This simple recipe will help you eliminate toxic chemicals from your wash cycle and waste water. It will also save loads of money. For a cost of less than a penny a load you can make your own effective, liquid, concentrated, HE, laundry soap that won’t harm your septic system or the fish downstream.
Ingredients
1 bar bath soap, grated (Ivory or Fels Naptha work well, but you can use your favorite)
1 cup Arm and Hammer Washing Soda (not to be confused with baking soda)
1/2 cup borax (20 Mule Team or not)
Hot Water (tap water hot, not boiling)
Directions
- Place grated Soap in a saucepan or pot.
- Add about 6 cups water and simmer over medium heat until all the soap is completely melted, stirring occasionally.
- Pour into five gallon bucket.
- Add Washing Soda and Borax.
- Add enough Hot Water to fill the bucket to quarter full.
- Stir. Use a long enough implement to thoroughly mix everything up from the bottom.
- Let it sit overnight to gel. (Keep it in a place that is safely away from children or pets.)
- Stir again to assure consistency of the gel and break up any lumps.
- Use 1/4 cup for top loaders or 2 Tablespoons for front loaders, just like the commercial stuff.
You can pour this into an old detergent container or any safe, sealable container. You could put the quarter you save with each load into your solar water heater fund.
