It was a friend from church who jolted me to my senses by giving Jamey and I a couple gallons of her homemade laundry soap. We used it and it worked great. She also passed along her recipe and told us how cheap it was to make it. I finally realized the silliness of my ways and pledged to make my own batch when my store-bought detergent ran out.
Our local (non-chain) grocery store carries all three of the ingredients, but they were out of the bar laundry soap for over a month, so I had to order it on Amazon (with my trusty swagbucks). Last week, I set to work mixing it up even though my head felt like a bowling ball (I really hate colds. I'm all better now.). It was so easy and satisfying that it lightened my mood. And it took all of 20 minutes to whip up. Doing the math to determine the cost per load? Well, that almost made me sing.
Do you want to know how cheap it is? Well, it is my pleasure to tell you.
The Fels-Naptha bar cost $4.20 shipped from Amazon. The box of washing soda (55 ounces) cost $3.35. The box of borax (76 ounces) cost $4.45. For this recipe, you'll use the whole laundry bar, but only 1 cup of the washing soda and only 1/2 cup borax. When all the math is done (Jamey checked it for me), the 10 gallons of laundry soap cost $4.91. The amount you use for a front loading machine and a top loading machine differs slightly.
Drum roll, please...
If you have a top loading machine (like me), you will use 5/8 of a cup per load. If this is you, this 10 gallons of detergent will give you 256 loads of clean laundry at a cost of $4.91 which comes out to less than $0.02 per load.
If you have a front loading machine, you will use 1/4 cup per load. If this is you, this 10 gallons of detergent will give you 640 loads of clean laundry at a cost of $4.91 which comes out to less than $0.008 (yes, less than a cent) per load.
Go on, do a happy laundry dance. I'll wait.
Thank you, Jennifer, for giving me the jump start I needed (and free detergent)! :-)
Homemade Laundry Soap (recipe from Jennifer)
This recipe makes 5 gallons of concentrate which equals 10 gallons of ready-to-use laundry detergent.
1 five gallon bucket
a long handled spoon
an empty (used) laundry detergent container (or juice or vinegar container, clean)
hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha Laundry Soap Bar
1 cup washing soda
1/2 cup borax
Grate the laundry soap bar (I used my cheese grater) and add it to a medium sauce pot along with 4 cups of water. Heat over medium high heat while stirring occasionally until the soap has melted completely. While it's melting, fill your five gallon bucket half full with hot tap water. Once the bar soap has melted, add it to the bucket along with the baking soda and borax. Stir it well until everything has dissolved. Add hot tap water to fill the bucket and stir again. Cover tightly with the lid and let sit overnight to thicken. Stir well (it will gel and separate a bit). You just made concentrate.
When you're ready to use it, stir the detergent well, then fill your empty detergent container half full with the concentrate. Fill the rest of the container with water. Shake before each use. Use 1/4 cup per load for a front loading machine and 5/8 cup per load for a top loading machine.
OK, I've seen this recipe several times, but nobody ever broke down the cost per load. Now I'm convinced that it's worth making...thanks!
ReplyDeleteOk. I keep reading about people making their own so now I'm going to do it! I just have one question, do your colors and whites stay nice? I've noticed people talking about how their whites "gray up" Oh wait ... 2 questions! How's the smell? If there is none, that works for me! :-)
ReplyDeleteThat's so funny... I've been making our own powdered laundry soap for years, but just last weekend, whipped up my first batch of this same liquid recipe - I'll never go back! So easy, so inexpensive, and it makes such a nice, big, batch! :)
ReplyDeleteJust an fyi....there are places to get your fels- naptha much cheaper. I get mine for 99 cents! Sometimes you can buy it in bulk much cheaper even! I love this recipe and I love how very inexpensive it is! Glad to hear you are on the homemade laundry detergent band wagon! Blessings! :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the impetus to start making soap again! And to think if you can get the Fels Naptha less expensive how much more it will save you! Thank you!!!
ReplyDeleteSchweet! That's a much cheaper recipe than mine. I can't wait to try it. I do have one reservation, though. Do you happen to know how hard your water is? Ours is 13 on the German scale. That's why I still alternate my homemade soap with commercial detergent. I would SO love to never do that again! Thanks for posting about your new adventure. :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm sold.
ReplyDeleteis it fine to just leave the concentrate hanging around for a while? It seems like it'd take us a long time to get through 10 gallons of laundry detergent, especially since right now it's just me and my husband. I may consider halving the recipe too...
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you finally got 'on the soap box'-- or bucket :) Hope you enjoy this new frugal endeavor!
ReplyDeleteFor the whites 'greying' or not coming out as clean as you'd like - even with bleach, I've been putting a half cup of vinegar in the rinse withthe whites and it's worked like a charm.
ReplyDeleteI like to put essential oils in mine....and there is almost every scent imaginable....even a Tide Scent...(Lord help me when I find a 'Gain' scent....I'll be wearing that stuff as perfume...hee hee)
I love Gain!!!! Let me know if you ever find it please :) @ brinafain@hotmail.com thanks!!
