Liquid Laundry Soap & Cloud Dough

Liquid Laundry Soap

You Will Need:

1 Box Borax ($2.99 at Walmart or Target–in the laundry aisle, or here)
1 Box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (NOT Baking Soda–$2.99 at local grocery store in laundry aisle, or here)
1 Bar of Fels-Naptha Soap ($1.56 at local grocery store in laundry aisle *May use IVORY or DOVE if needed*)
5-gallon bucket with lid (around $4 at Home Depot)
10 gallon milk jugs (or other containers) that have been cleaned and rinsed (the concentrate will disperse more evenly if you go ahead and divide it up.
 

To make 2 gallons of detergent you will need :

½ -1 cup Borax

1 cup washing soda
1  bar of Fels-Naptha Soap (Ivory or Dove can be used too)
2 gallons of water divided

Also Needed:

Grater
Large Saucepan

*OPTIONAL:  Essential Oil Drops for fragrance

*If you could not find the washing soda OR the Fels-Naptha soap at either Walmart or Target.  Look at your local grocery store IN THE LAUNDRY AISLE.
 
*Grate the entire bar of the Fels-Naptha soap.
*Put in a pot with 4 cups of hot water.  Stir continuously over medium-low heat until all of the soap flakes have dissolved and melted (about 10 minutes).
*It should be slightly foamy with no “chunks” or flakes to be found.
*Fill a 5-gallon bucket half-full of hot water.
*Pour in the soap mixture.  Add 1 cup of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda and 1/2 cup Borax.  Stir.
*My husband happened to have a paint stirrer that goes on his drill, so that helped.  But if you don’t have one of these, just use the end of your mop (or something that can reach to the bottom of the 5-gallon bucket).
*Fill the rest of the 5-gallon bucket with water until it is full.  Stir again.
*Cover and let it sit overnight.
*When you open the top up the next day, it should have gelled and thickened slightly.  Stir again.
*Use a funnel to fill a clean laundry detergent container (or gallon-size milk jug) and fill it HALF way with the soap mixture.  Fill the other half with water and shake.
 
Optional:  Attach a homemade tag using packing tape (especially if giving as gifts)

Grand Total:  $11.54 for 640 loads (180 loads in a top-loading machine).  That’s a little more than 1 cent a load!  And the savings are even greater the next time you make this because the only thing you’ll have to buy is the Fels-Naptha soap bar!

NOTE: On the second batch that I made, I wanted the concentrate to be more evenly distributed, so I just saved up our gallon milk containers for a couple weeks and then measured out 8 cups of soap and 8 cups of water, making sure to mix well after filling each gallon.

Cloud Dough

You will need :

8 Cups of Flour

1 Cup of Baby Oil

Mix & enjoy playing J