Homemade Laundry Soap is a Winner!!

I am so excited about this! It is a HUGE, HUGE, money saver, it works and it does not take long to make.

Oh my, did we ever put this stuff to the test! We went camping and it rained, a lot. Towels, bedding and clothing ranged from damp to soaking wet. Dirt stuck to everything. You can search "homemade laundry soap" on line and find this same recipe, and other people's reviews of it, but here is mine.

The test: I mixed the detergent in advance and had it waiting when we got home. I washed everything and have been pleased with the results. I wouldn't say it is any better or worse than what I buy at the store, but it is A LOT CHEAPER (love that!). I really evaluated this stuff for you. I sniffed things coming out of the washer that only a mother would sniff! Everything smells and appears clean. The soap, once mixed, smells like soap, but the clothes, once cleaned and dry, just smell clean. They don't have that laundry soap smell. Personally, I prefer that, but you can add essential oil (see recipe below), to create a particular smell. I am going to add some in the future and try it out.

The cost: THIS IS A HUGE MONEY SAVER! To create two gallons of this mixture, it cost me approximately $1.43 (I am still gasping at the savings!!!). I have done the math and will spare you the details. I spent $12.12 on the ingredients. This provided me with enough ingredients to last about a year, with the exception of the bar soap. I am estimating that I will be able to keep my laundry soap cost under $20 for the entire year. (HUGE savings!!! - sorry, I am getting carried away here)

Is it easy to make? Yes! It will take you about 15 minutes to make 2 gallons of soap. You could easily double it and not have to do it as often. There are some notes about the ingredients listed below. Be sure and take a look. It will help you find these things in your store. I came up with a great dispensing method that will avoid having a big bucket of this stuff sitting around. It is also detailed below.

So, here is the recipe: 1 bar of mild soap (Ivory, Kurt/Castille, Zote), 1/2 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda, 1/2 cup Borax, 1 Tbs essential oil

In large saucepan (it is OK to use a pan you cook in), grate the bar of soap with a cheese grater. Add 6 cups of water. Stir over medium heat until soap dissolves. Stir in washing soda, Borax & essential oil. Mix well. Pour mixture into 5 gallon bucket. Stir in 4 cups of hot water. Stir. Then add one gallon plus 6 cups of water to mixture and stir again. Mixture will be watery. Let it sit overnight to thicken. Use 1/2 cup per load. Stir before using!

Here are my side comments:
Ingredients: I found all these items at Kroger. These items aren't high demand items, so they may be on top or bottom shelves. You may have to ask. I tried Wal-Mart. They had the Borax, but not the washing soda. I did not look for the bar soap there. Do not confuse Arm & Hammer washing soda with A&H baking soda - same company, different products. A&H Washing Soda will be on the laundry soap aisle. Essential oil is a little harder to track down. Places like Whole Foods, Central Market or health food stores carry it. The price will vary, but may run $8-$12 per bottle. Remember, a little goes a long way. A bottle may last you 2 years or more. Scents you might try are lavender, lemon or geranium.

Mixing: This stuff is as thin as water when you first mix it. Even 24 hours later, mine was still pretty thin. After sitting a couple of days, it begins to thicken. I would describe the final product as a thin, lumpy gel. Plan on mixing it a couple of days before you will need it. I mixed it in a pot that I normally cook in & used my regular cheese grater. This won't hurt anything. Just wash & rinse well when you are done.

Dispensing: Storing it in a bucket in my laundry room isn't really ideal for me. I rinsed out the last bottle of laundry soap I had used. Using a funnel, I poured some of the mixture into this bottle, which is much easier to handle than the bucket. I shake the container each time before dispensing. I still use the lid on the bottle to measure my detergent. You want to use 1/2 cup per load, so measure on your lid and see where that is. I store the remaining liquid in the bucket, in the garage. Keep a tight lid on it so that a small child doesn't fall in head first. The lid that came with my bucket ($5 at Wal-Mart) is very difficult to remove. That is a good thing.

Front loader/Top loader: I am using this in my front loader. Due to the slightly lumpy consistency, I am pouring it directly on the clothes as opposed to using the dispenser. It has caused no discoloration or white film on my rubber seal (this can be a problem with some detergents not designed for use in a HE washer). Even though it is an HE washer, I am still using 1/2 cup. The person who shared this with me uses a top loader, so either way will work.

I definitely recommend this soap. It works well, is easy to make and saves you tons.

Coming soon, a recipe for homemade dishwasher soap. The dishwasher is running as I type. I will let you know how it turns out.