I know, you probably think I have gone crazy now, making laundry soap. But, I love this stuff, and it is so cheap to make!
I was put off making my own soap for YEARS because I didn’t have any of the ingredients. However, now that I have these items, I find so many uses for them!
I find all of these in my local grocery store.
A helper to oversee the work is optional …
Homemade Laundry Detergent
Print this recipe!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup borax
1/2 cup washing soda
1 bar washing soap, shredded on a cheese grater
Essential oils: 10 drops tea tree essential oil and 10 drops lavender essential oil
Equipment needed:
Cheese grater
Large pot for boiling soap
A 5 gallon bucket (I got my 5 gallon bucket at my local hardware store)
First, take the bar of soap, and grate it with a cheese grater. This is the longest step of the whole process. Work those arm muscles! I have read that you can grate this in a food processor, but I have not had much luck with that.
It looks like cheese!
Just don’t grate your finger. It really hurts.
In a medium pot on the stove, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the shredded soap. Stir, stir, stir until it dissolves. It it doesn’t all dissolve, your soap will be clumpy, and who wants that!
When it has dissolved, add the borax and washing soda and stir well.
Pour into the 5 gallon bucket. Add enough water until the bucket is 3/4 full. Stir, stir, stir!
Bubbly!
Add the essential oils. This is optional — it can add a scent to your soap. I like tea tree oil has antibacterial properties, as well as antifungal. Plus, I like the smell of it! I also add lavender oil, because I love the smell of lavender, plus it is a calming smell. I use it in all my cleaning products!
Let the bucket sit for 24 hours, stirring occasionally. During this time, the soap will set up and gel.
After 24 hours, it is ready to use!
As you can see, I didn’t boil my soap “crumbles” till they were dissolved all the way, so it is a little clumpy. It is because of my grated finger!! I was a little impatient 
However, the soap still works great.
Use 1/2 cup per load of laundry. I keep a 1/2 cup measuring cup in the bucket to measure it with.
No joke, this bucket of soap will last me a year. A full 365 days! Now, I only have 2 people in my household, and maybe do 3-5 loads of laundry per week.
The bar of soap cost me $1 at my grocery store, and for the amount of borax and washing soda that is used – I consider that a minimal cost. I mean really, I don’t think this can be beat!
I have not had a problem with stains coming out in the laundry, but of course if you had some clothing that was heavily stained, you might want to use some other stain removers.
Reasons I love this soap:
1. It is cheap!
2. It lasts for-ever
3. I know what “ingredients” are being used in my soap
4. Did I mention how cheap it is?
Try it!!!
I have threatened to do this for years!!! The closest I came was to making my own hand soap, which never materialized. Helper???? Looks like he’s supervising to me.
haha, very true! He is a good supervisor. I think he was thinking, what the heck are you doing now and why aren’t you playing with me?
I’ve been making this for almost 3 yrs. Both my daughter and I have eczema and I have allergies from perfumes and chemicals. Since we been using this, our eczema is better and I’ve had no reactions from. Won’t go back to store bought ever.
On a side note, since this is so cheap, I make a double batch and take a couple of gallon jugs up to our local food bank. I always write on the jug instructions and that it makes no suds. I also attatch the recipe, with the cost break down, so they can make it again for themselves if they choose to.
That is so awesome, and such a great idea! I know my Mom also has problems with perfumes in laundry soap — I should try and talk her into making this!
I have been wanting to do this for a long time—thanks for showing how easy it is! I’m going to start collecting the ingredients so I can do it too
Awesome! Just don’t grate your finger like I did
Does this soap also work in a high effiency washer (he)?
I use it in our HE washer, and it works fine! It doesn’t make a lot of suds, so I think that is why it works well.