DIY Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap

After doing some simple math and googling, I learned how much cheaper homemade laundry soap actually is.  Depending on your location, most store bought laundry soaps cost anywhere fro $0.21 a load to even $0.45!  Of course, that isn't much until you count out the number of loads of laundry done in about a week.  Here, we do a load a day, so if I used the most expensive brand of soap in an expensive location, like, lets say, New York City, I'd be spending $3.15 a week on laundry, which again, is a very minimal number.  However, if I made my own soap, calculating the cost from buying the ingredients here comes to $0.05 a load.  No sense in paying so much when ten minutes of my time can save me a few bucks.  By ten minutes, I really do mean ten.  (No more than thirty if you're slow at making things.)  Now, to ice this awesome cake with a step by step tutorial which is pretty much a varied copy of the millions of different recipes you can find online for this stuff. 

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap:

Ingredients:

-1/2 c borax
-1/2 c washing soda
-1 bar of Ivory soap OR 1/3 bar of fels naptha  (If you wish to use any other soap, such as zote or dial, just use the whole bar like you would Ivory)
-LOTS of water
-At least a two gallon bucket.   (A triple batch fits perfect in a 30qt. rubbermaid tote)

Directions:

Step 1:

Measure out your ingredients.  Also, add 4 cups per batch of warm/hot water to your bucket. (In this step by step, my pictures resemble a triple batch.)  It is easiest to keep the flow of things moving and much faster to make the soap if all the measurements are made before beginning.

Borax and washing soda!

Step 2:

Grate/shred the soap into a saucepan.  Next, add 2 cups of water per bar of soap.  Heat on a medium temperature until the soap is melted and pretty much dissolved into the water.

Step 3:

Pour melted soap into the water in the bucket and make a few quick stirs to begin the mixing.  Next, slowly add the borax and washing soda.  Once these things are fully mixed together, being adding water, 4-8 cups at a time.  You will need to add 22 cups per batch at this point. ( Measurements for a double and triple batch will be listed at the end of the post. )

Notice how foamy and even everything is in this picture?  It should seem mostly mixed through. 

Step 4:

Lastly, you have to let it sit for 24 hours before you can use it.  (While I assume you could use it freshly made, I'm not too sure, so don't take my word.  If anyone has, please let us know if it worked fine.)

Once it has set, notice that the it looks separated into a gel and liquid.  Don't worry, it will still clean your launddry just fine, and this is totally normal.  A little piece of my subconcious always makes sure to have at least some gel and liqiud in each scoop for washing though.

This is kindof what it looks like completed.  This picture neglects to show the separation very well, but trust me, its there.



Tips and other things useful:

Each mediumish load takes about 1/2 cup of soap.  I generally just add 1/2 cup to every wash load, and it always comes out smelling clean.  A double batch lasted me two months.   

Also, feel free to add some lavender oil or other essential oils to your mix.  I personally would add them after the soap melts, before the borax/washing soda.  When I learn more about these oils, I will definitely post more details and benefits of adding them.

One last thing:  I wouldn't use this soap to wash cloth diapers.  Ivory soap builds up too fast on them, and will most likely lead to problems over time.  I've heard good things about cloth diapers and fels naptha, but I haven't tested this on my own yet. 

Measurements for a double batch:

1 cup borax

1 cup washing soda

2 bars Ivory soap OR 2/3 bars fels naptha

-Begin with adding 8 cups to bucket of water

-4 cups water in pan

-44 cups water after all ingredients mixed

Measurements for triple batch:

1 1/2 cups borax

1 1/2 cups washign soda

3 bars Ivory soap OR 1 bar fels naptha

-Begin with adding 12 cups to bucket

-6 cups water in pan

-66 cups water after ingredients mixed

May the soap work for you as well! 

Happy cooking!