Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Homemade Laundry Soap

DSC00251
This recipe is loosely based on the Duggar’s Laundry soap recipe. it is very easy to make and you can make 10 gallons from just a few ingredients. To get started it cost me $8.31 with tax at my local Wal-Mart. I Will be able just to by the $0.97 bar of Fels-Naptha soap for the next few batches I have to make because the other ingredients will provide enough for at least 15 batches of soap. 
4  Cups - hot tap water
1  Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax
DSC00236
It really does smell very good.
DSC00237
DSC00241
First you have to grate the soap using the largest side of your box grater.
DSC00239
The Girls said it looked like either cheese or noodles.
DSC00240
Then you add the 4 cups of water to a pot and add the soap shavings. They girls loved helping with each of these steps.
DSC00242
Heat it on Med heat and stir constantly (being careful not to let it boil over) until all of the soap is melted.
DSC00245
Make sure that you purchase Super Washing Soda, Baking soda will not work.
DSC00249
Meanwhile prepare a 5 gallon bucket half-filled with hot tap water. Add the Borax and Washing Soda, stirring until it is dissolved.
DSC00244
Pour in the melted soap mixture and fill bucket to the top then,  stir until well combined. Let it sit until it cools and then package it in storage containers. I used recycled containers that I keep that have been run through the dishwasher. To use mix with equal parts water, and only use 1/2 cup per load of laundry. Always remember to shake it up before you use it because it will get thick.

18 comments:

Unknown said...

So that's how you make liquid soap! I use the same ingredients but pulse them in the food processor until they make a powder--no water added. I use about a rounded tablespoon per load and it lasts forever! Yay for homemade soap!

Just Jaime said...

Cool! Thanks for sharing. I had no idea!

Anonymous said...

where did you get the borax from!?

Anonymous said...

thanks a lot for the info! :) and thanks for letting me know about me email issue!
Have a great day!

Beth@Wiccan Make Some Too said...

Wickedly awesome idea! Love it. It is a great feeling to create something you can use for your whole family. An added plus is that you know what is in the soap you are washing your family's clothes in. Following your blog now.I would love for you to show this off at my Wickedly Crafty Saturdays! http://wiccanmakesometoo.blogspot.com/2011/07/wickedly-crafty-saturdays.html

Jen @ tatertotsandjello.com said...

Wow - that is awesome! Thanks for sharing it with us!

I featured it on my TT&J facebook page and linked to you :)

xoxo
Jen

Tasha Anderson said...

visiting from Act Different Be Normal thanks sooooo much for this soap recipe. I will for sure be making this! Stop by and check out some other homemade cleaners I like to make!
http://www.frugaliciousme.com/2011/07/totally-tasha-tuesday-upcycled-ts.html

Xoxo,
Tasha

Tasha Anderson said...

visiting from Act Different Be Normal thanks sooooo much for this soap recipe. I will for sure be making this! Stop by and check out some other homemade cleaners I like to make!
http://www.frugaliciousme.com/2011/07/totally-tasha-tuesday-upcycled-ts.html

Xoxo,
Tasha

Rhonda said...

I would love to try this. Do you know if it will work in high efficiency front end loaders?

Abby said...

Super neat! I'll have to give this a go...thanks for sharing!

Megan said...

Rhonda: any soap that does not lather a great deal can go into HE washers. This soap recipe, both wet AND dry, qualifies. I have used it successfully in mine for a very long time.

Kristin Silva said...

I've been doing this for about two years now. It comes to about $0.48 a gallon. I also add about 1 tablespoon of Mrs.Stewart's liquid bluing to the entire mix and it helps whites from getting dingy looking.

Anonymous said...

I've been making my own laundry soap for about 2 years now. I make a powder of Borax, Arm and Hammer, and Oxy Clean and put it in an old ice cream bucket and shake to mix! Easy, works well, and last forever!!! Only bad side is I can't use it on my cloth diapers (but my friend who shared the recipe with me does and has no problems). What a resourceful way to save money! Great post!

Sabrina Lopez said...

Thanks for sharing!
I will give it a try and let u know.
Dropping by form Funky Junk Blog.
Your newest follower :)

Babblin' Brooke said...

I'm excited to try this! I could always use good recipes for things like this to help me save $$.

Would love for you to visit my blog if you get a chance.

http://babblin-brooke.com

Jamie @ DIY Home Sweet Home said...

Thank you for the recipe. Do you think this would work on Energy Efficient machines as well? More the Merrier Monday will be open until Wednesday at midnight. I would love for you to stop by and link up your laundry soap. http://diyhshp.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

@Jamie - if you go to the Duggars website and look at her recipes, you'll see that she makes this for HE washers. You would only use 1/4 cup per load. It really does work wonders, and I suggest using her fabric softener idea as well.

Anonymous said...

Do you put half cup water and soap or just half cup soap?



Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Ebates Coupons and Cash Back