DeleteThank you so much for sharing this! I have very hard well water. I wonder if it would work well. I have had a very hard time getting my clothes clean.
ReplyDeletegroovyghosthunter,
ReplyDeleteI haven't noticed any "dulling" as of yet, but then again, I'm not super picky about all my whites being really white in the first place:-).
As far as the scent goes, the laundry bar I bought from Amazon was heavily scented. But WAIT! The detergent my friend gave me that she made (I was using her recipe) was not, so I forged ahead and even though the bar and the finished concentrate smells scented (it's a pleasant smell), what comes out of the washer (the clean clothes) has NO ODOR whatsoever. It must rinse out really well.
Anonymous,
I haven't heard from those who use and store this much that there is any problem with keeping it around, but a half recipe is a good idea if you're low on storage space or if you don't have tons of laundry to do.
it will only take me about 2 weeks to empty out 2 reg. laundry jugs-the others i save for insulin needles-does the trick!
ReplyDeleteI make a dry version using Zote, instead of Fels Naptha. I use the large bar of Zote (grated), two cups of Borax and two cups of Washing soda. Mix together and it fits perfectly into a 10 cup rubbermaid container. I use two tablespoons per large load. I have no problem with it dissolving...I wash everything in warm water. Love your blog...Janet
ReplyDeleteYes, my Fels Naptha was much cheaper, too. I'm not sure about your local stores, but in mind, it's actually with the hand and facial soap, so you may check that aisle, too:) WELL worth the effort!!
ReplyDeleteMay I offer a tip? If you microwave the soap for about 90 seconds and let it cool before you grate it, the grating goes much easier. In the microwave the soap will expand and look like meringue. It is fun to watch!
ReplyDeleteanother lovely tutorial.
ReplyDeleteI started this recipe last year and we too love it!
Only my son has eczema and instead of the Felsnaptha, I use our soap.
either way it works great becauase it saves money!
Amanda
I've been making this for over a year... Instead of the Fels-Naptha, I use a bar of Ivory (I buy 3 bars for a buck at the Dollar Tree). It works great. I love it... I notice that clothes I dry outside on the line aren't as stiff, either!
ReplyDeleteOh this sounds wonderful! What about "he" washers though? Do you know?
ReplyDeleteI've used this for 2 years or more. I won't go back to commercial detergent, but - brutally honest - I find whites do get dingy. I don't use bleach every time, but once through with bleach and they are sparkling white again.
ReplyDeleteI find this isn't effective on stains and I have to pre-treat, but then I had to with the commercial detergent too. I like the scent, but I use vinegar as a softener (and also eliminates any soap residue) and find the scent disappears after the rinse.
Be careful about washing in warm or hot water. I read somewhere that the Borax, when combined with warm water, acts like peroxide. (research further) Great for germs, but I think my colors do fade faster.
On storing awhile, the only time I've had problems is when one of us accidentally left the wooden spoon we used for stirring down in the bucket...it molded all up and down the handle so I threw out the whole batch. Without a spoon, batches seem to stay good for a long time. I only use this mixture for darks, linens and dog towels...anything with stains (as in my 5 children's clothes) or our whites still get commercial detergent as we lost too many items to stains and dinginess with homemade.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter has been making homemade laundry detergent for a couple of years now. She supplies me with all I need, for which I am forever grateful. I wash with warm water (never hot) and haven't noticed any graying of our whites. Daughter has an HE washer and it works great in her machine. Thanks for spreading the word on making your own detergent, Jane!
ReplyDeletehave you tried Walmart for the Fels Naptha? our's finally carries it and it's only 97 cents. I make the dry version of this and have even used Ivory bar soap, although it doesn't work as well, I try to use the Ivory batch for less dirty things like bath towels. I just found a recipe for the washing soda also, I've not tried it yet. http://www.ehow.com/how_5859235_make-washing-soda.html
ReplyDeletewhoo hoo for saving money! thanks for sharing
I went to WalMart yesterday and they have FelsNaptha bars for .98 each! I bought 4 for my stockpile. Also, sitting right next to it they had Washing soda. It was around $3.75. So now I'm off to make my concentrate. :-)
ReplyDeleteI bought all the ingredients to make this. I found the Fels-Naptha bar of soup in the grocery store. It wasn't in with the laundry detergent area where you'd expect it to be - I found it with the bars of hand soup. The people at the info counter didn't know where it was so if you don't see it, check there. Finding the soup in the grocery store will make the cost of this project $3 less.
ReplyDeleteI just finished up a batch of this and I wondered---- is there a reason you have to mix the concentrate with water before using? couldn't you just use half the concentrate?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing the added water helps the detergent disseminate more easily throughout the clothes so it's more effective.
Is this septic system safe? Always wanted to try it, but was too afraid it would do damage....
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,
ReplyDeleteMy husband(who has a background in chemistry and waste water treatment) isn't concerned in the least about using it with our septic system. I'm not sure where your concerns come from, but maybe this will help?
This is safe for HE washers right???
