Tricky Mommy

Dear Offspring,

A long time ago your Aunt Jaime made her own laundry detergent. I was very impressed. Then Aunt Liz did the same thing. I was doubly impressed. Alas, I had just bought a six month supply and I had to wait to be cool like them.

Finally, we ran out. I followed the recipe, followed the hints, and voila, I made at least two months of laundry detergent for about $10. I still have tons of supplies so the next 3 batches should only cost me about $3. Sweet!

The reason I tell you this is that someday you will move out. Yes, you will. And you will be in charge of your own laundry. And hopefully you will only remember homemade detergent and the thought of buying some sounds ludicrous.

And if I make anything abundantly clear to you it is that: 1. Your mother is the best cook in the known galaxy and 2. Why pay for something you can make?

Also, there's this. Daddy makes a good living. We are very, very blessed. And I want you to know now when you are little and later, when you are parents, that your Mommy chose to make laundry detergent, not because she had to but because it was the right choice, because why spend extra money when you don't have to? Why pay for huge plastic containers that end up in landfills, when you reuse the ones you have?

Your ancestors said it best. Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. No matter how well off you are or how much you struggle. The best choice is the right choice.

So here's the recipe. (my notes in red)

Ingredients: (I found all of this at our local Fry's, although Wal-Mart only had the Borax and it was about $2 cheaper) (Wal-Mart is evil.) (just fyi)

• 1 Bar Fels Naptha Soap


• 1 cup Borax


• 1 cup Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda


• Water

Tools:

• 5 gallon container


• Cheese Grater


• Pot


• Long stirring stick/spoon (for 5 gallon container)

Pour 6 cups of water in the pot and heat it just shy of boiling. You want it warm enough to melt the soap, but not enough to boil over. While the water is warming up, grate the bar of soap into small pieces. Add the shredded soap to the pot of heated water. Stir the mixture until the soap is completely melted.

Once the soap is melted, add 1 cup Borax and 1 cup Washing Soda to the melted soap mixture. Stir until dissolved. (It's really easy to let the soap boil over. I used an extra large pot to prevent the extra mess.) Pour 3 gallons of hot water into the 5-gallon container, then add in the melted soap mixture.

Optional Fragrance: I really liked the Fels soap smell, so I didn't feel the need to add anything. If you prefer to have a pleasant scent to your homemade laundry detergent, you may add a few drops of essential oils. The amount of fragrance added is strictly of personal preference.

Now that everything is mix and dissolved, you'll have a 5 gallon container of soapy water. Cover it and place it somewhere it won't be disturbed. Let it cool overnight. It will begin to gel as it cools. It does not gel uniformly so the next day it will look like Egg Drop soup (remarkably accurate!). You will want to store your homemade laundry detergent in smaller containers. Start out using 1/2 detergent per load, add a bit more if you feel the need. On your clothes, I use 2/3 cup.

I did a ton of research to make sure it was combatible with our brand new High Efficiency washer. It is low sudsing so it worked fine. In my research, I also found suggestions to use white vinegar in hard water areas. I've been putting about 1/4 cup white vinegar in the fabric softener slot. Apparently that helps the soap wash out as well as preventing calcium build up in the washer lines.

Happy Laundering!