Homemade Laundry Detergent |

I’m still working on saving money here at the Basham hacienda. Before I began taking medication for my PPD, I was really getting hysterical about pinching pennies. I mean, I was really nervous about it! I lost sleep over whether or not my efforts at cooking from scratch would pay off – pun intended. I was also stressing out about it because I was busier than ever with a nursing infant and four children to home school. I didn’t have much time to bake and cook if I was stuck in a chair nursing my baby. This made nursing seem like a time eating chore, instead of a special time with my baby. I’ve gone back to using mixes and convenience foods for the time being – Terry said this wasn’t the time to become a pioneer woman! lol I needed to get well and get Matthew on a schedule before I spent hours baking and cooking from scratch. I agreed. I’ve also suspended my weight loss efforts for the time being. Once again, I need to get well first. (I am continuing to try to eat right and exercise though!)

I am starting to really turn the corner emotionally. It is SUCH a blessing! There hasn’t been a day go by since starting my medication that I haven’t thanked the Lord for doctors and modern medicine. Matthew is finally getting on a regular schedule, and I’m feeling like taking on my work without a panic attack. 🙂

One job I’ve been wanting to tackle for some time is making laundry detergent. I spend a lot of money on this each year and I felt that this would really save us some money. So, I fianlly made some! It really wasn’t that difficult and only took me about 30 minutes. I used the recipe from the Duggar family’s book,The Duggars: 20 and Counting!: Raising One of America’s Largest Families–How they Do It

Ingredients:

4 cups hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (not detergent, but sodium carbonate)
1/2 cup Borax

You will also need an empty five gallon bucket, with lid, and an empty and clean liquid laundry soap container.

First, grate the soap bar. This takes 5-10 minutes. I cut my left thumb while doing this, so be careful.

Hmmm…cheese? Nope! It’s soap!

Next, add the soap shavings and the four cups HOT tap water to your saucepan. Heat on medium-low and stir constantly until soap is melted. Kinda looks buttery, doesn’t it? This takes another 10 minutes or so.

Once you get the soap melted on the stove top, fill your five gallon bucket halfway with hot tap water. Add your stove top soap. Next, add the Super Washing Soda and the Borax. Stir until dissolved. Fill the bucket up with more hot tap water.

(**Special thanks to my daughters, Lauren and Leslie, for helping me photograph this process!)

All you need to do now is secure the lid on the bucket and let it sit over night to thicken -it will turn to a jelly type substance. The next day, simply stir the contents of the five gallon bucket. Fill a used, clean liquid detergent container half with the mixture and half with tap water.

Tada! You’re a pioneer woman! Well, sorta. 😉