Making your own laundry soap under $5 for years of detergent

I decided to look at laundry soap options and found out lots of people are making their own. Most of us have the starter we acctually get for free or close to free... a bar of soap... they also have borax and washing soda (not sodium bicarbinate it has to be the washing soda) Here is the recipe with a youtube vid and this is way easier then couponing and spending hours trying to accumulate the laundry soap. For less then the cost of the tax on laundry soap we are all set up without spending time searching for deals or driving and spending gas to get the deals. You certainly don't have to do this but it is the best deal i have found and it doesn't take all that long.

Here are the directions with a recipe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arcCc...eature=related
Even if you don't do it the process is really interesting.

Neat idea, but I'm too lazy for that...LOL

Hmmmm, I'm very intrigued by this idea. I will watch the video later.

Might try this out sometime - thanks! :)

I didn't watch the video, but the recipe sounds like the one I used for a couple of years...works great and really only takes a bit of time. I'm sure when I first made it I did a calculation of the cost of ingredients used in the recipe (vs what I actually bought and was left over) and I'm sure the cost worked out to something ridiculous like $0.69 per batch...it was crazy.

I make my own soap, so for me the cost was way down. Now I normally just grate my own soap and use a tbsp of that alone or with some washing soda or borax or even baking soda (just depends on how lazy I am and the dirt/stink factor of the load :tongue:.) Always use a vinegar rinse when you use the homemade laundry deterg or soap though, it will remove any soap or soap residue from your clothes & washer leaving everything as clean as clean can be

I think i might try this when I get a chance :)

I've been making my own laundry detergent for a while now. It's awesome! When I run out all I have to do is mix a little bit more. I never have to worry about which one is on sale :)

I just mixed up a half batch using 3/4's of a bar of lever fresh scent soap (that worked out to 1 cup of graded soap and it was easy to grate and i did the fine shred so it would melt fast) and 1/2 a cup of borox (our water is really hard) and 1/ 2 a cup of washing soda (all were availible in superstore here) I have enough left to make at least 6 more batches and the bar of soap cost me .25 cents each... it will work out to under $2.50 for me to make 25 Liters of detergent... each load takes 125 ml and it works out to 200 loads in a normal top load machine and 400 in a HE.... now i just have to wait to see how it sets.. i will bottle it up before bed and get back to you guys. I will have no trouble shaking the bottles to get laundry done for a penny a load lol... tax would have cost more!

I may just have to try this - my laundry soap stockpile is quickly dwindling and this doesn't look as hard as I thought, so long as I can find the ingredients. Can't wait to hear others results.
Jax

I used to make this but now I cant find Borax

Cheeky....how'd this work?? Sounds interesting!

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Originally Posted by cheekysaver

I just mixed up a half batch using 3/4's of a bar of lever fresh scent soap (that worked out to 1 cup of graded soap and it was easy to grate and i did the fine shred so it would melt fast) and 1/2 a cup of borox (our water is really hard) and 1/ 2 a cup of washing soda (all were availible in superstore here) I have enough left to make at least 6 more batches and the bar of soap cost me .25 cents each... it will work out to under $2.50 for me to make 25 Liters of detergent... each load takes 125 ml and it works out to 200 loads in a normal top load machine and 400 in a HE.... now i just have to wait to see how it sets.. i will bottle it up before bed and get back to you guys. I will have no trouble shaking the bottles to get laundry done for a penny a load lol... tax would have cost more!

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Originally Posted by juniperjune

I used to make this but now I cant find Borax

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I've bought it before from Walmart - Have you already checked there?

Ok i am back with details... i had one success and one failure and the failure was user error lol

I found a bar of soap at the dollar store when i took my daughter and i liked the scent so i decided to try using a milk jug and just make up a small batch. I came home and graded up about 1/3 of a bar on the small grader (it was a 100 gm bar) i heated it in the microwave in a glass container with 1 1/2 cups of water and started with 1 1/2 mins and stirred and put it in for 30 seconds and stirred and repeated the 30 seconds until it was all melted. Then i poured it in the clean used milk jug and filled it half way up with water and added 100 ml of borax and 100 ml of washing soda and shook the crap out of it until it melted. Becareful to vent the jug often if you do this. Once it was all melty i added in cold water and capped it and put it in the laundry room over night. When i went back in the morning there was a seperation where the gloopy stuff was on top and i shook it up and it came out of the jug a little liquidy so i gave it a test run... a big test run... i did my room mates laundry ( he works at a auto salvage place and comes home totally covered in dirt and oil) I used just over 2 times the normal 1/4 i would use in regular laundry and it came out cleaner then if i had washed it twice and rinsed it a 3rd time with store bought soap. It didn't remove all the stains... honestly there is nothing that has ever been produced that will get these clothes looking new but this did the best job so far.

