Put all the ingredients in a large saucepan and heat until dissolved (sometimes little bits of the Fels Naptha won't dissolve all the way, but it's ok it will still work). Stir the mixture gently over medium heat until it thickens like honey. Sometimes it won't thicken, it can depend on air pressure and humidity in your home so don't get upset if it doesn't, it will still work.
Remove mixture from heat. In a two gallon bucket put one quart (4c.) of HOT water, then add the soap mixture, slowly so it doesn't get all bubbly. Add 5 1/2 quarts (22c.) of cold water. Mix until well blended. Let it sit for 24 hours. It will turn to a gel and may look as if it has separated, but don't worry it will still work, just stir before using.
Use 1/2 cup of detergent for regular size loads. Less for smaller loads and more for large or heavily soiled loads. I usually find myself using 1/2 cup for me and hubby's laundry and 1 cup on the children's laundry (no matter how big or small the load).
To effectively get all the soap out of the clothes I usually add 1/2 cup -1 cup of distilled white vinegar during the rinse cycle, this will give a soft, clean, chemical free rinse to the clothes. You can also added 1/2 cup baking soda along with the detergent to boost the cleaning power even more, the baking soda acts with the detergent to help it penetrate the fabric of the clothing even better.
My notes: I've used Ivory bar soap and grated it. I've also used Caress bar soap. If I had to choose between the two, it would be Ivory as the Caress just didn't seem to do much for me sweet smelling wise. However, because I really like Gain soap, I've started to put about 1/2 cups in the mix as a replacement for the Ivory. This provides the nice sweet smell my nose longs for and yet saves me money too. I believe this recipe is from The Family Homestead.
Posted by Hadias 
Wednesday, November 7, 2007 - Untitled Comment