DIY Laundry Soap

I’ve been meaning to make my own laundry soap for a while now and I finally did it.

It was so simple and so cheap. I can’t believe I didn’t do it sooner.







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Ingredients:

1 bar Fels-Naptha

1 cup borax

1 cup washing soda (this is NOT the same as baking soda)

Water

5 gallon bucket

Using a cheese grater, grate the entire bar of soap.

Dump your soap into a large pot. Add your borax and washing soda. Fill your pot with enough water to cover your ingredients (I used about a gallon of water.) Heat up your mixture, stirring constantly until your soap is dissolved.

Dump you mixture into your 5 gallon bucket and fill up the rest of the bucket with water. 

Put your lid on you bucket and let it sit for 24 hours. Stir again before each use.

I recycled some old detergent containers to store mine in and to make it easier to pour. A large glass or plastic drink dispenser also works great for storing your laundry soap in and it looks really nice to!

I use 1 cup per load and my clothes come out just as clean as with the store bought stuff. 

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20 thoughts on “DIY Laundry Soap

  1. I use the same recipe and products. This is my favorite diy laundry recipe.

    ~Mrs. Delightful
    ourdelightfulhome.blogspot.com

  2. I've been doing this for maybe 2 years I think? I LOVE it. It truly lasts forever! One thing I read was some people complain that their whites get dingy. Understandable because you don't have that "booster" like store-bought detergents have for brightening and such. I usually add a little scoop of OxyClean or Tide Stain Release to some of my loads (especially the loads where I know there are clothes that have gone through a lot, like the 3year olds heh). I so need to blog about this too 🙂

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  4. I'm all for $$saving! As the Fels Naptha melts in its pot on the stove, does it give an odor? Asthma trigger. And I have a high efficiency machine, requiring special formulas of commercial detergent. What about homemade? Don't want to flood the place with suds, lol.

    1. My recipe is basically the same as this, but it calls for diluting it again 1/2 and 1/2 again with water then using only 1/2 c per load & half that amt with an HE machine.

  5. @Janet Yes, it does have an odor when you are cooking. It smelled like the soap only 10 times stronger. You may look into using a different kind of soap if the Fels Naptha bothers you. My machine is also high efficiency. I did a lot of research before making this stuff. Since it does not suds up as much it should be safe to use. I've used it 3 times in my machine so far and it seems to be fine. I guess if you don't hear me complaining in the next few months about having to buy a new washer then you can assume it works. lol.

  6. Can't beat spending only a few dollars and have it last longer than the expensive store brands. Thanks for sharing. I would love it if you could link this up to our linky party going on right now.
    junkintheirtrunk.blogspot.com/2012/01/link-it-up-wednesday-10.html

    1. You can use Pink Zote Soap instead of Fels Naptha. It smells wonderful.

  7. I have been wanting to make this! Thanks! New Follower! Visit me at raisingdieter.blogspot.com/

    Shay

  8. I have been wanting to try this- maybe 2012 will be the year I finally do it! Thanks for sharing. Thanks for linking to Things I've Done Thursday.

    Melanie
    bearrabbitbear.com

  9. This is what I need for all the wash I do!!! and I have all those products in my house now! I am your newest follower..pls follow back if you can!

  10. I seen this recipe on the Duggar's TV show. and I was very hesitant to make it myself, but then I seen that my favorite resale store was selling this, I bought some to try it and I love it!!!! I will defenitely make this when my bottle is all gone.

  11. I use a similar recipe for laundry powder soap.Use 2 bar grated zote soap instead of the
    brand suggested here. Mix zote in with one box each of washing soda and borax. mix and store in powder form. Use 1-2 tablespoonper load of wash.

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