Homemade Laundry Detergent

A few years ago, in my continuing quest to keep household costs down, I decided to try making our own laundry detergent. I asked some of my frugal friends with large families what they do, and they pointed me to this recipe. I use it a little differently than is recommended in the original recipe, so I will share ours here.

Taking photos for this tutorial was the first time Abbie made laundry soap. The only thing I did (besides teach her) was move a large pot of boiling water. Put your kids to work moms! <high five>

What You’ll Need

• 1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
• 1 cup washing soda
• 1/2 cup borax
• water
• large pot (not for food use)
• large wooden spoon
• 5 gallon bucket
• a yardstick

Directions

Start by grating the laundry bar completely. Even younger kids can do this. I am partial to the grater in the photo (from Ikea) because it completely contains whatever is grated – no gigantic mess on the floor.

Put your grated soap, along with 4 cups of water, into the pot.

Slowly heat, stirring all the while. We used a metal spoon, which is not really advisable, because of the heat transfer to the metal. Go with wooden.

When the soap has completely dissolved it will look like this:

Remove your pot from the heat, and put some hot water (just from your sink, no need to boil this) into the bucket. We fill it about half way.

This is the time when playful folks might, just might, get their mother and siblings (and self) a tiny bit wet.

“Knock knock”

“Who’s there?”

“John.”

“John who?”

<spray closest human>

“John the Baptist!”

After you towel everything and everyone down, pour the hot melted soap (this is an adult job), borax and washing soda into the bucket.

Stir and stir and stir. I find a yard stick works ideally for this.

When it all is dissolved into one big yellowy liquid, fill the bucket with more water, almost to the top. Note how Abbie is aiming the spray at the side of the bucket. This is to reduce bubbling.

But some bubbling will happen no matter what.

Give your concoction another good stir, put the lid on securely (especially if you have little ones or pets around) and just let it sit, for oh, about 12 hours or so. It will get very thick.

When the laundry gloop has had its rest, take the lid off and stir it yet again. This may require adult assistance. For sure, you’ll want an extra person to keep their hands on the bucket while it is being stirred, because if that big ol’ thing tips over it will take more than a towel to clean up. Your house will smell nice though. And your floor will be really really clean. Which is about as silver as the lining of that cloud is going to get, if you know what I mean.

I used to add essential oils, but I don’t any more because I like the smell of the soap as-is just as well (and not using oils makes it even less expensive.) If you’d like to try it with oils, my favorites were orange oil and ylang ylang. I think they both have a nice fresh smell.

Here is where what I do diverges from the original recipe. I don’t cut this mix with water, but just use it at this point. I keep it in the big bucket next to my top loading washer, with a cleaned-out tuna can on top for the scoop. A tuna can works out to about 2/3 c. to 3/4 c. each load. (I am not especially careful with the measuring, just scoop and dump.) I find I need that much with our hard water. If the load is extra stinky (farm clothes in summer!) I will add some baking soda as well.

Periodically I’ll give the bucket another vigorous stir (it will separate a bit over time,) but I don’t really have a problem when I just scoop it straight off the top, even if it is sort of thick in some spots and thin in others.

There you go, a very forgiving, and economical laundry detergent recipe! I spend about $1.50 on supplies, with a five gallon yield. Pretty good I’d say!