Natural and Thrifty In Your Inbox! Twitter Facebook BlogFrog YouTube Flickr contact RSS . The Thrifty Mama™ Home About Blog Deals Thrifty Living Green Living Healthy Living Organic Living Contact . Homemade Laundry Soap: Liquid Detergent Recipe by Crystal Collins on August 30, 2012 in Frugal Living, Organic and Green Living WP Greet Box icon X Hello there Bing decision maker! If you find this page interesting, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic. Powered by WP Greet Box WordPress Plugin liquid laundry detergent Homemade Laundry Soap: Liquid Detergent Recipe Out of all the things I’m talking about this week in regards to laundry, this homemade laundry soap recipe is by far my favorite. It’s super easy to make, and is the cheapest out of all the laundry detergent recipes I’ve been sharing. If you’ve got these ingredients and twenty minutes, then you can make your own laundry detergent, be more eco-friendly, and start saving a lot of money. Here’s what you’re going to need… Ingredients and Supplies ◾1 Bar Soap (I use this castile soap) ◾1 cup Washing Soda ◾1 cup Borax ◾Hot Water ◾Measuring Cup ◾Cheese Grater ◾5 Gallon Bucket ◾Big Metal Cooking Pot ◾Long Wooden Spoon ◾Optional: 35-40 drops of essential oil (tea tree, lavender etc…) I chose tea tree oil. Directions for Homemade Laundry Soap Step One: Grate your soap with a cheese grater. This is probably the most work you will do in the entire process. But afterwards your cheese grater will be really clean! laundry 1835 Homemade Laundry Soap: Liquid Detergent Recipe Step Two: Bring big pot of water (about half full) to a boil, and then slowly stir in your grated soap. laundry 1908 Homemade Laundry Soap: Liquid Detergent Recipe Step Three: Once the soap is melted, reduce heat and slowly add in the Washing Soda while stirring with the wooden spoon. At this point a small reaction will occur, and your mixture will try to bubble over a little in your pot. This is where the wooden spoon comes in handy. Lay the wooden spoon across your pot, and then your mixture won’t boil over and make a mess. laundry 1929 Homemade Laundry Soap: Liquid Detergent Recipe laundry 1936 Homemade Laundry Soap: Liquid Detergent Recipe Step Four: Add in your Borax to the pot while stirring. Once everything is blended and melted, remove from heat. Step Five: Fill your five gallon bucket half-way with hot water. Add your soap mixture from the pot to your bucket of water. laundry 1940 Homemade Laundry Soap: Liquid Detergent Recipe Step Six: At this point you can add in your optional essential oil, and stir the mixture really well with your wooden spoon. laundry 1948 Homemade Laundry Soap: Liquid Detergent Recipe Step Seven: Once everything is well-blended, fill the bucket the rest of the way with water and then put the lid on. Allow to cool and sit overnight. laundry 2011 Homemade Laundry Soap: Liquid Detergent Recipe Step Eight: After sitting overnight, your mixture will become a gel-like goop, and that means it’s ready to use! At this point you can transfer some of the soap to clean and empty smaller bottles (old laundry detergent bottles or milk jugs), so that it’s easy to use every day. Shake/stir the mixture before using in your washing machine. Use one cup or less of “gel-like goop” per load. laundry 2349 Homemade Laundry Soap: Liquid Detergent Recipe laundry detergent Homemade Laundry Soap: Liquid Detergent Recipe A lot of people come out with a really thick gloopy mixture. This makes it harder to use, so I recommend this specific recipe, as it is a little less gloopy and easier to use (mainly because of the soap brand I used). If it gets too gloopy, just add more hot water. While these ingredients are non-toxic and eco-friendly, I recommend that you still keep them out of reach of children and they should not be consumed. Handle with care just like you would any laundry detergent. Cost of Homemade Laundry Soap (Liquid) ◾1 bar soap = $3.49 ◾1 box Washing Soda (55oz) $3.19 – Cost Per Cup = .46 cents ◾1 box Borax (76oz) $4.49 – Cost Per Cup = .47 cents ◾Optional Essential Oil: Tea Tree Oil (1oz) $8.99 – Cost for 40 Drops = .72 cents Total Cost for 5 Gallons or 80+ loads of Laundry Detergent = $5.17 Total Cost Per Load: Approximately .06 cents *Note that prices are common retail. Watch for a sale or deal at an outlet for even cheaper cost per load! And there you have it! You’ve got your own homemade laundry soap that costs you mere pennies to use, and it’s eco-friendly! This is by far my favorite way to make homemade laundry detergent. It’s super cheap, and it washes all of my laundry really well. I’ll be back tomorrow with a recap of all the laundry recipes I shared this week, and have a video response to answer your questions. So if you’ve got some questions, let’s hear ‘em! Tagged as: DIY, Eco-Friendly, Laundry, Money Saving Ideas, Recipes, Savings Nation Print This Post Print This Post .