How to Make Liquid Laundry Soap With Three Simple Ingredients

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I know a lot of people are going to wonder why they would ever make laundry soap when they can just buy laundry detergent at the grocery store. First of all, it's super easy. Once you do it, you will probably be like, why have I not done this before? But since being easy is not reason enough, for most of us, there are a few more reasons. In addition to containing chemicals that are hazardous to the environment, the most common laundry detergents also contains known carcinogens and many other irritating ingredients. Many people give every load they wash an extra rinse, because their skin is sensitive to harmful detergents and they need to make sure it's all removed before wearing their clean clothes. You will not have to do that with this soap. Also, with anything you make yourself there is far less packaging waste, and whenever you need to make another batch you can simply reuse the same containers, instead of creating more garbage.

And yes, this works in an HE washer.

This makes a lot of laundry soap, from a very small volume of ingredients, so it's incredibly economical. I purchase my ingredients in bulk from Azure Standard, a natural foods distributor. I make a two gallon batch and it lasts me over a year. This recipe is easily halved, if you have a smaller container or want to test the recipe before making a ton. Unlike a lot of homemade laundry soap recipes, there's no cooking or grating required. Simply mix together, dissolve in hot water, and then add a large amount of tap water and it's ready to go.

I keep mine in glass pitcher with a leakproof lid, and give it a gentle shake before each use, since the ingredients can settle over time. I mix my soap up in a 5 gallon bucket, and then use this to refill the pitcher as needed.

On to the recipe!

Ingredients: 
6 Tbsp Castile soap or other concentrated liquid soap
6 Tbsp Borax (available in the cleaning aisle of department and grocery stores)
6 Tbsp Super Washing Soda (don't be discouraged- I had no idea where to buy this when I first started making laundry soap, so I found out how to make my own from Baking Soda. See instructions at bottom.)
1 quart hot water plus 7 quarts cool water

Place your ingredients in a clean bucket and add about a quart of very hot water to dissolve everything. I use an old 5 gallon bucket, but you could also use an upcycled bottle from a storebought liquid laundry detergent - just adjust the amounts of ingredients accordingly if it's a smaller container, and use a funnel as needed to fill the container you choose.

Stir up the ingredients with the hot water until well-mixed, and then add in enough water to equal two gallons overall. (So, if you've already added a quart of water, add 7 more quarts, bringing it to two gallons total.) Stir well and ladle or pour into your pitcher, bottle, or jar for easy use.

Now you have two gallons of wonderful, natural, easy laundry soap. How do you use it? Probably exactly how you have always used liquid laundry soap. Open the soap compartment, pour in what you need, and you're golden. I use maybe 1/2 cup per load. I just pour it into the soap tray to the Max Fill line (assuming I'm washing a full load). Less for smaller loads.

Super Washing Soda:
Maybe you already found it in the same aisle as the Borax. I had a harder time finding any, but fortunately it's even easier to make than laundry soap. Plus, making your own ensures you know exactly what's in it. Conveniently, it's made from a single ingredient that nearly everyone has: Baking Soda.

Pour a couple cups of baking soda in a large baking dish, and bake for 1 hour at 425 degrees. Give it a bit of a stir once or twice, to ensure even baking. This long bake changes it chemically so it is no longer baking soda, and it will have a different consistency when it's done. Less sticky and clumpy, more dry and smooth. 1 1/3 cups of baking soda will reduce down to 1 cup of washing soda, when it's done. Save any excess washing soda in an airtight jar for your next batch of laundry soap. For more info on super washing soda, check out this article.

If you prefer, Amazon sells a handy two pack of Borax and Super Washing Soda, perfect for this kind of endeavor.
Purchasing them through my ad below provides a small boon for our family; thank you in advance!

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How to Make Liquid Laundry Soap With Three Simple Ingredients

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Oleh Mellow

Mellow May 27, 2016 15 Comment