Very Low Cost Easy Homemade Laundry Soap

The last time I bought laundry soap I went to Costco and, as usual, bought three jugs.  Two are Tide HE for my front loading washer and one is Tide Cold Water Wash for my top loading 2nd washer (yes I have two washers but if you know the washer troubles I’ve had you’d have two too, and remember the nearest Laundromat is a looooong ways from me.)

Total cost for those three jugs was just over $75.00!  And then you have to lug the three bottles home all the while taking up precious space in the truck for other groceries.  What’s a girl to do?

The first thing I do is go to Tipnut.com.  There are so many tips and tricks there you’ll surely find something that will make your life easier and I knew I’d find something. :)  I found this: http://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundry-soap-detergent-recipes/

The post was very long and detailed, especially with the amount of comments, but well worth the read.  I didn’t use a specific recipe but rather combined a few different ones to come up with an inexpensive homemade laundry soap.

Here’s what I did:

Grate one bar of pure soap into a pot.  MUST be pure soap, not Dove or a body soap.  I found Sunlight in the detergent aisle of our grocery store; 2 bars for $2.79.  I’m betting you can pick it up much cheaper than I can.

Grate one bar in the pot, saving the other bar for next time.

Finished grating.

Add enough hot water to cover it and place on the stove MEDIUM-LOW heat.

Eventually it will all melt, don’t worry about the little bits still in there.  Just before adding it to my jug I used my Braun hand mixer to whirl it smooth.

You’ll need 1 cup of Washing Soda (NOT baking soda).  In the detergent aisle it was $6.99.

And 1/2 a cup of Borax. I’ve had Borax forever and I don’t have a clue what a box costs??

I also put in 1 tablespoon of Mrs. Stewart’s Liquid Bluing to whiten whites and makes clothes brighter.  Detergent aisle: $2.99.

I recycled a cleaned out 5 gallon vegetable oil jug and filled it about a quarter way full of hot water.  Add the Washing Soda, Borax, and Bluing and shake until all powder is dissolved.  Add the melted soap, and shake again.

Fill with hot water.  This will be heavy!  I had an extra empty jug of Tide and poured off one bottle to keep at the washer and I’ll store the big jug away.  I think I’ll get at least four Tide jugs from this one jug.

I now have five gallons of laundry soap for well under $10!!  1/2 a cup is all you’ll need in your washer.  It’s low sudsing and it will be perfect in my front loading washer which requires that expensive He soap but I’ll also use it in my top loader as well.  This will gel over time so be sure to shake it every once in awhile.

I’ve done two loads of laundry in my front loader and the clothes smell ok and look clean…. I’m sold.  Your results may vary depending on your water, experiment and save lots of dollars.  Come back and let me know how it works for you. :)

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