Home Made Laundry Soap

Well, I am gonna try this, I have saved my big 96 load jugs, and I'm gonna gather all the supplies and make this and see how it works. Everyone I have talked to says it's great, gets your clothes super clean, and costs much less.....We will see.....

Homemade laundry soap is a great way to cut costs in these tough economic times. Why not try it yourself? This simple, fun and easy task can save you tons of money! Making your own laundry soap can be done for just pennies per load. You can also avoid the harsh chemicals and dyes found in leading laundry soaps and detergents.

Before jumping in and making a batch, read the following helpful hints:

What you need:
If you choose to make a large batch of the liquid detergent, other than the ingredients listed you will also need a very large container to mix them up in and let sit overnight. A bucket or large stockpot will work fine. If you are making the powdered version, you will need a small container with an airtight lid. Also, having a good grater makes the grating easier. I have found a microplane kitchen grater to work best.
Where to Buy Ingredients:
Most of the ingredients can be found at your local grocery store in the laundry aisle and at some Walmarts and Targets. Some people have a difficult time Fels Naptha soap. If this happens, you can either try a substitute (such as Zote, Ivory or Sunlight bar soaps, or other low-scented soap) or buy it online at Amazon.com.
What to Store Your Soap In:
Many websites about homemade laundry detergents suggest that you keep your large batch of liquid laundry detergent in a 5-gallon bucket with lid and keep a large wooden spoon in it to stir it before each use. I have found that it is much more practical to use several smaller containers that I can pick up and shake. Just make sure that your batch is well stirred before dividing it into the smaller conatiners. Old laundry detergent containers work the best since they have built-in measuring cups in the cap, but old bleach or vinegar containers work okay too. Remember to wash all containers before using.
Scented Soap:
The detergent has a fairly strong scent right after you make it, but it fades quickly. After the clothes are washed, there is little, if any, scent on the clothes. If you’ve never tried a non-scented laundry detergent before, it might be hard for you to accept that the clothes are actually clean. They are, whether they smell like soap or not. But if it continues to bother you, you might want to try adding a liquid fabric softener to your wash or even adding your favorite essential oil to your preferred liquid laundry detergent recipe.

Now that you're ready, you can continue reading recipes for liquid detergent or powdered detergent.

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap Recipe
This simple laundry soap recipe will leave your clothes clean and fresh and only comes to about 3 cents per load!
Ingredients:
1/3 bar Fels Naptha Soap ( Ivory and Zote will also work)
½ cup washing soda (found in the laundry section at most stores)
½ cup borax powder (the 20 Mule Team brand is a good choice)
2 gallons water

Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan. Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts. Add the washing soda (NOT baking soda) and the borax. Stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into a 2-gallon bucket. Add soap mixture and stir. Add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Let the soap sit for about 24 hours until it gels. Use a ½ cup detergent per load of laundry.

Homemade powdered laundry soap recipe
If you prefer powdered laundry soap, then follow this recipe.
Ingredients:
1 bar Ivory Soap (or 2/3 bar Fels Naptha)
1/2 cup Borax
1/2 cup Washing Soda (found in the laundry aisle)
Grate 1 bar of Ivory soap (or other not strongly scented bar soap). Add 1/2 cup of borax. Add 1/2 cup washing soda. Mix together and store in air tight container. Use 1-2 tablespoons per load.

Both recipes are for a low-sudsing detergent and work especially well in high efficiency washing machines.

The Crawdad Hole!

I sang this to my kids when they were little, and sing it to the grand-kids now! Pass it on peeps!

Ode To My Porch Swing

A FARMER AND HIS PORCH SWING

Author: ADINE CATHEY

THIS OLD FARMER GOT UP EARLY EVERY MORNING
WORKED HARD IN THE HEAT OF THE SUN,
BY THREE O'CLOCK HE WAS READY TO TAKE A NAP
BY OH MY, HARDLY ANY OF HIS WORK WAS DONE.