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,
ReplyDeleteI found this (http://laundry.about.com/od/HomemadeLaundryProducts/f/Can-Homemade-Detergent-Be-Used-In-He-Washers.htm) which says it is safe for HE washers but, to confirm, you may want to call or email the maker of your machine:-).
Jane, I really like your site. I found it by searching (trying to earn swags) for a "sweet potato spoon bread" and yours is the exact recipe from Better Homes & Gardens 11-11 mag. I am so proud of you for answering God's call to homeschool your precious children in obedience. I too, have always wanted to make my laundry soap and will seriously consider that despite just the two of us. Our two sons were both home schooled, what a blessing for each of us to learn of Him & watch His guidance and direction. God bless you mightily.
ReplyDeleteYour math is 'off'. If the bar soap alone cost $4.20 then everything put together has to cost more than $4.20. Although like others said the soap can be found much cheaper so for most people it would probably be much cheaper than $4.20 for 10 gallons of soap.
ReplyDeleteKatie,
ReplyDeleteYou're right! Nice catch. I corrected it above. I had the total cost per recipe wrong, but the cost-per-load figures were still right (or within 0.003). Thanks for telling me:-).
I use this recipe too,have been using abt a year,and no complaints,we love it ! Blessings Jane
ReplyDeleteIs it bad if it doesn't gel? I followed the steps but it didn't really gel...
ReplyDeleteBethany,
ReplyDeleteIf you followed all the directions and let it sit and it still didn't gel, I would think it will still work just fine. Once it gels and you mix it/shake it up well (like you're supposed to before using), it is pretty liquid-y. I think you're fine:-).
Oh good!!! Thank you so much!!!! I did it in the utility sink in our garage so I'm wondering if maybe the cold played a part...thank you so much for all you share with us! I love your blog!!
DeleteI too just finally tried this recipe. I'd made other versions and not been happy with the results but I am thrilled! I figured out that it costs me something like $.69 cents a gallon to make. I'm trying homemade softner too and am enjoying it (although I miss my Downy scents).
ReplyDeleteFun stuff!
How is this for use on babies clothes. I have a 2 month old and her skin is sensitive?
ReplyDeleteI can't speak to this directly because my "baby" is soon three and no one in our home has overly sensitive skin. Try google-ing homemade laundry soap (there are other similar recipes out there) and sensitive skin/infant. Maybe someone else can speak to this better than I:-).
DeleteHi! I wonder where you keep this five gallon bucket. It's not going to fit under my sink! Does it need to be in a cool dry place? What about a hot warm place (I have a hot warm place available, and no cool dry place)?
ReplyDeletethanks!!
- sheila
I wouldn't have room for it under my sink either!:-) I keep mine in my laundry room. I didn't have a great spot for it, so I set my mop bucket on top of it (which sat on the floor in a corner). It's not the most convenient place, but I only have to get it out once in awhile (I fill two or three gallon containers at a time to use the soap from). As far as temperature goes, my laundry room gets pretty cool in the winter and pretty hot in the summer. Away from direct heat/sun is probably best.
DeleteI use all these things separately as "boosters" to my wash...geez! to think I could have been saving money so much sooner than this. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI have made this type of laundry detergent several times. I have used Dove soap as the bar soap and the whites were very white and the colors looked very good also. If you don't like the smell of the soap, you can also add a few drops of essential oil to tweak the smell a little. I only used a few drops because of color issues. This style detergent gets our clothes very clean. That being said, it is not a miracle soap. I had people want to use it after I raved about it and then come to me complaining when all the grease, crayons, blood, red mud stains, etc. didn't come out of their clothes. Use a pretreatment for heavily soiled items.
ReplyDeleteI have made this type of laundry detergent before and it just didn't work for us...I feel it is our hard water. I did come across another method that is working sooo well for us. It is no-grate laundry soap found here: http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/02/no-grate-homemade-laundry-soap.html
ReplyDeleteI did change the recipe so I would run out of both borax & washing soda at the same time.
The cost break down(Canadian) for 1box borax, 1 box washing soda and 8 bottles blue dawn= $17.49. This makes 48 batches (2years worth for us) each batch costs $0.36...there are 16 cups per batch and I use 1/2cup/load so it is = $0.01/load....I love how cost effective it is! I hope that this will help some of your readers who may have had the same trouble as I did.
Blessings Kathleen :)
I make this laundry soap but prefer the ZOTE bar soap and I make the dry version ....ZOTE soap is found at SAVALOT
ReplyDeletecan i get the fels naptha at walmart? i have never heard of that but i have tried this recipe with regular bar of soap and it worked great! really thinking about making some more...it's been a while..
ReplyDeleteI make the dry version and love it. No, there is no strong scent, just clean. I also use homemade fabric softner, (which I will NEVER give up.)
ReplyDeleteI buy my Fels Naptha soap at WalMart for 97 cents each. At our local WalMart, all these items are side by side since so many folks here make their own laundry soap. I use it in my HE washer, and for my newborn granddaughter, who has sensitive skin. No problems at all.