30 weeks and Laundry Soap!

I'm 30 weeks this week!!! Only 10 more to go!...or less if you are part of the large group of people who believe I will be going early! :) I don't want to jump into that group because if I go until my due date, I don't want to be disappointed!

Yesterday we interviewed our first pediatrician. I guess it wasn't too much of an interview because she was one of my pediatricians growing up! :D It's just a whole different ball game when you're trying to chose the best person for your own child! ...already starting the big parental decisions!!!

Tonight is our first child birthing class!!! I've been looking forward to this because I want to be "ready," but at the same time, I'm not sure I want to know everything they're going to tell me. I live most of my life with the moto "ignorance is bliss!" I'd rather just have to deal with some of the yucky stuff in the moment when I don't have anywhere else to turn! lol Although I still want to know how to do the breathing and coping stuff :)

Ok, now onto the soap!!! My friend Kristen has been telling me for a few years now that she makes her own laundry soap. She said after Emily was born, she really liked it because it saved SO much money, and it's a gentle cleaner that worked well for Emily's skin.
Since we were running low on detergent, we thought we'd give it a try!!!! Ok, so here's what you need:

The Soap: The most typical type of soap to use is Fels Naptha. It is an old-fashioned type of soap usually found in the laundry aisle. I found it at Kroger.

Washing Soda: This is not to be confused with baking soda. They are not the same thing. Washing soda is sodium carbonate or soda ash (baking soda is sodium bicarbonate). It is a white powder. Its purpose is to help remove dirt and orders. The brand to look for is Arm & Hammer Washing Soda. I find it in the laundry section of my grocery store.

Borax: Borax is a naturally occurring mineral: Sodium Borate. It is a white powder. It’s purpose is as a laundry whitener and deodorizer. The brand to look for is 20 Mule Team. It comes in a 76 oz. box. You should be able to locate this in the laundry detergent aisle. I found it at Target.

Homemade Laundry Soap

1/3 bar Fels Naptha or other type of soap, as listed above

½ cup washing soda

½ cup borax powder

~You will also need a small bucket, about 2 gallon size~

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 and the borax and stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket. Now add your soap mixture and stir. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel. You use 1/4- 1/2 cup per load, depending on the size of the load.

A couple of tips!

~The finished soap will not be a solid gel. It will be more of a watery gel that has been accurately described as an "egg noodle soup" look.

~The soap is a low sudsing soap. So if you don’t see suds, that is ok. Suds are not what does the cleaning, it is the ingredients in the soap.

Since this soap is low sudsing, it works great in these new bad boys!

I was glad that I had read about the soap being low sudsing because the HE washers use special detergent, which is just low sudsing!!!

Kristen says that she doubles the recipe and keeps it in a 5 gallon bucket in the garage. I've been using vinegar in the Softener cycle to help keep the new washer clean, especially since we have hard water!

I think Kristen's husband, Daniel, said that this soap ends up being about $.2 a load!!! What a savings!!!!

I actually looked it up, and this is the same recipe that the Duggars use!!! So, those of you who are Duggar fans, you know it's gotta be good!

Enjoy, and happy washing!