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[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/apelser/status/98021681502748673″]
After tweeting that yesterday, I had multiple requests for my recipe.
I started making powdered laundry soap about two years ago. We were trying to cut out chemicals in our home. I was in the midst of a detox with my chiropractor and trying to deal with symptoms (and the root) of my PCOD. As it turns out, there are many chemicals commonly found in various things in our homes that can affect your hormones. Plus, my boys all (including the big one) have sensitive skin so many of the regular laundry detergents bothered them. So, I set about learning about homemade laundry soap. My recipe is courtesy of my friend Jen.
Powdered Laundry Soap
- 8 cups washing soda
- 8 cups baking soda
- 12 cups borax
- 8 cups grated bar soap (Fels-Naptha or other pure soap; I use Ivory)
Mix all of the ingredients together. Use 2-3 Tablespoons per load.
That's a lot of laundry soap! I would make half or a fourth of the recipe at a time. I feel like it cleaned our clothes well. It's easy to make and store. I wash almost everything in cold water to save money (and our clothes don't get super dirty anyway). I like it, but this time I wanted to try a liquid to see if it disolved better in cold water or did any better with the whites. I did a little searching and this is the recipe that I tried:
Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent
- 4 cups hot tap water
- 1 Fels-Naptha soap bar (I used Ivory)
- 1 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
- ½ cup Borax
- 5 gallon bucket with a lid
Directions:
- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
- Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.
- Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)
I used a small trashcan, which held approximately three gallons. {I think someone stole my five gallon bucket and is using it in the garage…} I just made my soap a little more concentrated and will keep that in mind when using it. I'm not sure that I'll bother with the extra dilution. I put my soap in before the clothes and give it time to start dissolving in the water before I add the dirty clothes. Do make sure that you have something to store your soap in if you don't have a bucket with a lid. I was scrambling to find containers because I didn't think ahead and we had just taken all the recycling to the dump this weekend.
One thing that I don't like about the powdered recipe is the time that it takes to grate the soap. For the liquid recipe, I was able to use a knife to cut the soap and that was a lot faster.
Have you ever tried making your own laundry soap? Do you have a favorite homemade laundry soap recipe?
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i’d love to know how it cleans. we currently use the powder method, but like you, wash predominately in cold water. i’ve wondered if the liquid would be better for us too. so, make sure to post an update here or on fb 🙂
katherine k.
Sure thing Katherine!
i’d love to know if you think this cleans better than the powdered version. i currently make the powder, but like you predominately wash in cold water. i’ve also wondered if the liquid would clean better. so, make sure you post an update here or in fb!