*This site uses affiliate links within blog posts. Read full disclosure here. { 59 comments… read them below or add one } annie @ montanasolarcreations August 30, 2012 at 10:48 am I’ve been wanting to make homemade laundry soap, I’m so excited you shared this post! I’ve seen a lot of recipes for powder soap but it doesn’t dissolve well in our cold well water so this is perfect. Thanks for sharing! Reply . Catherine August 30, 2012 at 11:33 am I make a very similar recipe (I skip the oil & only use 1/2 cup of borax). It stores great in the kitty litter containers that I got from freecycle. Also, I use whatever soap is on sale that we are not allergic to (ivory works great). Reply . dot mcintye August 30, 2012 at 1:45 pm I saw your directions for making homemade laundry soap and was wondering can you use this in high effiency washers. They only use a small amount . Any feedback will help. Reply . Christa August 30, 2012 at 6:36 pm Yes, you can use in HE machines. It is actually the best for them because of the low to no suds this detergent creates. Been using this recipe (only change, I only use 1/2 cup borax) since Jan in my High efficiency machine. Love it!! Reply . Christa August 30, 2012 at 6:37 pm You can still use 1 cup per load in HE washer Reply . Cari September 13, 2012 at 11:49 pm Hi Christa – I just want to be sure before I make this… for HE washers, I should decrease borax to 1/2 cup but keep all other measurements same as listed in your recipe. Is this correct? Thanks! Reply . Rebecca August 30, 2012 at 2:29 pm This is a great recipe! Have you tried it with liquid castile soap instead of bar to eliminate the need to grate it? Reply . Shannon August 30, 2012 at 3:33 pm As a note, the cost is not actually 0.06 cents per load (i.e., less than a 10th of a cent per load), but rather $0.06, or 6 cents per load. I was getting a little over-excited about the cost until I pulled out my calculator! :-) I use a dry laundry detergent recipe almost identical to the one you recently posted, and have been very happy with it! Still haven’t tried a liquid recipe yet… Sincerely, Shannon Reply . Karen August 30, 2012 at 10:47 pm I read somewhere that a Borax, a component in many homemade detergents, causes fading. True? Reply . TrulyJulie September 4, 2012 at 5:49 pm Hi Karen, I have no idea if borax causes fading, but I do know that I color set all my darks and brights before I wash them the first time, and they hold their original color for dozens of washings after that. I just soak them in straight white vinegar for 24 hours before washing. This doesn’t work well with items that might rust, like clothes with exposed grommets or enameled zippers, but it works with everything else. Reply . Sandra January 7, 2013 at 5:31 pm Unfortunately, it does fade some clothes depending on what type of material it is. I had bought a black sweater from walmart about a month ago, which I just threw in the garbage last night because it was faded so badly. I’m too lazy to dye it. Reply . Karen August 30, 2012 at 10:47 pm Also, what are soap nuts, where do they come from and do they work? Reply . Erin August 30, 2012 at 10:50 pm I’ve been making my own for a year and LOVE it! Even my teenage daughter has started using it. I make the powder and let the water run before I add clothes and have never had a problem. Reply . Laurie August 30, 2012 at 10:53 pm Why does mine always come out solid? I can never pour it. Reply . Kristin August 30, 2012 at 10:53 pm I heard even though borax is natural it still doesn’t break down or get removed from the water supply (this is a few years ago so I’m not clear on the details)… true or false or does it really not matter all that much since we’ll be taking scrappy petroleum products out of the waste water stream? Reply . Alicia August 31, 2012 at 12:01 am I have been making my own liquid detergent for several months now and have MANY friends and family hooked on it! The recipe I use only takes a half cup of the Borax and I use Fels-Naptha soap which is only 97c at WalMart. I dilute the 5 gallon bucket 1 part water/1 part soap and only use 1/4 cup per HE load or 5/8 cup per standard load. Works excellent. Reply . syndee March 22, 2013 at 7:19 pm I make mine the same as you and I love it! I have used it for over a year now with no problems. Reply . Billie Dinkler April 20, 2013 at 10:52 am Alicia, I use my home made lye soap in this recipe, it works great also!! But I have also used Fels-Naptha..Love that soap also! Reply . Lynda August 31, 2012 at 6:58 am I’m wondering about fading colors with homemade soap. I’ve bought some cheaper detergents before & they were fading my clothes. Will