1- 5 gal. pail
1 Bar of Fels-Naptha soap (can also use Ivory or Zote)
1 Cup of Washing soda
1 Cup of Borax
Shred the bar of soap, melt on stove in about 2-4 inches of water (stirring constantly so it does not bubble over)
When shredded soap is melted pour in washing soda and borax. Be sure to continue stirring until it dissolves.
Remove from heat and fill a 5 gal pail half way with warm water. Add the soap mixture and stir. Fill pail to about 1 inch from the top with cold water.
cover tightly and let sit for 24 hours.
After it gels, stir it again (I use a paint stick)
Use 1/4 cup per load of laundry
1/2 cup for heavy soiled clothes
I put some in an old milk jug as it is easier to use that way. Just be sure to shake or stir before each use.
CAUTION: DO NOT USE PANS OR STIRRERS THAT WILL BE USED FOR FOOD
I use an old pan that is only used for soap making and a paint stick
Ran out of dish soap!!!
I was going right along getting household tasks done when I came to the dishes. In my search under the sink around the counters and in my spare products closet, I found no dish soap. There was no way to get to the store and I wasn't going to let them sit there all day so I grabbed a bar of bath soap (tone). I filled my tin bowl I use for a dish pan, soaped up my dishcloth and away I went. I rinsed in cool water know that the colder the water the better soap rinses off. Hmm so far so good. I came to my cast iron pans...Ha ha laughing at myself saying, Like this is going to work with no dish soap or scrubbers. What the heck, I'll give it a try and I'll know I made an honest effort. To my surprise, The food wiped off those pans with very little effort. A bit of scrapping here and there with my thumb nail on the cloth but nothing hard. Then I got to thinking, I hope everything won't taste like soap when we use them. I couldn't tell I used bar soap and no one who used them after said anything about their food or drinks tasting soapy or funny. My next thought was.......oh no, I hope no one gets diarrhea. To my surprise no one did.
I used the bar soap for a week and not one person complained about the tasting soap, smelling soap or any extra trips to the bathroom. On to week two with the same results. Week three was the same and I was still using the same bar of soap. That was about five months ago, I haven't bought dish soap since then.
A bar of Soap cost me about $1.00 a bar and lasts me about 4 to 5 weeks. A bottle of Dawn cost me $3.00 or more and last me about 1 week.
Now, I know that it works, I do not hide that I use bar soap (although I switched to Ivory). When someone sees me doing dishes with the bar soap and says they will not use the dishes because they can smell or taste soap. I crack a little smile and say, It hasn't bothered you for the last five months.
I will never go back to dish soap again. However, I do not allow folks to wash their hands or use the same bar that I use for dishes for any other purpose. That just doesn't seem right......LOL
Cleaning windows and mirrors
I have been using a bar soap for dishes and thought, if it works on the glasses we drink out of, why wouldn't work on other glass around the house?
I set out to wash my windows. I grabbed an old wash cloth, a bowl of water, a fresh bar of Ivory and an old dish towel. I got my washcloth wet, rubbed the bar of soap on it and washed the window (it looked like I made a huge mess at that point) I dunked the cloth and went over the window again. That was going to be my rinse although there was till soap left on the cloth and the glass. I thought oh well, I'll wipe it off with the towel and go get some window cleaner. To my surprise, The window had no streaks, spots or so much as a smudge on it. It was the cleanest I have ever seen my windows. On to the next one. I did all my windows in about an hour. With the window cleaner it takes a long time to get the streaks off the glass. This method was so easy and worked so good that everyone noticed how clean they looked. Even the cat could not tell there was a glass there when she leaped for a bird. LOL Poor kitty.
One more product scratched off my shopping list. I will never buy a chemical glass cleaner again.
These pictures were taken through the window cleaned with Ivory bar soap. We all know a camera picks up every little blemish.
