Laundry Day...Soap Recipes

Well, today was supposed to be laundry day but I ended up having to run some errands outside the house today. I did manage to make my soap however.

I have been making my own laundry soap for about 3 years now and I have only had to make about 5 batches. Yes, you read that right. Each batch normally lasts me around 6 months or so and this last batch lasted 8 months!

Most ask, "Why make your own soap?"

There are several reasons I make my own:

1. Skin sensitivity - my daughter and I have sensitive skin. We tend to break out from items that have too harsh chemicals or fragrances.

2. Cheaper! - It is much, much cheaper to make my own than to buy it from the store.(I will break down the price below.) If I purchased the skin sensitive detergents I would pay an arm and a leg!

3. It is easy! - When I first entertained the idea of making my own laundry soap I thought, "There is no way! It has to be hard!" Boy, was I wrong. It took me about 30 minutes from start to finish the first time and now it takes me about 15-20 depending on distractions and this is because I hand grate my soap. If you have a food processor you can cut that time even shorter.

4. I feel accomplished - it feels good to know that I can! I can create something that we came to rely on a manufacturer to create. I get great pride and accomplishment in being able to do these "simple" things for my family. I save us money and I create a product just as good if not better than what is in stores and I am keeping my daughter and I from having to struggle with outbreaks due to the harsh chemicals in the "regular" detergents in stores.

Basic Ingredients List:
1/3 bar Fels Naptha or other type of soap
1/2 cup washing soda
1/2 cup borax powder

Now if we break down the costs:
Box of Washing Soda - $3
Box of Borax Powder - $4
Bar of Fels Naptha or other soap - $1

This is a rough estimate so at this cost your basic ingredients will cost you $8. That is about the same price if not cheaper than a small bottle of a certain named brand detergent. The plus to this is you can easily get roughly 3-5 batches if not more out of these supplies (you will have to buy more bar soap). My initial purchase of ingredients lasted me 3 batches and each batch lasted me 6 months or so. So roughly $10-$15 (including tax) for a year and a half worth of soap. I would say it is definitely worth it!

This is the base recipe that I use. This recipe will give you a 2 gallon container of liquid soap. The modified version that I use is enough for a 5 gallon bucket. You can get a bucket from a hardware store for about $2-$5 or you can sometime even get them for free from a local bakery if they have empty buckets.

My ingredient list is:
1 full bar of soap (I actually prefer Zote soap but use Fels Naptha often too)
2 cups washing soda
2 cups borax powder
Essential oils

While the washing soda and borax powder seem a lot it is a easy formula for me to remember and does a great job on the clothes.

Which ever recipe size you use the follow instructions will basically be the same:

1. Grate the soap. Now, I tend to hand grate while watching TV or something but if pressed for time a food processor will lessen your time significantly. I used one today and it took about 2 minutes to cut and grate a full bar of Fels Naptha.

Grated soap

2. Boil 6 cups of water for smaller recipe or 12 cups
for my recipe.

3. Add soap and stir until melted.

4. At this point, I turn the stove to medium heat and add the washing soda and borax.

Stir until dissolved and remove from heat. (If using essential oils this is where I add it, depending on the oil and strength of scent I want I add anywhere between 20-30 drops, this sounds like a lot but the scent dissipates some when diluted with the water.)

5. Pour 4 cups of hot water if using small recipe/ 8 cups if mine into your bucket.

6. Pour the soap mixture into the bucket. Then fill the rest of the bucket with warm tap water. (I usually stop 3-5 in. from the top)


7. Stir well and cover. Let sit over night or 24 hours.

snotty mixture

When done it will be gel like and has often been described as looking "snotty". This is normal.








I put mine in a water container (see ingredient pic) that I found at Walmart for $3 and use it to hold smaller amounts at a time while "hiding" the bucket in a corner of the pantry or closet, out of the way.

On average I use 1/2 cup per load and rarely ever need more. This is HE washer safe and is a low/no sudsing soap.




For those interested in dry recipe:
2 cups grated soap
1 cup washing soda
1 cup borax powder
 (This recipe is very easy to increase, just double or triple for a bigger batch, I do notice that I tend to go through the dry faster than the liquid)

Also, when using dry you only need about 1-2 Tablespoon/s per load.

Mix together and put in a storage container (an old coffee container works well, I keep mine in a Mason Jar.) If you intend to use a dry recipe I recommend using a processor or grating finely so you do not get chunks of soap in the wash. You can also add essential oils to this...mix well so it does not clump. Usually when I do dry I do not add oils to the soap but will add a few drops (3-5) to the wash before adding clothes.


Well, hope this helps those interested and if you have any questions feel free to ask. It is a lot easier than it seems and you can add any essential oils you want for any scent you want. Let me know how it goes.

Happy Laundering!