TreeGals Super Easy Powder Laundry Soap

One baby step towards a greener future? Homemade laundry soap. Anyone can do this. No joke. and by the way, its cheap!

There are a ton of recipes out there. This one is super simple, has only three ingredients, and costs about $12 max to make. That initial $12 will make one batch, after that it will cost you about $2 to make each ( about 5+ additional  batcs. Let me explain- You need three primary ingredients. Borax, Washing Soda- not to be confused with baking soda, and Soap. The first two ingredients can be found at most grocery stores (walmart,hyvee,county market) in the laundry aisle. The last item soap- you need a bar soap. There a few that are recommended. The best, I believe, is castile soap. Kirk's castile bar soap is readily available at places like walmart and hyvee. Dr. Bronners castile bar soap can be found at most health food stores. This is what I use. Currently I am using a baby mild version (baby R). You can also use Ivory I hear.

Yup, just three ingredients. Nothing scary. Here's a break down-

Washing soda-  , used as a water softener, it is  mined in several areas of the United States and provides nearly all the domestic sodium carbonate. Now, even though this is a mineral it can still be harmful if swallowed or can cause skin irritations if used improperly. Sodium carbonate.

Borax- Sodium borate, a laundry booster, naturally occurring in evaporite deposits produced by the repeated evaporation of  seasonal lakes. Also a mineral, also potentially harmful in large doses if ingested.

Castile soap- vegetable oil-based soap, as opposed to animal fat based soap (like most commercial products), most commonly a mixture of olive oil,coconut oil, and hemp oil, gentle on the skin.

Step 1- Grate your soap!

Grate your entire bar. FYI this s kind of hard work (hence the use of "The Muscle"). So be prepared, and get a good grater.

Next mix together the soap shavings, 1 cup of borax, and 1 cup of washing soda. Stir together until you have a thoroughly mixed powder.

And your done! That's it. Super simple. You use 1 tbs per load, for extra large loads or heavily soiled loads use 2tbs.So the initial $12 gets you a big box of borax and washing soda and one bar of soap. That batch should last  1 1/2-4 weeks depending on your family size and amount of laundry. Lately we've  have been using 2tbs per load (super spit up baby R with her reflux and Miss M has a super puke problem- ask me about it sometime) with our "heavy soil" and doing one-two loads per day. Ugh, when will the laundry end?! So one batch lasts us approximately 1-2weeks. for each additional load you will only need to buy a bar of soap. At least for your next 5+ batches.It beaks down to about $4 per batch give or take a couple dollars depending on brand and place of purchase for each ingredient.

Our laundry comes out super clean and soft (without the use of fabric softener). It just smells clean, not fragrant clean as I am using the unscented bar. Plus, no side effects on my family members- they all have super sensitive skin and can't use certain commercial brands.

Cheap, easy, fun, and better for your family! Give it a try! I'd love to hear your opinions.

*Tips-

1. Use a scented bar soap or mix of different scented soaps to find a smell you like

2. Add baking soda for additional cleaning power

3. Keep in an old coffee can or yogurt tub - even more eco friendly!