Homemade Laundry Soap

I have four boys……they make a TON of laundry for me to wash.  As I type this my couch is overflowing with the stuff from the dryer that I just keep hoping will fold itself; so far no luck.  But I will keep hoping.

I have no problem buying laundry soap, but in my never-ceasing battle to become more thrifty, I decided I wanted to see if I could make laundry detergent at home and save some cash-ola!

I found a recipe online that makes a large amount of laundry soap with four ingredients; Borax, Felz Naptha, Washing Soda, and water!  Simple. Inexpensive and QUICK.

Recipe

1/3 bar of Fels Naptha

1/2 Cup Borax

1/2 Cup Washing Soda

2-gallon bucket (or a cooler in my case)

Water ( I didn’t use an exact number, because it’s added in three separate stages)

Grate 1/3 of Fels Naptha soap bar into a medium-sized sauce pan; add 6-cups of water and heat until the soap is melted.  Add the Borax and washing soda and stir until combined.  Remove from the Heat.

Add 4-cups of HOT water into a bucket; add the soap mixture to the hot water.  Stir until combined.  After the soap is mixed, add One Gallon of water, plus 6-cups of water to the bucket and stir once more.

Let this mixture sit for 12-24 hours, it will be a runny gel (similar to uncooked scrambled eggs.)

If you’re like me and you love to smell of laundry soap, add a few drops of your favorite essential oil, it makes the soap smell fantastic!  Good Earth Market has a bunch of different essential oils to scent your soap!

Here is the cost break down for one batch of the soap (remember it makes about 1.25 gallons.)

Fels Naptha– $.97 cents per bar ( use 1/3 of bar per batch. $.32 cents)

Borax– $4.29 per 76 oz box (use 1/2 cup per batch.  $.22 cents)

Washing Soda– $2.99 per 55 oz box (use 1/2 cup per batch.  $.21 cents)

Total Cost Per Batch:  $.75 for 1.25 gallons of detergent.

{ DRUM ROLL PLEASE }

Use 1/2 cup per load of laundry……making the total cost per load of laundry

$.02 cents per load

This soap is safe for all He machines, and is a low suds soap.