Well I took the plunge recently and entered a new level of homemade: Laundry Detergent. That's right folks I got a vat of the stuff.... well really a five gallon bucket of the gelatinous goop. And so far it's worked as well as the store bought stuff. I admit I've been wanting to try my hand at it for quite some time now and I was worried I'd have a bunch of useless bubbles that I'd have to some how get rid of. I did some research online and decided on making a batch after the Duggar's recipe found at http://www.duggarfamily.com/ just click on family resources and then recipe's.
I added 1 Fels-Naptha Laundry detergent bar (grated) to 4 cups hot water and stirred til dissolved (very strong smelling so don't store in a Tupperware container it won't come out- trust me) on stove over medium heat.
I also put hot tap water into a 5 gallon bucket (I used an old paint bucket thoroughly cleaned with a lid) but filled it less than half way (it's easier to stir that way) with 1 1/4 cup Washing Soda and 1/2 cup Borax and the melted soap mix, stir til dissolved.
Then I added hot water til almost filled and covered it with a lid and let sit overnight.
In the morning I stirred it with a extra long paint stick till mixed and then ladled it into a empty laundry container. I filled it 3/4 of the way and decided to NOT add any more water, but decided to just add less than the suggested 5/8 cup (or 1/4 cup for front load machines). I then added alot of Lavender and Peppermint oil to give the clothes a slight hint of clean smell. Just remember to shake the detergent before use, it separates.
The Fels-Naptha is REALLY strong (I'm not a fan of the scent) but my homemade detergent only had a slight hint of it, so don't get all worried. If 5/8 cup is used the Duggar's site says you should get approx 180 loads and if using 1/4 for front load you're looking at 640 loads. The only drawback I can see is storing the goop.
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