Homemade Household Stuff

So I spent part of my day yesterday taking care of a little house hubby stuff.
For several years now, we have been making our own laundry soap and dryer sheets. Usually, Chris has been the one to prepare them, but yesterday I took care of it.

The dryer sheets are easy. We use five uniform cloths and wet them with liquid fabric softener and then hang them to dry completely. We rotate through them as we do laundry and they will last us for several weeks.

For the laundry soap --
We tried a few different types -- both liquid and dry -- before settling on this one. We modified it slightly to better suit our needs. I guess it's a lot cheaper than buying detergent. You know what's in it. And it works.

You will need a bar of Fels Naptha soap, 2 cups of washing soda, 1 cup of Borax and a 5 gallon container (or larger) with a lid.

I start by finely grating a bar of Fels Naptha soap, adding hot water and "cooking" it in a large sauce pan until it is all melted.
Partially fill your container with hot water, add the melted soap and dry ingredients and stir until dissolved. Then use hot water to fill to 5 gallons and mix well. Use a half cup per load.

We use an old liquid detergent jug and fill it from our big bucket as needed. You will need to shake it well before using and stir the soap in the bucket before refilling your jug. You'll understand why. I suppose you could use some essential oils or other product if you wanted to add a scent to your detergent, we don't.

So there you have it!
Homemade laundry soap and dryer sheets!

John <><