I think my sister and I are channeling Laura Ingalls these days.
We totally made our own clothes soap.
It was really cheap. Under $7 and this will last forever!
You can totally do this too, it’s super easy.
To make about 4 mason jars full you will need:
6 cups Borax
4 cups baking soda
4 cups washing soda
4 cups Fels-Naptha bar soap (almost 2 bars)
~
UPDATE: This is totally your decision, but some new studies are showing that Borax powder fumes may cause reproductive harm in men. You may try adding more baking and washing soda instead of the Borax and see how you like the results. Another commenter made her’s into a liquid, which would cut out the fumes of the Borax:
“I have made as a liquid. I grate one bar of soap, melt in a pot of water (even let it boil for just a second, but not bubble over!) Add 1c borax, 1c washing soda, mix, make sure it’s all incorporated, and put in three different gallon containers. Add water to top and shake hard. Use around 1c per load”-Melissa
Grate the bar soap, I have read that you can use Dove or some other soap if you can’t find this particular one.
But I will say…
I live in the city.
The C.I.T.Y.
No chickens. No cows.
And my Publix sold all this stuff.
Now put it all in a bowl and mix it really well.
Also, you should know, this is very powdery and was starting to go everywhere.
Up our nose, in our mouth.
Just sayin. Try to mix carefully.
Now put it in jars or an air-tight container.
Done.
You will need 2 tablespoons per load.
OK, here’s the deal on the HE washing machines.
HE washing machines need special soap that is low-sudsing.
And this is, so you really should be fine.
It’s totally safe in mine and my sisters.
Also the Duggars have a recipe that’s similar and they use it in HE. So there ya go.
You can make a sweet tag if you want to give as a gift.
I used cotton butcher twine to attach a clothes pin.
Then added a homemade tag that you can download here.
(Thanks Graphics Fairy for the label border)
I thought later that I should have included instructions on how much to use.
I think it would be cute to write it on the clothes pin.
Or you could attach another tag.
Happy Little House on the Prairie!
And happy saving a lot of money.
:)
I am linking to Saturday Night Special!
PS…want about 50 tips and tricks for this recipe?
The comments are worth a read:)
oh and also…
I really really want to respond to every single amazing comment. But truth is…it’s getting really hard!
So know that I love you and I love that you are here and visited my blog and took time out of your day to comment:)
Christine
hysterical! I have totally thought about doing this…I actually bookmarked another blog that had a how-to on this, but haven’t made the time yet. I am glad it was a pretty easy process.
Sister here…my clothes smell like spring time. I leave the lid off the jar so my whole laundry smells wonderful!
The twine and clothspin are perfect. Can’t wait until a gift-giving opportunity.
I’m glad you made the soap, used it and found out how wonderful it is! I love it because it is natural, works great, is cheap and smells good. What more can we ask for? I did not realize Publix had the ingredients, I got ours at Ace Hardware. I have seen some recipes that call for mixing with water and storing in a large bucket with lid but I like the powder better. Happy washing…
I love it! thank you for the idea…..smiles.
I have always wanted to do this – and I am fascinated with the Duggars. I remember the episode when they made their detergent… they are awesome! (I bet their batches don’t last as long though…)
OMG! Laura Ingalls or Holly Homemaker!!! LOL! This is great, I just might have to try it!!
Tania
I make my own soap for years and spend only about $10 a year to make it. I’ll never buy it again. I have trouble finding the washing soda though. You package yours up so cute.
My grammar was terrible on that post. My two year old is trying to sit on my lap and is making this hard. Time to go play outside.
this is such a great idea. i just picked up some mason jars from the thrift store. im looking for more.
Thanks so much for checking out my blog. Glad you did now am a new follower of you. Great blog. I look forward to tooling around it for a bit.
Thank you for the wonderful comments on my drum table redo. I would love for ya to swing back by and join my blog as well!
Take care.
Deb
http://dejarenew.blogspot.com
What a great idea! I hate buying laundry detergent (it’s so expensive). I may have to give your recipe a try. And your jars are adorable!