this recipe fade colors? Reply . Karen August 31, 2012 at 7:30 am I’m wondering why my liquid detergent segments. It looks like the water sinks to the bottom & everything else floats to the top. I have to shake it up each time before I use it. Any ideas? Thank you! Reply . Cindy December 18, 2012 at 7:13 am I have the same situation. The soap comes to the top and is like water..didn’t gel at all. Any suggestions out there??? Reply . Crystal Collins December 18, 2012 at 12:57 pm Stir in some more equal parts of borax and washing soda. Dissolve them in hot water on the stove before adding in. This is what I did. Reply . Diana August 31, 2012 at 10:36 am I add Mint in the summer to help deter mosquitos Reply . Betsy August 31, 2012 at 10:37 am Wow, this is great! Thanks for sharing! Reply . Diana August 31, 2012 at 10:38 am You always have to shake up homemade laundry soap before use and I have never had an issue with homemade fading our cloths Reply . Shannon August 31, 2012 at 6:14 pm In using powdered homemade detergent (same basic ingredients), I haven’t noticed any fading — however, all clothes fade over time. It’s just that chemical detergents contain optical brighteners that make clothes *look* less faded. That said, our clothes seem to do just fine! Blessings, Shannon Reply . Crystal Collins September 4, 2012 at 10:37 am Here’s the post with all the homemade laundry detergent recipes, plus FAQ. thethriftymama/homemade-laundry-detergent-recipes.html Reply . Jackie W September 26, 2012 at 11:38 pm I’m not sure what I did wrong. I tried the recipe twice, but just ended up with cloudy water both times. I used Kirk’s Original Coco Castile Soap, Super Washing Soda and Borax. Can anybody help? Reply . Karen October 3, 2012 at 10:49 am Jackie W- I used the same soap and have had the same issue, so maybe that is the problem, but I’m not sure how Dr. Bonner is different? I am going to try to use it on a load anyway. Some people have suggested adding another dose of the Borax and Washing Soda, not sure if that will help. Reply . Sandra January 7, 2013 at 5:27 pm Adding extra borax and washing soda won’t work. It really is the soap that causes is to gel up. Reply . Crystal Collins January 10, 2013 at 7:03 pm I was able to get it to gel up by adding in more borax and washing soda. Reply . Charleen Hall January 23, 2013 at 7:11 am I am having the same problem, I used 1 bar of kirks castile soap, 1 cup soda, and 1/2 cup borax. Now after letting sit for 3 days its as runny as it was as when i first made it..I got this recipe somewhere else..I don’t want to waste the ingredients and start over…how much more of borax and soda should i add..and should i add them to a little bit of hot water to dissolve first…Help..thanks.. Reply . Crystal Collins January 24, 2013 at 2:47 pm When this happens to me, I add 1/2 cup borax and 1/2 cup washing soda to a little bit of hot water on the stove and let it dissolve. Then I pour it into the mixture, stir and let sit again. It usually fixes the issue. If not, repeat until you don’t have the runny issue. Reply . Jackie W October 3, 2012 at 11:03 pm Thank you Karen. I will try both ideas and see. I really appreciate it! Jackie Reply . z October 13, 2012 at 8:48 pm I wish you would post the entire recipe in a text box first THEN do the picto-graphic play by play. I will have to transcribe this to use it. Reply . Shelly November 14, 2012 at 1:29 pm Does this work well in the HE washers??? Reply . Cari November 14, 2012 at 6:55 pm Hi Shelly, I made this about a month ago and have been using it daily in my HE machine for our family of 11. It has worked GREAT! My detergent holder has a ‘max’ level that is less than 1 cup so I just fill it to just below the ‘max’ line. The one thing you should know is that you need to shake the detergent before putting it into the holder or the ‘goopiness’ will be an issue for the machine. Good luck! Cari Reply . Jeanie December 30, 2012 at 11:06 pm What is washing soda, and I have never heard of Castille soap. Does any bar soap work? Reply . Sandra January 7, 2013 at 5:26 pm You can use any soap you want. I use Ivory soap. I melt it in the microwave a bit first … this makes it easier to grate it. Reply . Marlene March 4, 2013 at 6:58 am I unwrap the Fels Naptha and place on a paper plate. I microwave it for 2 minutes. It puffs up and easy to grate or chunk it up and put in food processor for a few seconds, Too easy!!!!!!!!! Reply . Michelle January 6, 2013 at 9:32 pm Just made my first batch, massive foaming, wooden spoon trick worketh not – I had soap suds everywhere! Anyone else have a this problem? Proceeding on, mixture cooling now. Hope I didn’t lose all my soap, mix from when I added in the soda. Reply . kelly January 6, 2013 at 11:14 pm I made a batch