Now on to my bucket failure lol... i used too much water and not enough of the bar of soap... i measured using a fine grate and i should have gone more by the weight of the product then i ended up with a good 3 gallons of the soap made instead of the 2.5 gallons i intended to make... i have graded more soap and i will bring it up to temp then add in half that bucket to get it all hot and mixed again and see if i can fix it... i dunno... like i said... user error lol.

Now user error aside it leaves a few questions...

Diid it suds?... Not at all... the machine is a top load standard unit and it had no suds... that in no way effected the soaps abilty to clean.

Was it worth making? Yes it is more cost effective and works better and i found it rinsed considerably better then store bought soap. On top of that it is increadibly cheap. We make this for less then the cost of tax on a product we would have got free couponing and we don't have to go store to store and waste gas money.

Where to get the borax?... i found it at Walmart and at Superstore... it was $1 cheaper at Walmart.

Where to get the Arm and Hammer washing soda? ... Some find it at Home hardware and some find it at walmart ... walmart and superstore are a few blocks away from each other here so i went from walmart to superstore.

Total start up cost? The washing soda was $5 and the Borax was $5 and there are enough in the boxes to make 6-8 5 gallon buckets... that is 30- 40 gallons of soap. If you have free bars of body soap in your stock that is free... if not use some coupons and get a product you love the smell of.

Where can i get a 5 gallon bucket cheap?... try a bakery or restraunt... often they give them away.

Do i need to transfer it out of the bucket?...Do transfer into bottles asap after it has gelled. It is just easier to shake up a small bottle then to mix up a full batch before you use it.

Do i need to give it a shake every time?... yup you sure do... make sure the cap is on tight or you will have a mess on your hands! lol

Please feel free to ask if you have any more questions... i just awnsered the ones i had about the product before i made it.

LAUNDRY SOAP REPAIR!

Ok i messed up my first batch by not putting in enough bar soap... so i melted more in water and added a few cups of the mix and nuked it... once it was mixed i tossed it all in the bucket and wisked it together and right before my eyes it thickened.... so don't be scared to try this ... if it is too thick when you go to stir it... don't freak out... that happens... stir it up and wait to see what it looks like... too thick means you just add some water... to thin melt some more soap and fix it.... Everything about this recipe seems to be fixable if you mess up.

Ok i made a youtube of what the laundry soap looks like and why you need to shake it. I did this a day after bottling it so you guys can get a visual on what you end up with... it smells so good.... but when the washer is done all the smell is gone because it rinses so clean. As you can see in the vid it even works in a beat up old washing machine that fell down a set of stairs! LOL

http://youtu.be/YmGkxSHRzMY

very interesting!

i know there have been a few ladies who have shared 'recipes' like this over the years on SC, but i think this is the first time i've seen it!

i still have lots of $2 sunlight in the garage to go through! maybe when i'm done with that i'll try making my own ;)

Fascinating stuff OP! Thanks for the post.

I'd like to try making my own. I suspect I'd be the brunt of some jokes from my DH who would probably think I was totally nuts for doing it, but I think it would be fun to try nonetheless.

For me, the real perk isn't how darned cheap it is to make (although that's definitely a bonus); rather, the idea that I know what's going in my laundry detergent and therefore know what will be touching my skin is the bonus. I kinda worry a little bit about the chemically laundry detergents and cleaners we expose ourselves to on a daily basis.

Seriously... I've had days when Ive been at work and some of my students come to class and their clothes have reeked so strongly of Snuggle fabric softener that it's almost knocked me over and I've had to open windows to get rid of the smell. Sometimes I can practically taste the smell of it--and my goodness, that's from someone who doesn't have any allergies or reactions to scents. I can only imagine how people with allergies to scented products must react. It always makes me ask myself...can all these chemicals be good for us?

So making one's own laundry detergent....definitely something that's on my "to do" list now :)

Wow that's great :)...its cheap and cleans just as well :)

I am loving this stuff. I am going to get some more bottles and I will end up getting a 5 gallon bucket now that i know it works. I have decided to share with my disable neighbors that are on a limited budget. When i was couponing for detergent i felt like i had to hold on to it because i never knew when i would get a good deal again... This deal is endless so i can share the stuff and have no worries. It feels so good to be able to pass this on to others. If i can get enough empty laundry detergent containers together i will just fill them and keep them on hand.

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Originally Posted by ninna

For me, the real perk isn't how darned cheap it is to make (although that's definitely a bonus); rather, the idea that I know what's going in my laundry detergent and therefore know what will be touching my skin is the bonus. I kinda worry a little bit about the chemically laundry detergents and cleaners we expose ourselves to on a daily basis.

Seriously... I've had days when Ive been at work and some of my students come to class and their clothes have reeked so strongly of Snuggle fabric softener that it's almost knocked me over and I've had to open windows to get rid of the smell. Sometimes I can practically taste the smell of it--and my goodness, that's from someone who doesn't have any allergies or reactions to scents. I can only imagine how people with allergies to scented products must react. It always makes me ask myself...can all these chemicals be good for us?

