Making your own cleaning supplies is a quick and easy way to save money while limiting the amount of toxins and chemicals introduced to your home. Commercial cleaning supplies, laundry soaps in particular, usually contain a large amount of dyes and fragrances in addition to a wide variety of chemicals. These products sell well because of their stain fighting power and because most people do not realize that making laundry soap is a much easier process than making facial or body soap.
I developed the following recipe for home made laundry soap after I grew tired of paying extra money for additive free laundry soaps such as Ivory Snow and Dreft. I was appalled that I was being charged more when the soap companies were actually saving money by not putting additives in the soap, however my family’s sensitive skin conditions left me little choice at the time.
The following laundry soap recipe is simple to make and requires few tools and ingredients. The recipe is designed to use inexpensive ingredients and implements, most of which you may already have on hand. The recipe is also highly adaptable allowing you to add a variety of scents or customize the laundry soap to your particular laundering needs.
You will need the following tools and containers to make the recipe: one large bucket with a lid (bucket will need to hold at least 4 gallons), you can use a large paint bucket for this provided it is completely clean and free of residual paint flakes; one cheese grater (preferably a heavy duty metal grater); a large saucepan and a large wooden spoon.
You will also need the following ingredients to make the recipe: (4) 1 lb. boxes of baking soda (no need to spring for the name brand stuff as generic brands of baking soda will work just fine); 3 gallons and six cups of water; 2 bars of your favorite soap; 1 cup of Washing Soda. I recommend using bars of Ivory soap if you or any of your family members have sensitive skin as Ivory soap is the least expensive pure soap available in most areas. You can find washing soda at most department and discount stores, it is similar in composition to baking soda and the most commonly available brand is Arm and Hammer.
Begin making the recipe by adding 3 gallons of hot tap water to your large bucket. Next add the (5) 1lb. boxes of baking soda to the bucket. Stir the mixture for a minute or two to make sure all of the baking soda has dissolved.
Next add the washing soda to the bucket, stirring the mixture again for a minute or two to make sure the washing soda has dissolved completely. While washing soda is similar to baking soda it is caustic so you should wear gloves to avoid getting it on your hands. It does not put off dangerous fumes though.
Next add six cups of tap water to the large pan place it on the stove and turn the burner on to high. While the water is heating up use that time to grate the 2 bars of soap with the cheese grater. If you prefer you can use a potato peeler or sharp knife but the cheese grater will be safer and will grate the soap more quickly.
Once the water in the pan has come to a boil add the soap gratings and reduce the heat to medium. Stir the mixture frequently until the soap gratings have melted; how long this takes depends on the soap you used.
After the soap has melted completely it is ready to be added to the bucket. Add it to the bucket slowly, stirring as you add. After adding the soap continue stirring the mixture for a few minutes.
If you wish you can add a teaspoon of your favorite essential oil to scent the soap. If the clothes you plan to wash are usually quite dirty you can add a few extra boxes of baking soda to the mix. You can also add a few cups of borax if you wish to up the stain fighting power of the soap. However, borax is only really needed for very dirty clothes.
Once you have completed all of these steps, place the lid securely on the bucket. Allow the soap to set for one to two days. It will have a slightly slimy consistency. I use roughly 1/2 cup of the soap for average wash loads and 3/4 cup of the soap for heavily soiled or very large loads.