How fabulous!! I LOVE that you’ve made your own laundry soap, and love how it looks all bottled up with your tags. Thanks so much for sharing this and for the recipe, too. :)
Very nice! I love how homey the jars and labels make it. So sweet!
i love this…what a great idea! i definitely want to try making it sometime. the packaging is so cute also. thank you for stopping by my blog recently!!
I love this! So old fashioned and beautifully packaged. Your photos are great too! I was just led through your blog with all the photos. This would be a great gift, all packaged up in a basket for a new mom!
Love the packaging :) I make my own soap as well, but can’t find Fels Naptha so I use Dr. Bronner’s. Would love to see you at my weekend linky party some time!
I just bought all th ingredients from our local Food City. Just made my first run I believe I am going to love this!
Hi there, found you thru Tip Junkie, and so glad I did. LOVE this, l love your blog and the pictures are beautiful. Gonna try this myself, and can’t wait. Newest follower, so come visit me sometime. Would love to have you.
Blessings,
Denise
I love this! Thank you so much for sharing:) I am going to make this for sure.
Just had to stop in to say hello. I just LOVE your homemade laundry soap post. I found you on The Graphics Fairy and I’m so glad I did.
We are traveling to our first big Antique Fair in Spokane this summer. I have a mangle –do you know what that is? I want to do a vintage laundry vignette around that piece. The homemade soap idea is just perfect! Thanks so much for sharing this great project.
I’m your newest follower-so nice to meet you.
Than ks again!
Cori
I use the same recipe, except for the baking soda, and love it. I went to the thrift store for a $6 food processor to grate & mix everything. I only have to make it 2-3 times a year! It’s great and saves tons of money!!
I love this! Your blog is great and I love all your DIY projects, and your humor makes it that mush more enjoyable. I’m a new fan! I just wish I could find all these great craft products here in Italy, but haven’t seen anything like it yet…
What a wonderful idea!
I found you through someone’s pinterest pin. I actually made this detergent and didn’t think it did that great in my he machine so I gave it to a friend as a birthday present- and she loved it so that was rewarding. I have to say the last comment makes me want to try it again and try to get the grated soap smaller. Maybe one day!! :) Thanks for this.
I’ve been looking around on Pinterest and seeing lots of DIY laundry soap with much the same recipe but this picture was intriguing and lovely, so I had to stop by!
Then this was also posted today from someone I follow on facebook, so I thought I’d share it: http://www.motherearthnews.com/natural-home-living/borax-has-issues-you-have-alternatives.aspx
It basically says that the Environmental Working Group has reported that breathing or touching Borax can cause eye or skin irritation and may be a hormone disruptor and may harm the male reproductive system. It also says that you can just use baking soda as a replacement-so, easy fix.
I think I’ll be making this today, but baking soda instead – just in case.
Hi Alicia,
Just wondering if you tried this recipe without the Borax… if so, how did it work?
Thanks,
Kelly ;)
Love It…. Gonna give it a try. Thanks for sharing a Great Idea.
where can I buy the stuff?
My kids and I made this last night. I plan on giving it for some gifts this year with a towel and a cute jar. I love it. I plan on making all my gifts this year. My husband says he would hate to get a gift from me because he would not want detergent but I love it and would so appreciate the gift. Going to make dishwasher detergent too.
What kind of paper did you use for the labels?
Hey! It’s just a plain ivory card stock.
Love love love this!
thanks Christina!
Made a similar recipe and LOVE it. The recipe I made also adds powdered oxycleaner to it. Gets out even the tough stains and so easy to make.
I love the soap!!!!!
Just wondering if anyone has added any scents to this? I love the smell of lavender and just didn’t know if it could be incorporated into this recipe.
Can’t wait to try this out!
I saw this on Pinterest and I really want to try it. One question, though. I have a kid with an allergy to blue dye, so I have to buy the free and clear stuff. The jar above looks bluish. Do any of the ingredients have blue dye in them? Would it be safe? If you could e-mail me, I’d greatly appreciate it.
