Because sometimes it's hard to be a Mom

We had enrichment last night and it was all of self-preparedness. My favorite tip was how to make your own laundry soap and store enough components for a years supply.

Recipe:
1 bar Fels Naptha soap (grated with cheese grater)
1 cup Washing Soda (Arm & Hammer, not baking soda)
1 cup Mule Team Borax

Put grated Fels Naptha in a saucepan and cover with water. Heat on low until dissolved. Put dissolved soap in 5 gallon bucket and then add hot water to fill the rest of the bucket. Stir. Add Washing Soap and Borax and mix well. As it cools it will thicken. It helps to mix it every now and then as it cools to reduce thickness. If mixture becomes too thick, add hot water to thin to desired consistency. May be used immediately. Mix well before each use. Use 1/2 cup (normal) to 1 cup (heavy) or 1/4 for HE front loading washers.

Cost:
Winco has everything
Fels Naptha- $1.12 / bar
Washing Soda- $2.70 / about 6 cups
Borax- $3.76 / about 12 cups

To make a 5 gallon batch- $1.88
1/4 cup per load means 5 gallons will do 320 loads of laundry
Each load would cost $0.005875
For a family of five that made a batch about every other month a years supply would cost $13.08 and still leave you with half a box of Borax.

A tip for easier use is to find one of the juice pitchers that has a mixing paddle in it. Fill it with recently mixed soap and just pump it once or twice before each load. Refill as needed from the big bucket.