I recently got an excellent deal on a brand new HE (high efficiency), front-loader washing machine. It’s awesome. It spins the clothes so well, that they hardly take any time to dry. It’s an energy and water-efficient machine and it makes my still old dryer that much more efficient (especially when I can’t hang laundry). That said, I received a lecture upon buying the machine from the salesman about using only HE-approved laundry soap. Needless to say, my five-gallon bucket full of powdered stuff from B.J.’s didn’t qualify. I must admit, as a newbie to the HE world – and the world of new appliances – I was very susceptible to the lecture. So, I purchased, much to my chagrin a name-brand laundry detergent that was for HE machines. It was $10 for a gallon. Now, granted…I can make a gallon last quite a while. I do 2 loads of laundry per day and we still have more than half the jug (after a few weeks). However, the fact that this gallon of soap cost me so much was infuriating. There had to be another way. I knew I could make my own laundry soap and save myself money.
After a bit of research, I found several recipes. These two seem, so far, to work the best.
Truth be told, when I lived in Vermont and was out of laundry detergent and didn’t want to travel 30 miles to get some, I would use just the washing soda – and maybe throw a small piece of bar soap in the mix (it actually works quite well).
But here are the recipes for actual detergent. Get the kids involved in the grating and the melting and have fun!
A quick note – if you are washing cloth diapers – add a 1/2 cup of vinegar to your wash for a little extra disinfecting/sanitizing power!
Liquid:
Hot water
1 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
1 Soap bar
* Grate the bar soap and add to a large saucepan with hot water. Stir over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
* Fill a 10 gallon pail half full of hot water. Add the melted soap, Borax and Washing soda, stir well until all powder is dissolved. Top the pail up with more hot water.
* Use 1/2 cup per heavy load, stirring soap before each use (will gel).
Powdered Laundry Soap:
2 cups Fels Naptha Soap (finely grated – you could also try the other bar soaps listed at the top)
1 cup Washing Soda
1 cup Borax
* Mix well and store in an airtight plastic container.
* Use 2 tablespoons per full load.
The savings? On average, homemade soap will cost you about 25-40 cents per gallon…
Veggiemomma says:
I make this laundry detergent you’ve listed here. It works great. You can also scent your vinegar with essential oils like lavender, grapefruit, or tee tree which actually add disinfecting power as well. The only problem is that bar soaps do coat your cloth diapers and build up which is not that great for cloth diapers. A rinse in vinegar can help this. Also, make sure to use soap without animal fat–like a glycerine soap.
24th March 2009 at 8:25 pm
Rogue Knitter says:
How long will the liquid laundry soap keep?
24th March 2009 at 4:58 pm
Mish says:
I honestly don’t know for sure – so maybe someone else can chime in- as I don’t have a lot of experience keeping laundry detergent for a very long time. However, I do know the liquid keeps just fine in a covered bucket for a couple of months – and the powder in an airtight container for at least that long, probably longer!
24th March 2009 at 8:10 pm
tiny step #6 - clean and green laundry « tiny footprints says:
[...] more about making detergent: planet green • frugal living • organically inclined • natural [...]
24th March 2009 at 8:45 pm
"Green" Isn't Always Green | Organically Inclined says:
[...] Make your own laundry detergent. Here’s the recipe. [...]
24th March 2009 at 10:26 am