Homemade Laundry Soap

My Mother discovered the recipe for this homemade laundry soap.  I am excited to begin using it to see if it holds up to the claim of being capable of getting out tough grass and oil stains.  I love the idea of making this and having jars of it on hand.  It is supposed to have a longer shelf life than regular detergent.  The cost is the best part!  It costs less than five dollars per batch which yields 12 quart jars.  When you are ready to use it, you pour it in your laundry soap container, add two quart jars of water, and shake it up.  It can be used in high efficiency machines as well!

Coarsely grate two bars of Fels-Naptha soap into a 12 quart plastic dishpan, and then add 4 quarts of boiling water.  Stir until soap is dissolved.

Add 5 quarts hot water and stir in 2 cups of Borax and 2 cups of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda.

Once dissolved, add hot water to the dishpan up to a few inches from the top, stir and let sit overnight or 48 hours.

After the mixture has gelled, chop it into pieces with metal spoon; fill a mixing bowl with pieces of it and mix with a hand mixer until it reaches the consistency of mashed potatoes.  Repeat with remaining gel.

Disperse the blended mixture evenly among 12 quart canning jars.  Top off the jars with a little water, cover, shake and store.  This is the concentrated form of the soap.

To use it, mix one quart with two quarts of water and shake well.  Measure it with the same cup on your regular detergent and use slightly less for HE machines.