My Relief Society sisters at church taught us how to do homemade laundry detergent (plus other things I will share later). I was skeptical. We were able to take some home. I used it and loved it. Cleaned so well. It cost me only about 5.00 to make 5 gallons worth of laundry soap. That 1 small bar of fels-naptha soap made 3 batches of the recipe. Since I was making the soap I went ahead and made up 3 batches. I used 2 gallon buckets from Lowes. And 1 left over empty bottle of Clorox from the past. I was able to fill up a full Clorox laundry detergent bottle, and 2 – 2 gallon buckets. This will hold me a very long time.
The instructions are also on this website by TheFrugalGirls.com – so you should go there for more step by step instructions.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT LIQUID
What You’ll Need:
*1/2 Cup: Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda {not Baking Soda}
*1/2 Cup: Borax
*1/3 Bar of Fels-Naptha Soap {you could also use Ivory soap or Zote, but if using Ivory… use the whole bar}
*Bucket {2 gallon size or larger}
*Empty laundry detergent containers or bucket with lid to store detergent.
What You’ll Do:
Grate 1/3 bar of Fels-Naptha Soap (or you can cut soap into chunks then process in a food processor. Add soap shreds and 6 cups of water to a large pot or saucepan (Stainless steel pot works best because soap can affect some finishes). Heat over medium-high until soap dissolves and melts but do not let it boil. Add Washing Soda & Borax, and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside. Pour 4 cups Hot Water into bucket, then add Soap Mixture. Stir, then add 1 Gallon + 6 Cups of additional water. Stir. Transfer to a bucket with a lid, or pour into empty laundry detergent containers. Set aside, and let it sit overnight, or up to 24 hours, to thicken and gel up. Consistency and color will vary depending on your soap & water ~ it may be lumpy and watery… kind of like a watery gel, but it works great! Stir or shake before each use, as it will continue to gel. Most information on online says to use ½ cup for front loading machines and 1 cup for top loading machines but this can be adjusted depending on your water hardness and your personal preference. This is a low sudsing detergent and is safe for HE and do not be alarmed that you do not see suds—it is still cleaning.
I purchased all 3 soaps in the laundry aisle of Walmart.
I am really excited about the savings plus being able to make my own soap just makes me excited. I loved how it cleaned the load I used my sample on. I will never go back to the expensive stuff again 🙂
Both deaf since the age of 3, Chad and Mary Beth enjoy not only raising their little family but photographing together, cooking & crafting as well. Living in Central Florida with their ...
We found that if you buy liquid castile soap, you can cut you time and effort as well. You don’t have to either grate the soap or dissolve the soap on the stove. Just mix the liquid soap with the Borax and Washing Soda and you are good to go.
I love it too! I will never go back to the expensive either! 🙂