Homemade Laundry Soap

The other days before I fell and busted my foot, I was working on a few projects around the house. I never did get my pesto made but I did make some homemade laundry soap.

I used this method, which was super easy and super cheap. We've been buying essential oils to use for medical purposes (we're actually distributors, talk to Jeremy the apothecary if you have questions)...and had gotten several oils for free like Lemon, Citrus Fresh and Tangerine. Since these don't have any medical significance for us, I figured we had to find a way to use them!

So liquid laundry soap it is....



I carved up some Fels Naptha bar laundry soap, which apparently isn't always easy to find. In a pinch you can use Ivory as well. You melt it in water and make the 'soap soup' that the directions mention.

Then add Arm and Hammer washing soda, borax and I added about half the bottle of lemon oil. Plus 3 gallons of water, voila....that's A LOT of soap.


The lady who wrote blog crunched the numbers on cost savings but that was for a FRONT LOAD washer and we have an HE, so when she said one batch is enough for 52 loads, that's actually 104 for us.

But check out her analysis...

Each batch of detergent contains 52 cups of the solution – 48 from the three gallons in the bucket, and four more cups of water with the dissolved soap. Since I use one cup per load, this means a single batch makes 52 loads’ worth of detergent.

Let’s say, hypothetically, that I make six batches of the stuff and use the other half of the box of Borax for something else. That means I’ve made enough detergent for 312 loads of laundry for a total cost of $6.97. That’s roughly two and a quarter cents per load of laundry.

It smells pretty good and lemony fresh, and seems to clean well although I haven't had any major laundry catastrophes to deal with yet. It's a little more watery than hers but dissolves great. So far, very pleased with it.

And I have enough washing soda, oil and soap to make lots lots more. Anybody want some?