Even better you use far less of this detergent per load. Therefore it's a good way to save money. Especially since it's cheaper by volume anyway (about half the cost of name brand detergent per gallon).
Two things you should know about this laundry soap.
1. It is very effective. I haven't mentioned this before but my husband serves on a naval submarine. If you are familiar with submarines then you know that the smell that permeates everything on that boat can be the bane of a laundry-woman's existence. It is next to impossible to get rid of. Yet the baking soda in this recipe gets rid of it better than anything I've ever used. Furthermore this recipe leaves a pleasant lavendar scent.
2. I do use borax in this recipe. A lot of bloggers and natural health enthusiasts have expressed concern over the use of borax. However, since I have not been able to find any real evidence against borax, I choose to use it as my mother and my grandmother before me used it. If it makes you nervous leave it out of this recipe. Just know that the detergent will be less effective at removing stains, particularly sweat stains (the kind that love to appear in pits and around dress shirt collars).
Here's the recipe:
-1/2 bar of scented coconut oil soap (grated)
-2 cups of baking soda
-1 and 1/2 cups super washing soda
-1/2 cup and up to 1 cup of borax
Directions:
1. Grate half a bar of the soap into your container (I use a big ol' coffee tin)
2. (only if your soap is unscented for some reason) add 10 drops of essential oil (like lavendar) to the grated soap, mix, and let sit for 15 minutes or so.
3. Add in the baking soda, washing soda, and borax.
4. Mix carefully, the baking soda tends to powder puff everywhere!
5. Use WAYYYYY less of it than you would store bought soap. About 2-3 tbsp of it. (More like 1/3 of a cup on submarine laundry).
If you like this recipe and you want to get even more homemade, I am currently working on soap recipes for a coconut oil based soap. I can't wait to share it with you!
