So, here are the ingredients. I made a half batch, which uses 1 bar of Zote, 1 2 lb box of baking soda, and half of everything else in the picture. A half batch made me about 190 loads, I figured that was sufficient...The instructions and pictures are for a half-batch, the instructions at the end of the post are for a full batch, using the full boxes of everything in the above pic.
So, step 1: grate the Zote bar. You can either use a cheese grater and risk bloody knuckles while being thrifty, or you can do a cool science experiment instead, by microwaving it.
When you nuke a bar of soap, this is what you get! It will be warm, so let it cool in the fridge for a few minutes so it hardens up. Then you can put it into your food processor or blender and it will chop it into fine little bits. No bloody knuckles, and cool science! It's a two-fer!
Step 2: Put Zote into blender and blend it to smithereens. To help get the fine grain you are looking for, you can add the Purex Crystals and/or some of the baking soda in there as well. Depends on how good the blender is.
Step 3: Once the right consistency, dump half of everything and the blended Zote into a bucket and mix well. I just used a garage bucket lined with a garbage bag.
Last: Put in airtight container and use at your own discretion! 2 tablespoon per load for front loaders (just put it right into the drum with the clothes), 4 tablespoons per load for top loaders. It smells pretty, and is cheap!! I got about 190 loads for about 6 cents per load! Whoot!
That is a 6L sterilite container, full of homemade laundry detergent.
Recipe for full batch:
1 (4lb 12 oz) Box of Borax - detergent aisle
1 (3lb 7oz) Box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda - detergent aisle
1 (3lb) container OxyClean - detergent aisle
2 (14.1 oz) bars Zote soap (can use Fels Naptha as well) - detergent aisle
2 bottles of Purex Crystals (or 1 big bottle as seen in my picture) - detergent aisle
1 (4lb) Box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (or 2 2lb boxes) - baking aisle
1. Grate Zote soap (cheese grater, or microwave/blender method)
2. Mix all ingredients in a large bucket.
3. Use 2-4 Tablespoons per laundry load.
This is a forgiving recipe, so substitute at will. You can even leave out the Purex entirely and it would cut your cost in half or more, I just like the pretty smell. If you make it and use it, let me know what you think!
Now, to clean up my kitchen...should be easy since I have soap on the floor already!