So making one's own laundry detergent....definitely something that's on my "to do" list now :)

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I am quite highly allergic to snuggle...I break out into hives if I sit too close to someone who has the scent on their clothes.... Its pretty brutal. A lot of places, such as doctors offices, now have a "no scents" policy, so that saves me from gagging on perfumes, but people don't seem to consider their laundry detergents or shampoos as "scents"...I love people who "stink" aka, smell like actual people, not a bottle of chemicals! :lolsign:

I love the idea of making my own detergent. Must get up the actual ambition to do it!

I have been making this for years.Here's a little tip for mixing the gel and water together after sitting overnight , which can be a pain. Buy a paint stirring gizmo which attatches to an electric drill and voila, your detergent is mixed with very little effort.

I will be making some laundry soap thanks for the information.Do you realy need to use vinegar in the rince cycle? I just made a whole batch of homemeade bar soap so good there.

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Originally Posted by bluerose

I will be making some laundry soap thanks for the information.Do you realy need to use vinegar in the rince cycle? I just made a whole batch of homemeade bar soap so good there.

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That is personal preferance and it also depends on your water type. I did not use vinager i used downy... because i like it and i am not allergic to it... snuggle gives me rashes so i can't use it.

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Originally Posted by rockdweller

I have been making this for years.Here's a little tip for mixing the gel and water together after sitting overnight , which can be a pain. Buy a paint stirring gizmo which attatches to an electric drill and voila, your detergent is mixed with very little effort.

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Now that i have made it i will cheat forever more! lol... i add in the melted soap and washing soda and borox in the 1/2 a bucket of hot water... then i filled the rest with cold water to get it cooled off... and it worked and thickened right away... so it went right into the bottles.

I was thinking about making the dry one ? got my borax at Walmart, now all I need is the washing soda ,looks like you can make your own also so if I cannot find it thats what I will do,also on some utube videos people ar usuing oxiclean ? but thats a whitening agent just like borax. Thanks for the tip cheekysaver.

I've made my own dry mix for years using the same stuff: grated soap (I use sunlight laundry bar soap), borax, washing soda, sometimes baking soda too. I've still got free purex to use up, but once that's gone I think I'll try the liquid recipe. I found sometimes that the dry mix didn't all dissolve correctly.. Now I have to remember to save my detergent containers :) Great idea!

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Originally Posted by sweetproserpina

I've made my own dry mix for years using the same stuff: grated soap (I use sunlight laundry bar soap), borax, washing soda, sometimes baking soda too. I've still got free purex to use up, but once that's gone I think I'll try the liquid recipe. I found sometimes that the dry mix didn't all dissolve correctly.. Now I have to remember to save my detergent containers :) Great idea!

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Thanks for posting your experience with the dry mix. I was going to try it, but think I will instead try out the liquid.(After I am finished with all of the detergent I have on hand now.
It's a real pain when the soap doesn't dissolve correctly, because then you have to wash the clothes a second time to get the soap powder off of them.

I did try making my own fabric softener, which I haven't tried yet.
Really easy to make. I saw it on Pinterest.
If anyone wants to try it, here's what you need:

2 cups Hair Conditioner (I'm using Suave , one of the $1 Bottles from NF this week)
6 Cups hot water.
Mix these two together well.
Then add 3 Cups White Vinegar.

It makes 3/4 of a 4L milk jug.
Use 2 Tbsp in the fabric softener dispenser of your washing machine. I am guessing to that you add more water to the fill line the same as you would for any other fabric softener.
I will post later today how I find it works.

wow!!! i gotta do this. Thanks. Your post is providing info that will help alot of people.

I did try a tiny batch of the dry mix and i found that the dry was not as cost effective. It did have the advantage of being able to add oxy into the mix but over all the price was much higher. I think it is because you require more because the soap does not desolve as well.

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Originally Posted by dreamcatcher1962

Thanks for posting your experience with the dry mix. I was going to try it, but think I will instead try out the liquid.(After I am finished with all of the detergent I have on hand now.
It's a real pain when the soap doesn't dissolve correctly, because then you have to wash the clothes a second time to get the soap powder off of them.

I did try making my own fabric softener, which I haven't tried yet.
Really easy to make. I saw it on Pinterest.
If anyone wants to try it, here's what you need:

2 cups Hair Conditioner (I'm using Suave , one of the $1 Bottles from NF this week)
6 Cups hot water.
Mix these two together well.
Then add 3 Cups White Vinegar.

It makes 3/4 of a 4L milk jug.
Use 2 Tbsp in the fabric softener dispenser of your washing machine. I am guessing to that you add more water to the fill line the same as you would for any other fabric softener.
I will post later today how I find it works.

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I really want to try this when i run out of downy! Thank you so much for sharing!!!