pail, pour 2 gallons hot water. Add melted soap, stir well.Then add the baking soda, stir well again.Use 1/2 cup per full load, 1 cup per very soiled load.
Powdered – Recipe #9
12 cups Borax
8 cups Baking Soda
8 cups Washing Soda
8 cups Bar soap (grated)
Mix all ingredients well and store in a sealed tub.
Use 1/8 cup of powder per full load.
#10 – (Powdered)
1 cup Vinegar (white)
1 cup Baking Soda
1 cup Washing Soda
1/4 cup liquid castile soap
Mix well and store in sealed container.
I find it easiest to pour the liquid soap into the bowl first, stir in the washing soda, then baking soda, then add the vinegar in small batches (the recipe foams up at first). The mixture is a thick paste at first that will break down into a heavy powdered detergent, just keep stirring. There may be some hard lumps, try to break them down when stirring (it really helps to make sure the baking soda isn’t clumpy when first adding). use 1/2 cup per full load.   
Note For Liquid Versions
Soap will be lumpy, goopy and gel-like. This is normal. Just give it a good stir before using. Make sure soap is covered with a lid when not in use. You could also pour the soap in old (and cleaned) laundry detergent bottles and shake well before each use.
*If you can’t find Fels-Naptha locally, you can buy it online (check Amazon).
Optional
You can add between 10 to 15 drops of essential oil (per 2 gallons) to your homemade detergent. Add once the soap has cooled to room temperature. Stir well and cover.
Essential oil ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil






Duggars Recipe:
4  Cups - hot tap water
1  Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax
- 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. 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)
-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.
-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.
-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)
*Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in some stores or may be purchased online here (at Meijer.com). Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!

 Here is what I found out about HE washers:
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

1 – 55 ounce box of Arm & Hammer® Super Washing Soda
1 – 76 ounce box of 20 Mule Team® Borax
These items were found in the laundry isle.
1 – 10 pack of 4.5 ounce bars of Ivory® Bar Soap
(**note** you can use cheaper soap,Other brands of commonly used
bar soaps include Pure & Natural®, Fels-Naptha® and/or ZOTE®.
Both ZOTE® and Fels-Naptha® are made for and sold as “laundry bar soap.”)



Regarding High Efficiency (HE) Front-Load Washers
HE front-load washers require “special soap” for one reason alone – low suds.
Because they use less water, they require soap that is less sudsy.
The good news is,this homemade detergent is VERY low suds.
The ”special” HE detergent is just another advertising mechanism to push consumers to buy
“special soap” for unnecessarily high prices.
Regardless of your washer type, just make your own in confidence, here’s how.
(seems the same to me as #4)
THE MAKING OF A BATCH
Shave 1 bar of soap. I used a simple hand grater,Add 1 cup of borax,.
Add 1 cup of washing soda,stirring thoroughly,
Stirring is complete when you have a nice powder.
Two batches of this recipe fit perfectly into a 32 ounce container.

When you do a load use 1 tablespoon of detergent per load.
(you can also use 1 – 2 scoops for heavily soiled loads)