- Joined
- Jun 2, 2012
- Reaction score
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I love this stuff. I don't think I would go back to store-bought if I were really wealthy.
You will need a bunch of empty detergent or bleach bottles that you have saved up, and a clean five gallon bucket, because this makes five gallons of concentrate.
Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap
4 cups water
1 5 to 6 ounce bar of soap*
1 cup washing soda**
1 cup water softener***
1/2 cup borax
Grate bar of soap. This is the most tedious part of the job, but it is soon over. Add water. I use distilled water, because I have hard water in my area. Otherwise filtered or tap water should be fine. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot water. Add melted soap, washing soda, water softener, 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 the mixture well, as it will be very thick and congealed. Fill your used, clean, laundry soap dispensers with concentrate.
To use, fill an empty bottle half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use.
Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons.
Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.
Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.
Top Load Machine - 5/8 cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
Front Load Machines - 1/4 cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)
*The original recipe calls for fels-naptha, but this isn't vegan, I don't think. It can be made with animal fat, though that isn't entirely clear from the label. I use Mrs Meyer's Clean Day bar soap, in lemon verbena. So just pick a soap you like that you know is cruelty-free.
**Make sure you use washing soda, not baking soda.
***If you don't have hard water, you can omit this.
I am very fussy about laundry, so I had my doubts about this, but I would never go back now. I love Mrs Meyer's stuff, and now I can have it at an extremely low cost, compared to $16 per half gallon for Mrs Meyer's laundry soap. I do use Mrs Meyer's fabric softener, but I dilute it to three parts water to one part fabric softener, and it still works beautifully with the addition of a half cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle to counteract the hard water I have to wash with.
You will need a bunch of empty detergent or bleach bottles that you have saved up, and a clean five gallon bucket, because this makes five gallons of concentrate.
Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap
4 cups water
1 5 to 6 ounce bar of soap*
1 cup washing soda**
1 cup water softener***
1/2 cup borax
Grate bar of soap. This is the most tedious part of the job, but it is soon over. Add water. I use distilled water, because I have hard water in my area. Otherwise filtered or tap water should be fine. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot water. Add melted soap, washing soda, water softener, 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 the mixture well, as it will be very thick and congealed. Fill your used, clean, laundry soap dispensers with concentrate.
To use, fill an empty bottle half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use.
Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons.
Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.
Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.
Top Load Machine - 5/8 cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
Front Load Machines - 1/4 cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)
*The original recipe calls for fels-naptha, but this isn't vegan, I don't think. It can be made with animal fat, though that isn't entirely clear from the label. I use Mrs Meyer's Clean Day bar soap, in lemon verbena. So just pick a soap you like that you know is cruelty-free.
**Make sure you use washing soda, not baking soda.
***If you don't have hard water, you can omit this.
I am very fussy about laundry, so I had my doubts about this, but I would never go back now. I love Mrs Meyer's stuff, and now I can have it at an extremely low cost, compared to $16 per half gallon for Mrs Meyer's laundry soap. I do use Mrs Meyer's fabric softener, but I dilute it to three parts water to one part fabric softener, and it still works beautifully with the addition of a half cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle to counteract the hard water I have to wash with.
