Be sure and read the recipe first, or the following won’t make much sense to you.

The one step that takes the longest is getting your Fels Naphta bar melted.  The recipe I came up with utilizes a crock pot, which is much easier than using your stove top.  Remembering that you should never bring the soap to a boil, it generally takes 6-8 hours in a crock pot to fully melt the soap.

So here’s sort of a “preemptive strike” type of solution to make it easier.  After you have your first batch of soap done and are using it, let’s go ahead and get our fels naphta bar ready for the next batch.

What you need:

• Crock pot
• metal mixing bowl that fits in the crock (optional)
• fels naphta bar
• 1.5 quarts of water

I use a metal mixing bowl that fits into my crock pot.  I find it easier to manipulate the soap, but this is optional.

First pour 1.5 quarts of water into your crock pot and set the bar of fels naphta into it.

If your crock pot has a “keep warm” setting, use this setting.  Let it sit overnight.  NEVER use the high setting or allow the mixture to boil.  You’ll have a nice yellow, bubbly mess if you do!

After the bar is completely melted, stir the mixture up really well.

Allow to cool completely, preferrably overnight.

The mixture will gel just like jello only a little thicker (see the spoon sticking up by itself?)

Now take a butter knife and slice the gelled up soap into even slices or squares or circles, however you feel at the moment.  Place them into a gallon-sized plastic storage bag:

Store in a cool, dry place.  The next time you are ready to make more laundry soap, it will only take you about five minutes to melt your fels naphta bar instead of 6 hours!

Ta da….