Making Laundry Soap: Instructions & Photos

I blogged this a couple of months ago with notes and reviews, and said I would possibly start a thread with pictures the next time I made laundry soap. With the current economy, it's becomming popular with DIY'ers to make their own. It is so inexpensive to make, I don't consider laundry soap as something I even pay for now. It works so well, we don't buy fabric softener, either.

The recipe:
Makes 2 gallons laundry soap
*1/2 cup Borax
*1/2 cup Arm & Hammer WASHING soda
*1 bar soap, shredded or grated (approx 4 oz) * I either make a fresh batch of soap or use an "ugly" bar from scraps
*2 large pots
*2 gallons water


Step 1: Divide 1 gallon hot water between 2 large pots on high heat. One pot must be able to hold at least a gallon. When the water reaches near boiling, reduce heat to medium.
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Step 2: Shred or chop a 4-5 ounce bar of soap. Some use Fels-Naptha laundry bar soap. I use my own homemade soap bars. You really can use any that does not have oatmeal, flax, or other additives that do not dissolve.

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Step 3: When water is no longer boiling, add shredded/chopped soap to one pot of water. DO NOT STIR. Push the soap around the pot with a long spoon occasionally, but let the hot water do most of the work. It can take 5-10 minutes to dissolve, depending on how small your shreds are.

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Step 4: Measure 1/2 cup each Borax and Washing Soda into the second pot of water. You can find them in the laundry isle of a grocery store. Notice this is WASHING soda, not baking soda.
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Step 5: You can use a wire whisk or spoon to stir the borax/soda in the pot. It usually dissolves before my soap finished melting in the other pot.
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Step 6: This is what your soap pot should look like when the soap is melted. It looks a bit cloudy. If there is any soap unmelted, it will usually float to the top with a couple swipes of a long spoon ( I say long spoon, because this stuff is still near boiling so it will burn you )
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Step 7: Not really a step. More of an example of what not to do. If you stir the soap much while it is melting, or if the water is boiling while melting, it will foam. It doesn't harm the soap, but it is more difficult to see if the soap flakes are melted.
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Step 8: Add the contents of the smaller pot to the larger pot. Stir lightly.
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Step 9: Optional. If you want to scent the soap, add approximately 1 teaspoon of fragrance oil to the pot of laundry soap and stir. If you use essential oil, which is stronger, add a few drops at a time until the soap is lightly scented.
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Step 10: I'll assume your pot cannot hold 2 gallons, so ... divide the soap mixture between 2 pots (1/2 gallon per pot). Now add 1/2 gallon COLD water to each of the 2 pots.
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The finished soap should now be cool enough to handle after adding the cold water. Pour into clean bottles or jugs. This is best done in the sink, as it will foam. Fill container no more than 3/4-4/5 full, as you need to shake well before each use. Cap when soap is at room temperature.

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TO USE: Shake well before each use. Use 1/2 cup for a normal load or 1 cup for heavily soiled or extra large load. This soap can be a bit harsh if poured directly onto clothes. It is a good idea to dilute with water before adding clothes to machine.

Soap will thicken overnight. Eventually, what I call soap "glugs" will develop ( chunks as big as a slug, consistancy of snot ) especially if kept in a cold area. This is normal and the soap is still usable if shaken before each use.

I'm not sure what the discussion would be, other than notes/reviews and your own recipes for laundry soap. There is no "how-to" section, so here it is in general. The mods can move it if/when need be.

 

If you want to bypass the whole liquifying process you can try this:

6 cups borax
4 cups washing soda
4 cups baking soda
4 cups grated soap - like fels-naptha or ivory

Use about 1/8 cup per load.

I always toss in the detergent first as the washer is filling, haven't had any issues with dissolving.

I have never grated my own soap into washing powder, somehow laundry doesn't seem too deserving to me. But I have to say that most of my homemade soaps make great stain sticks, rub a bar right onto the stain give it a gentle scrub.. I always intended to make a non frilly cheapo batch for this purpose but never really found the energy to do it. Hmm.. maybe a crisco batch is in order..

 

This might seem like a stupid question, but does it work in high efficiency washers?
I'm interested in making my own soap. Looks kinda fun!

 

I don't have a high efficiency washer but I did find a recipe for you.

What you’ll need:
1.5 Cup Borax
1.5 Cup Washing Soda
1 Bar Laundry Soap(You can see these in the laundry aisle all the time at the grocery store)
2 Bars Castille Soap ( the recipe says you can use pretty much any soap that isn't too lathery)

If you preferred a liquid, I found this recipe
I don't have experience with the high efficiency models so I can't say how well it would work.

 

If you have a front loading machine (the most common sort in Europe) you could have problems with foam. Dimethicone (liquid silicone) is added to many commercial laundry detergents to prevent foam, which will increase the internal pressure in the machine and burst the seals if you are unlucky.

One source of Dimethicone available to the general public is in the form of pure silicone based personal lubricants. You may need to experiment, but a few drops in the load should prevent the foaming problem.

In hard water areas adding something to soften the water (bicarbonate of soda or sodium hexametaphosphate) and prevent limescale buildup on the element. The first is baking soda, the second is the original formula for Calgon.

 

Great tips Daniel_!