Thanks a bunch!
Hey!
It’s a blue mason jar, the soap is a white. Not sure if you will have problems with the grated soap but you can sub a dove bar or something similar. Have a great weekend!!
Christine
went to walmart and they had everything.i made it up and put a load of clothes in the washer to try it out
Does this soap dissolve as easily in cold water as it does in hot water? Or would it just be easier to dissolve the soap in hot water before putting it into my washer? Or just easier to make a liquid detergent? I have been wanting to make some for a while. Any suggestions?
Hey! I typically wash in cold water and have never had any problems. Hope you enjoy!
Christine
Thanks!!
Sounds awesome and such a great, thrifty idea! My question is this: Who out there has any detergent sensitivity issues and are you able to use this detergent? Im assuming it should be fine but I’m curious to hear from anyone with allergies to normal detergents. THANKS!!
I made my first batch tonight. I could not wait to use it so I loaded the washer at 10:00 pm.
Love the recipe! Love the packaging even more! I made this up shared with family and we are hooked: )
I did one thing differentIy……I put all ingredients into a big bucket w/ lid tightly on, ShOoK LiKe CrAzy and voila mixed perfectly with no fly-away dry ingredients: )
I caught the “Laura Ingalls” bug and made a batch of this detergent yesterday. I love it! Thanks for the post! Your blog is great!
my niece and i are getting started on this as we speak…..so glad we found you..thanks so much!!
Hi..just like everyone else HAD TO MAKE AND TRY…I think the next time I will grate the bar soap (if I can) a bit finer. WORKS GREAT….I almost purchased ARM & HAMMER powder instead of washing soda! THANKS for the info to print the unique tags!
Made some today and I LOVE IT! I can’t wait to do MORE LAUNDRY…and I’m definitely making gift batches in the very cute mason jars! Found it on Pinterest…LOVE LOVE LOVE
I love this idea!
I will be featuring it tomorrow on my blog!
Very cute!
Stopping over from your feature at 36th Avenue just so I could pin this cute idea.
~Bliss~
Found you through Tip Junkie too, LOVE the Duggars as well, and likewise, have used free vintage images from the Graphics Fairy (not to mention have fond memories of reading the books by Laura Ingalls Wilder growing up). I dismissed the idea of making my own laundry detergent when a mom said she stopped making her own when her husband complained that it made the clothes rough. Is that true?
P.S. I was comparing your recipe to the Duggar’s. How come you add baking soda to yours?
Oh, and baking soda has tons of uses for freshening and stain cleaning, so it helps with both in a load of laundry:)
Hey Yolanda! I’ve never had my clothes feel rough at all! I have workout clothing tide that I use for our running clothes and don’t feel any difference 1 load to the other…
With this soap being so cheap, it may be worth a try for you!!
Christine
JUST ran out of laundry detergent so I came on her to get the list of ingredients. I just noticed your replies to my comments. Thanks! Right now I’m trying to figure out where I can buy all these items and the best way to grate a bar of soap. =)
I have been using this for about 3 months,(from 1 recipe). I love it!! I found all the ingredients at Wal-Mart.
You’re right! All of the ingredients can be found at Walmart! =)
I have a few more questions: Your post says your recipe fills about 4 mason jars. What size jars did you use? You also said this recipe only cost you $7. Did you use coupons? Were some of the ingredients discounted? Finally, I found a similar recipe that uses 2 cups less of Borax but 2 bars more of Yardley bar soap (instead of Fels-Naptha). What does adding more Borax do?
Once again, I’m SO glad I came across your blog post! Thanks for sharing your homemade laundry detergent experience!
I want to thank you for your blog. My hubby & I got the ingredients and made it. We won’t got back to the name brands. We are so pleased with this laundry soap. I had not thought of putting in jars for a gift. Thank you so much.
