So much Laundry!

     It's turned out to be a great blessing that we took on the challenge (not really a challenge) of making our own laundry soap (recipe to follow). It's really come in handy to have 5 gallons of laundry soap that only took a couple dollars to make. I have been doing an insane amount of laundry recently in preparing for the baby's arrival and just to clean up. I have bags upon bags of baby clothes that have been given to us from friends & family that all need to be washed. (they may not actually need to be washed, but we are a sensitive skin household so I'd rather not take the chance)

     This morning I was lucky enough to find 2 large bags of Tristan's baby clothes that had been soaked in a recent basement flood. They do not smell the best so we're trying our luck at getting them clean. I've still not been able to get my hands on the 2 huge tote containers that are housing tons of other baby clothes of Tristan's. Hopefully I'll be able to get Steven to pull those out for me tonight. 

      I really hate our basement/ laundry room right now. It could be because sewage can seep up out of the floor drain every time it pleases, but it could also be the clutter and extreme lack of organization. I would love to have a laundry space that looked clean and where I could actually feel comfortable folding clothes, hang them up, or iron them. Maybe somewhere I wouldn't be totally disgusted to take the baby and let it sit in a swing while I tended to the household chores. But for the moment, until we get MSD to install the sump pump and back flow valves, it's really pointless for us to even clean up much.

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap
1 bar Fels Naptha
1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
1 cup Borax

The initial investment will run you about $15.
You will need a new clean 5 gallon bucket

First thing you need to do is grate the bar of Fels Naptha. You will place this in a stock pot with water and heat until it is all dissolved.
Next you will add your cup of Borax and Washing Soda. Heat until this is dissolved as well.
Take this mixture and pour into your 5 gallon bucket. Fill the rest of the bucket with warm tap water. Mix well and let sit overnight.
The next morning it's ready to use. The mixture may separate a bit, but all you need to do is stir it up. I like to store mine in a old laundry soap bottle that I rinsed out really well. For me this is much easier than scooping out a half a cup at a time from the bucket and putting in the wash. This laundry soap has been great with my front loading washer as it's low suds.