Homemade Laundry Soap

Our current project is homemade laundry detergent. I saw this made on TV, and decided to try it since I had a visual. Kellye and I have gotten so many requests for recipes and lessons, so this seemed like a good place to start our blog! I have been using a liquid detergent recipe for about a year, and I just recently made powdered detergent. I have had lots of fun using different scents and Kellye and I look forward to posting more about that soon. Pictures of our process to come...

My last thought for those of you who ask why? My motivation is saving money! At an average cost of $2 for 5 gallons of detergent vs. $13 for 1 gallon of Tide, I had no excuse not to try. Also, our detergent contains no phosphates or chlorine, so it is easier on clothes and skin and better for the environment. And, it REALLY DOES CLEAN! My boys' baseball uniforms are as fresh as if I used Gain! If this all sounds good, but way too intimidating, send us an email and we can sell you premade detergent or a kit to test it out at home.

Julie

When I first heard about making my own laundry detergent from Julie, my first thoughts were "That's nice...for you". As I thought about it the idea intrigued and intimidated me. I began researching the process and found several recipes and even a place that sold a small kit. I opted to buy the kit out of fear of making it and hating it. The end result was I loved it. I now buy my own ingredients and plan to start experimenting with adding scents. Making my own laundry detergent has saved me money and has become a fun task.
Kellye

*All laundry detergents are safe for front load and high energy washers (Kellye has used the liquid detergent in her front loader for a while with great results). They are also safe for sensitive skin.

Liquid Laundry Soap
First gather your materials and ingredients:

1 5 gallon bucket

1 bar of soap (We use Ivory, others have had luck with Kirk's Castile, Fels-Naptha, or Zote. Ivory is easiest to find and cheap!)
1 cup Washing Soda (we use Arm and Hammer; you can find it at Publix or Kroger)
1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax
Lots'o hot water!
Grate the bar of soap and put in a deep pot or wide pan:






Add 2-4 cups water and cook over medium heat until soap is melted. Be careful, it will boil over!

Put Borax and washing soda in your bucket. Add enough hot water to stir ingredients until they dissolve. Add melted soap and stir. Fill bucket with hot water and stir again.

Cover and let sit over night. Soap will form a gel. Break the gel up with a spoon, and mix as well as possible. Keep in bucket and scoop out 1/2-1 cup as needed for wash. Or divide into empty detergent bottles. Mixture will be lumpy, and it is important to stir or shake well before each use.

This recipe can easily be halved for a smaller amount. Kellye uses a 2 1/2 gallon bucket. It is easy to play around with the amount and concentration to suit your needs.

*Essential oils can be added for fragrance. We are trying out some yummy new scents, and we will let you know how they turn out!

Powdered Laundry Soap
All ingredients are the same (no water), just grate soap, mix together, and place in an air tight container. Easy!

*We are using some scented castile soaps that have turned out wonderfully!