Hey Yolanda,
I am responding to your comment below…I can’t remember using coupons, maybe the prices have increased? Not sure about the recipe differences, I’m assuming that just like you can buy Tide and All, you can also use different homemade ingredients…
:)
Christine
I know Walmart carries these ingredients.
I make my own detergent with the same ingredients. The only thing different I do is make it into a liquid and add sweet orange essential oil. The oil is a natural degreaser and it smells nice as well. I don’t think the clothes feel rough and my husband loves the fact that we save so much money at the grocery store.
How do you turn it to liquid?
Just add water :)
I would like to try and turn this into liquid. What is the ratio of water?
try adding a little vinegar to the rinse water (i put mine the the fabric softner dispenser) to make clothes softer.
I do the same thing! Vinegar is also an antibacterial agent. Love my vinegar! =) It also helps to keep whites, white.
And the vinegar in the final rinse cycle will get rid of any stubborn odours – cooking smells, wet dog smells, sweaty teenager ‘aroma’. Even had good results with with ferret musk. The vinegar works as an anti-bacterial and deoderisor. It may counteract any nice essential oils you add to your wash though, you’d have to try that out.
I use this same recipe of homemade laundry detergent and my clothes are not stiff. I love the stuff!
Homemade soap is not new to my family I have helped both my grandmother and mother make homemade Lye soap in the cast iron kettle out side. They made a no frills verson that really didnt smell nice to me but theres nothing better for grass stains. The last time my mom made it she had a hard time finding the lye that goes in it.. Theres also the problem of how long it took to make and then cure.
This takes alot less time so I made this detergent and I
love it:) I did do a few things differently. For the bar soap I used half pink zote soap (.99 cents for 16 oz bar at Wamart) and half the fells napa (also .99 at Walmart- for some reason the we’re at different places in the store) I like the cleaning better of one and the smell of the other. I also used my Bullet (fancy name for a sm food processor) the problems is as it processed the soap softened, so I started putting in the powdered ingredients with the bar soap in the blender and came out with a finer product that dissolved almost instantly in the washer.
My first batch I made the mistake of mixing dry all fabric bleach in it. I discovered you had to use more but my clothes had never looked so clean with so little effort. Today I start on my third batch and I can’t help but feel that up in heaven my frugal grandmother is looking down and smiling at me:)
Your story is wonderful Debbie!! Thanks for sharing all your tips! I may have to try with that new soap!
Christine
Thanks for the tip for the food processor, I had tried it in mine and everything wanted to stick to the sides, I will try it your way next time.
what about unwrapping the bar soap & letting it air dry first? My mom taught me that would make the bar last longer for washing; maybe make grating it easier too?
Opening your bar soap and letting it sit out does make it harder and it does last longer. I made a cute bar soap hanger for my mom years ago using ribbon. It was simple to make and held 3 bars of open soap. Plus it makes a lovely smell hanging there.
I have been using the homemade laundry detergent for about two months now. The only complaint that I have is, it is not getting the grease stains out like pasta sauce and I have to use so much of the detergent to get my close clean. Am I doing something wrong?
Hi Tina!
I haven’t had much stain trouble, but you could try a pre-treat stick or something to help with that. Also, this may sound ridiculous, but do you have a top-loader machine? Is it agitating correctly? Because I used to have one and it didn’t, and I blamed it on all 50 detergents that I tried:) Other than that, I try to use good practice like washing stained clothing asap, and in general washing every few days. Hope that helps!
Christine
I make this soap all the time but I use the Grandma’s Lye soap. Also, I use the rgular blue DAWN dish soap to treat all grease stains and it works magic on the spots. The difference is I cook mine on the stove with water to melt the shaves soap, when melted, let cool then add dry ingredients to water and pour in the lye water. I put these into old used clothes soap containers. Just give it a shake each time before your pour. I’m tempted to try the ‘dry soap’ process to save time.
how much of the mixture do you use per xlg load? Also, about how much water do you add to the lye before melting and to dry ingred. before mixing with lye water. THANKS!