of homemade laundry soap today but my recipe is 1/4 cup dr.Bronners liquid castle soap 2 cup borax 2 cup washing soda makes 5 gal Reply . Sandra January 7, 2013 at 5:25 pm I make mine this way but I use Ivory soap and in the end, I add Downy unstoppables to make it smell really good. Reply . Ramya January 18, 2013 at 4:45 am I made this yesterday and let it sit overnight. This morning I had a beautiful (but not what I wanted) white cloud floating in colourless liquid. I mixed the whole thing. And it’s not separated or anything but it’s not what I would call gel-like. Can I use it anyway or should I grate some more soap and melt and add?? I used this soap for dish-wash detergent and that gelled… so I know the soap has it in ‘her’ ;o) Reply . Lila February 19, 2013 at 1:06 pm Ramya – I had the same result. I’ve blended it with a paint mixer attachment on my power drill and it seems to have blended well, but no gel. I’m trying it in my washer as I type. I’m hoping that the mixture of ingredients is the same whether it gels or not. Anyone have any ideas why this might have happened and how to fix it? Reply . Charleen Hall January 23, 2013 at 7:04 am Help, I made the recipe, but mine never gelled its as runny as the day I made it and its now 3 days later….? Help…the only difference I used castile soap, and I only put 1/2 a cup borax…do you think I can go back and add the other 1/2 cup of borax and this will help it gel..dissolve it in a little hot water and add it..i dont want to waste all that i made? I used one bar of castile soap grated, then 1 cup soda, and 1/s cup of borax..please any suggestions would be appreciated… Thanks.. Reply . Skip January 24, 2013 at 9:13 am I’ve been fascinated to read all the recipes and comments about home-made washing powder & ‘gel’. I’ve seen similar recipes from UK blogs – they tend to buy soap flakes – just thought it would be easier than grating bars of soap and maybe get better result with the ‘gel’? Maybe you don’t have soap flakes in USA? Thanks for the inspiration to make my own ‘detergent’!! Reply . Crystal Collins January 24, 2013 at 2:45 pm Great tip, thanks! Reply . Gwen February 15, 2013 at 10:08 pm What size bar of soap do you use? The only Castille Soap I have found in my area comes in 3 small bars packaged together. I just want to make certain I mix up the recipe correctly so that I get the best results right from the start. Thank you. Reply . Cari February 17, 2013 at 7:47 pm From her link it looks like she used a 5 oz bar. So, I think as long as you shoot for something near 5 oz total, it should be fine. Reply . Rebecca February 17, 2013 at 4:58 am Just wondering if anyone has used this recipe in front loader? My friend uses soap flakes instead of grated soap and since buying a front loader cannot use soap flakes – does anyone have any info on this thanks :) Reply . Cari February 17, 2013 at 7:44 pm Hi Rebecca, I have been using this recipe in my front loader for about 3 months and have had no issues. The only change I make is that instead of using 1 cup, which would go above my ‘max’ line in the detergent holder, I just fill it up to the ‘max’ line. Oh, one more thing…. I keep it in a gallon water jug container so that I can shake it right before putting it in… otherwise, it clogs up the dispenser. Reply . Casey March 4, 2013 at 7:40 pm I was wondering what size metal pot you used? I used a really big pot and mine turned out really watered down so I’m thinking my pot was to big and I used to much water. Reply . Farzana Nazli March 26, 2013 at 7:31 am Hi, I have been thinking to make this detergent and after reading all your comments I made up my mind and feel confident to go ahead. I am so excite., cannot wait to buy the ingriedients! Later I will share if something funny happen:-) Reply . BJ April 22, 2013 at 11:40 pm Does anyone know or has anyone added a product like oxi clean to this recipe for a brighter wash? Reply . MomOf4 May 19, 2013 at 9:13 pm Does it have to be gloppy? Why won’t it work as a liquid if you make sure it’s mixed? I, too, used the Kirk’s Coco bar. I, too, tried to thicken it up, twice! There’s almost 2 and a half cups of Borax and Washing Soda and it’s still cloudy water when you stir it. I don’t want to waste it! I also have a HE machine if that helps! Reply . Crystal Collins May 30, 2013 at 11:06 am I don’t think it needs to be gloppy. I use it more runny and it works well! :) Reply . JW May 30, 2013 at 2:58 pm I didn’t want to waste it either, so I just shook it up each time and used it anyway. My clothes were fine. I just ran out and am going to try again with a different bar soap, though. Reply . Crystal Collins May 30, 2013 at 3:36 pm Nice! Let me know how that goes JW! Reply . 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