Sunday, July 3, 2011

DIY laundry soap





believe it or not this is very simple
simple ingredients
simple savings
simple process
I just love to beat the system of consumerism and packaging




Laundry Soap Recipe




1 cup washing soda
1 cup borax
1 bar fels naptha soap (or 2 bars of ivory soap)




finely grate bar soap by hand or with your cuisinart
combine all ingredients
use 2 tablespoons per wash load




it is about 5 cents per load, compared to 25 cents or more for store bought detergent

13 comments:

teresaS said...

And it works great! My niece has two little ones and she says it gets clothes very clean. It's funny that you posted this today. Just this week a friend of mine was making this!

Yvonne said...

I make this very similar recipe with my homemade soap. I love using it and it gets the clothes very clean and they smell great too.

Elizabeth said...

And it really works? I've been using Seventh Generation liquid clothes detergent for a while now; it's the only one that I've found to clean as well as the big, bad chemical ones. Where do you find naptha soap?

Becca said...

How cool is that! Love it!

sukipoet said...

great. isnt borax soap plus borax? I am never sure what washing soda is, but you use that too when breaking down some plant fibers to make paper with.

Unknown said...

E, the fels naphtha is heavily scented and I may use ivory next time, but I found it in the detergent aisle right next to the borax and washing soda.

Suki, from what I understand, borax is a mineral salt that helps soap do it's soap thing by softening the water. The washing soda does that too.

I just know it works great, I use less, and I am so happy to not be buying big boxes or bottles every couple of weeks.

Renee Howell said...

Kimmie - you amaze me. We have one of those HE (high efficiency washers) so I don't know if this would work. I think there is something to do with the level of soap bubbles. Having experienced (a number of times) putting dish washing soap into the dish washer - I think I'll keep buying my detergent from the store. sigh.

My work verification is: remoper. re - mopper is how I read it. I think it's a sign....

Anonymous said...

Nice recipe, it works great with a little essential oil of your choice too, and you are right, so much less expensive. xox Corrine

Nancy said...

That's very interesting Kim :) thanks for the recipe, it's nice to try something you know someone is happy with.

ooglebloops said...

My generic bottle of liquid laundry soap only costs $1.99 a bottle - but I'm with ya' on the consumerism/plastic waste! I will have to see if I can find these ingredients.....thanks for the recipe.

Page Turner's Hollow said...

Glad you found the recipe useful! If you are looking for a less fragrant alternative to fels naptha, try Dr. Bronners, which is what I switched to after my blog post. It is without the dyes and artificial fragrances and is vegan friendly, meaning it uses vegetable fats instead of animal ones. Also, it is a harder soap, so it grates a little nicer and comes in scents like lavender and citrus, making them great for gift giving.

*jean* said...

i have recipes for bigger batches but this size is perfect! my friend was just asking about this so thank you for sharing! it would make a great gift! xo

Caterina Giglio said...

Hey Kimmie, this is wonderful, we used to use borax and fels naptha when I was a kid, lol a loooong time ago... not familiar with washing soda, though... assuming that it is in the grocery store and soap isle? a brand name? xo