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I’ve been making homemade laundry soap off and on for about 15 years now. I don’t always make my own laundry soap, but when I do this is my favorite recipe. I buy laundry soap when it is on sale and when I can use a coupon on top of the sale. I rarely pay more than $2 a bottle when I do buy it.

This recipe makes 5 Gallons, it’s really easy to make and use. You can cut the recipe in half if you don’t want to make so much.

Making your own laundry detergent is super frugal: 
Fels-Naptha – 75¢ a bar
Arm and Hammer Super washing soda (55 oz) – $3.50 a box = cost per cup 58¢
Borax (65 oz) – $4.01 a box = cost per cup 50¢
That breaks down to $2.05 for 5 gallons of laundry soap. 

Homemade Laundry Soap

What you need:

• • Large Sauce pan – 4 cups boiling water
  • Cheese grater or food processor
  • 1 Bar Fels-Naptha soap or approx. 5 oz. Zote Soap, Castile or Ivory Soap
  • 1 cup Arm and Hammer Super washing soda
  • 1 cup Borax
  • 5 gallon bucket / Hot Water

• INSTRUCTIONS

  -Heat 4 cups of water until boiling.
  -While water is heating grate your preferred bar soap ( use a cheese grater or food processor) and add to the boiling water. Stir continuously over medium/low heat until soap dissolves and is melted. I have used both Fels-Naptha and the white Zote soap, they both work really well. The Zote soap is a little softer, easier to cut and melts faster in boiling water. You can also purchase the Zote soap in the flakes so you don’t have to grate it.
  -Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full with HOT tap water, washing soda and borax, stir well until all powder is dissolved. Stir in the hot melted soap mixture.
  -Fill the bucket the rest of the way with hot water, stir, cover, and let sit overnight to thicken.
  -The next day it should be lumpy with a partial gel like consistency, stir well. The finished soap will not be a solid gel. It will be more of a watery gel.

• 
  You can add a few drops of essential oil for scent if you like. Another option is to add 1 cup Oxi-Clean as a cleaning booster. Fill old laundry detergent containers, cleaned milk jugs or whatever empty containers you prefer.
  -Shake well before each use. Use about 1/4 to 1/2 cup per load. Safe for HE Machines, the requirements for HE machines it that it is a low sudsing which this is. If you have hard water you may want to add white vinegar to your rinse cycle, just add 1/4 cup in your softener cup. 

• 

  Print Recipe

  Homemade Laundry Soap

  Ingredients

  • 4 cups boiling water
  • 1 Bar Fels-Naptha soap or approx. 5 oz. Zote Soap, Castile or Ivory Soap
  • 1 cup Arm and Hammer Super washing soda
  • 1 cup Borax
  • 5 gallon bucket / Hot Water
  • essential oil for scent (optional)

  Instructions

  • Heat 4 cups of water until boiling.
  • While water is heating Grate your Preferred bar soap ( use a cheese grater or food processor) and add to the boiling water. Stir continuously over medium low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
  • Fill your 5 gallon bucket half full with HOT tap water, add washing soda, and borax and stir, add melted soap mixture, stir well until all powder is dissolved.
  • Fill the bucket the rest of the way to the top with hot water, stir, cover, and let sit overnight to thicken.
  • The next day it should be lumpy with a partial gel like consistency, stir well and fill old laundry detergent containers, cleaned milk jugs or whatever empty containers you prefer. You can add a few drops of essential oil for scent if you like.
  • Shake well before each use. Use approx. 1/4 cup per load. If you have hard water you may want to add 1/4 cup white vinegar to your rinse cycle.

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