DIY Laundry Soap – Good Clean Fun
Making your own Laundry Detergent is much cheaper and easier than you might think. And it’s just good, clean fun!
Makes
10 Gallons
Washes:
640 Loads
Cost:
Approx $2/Gallon
Active Work Time:
About an hour
Inroduction
About this Recipe
Making your own Laundry Detergent is much cheaper and easier than you might think. And it’s just good, clean fun! Once you have the ingredients, a few simple tools (like the bucket), subsequent batches are even cheaper. It’s also a very flexible recipe. If you add too much of something or don’t have an ingredient, it’s fine, it will all come out in the wash.
Ingredients
- 1 bar of Zote Soap
- 3 cups Borax
- 3 cups Washing Soda
- 1-2 cups Baking Soda
- 1 cup Oxygenated cleaner, I use Biokleen Oxygen Bleach plus, safe for colors
- 1/4 cup Vegetable Glycerin
- Hot Water
- Essential Oils – I like Purify and Lemon – I use about 100 drops of each. You can use more or less, depending on your preference.
You can use other soaps. I want to try Kirk’s castile soap next time, but I think I will need to use 3 bars to have the same amount of soap. Borax is very alkaline and helps get stains out and makes your whites whiter. Baking Soda helps eliminate odors and helps soften clothes., while washing soda softens the water which helps the detergent lift the soil and clean the clothes.
Tools You Will Need
- 5 or 6 gallon bucket
- Long stick (like a paint stirrer) or a wooden spoon
- Paint Stirrer attachment for a drill
- Large funnel – I found mine in the automotive dept.
- Grater
- Large pot
- Rubber gloves
- 10 1 gallon containers – I used recycled Vinegar bottles
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Heat 6 cups of water in a large pot on the stove to almost a boil. Add the grated soap to the pot of water and stir till completely dissolved.
Step 2
Add the Borax and stir to combine. Pour this mixture into the 5 gallon bucket.
Step 3
Add a couple of gallons of hot tap water to the soap mixture, stirring well. Add the washing soda, and the remaining ingredients, stirring well till everything is dissolved.
Step 4
Add hot tap water to fill the bucket to the 5 gallon mark, stir well to combine. This is your detergent concentrate. Let sit overnight or at least 8 hours to cool.
Step 5
Stir again. Divide evenly amongst the 10 containers and top each with water. Shake to combine.