Tina, I have never made homemade laundry detergent before, but I have used Zote and Fells Napa to remove stubborn stains. I wet the area with the stain and the soap. Then I rub the soap on the stain and rub the fabric together after soaping it up. I do this before washing the garment as a pre-wash/spot wash and it works great. So, if you are using a homemade laundry detergent you should already have either of the two soaps at had. Give it a try and see what results for you.
Thanks so much Linda! Super helpful comments!:)
If you reserve a bare of soap and wet the corner and rub it on the stain you can use it like a pre-treatment.
Hi Tina,
I seen on Pinetrest that if you take plain white chalk and rub it into the grease stain prior to washing it helps absorb the grease and comes out easily in the wash!! I tried it on sausage grease from cooking and it worked!! Hope this helps!!
BTW I am so going to try this homemade soap as soon as I can!!
After seeing that tip on Pinterest, I actually used pink sidewalk chalk (it’s what I could find after we just moved) and it got a huge grease stain out of my husband’s pants… so easy!
I also used the white chalk tip off of Pintrest and it definitely works. So glad cuz i hate those mysterious, visiting grease spots! White chalk is the answer!
I’ve only made liquid laundry detergent and I must say that i’m not a huge fan only because I can’t keep up with making it. With two toddlers that love the outdoors and the arts :), i just don’t have the time to be making ALL that liquid laundry soap. I’m definitely going to try the powder route. Seems SO much easier. Thanks!
Is there a way to make it scented? My mom and I were curious
Hey Claire!
Hmm…the soap should scent it some, but for more I’m guessing any type of powder additive would work? Like maybe what you would use to scent dry bath salts etc? Just a thought.
Let me know if you try it!
Christine
Thank you. I think that could work. I like that idea. I can do this.
Perhaps you could just add some essential oil to the wash after the water has filled? Maybe a nice lavendar? Has anyone tried this?
That sounds like a great idea! Haven’t tried it, but it smells good:)
Add essential oil to the dry powder after you make it. I added lavender oil and it smells absolutely wonderful!
You can add Purex Crystals for scent. It works great.
I found a recipe that included the Purex Crystals and that’s what I am going to use Friday. This will be my first batch of homemade laundry detergent!! Me and my husband are so excited! We are on a very strict budget and with 3 teens in the house.. well need I say more…lol Mounds of laundry = $$$$ on detergent!
If you wan to make it smell good iv heard that adding the purexx crystals and it also make your clothes soft
I added Purex Crystals to my laundry mixture for fragerance, I also added a container of Oxy Clean for stain fighting.
Seems to work so far.
I add some of the newer fabric softner crystals to my mix. Adds whatever scent I choose and softens my clothing also.
I hope this isn’t a silly question, but are all of these ingredients earth friendly? Just a personal question. I use Ecos laundry detergent or seventh generation detergent, but if this is cheaper, then I’m willing to try it! Plus it looks so cute in the mason jars! Thanks!
Hey, you could look through the comments, one reader had a concern about the borax, but I’m pretty sure everything else is earth-friendly and free of harmful nastiness:)
You could read the back of the soap label, I haven’t read that one yet, and possibly switch to an organic soap if that one won’t work. I’m a little bit of an organic food, chem-free freak myself, so I totally understand!
Thanks!
Christine
Use ivory soap instead of Fels Naptha and you will have earth friendly. Add vinegar to the rinse instead of fabric softener, vinegar deodorizes as well. I use baking soda and vinegar for just about everything haha. From hair washing to laundry washing. Vinegar is a good way to clean menstrual cups too. Though vinegar is another tricky one, if youre not carful youre not earth friendly.
Good to know about the Ivory since I have plenty on hand :) Thanks for sharing!
I don’t think the Fels Naptha is eco friendly, but the rest of the stuff is. I also put vinegar in my water like Amanda does, when your wash comes out it does not smell like vinegar, it is fresh instead.
