Low Cost Homemade Laundry Soap

I got this recipe from my church's women's group. I got to try out a wash with it and I'd say it did the job very well. I haven't mixed up a whole batch yet, as I still have laundry soap to go through first. The best part of this soap is that it costs a penny a load!

1/3 bar Fels Naptha
1/2 cup borax powder
1/2 cup washing soda
A small bucket, about 2 gallon size

Grate the soap and put it into a sauce pan. Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts. Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket. Now add your soap mixture and stir. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel. You use 1/2 cup per load.

Optional: If you want your soap to have a scent then add 1/2 to 1 oz of essential oil or fragance oil.

NOTES:
-The finished soap will not be a solid gel. It is more like a watery gel with the consistency of "egg noodle soup".

-The soap is a low sudsing soap. So if you don't see suds, that is okay. Suds are not what does the cleaning, it is the ingredients in the soap.

-Fels Naptha is an old-fashioned bar of soap usually found in the laundry aisle. If you can't find it, then use a bar of Ivory or Zote. If you use Ivory or Zote, then use the whole bar.

- Washing Soda is NOT the same thing as baking soda. Washing soda is sodium carbonate or soda ash (baking soda is sodium bicarbonate). It is a white poweder. Its purpose is to help remove dirt and odors. The brand to look for is Arm & Hammer Washing Soda. Look in your laundry aisle. You may have to check with a couple of stores to find it.

- Borax is a naturally occurring mineral: Sodium Borate. It is a white powder. Its purpose is as a laundry whitener and deodorizer. The brand to look for is 20 Mule Team. It comes in a 76 oz box. You should find this in the laundry aisle as well.

-I realized as typing this, I have no idea if this is safe for your pot. I assume it is, since it is just soap. I will double-check and ask and get back to you.