Whether you're concerned about your budget or you just want to try something a little more natural, making laundry soap at home is a simple way to solve both problems. By creating your own laundry soap you can control the ingredients, which makes it an appealing option for families with allergies.
As an added bonus, you can save quite a lot of money making laundry soap. If that's doesn't appeal to you, you can always try one of these recipes in a pinch (when you're out of soap and you don't have time to run to the store).
1. No grate, borax-free laundry soapWellness Mama recommends combining 2 tablespoons of Sal Suds and 1/4 cup of baking soda and adding it into the water at the beginning of each load of laundry. Make sure to add 1/4 cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle to keep clothes from fading.
This natural laundry soap is super easy and requires very little effort to use. In terms of cost, you'll spend about $20 on materials, but the suds are organic and you get a large bottle that will last a while.
2. Two-ingredient laundry soapThis recipe is easy to make and inexpensive. You'll spend about $6 for the ingredients, but you can make a lot of soap, so it ends up being much cheaper over time. Added bonus: Choose a natural bar soap that smells good to keep ingredients to a minimum.
For this recipe, you'll need:
6 cups of washing soda (not borax and
not baking soda)
3 bars of soap (or a box of flakes). If you opt for the bar, you'll have to grate the bar soap first.
Mix both ingredients in a food processor for about 20 seconds, stir and blend for another 10 seconds or so. Let the dust settle before putting the soap into a container. Use about two to three tablespoons per load,
Appalachia's Homestead recommends.
3. Homemade Liquid Laundry DetergentThe recipe featured on
Mrs. Happy Homemaker makes roughly 5 gallons of soup for about $2. Talk about a bargain. This recipe will take a little time to prepare, though. Set aside about 20 minutes of prep time, plus a 24-hour waiting period for the soap to set.
For this recipe you'll need:
1 cup of Borax
2 cup of washing soda
5.5 ounces castile soap
water
5-gallon bucket
After grating the soap into a pan, add 4 cups of hot water and let it simmer on medium-high until the soap is completely melted.
Fill a bucket halfway full with hot water and pour in the soap mixture. Stir in 1 cup of borax and 1 cup of washing soda. Add 1/2 ounce of your favorite essential oil (optional) and stir well. Fill up the rest of the bucket with warm water and stir again. Cover the soap mixture and let it set for 24 hours before dividing it into containers. Use 1 cup in each load. If you have a front-loading machine, use 1/2 cup.
4. Basic laundry soap with vinegarThis recipe from
Mother Earth News is a simple liquid formula. One benefit to this option is that you can personalize the recipe to fit your needs. For example, Mother Earth News recommends adding tea tree oil to boost antibacterial properties or lemon to help brighten whites.
For this recipe you'll need:
2-1/4 cups of liquid castile soap
1/4 cup white distilled vinegar
1 tablespoon glycerin
3/4 cup water
10- to 15 drops essential oils
Combine all of the ingredients into a bottle and shake. Add 1/4 cup of the mixture to a regular load of clothes and 1/2 cup for larger loads.
5. Homemade laundry soap with OxicleanYou'll spend just over $20 for all of the ingredients used to make this soap, but when combined you get roughly 18 pounds of soap. Because you only need 1 to 2 tablespoons per load, the soap lasts for a long time, averaging about 4 cents per load.
Happy Money Saver recommends looking for coupons on the items you need for this to save even more money.
For this recipe you'll need:
1 box of super washing soda
1 box of borax
1 box of baking soda
3 bars of soap (Ivory, Castile or Fels-Napatha work well)
1 container Oxi-clean
Purex Crystals (for smell, optional)
Large bucket
Grate the bar soap and blend it into a powder using a food processor. Pour all of your ingredients (grated and powdered soap too) into a large bucket. Mix well. You can leave it in the bucket or separate it into smaller containers for easier access while you wash.
Do you use homemade laundry soap? Make sure to share these recipes with your friends on Facebook and figure out which one works best for your family.