THE PLOW HAD TWO BROKEN POINTS
MAYBE HE COULD FILE THEM DOWN,
IT WOULD PROBABLY BE ANOTHER WEEK
BEFORE HE HEADED TOWARDS TOWN.


THE FARMER'S WIFE HAD DONE A BIG WASHING
THE CLOTHES WERE FLAPPING IN THE WIND,
SHE NEEDED SOME ITEMS AT THE GROCERY STORE
SHE HAD SOME BUTTER AND EGGS TO SEND.


HIS OLD BLACK PICK-UP TRUCK HAD A FLAT TIRE
IT WAS SITTING BY THE GARDEN GATE,
THE PAINT WAS PEELING AND RUSTY IN SPOTS
NO TIME TO FIX IT TODAY, THAT WOULD HAVE TO WAIT.


THE TRACTOR BROKE DOWN AND NEEDED FIXING
THE MULE GOT OUT AND TORE THE FENCE YESTERDAY,
IF IT DON'T RAIN AND NOTHING ELSE HAPPENS
THERE WOULD BE LOTS OF RAKING AND BALING OF HAY.


THE CHICKENS HAD GOTTEN INTO HIS WHEAT BIN
SCRATCHED AND SCATTERED GRAIN ALL AROUND,
HE NEEDED TO PLOW ANOTHER FIELD DOWN BY THE POND
BUT WITHOUT ANY RAIN, IT WAS JUST HARD GROUND.


THE HOGS HAD ROOTED UP HALF THE GARDEN
HE'D SOLVE THAT PROBLEM WITH EGGS AND HAM,
FLAKY HOT BISCUITS BAKED TO A GOLDEN BROWN
FRESH BREWED HOT COFFEE AND A JAR OF JAM.


THE BEES WERE BUSY IN THE APPLE ORCHARD
THE FLOWERS WERE IN FULL BLOOM,
THE OLD MAN WANTED TO PLANT ANOTHER ACRE OF TOBACCO
ALSO SOME-MORE CORN, IF THERE WAS ANY ROOM.


AS THE EVENING SHADOWS MOVED ACROSS THE MEADOW
THE COWS FOLLOWED THE PATH DOWN THE WINDING LANE,
THE OLD FARMER WALKED DOWN THE DUSTY ROAD
HE WAS LEANING HEAVY ON HIS WOODEN CANE.


HE HAD STARTED OUT TO THE PASTURE
IT SURE WAS A HARD LIFE LIVING ON A FARM,
HE WOULD HAVE TO CHECK ON THE MOTHER COWS
AND CARRY THE NEW BORN CALF BACK TO THE BARN.


THE SUN WAS SLOWLY LEAVING THE SKY
AS IT BEGAN TO HIDE BEHIND A STAND OF TREES,
THE SUMMER DAYS WERE HOT AND NO RAIN
THE FARMER WISHED FOR JUST ONE NICE BREEZE.


MAYBE HE SHOULD JUST MOVE TO THE CITY
THERE WAS JUST SO MUCH WORK TO DO,
BUT THEN HE THOUGHT OF HIS SWING ON THE FRONT PORCH
SITTING THERE HAVING A CHEW OF TOBACCO OR TWO.


HE COULDN'T TAKE HIS OLD FAITHFUL MULE
OR SEVEN HEAD OF CATTLE TIED WITH A ROPE,
HE WOULD JUST SAY A PRAYER AND TALK TO GOD
THERE WAS ALWAYS TOMORROW AND SOMEHOW HE WOULD COPE.


HE COULD HEAR A WHIP-POOR-WILL CALLING
SOON DARKNESS WOULD OVER-TAKE EVENING TWILIGHT,
AN OWL HOOTED AND JAKE BARKED AT A COYOTE
THESE WERE PEACEFUL SOUNDS IN THE COUNTRY AT NIGHT.


A DOZEN BULLFROGS WERE CROAKING DOWN AT THE POND
THE FISH WERE SETTLED DOWN VERY DEEP,
HE SMILED AT ALL THE MEMORIES HE CHERISHED
THE OLD FARM HE'D JUST HAVE TO KEEP.