I got this recipe from the Mesa Cannery, but didn't think I would ever try it. Then my sister-in-law, Cicily, gave it to me and told me she was using it and it worked well. I looked up some stain removal comparisons online and it worked just as well as Tide. So, I tried it. So far, so good. It has a light smell in the bucket which is not bad or good, but your clothes come out without any scent. If you use fabric softener, that will be the scent your clothes take. I've been told that Tide is about 15 cents per load of laundry and this is about 1 cent per load laundry. I found all the ingredients at Walmart, but I hear the grocery store has them too.
1 bar Fels Naptha or Zote, grated
1 1/2 C Arm and Hammer Washing Soda
1 1/2 C 20 Mule Team Borax
1 five gallon bucket
Heat 12 C water in a pot and add grated soap. Stir until melted. Remove from heat and add washing soda and borax. Stir to disolve. Pour 8 C hot water in bucket. Add soap mixture and stir. Next add 2 gallons plus an additional 12 C of cold water and stir. Let sit for 24hrs. After 24hrs it will have a gel like consistency that needs to be seperated. The easiest way is to use your hands and break it up. It will look somewhat like egg drop soup.
