DIY laundry and dish soap

If you are anything like me you love pinterest and crafts.

and you might cringe at spending gobs of moolah on laundry and dish soap.

because that extra $15 gets closer to a pedicure.

and pedicure > soap.

so, based on some ideas from pinterest, this is my version of how to make your own laundry and dish soap.

it's a great weekend project (that you can do in less than an hour!) once you have your supplies, that is.

so, here is how you can make your own laundry and dish soap and put those pennies toward the pedicure instead.

These are all the supplies you will need: (to complete both soaps)

From left to right: 

1. white vinegar
2. washing soda (Arm and Hammer brand, but NOT baking soda. I found mine at Kroger.)
3. Kosher Salt
4. Lemi-Shine  (you will find it near dish soaps in most grocery stores)
5. Borax.  (Target sells it, as does Kroger)
6. Fels Naptha soap bar. (I forgot to add it to my picture)

DIY Dish Soap

 2 cups  borax

2 cups washing soda

2 cups lemi shine

1 cup kosher salt

Mis all ingredients together.  Make sure to stir many times for the first 2-3 days (2-3 times a day).  If not, your powder will form a solid lump and you will have to use a knife to break it up.  There will be small "balls" in your powder, but they are just fine.  Use 1 tablespoon per load.

Cost per load: about 3 cents!

I used an old coffee container as my dish soap container

Liquid Laundry Soap

3 pints water

1/3 bar Fels Naptha soap, grated

1/2 cup Washing Soap

1/2 cup Borax

2 gallon bucket to mix it in (one with a spout for pouring is best)

1 quart really HOT water

Mis grated Fels Naptha soap in saucepan with 3 pints hot water and leave on low heat until all soap is COMPLETELY dissolved.  This may take a while (10+) minutes, but you want to make sure the soap is completely dissolved.

 Stir in washing soda and borax.  Stir until thickened, and remove from heat.

Add 1 quart hot water to your 2 gallon bucket.  Add soap mixture, and mix well.

Fill bucket completely with addditional hot water, and mix well.  Set aside for 24 hours, until mixture thickents.  You can add additional hot water is your mixture becomes too thick.

Your soap may gel, but do not worry.  Just give it a good shake before you use it each time and it will be fine.  Use 1/2 cup mixture per load.  This makes around 64 loads, and your cost per load is about 3 cents!! 

Happy soap making.