The Duggar laundry soap recipe is one of the many ways the frugal Arkansas family cuts costs. The famous family of 20's motto of "Buy used, save the difference" extends into their laundry room. The Duggars have developed a liquid and powdered laundry detergent recipe, either of which can drastically reduce any family's laundry costs.
Liquid Laundry Soap
This Duggar laundry soap recipe can be used on front or top-load machines. The recipe makes a total of 10 gallons of soap, translating into a total of 180 loads of laundry in a top-load machine and 640 loads in a front-load machine. When made, the soap is concentrated, requiring dilution prior to use. Concentrated soap can be stored indefinitely.
Ingredients
- 4 cups hot tap water
- 1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
- 1 cup Arm & Hammer super washing soda (not baking soda or detergent!)
- 1/2 cup borax
Preparation Instructions
- Grate the bar of Fels-Naptha soap; place in saucepan with water over medium-high heat. Stir soap constantly until dissolved.
- Fill half of a 5 gallon bucket (2.5 gallons) with hot tap water.
- Add melted soap from saucepan, washing soda and borax to bucket. Stir until completely dissolved.
- Fill remainder of bucket with hot tap water; let sit overnight.
- (Optional: add 10-15 drops of essential oil to two gallons of concentrated soap after it has cooled.)
- When ready to use, fill half of a clean laundry soap dispenser with the soap concentration and the other half with water. The two will form a gel.
Use Instructions
For a top load machine, use 5/8 of a cup per load of the diluted soap.
For a front load machine, use 1/4 of a cup per load of the diluted soap.
Powdered Laundry Soap
Despite using some of the same ingredients, the Duggar family's powdered laundry soap recipe is for use in top load washing machines only. The recipe produces three cups of detergent for use in approximately 40 loads of laundry, depending on how heavily soiled the clothing.
Ingredients
- 1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
- 1 cup Arm & Hammer super washing soda (not baking soda or detergent!)
- 1/2 cup borax
Preparation Instructions
- Grate soap or break into pieces; place in a food processor and blend until the entire bar is powdered.
- Mix the powdered soap bar and remaining ingredients together in a small bucket with a lid.
- Powdered soap can be stored in a dry area indefinitely.
Use Instructions
For heavily soiled clothes use two tablespoons of powdered soap per load. For lightly soiled clothes use one tablespoon. Do not dilute prior to use.
Save on Laundry Detergent
The little effort required to make these homemade laundry detergents and the fact that they can be stored indefinitely makes their savings even more significant. Their low per-batch and per-use costs make a significant reduction in any family's budget. Over time, these savings could become quite considerable, and all because of your creativity in the laundry room!