Does adding the vinegar cause any reactions with the Baking/Laundry soda? I just made DIY fabric softener with Vinegar, and I’m affraid to mix it with a detergent with baking soda…I prefer not to have any home-made volcanos in my laundry room =).
Also, Has anybody felt the need to use fabric softener along with this detergent recipe? It seems like you wouldn’t need one, but I love the fluffy feeling that fabric softener leaves. Has anybody tried this?
I use white vinegar in the rinse water and don’t need to add any commercial fabric softener. I also have hair over 3 feet long and I have no more problem with static electricity since I started using the vinegar in the rinse.
I don’t use baking soda in the washing detergent. There’s really no need for it. I use the liquid version of the Duggar’s recipe and it calls for washing soda, not baking soda. They’re two completely different things.
As for the vinegar reacting with the baking soda, I’ve seen several recipes for DIY stain removers that have both ingredients in them. You just have to be careful with the speed with which you add them together. I would think if it WAS in your detergent, that the water and other ingredients would counteract the reaction a bit.
What size mason jars do you use?
Hi! These are quart sized:)
Christine
Christine,
I was wondering where you found those awesome jars! I am trying to plan ahead for the holidays and thinking about making this detergent for my family and friends.Thanks for any info you have! :)
Hey Nikki!
Those were actually some props from a store I used to work at…I do visual merchandising part time. BUT, I have seen them around several places like etsy or ebay or antique stores. Also more recently I have given this detergent in a regular jar with a white plastic lid. Then I cover the lid with a circle cut from a brown bag (sorta like you see fabric on a jelly jar) Then do the tie and the clothespin. It’s still super cute:)
Good luck, thanks for reading my blog!
Christine
Nikki,
You can buy mason jars in packs of 12 at Walmart (three different sizes, pint to quart to half gallon I believe) they are back by the kitchen stuff at my Walmart. They’re around $10 for 12 of them, depending on what size you get :)
I have been saving jars and containers from food products. I am planning on decorating them with mod podge and making my own labels. Just an idea.
Nikki,
I have been searching for colored mason jars for a while and I happened to stumble upon this website that has step by step DIY instructions on how to color mason jars:
http://www.kristanlynn.com/2011/06/diy-aqua-ball-mason-jars.html
Hope it helps!
Christine,
Awesome post! Can’t wait to try!
Thanks Emily! That’s super helpful!
Thank you for that Emily!!!
Ivory ingredents
Based on the analysis given in U.S. Patent No. 3,933,780 , the composition of Ivory Soap was determined to be 12.8% Lauric Acid( plant or animal fat) , 7.5% Myristic Acid( pllant or animal fat), 0.6% Myristoleic Acid(plant or animal fat), 21.8% Palmitic Acid( plant or animal fat), 3.7% Palmitoleic Acid, 13.6 % Stearic Acid, 31.6% Oleic Acid, 3.1% Linoleic Acid, and 5.2% Other (includes C6-C10). All these acids are as their sodium salts. The numbers are probably plus or minus 3% and vary with the species of animal rendered for tallow, and the time of year that either the tallow, or coconut oil was obtained. The mixture is optimized for cleaning. The coconut oil (cocoate) has C12-C14 sodium salts that give a good lather, but are not very good for cleaning. The tallowate is not good for lather, but is very good for soil removal. The acids are shown in their cis form. There can be some isomerization to trans, during processing. The ivory soap bar may also contain some glycerin, sodium chloride, and water. Taken as a whole, the average molecular weight of the sodium salts is 281 grams/mole. ALL THE INGREDIENTS LISTED ARE PLANT OR ANIMAL FATS. WE DON:T HAVE TO KILL ANIMALS TO MAKE THIS SOAP.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/176905-information-on-fels-naptha-soap/
Fels Naptha has questionable ingredients.
Thanks for sharing this Amanda!!!
I use Ivory in my laundry soap and it works great. We used it daily growing up, and my mom still uses it to this day. It’s very gentle on skin and doesn’t contain any dyes or perfumes, which makes it great for people with skin problems.