About a year or so ago, I decided to try a dry version of homemade laundry soap. I was intimidated by the liquid versions that made 10 gallons at a time. That is quite a commitment, and I have a very small laundry room, so finding space for 10 gallons of soap gave me the hives!
I liked the dry version. It was a bar of Fels Naptha soap, a half box of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda and a half box of Borax. Sometimes I added a dry bleach alternative because I found that my whites got pretty dingy.
A bit ago, Jayme over at Tale from the Coop Keeper, shared her liquid laundry soap recipe that did not make enough to drown a cow. I tried it and we LOVE it. I think her observation is correct, while the dry version work ok, I don't think that the washer water will ever get hot enough to melt the Fels Naptha well enough to clean the clothes. This is her tutorial on how to make her recipe, seriously, you will not be sorry.
When I made my liquid batch I still have a bit of the dry version left. I have been using it for cleaning sinks, toilets, tubs and showers. It works great as a replacement for a scouring powder. It is abrasive but gentle. Today, for instance, I scrubbed my stand-up shower that was seriously covered in soap scum and hard water stains. I sprayed the stall down with a strong vinegar and water solution and then took a wet rag, dipped it in the dry mixture and scrubbed. I oculd not believe how fast the scummy, filmy stuff came off. The entire stall (that had not been cleaned in am embarrassing amount time) only took me less than 5 minutes to clean and that is with a bum leg! A quick spray with the shower head and it is sparkly and ready for stinky, dirty kids to mess it up again!
Curious about the smell of it... Does it smell good? Make the laundry smell fresh? Or would one need to use something like liquid downy to add that lovely smell?
ReplyDeleteI have been meaning to thank you for sharing this. I was looking for a liquid detergent that I really liked and this one may just do the trick. Also, I tried your shower stall cleaning tip and that is absolutely awesome. Thank you again.
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