Homemade Laundry Soap

A few months ago my fellow Frugal Frannie shared with me a recipe for homemade laundry soap.

I must admit this is a nice way to shave a few dollars off your monthly grocery bill. I've been using it for several months now and am still pleased with the product.

Here is the basic recipe:

1/3 Bar of Fels Naptha
1/2 Cup Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Borax
A 2 Gallon Bucket
A clean Gallon Jug


Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan. Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts. Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket. Now add your soap mixture and stir. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel. You use ½ cup per load.

I have played with this recipe to suit my hard water. I've added an additional bar of soap grated and added with the Fels Naptha. I've increased the Fels Naptha to 1/2 a bar and I've changed water amounts to be 8 cups to start and dissolve, then 6 cups in the bucket and 1 gal plus 8 cups to the bucket.

When it gels it will look a little like egg drop soup.

I've also added some scent into the mixture. It doesn't seem to scent the clothing, but it smells nice when you start your wash load.

A few more tips:

Do not use fabric softener with a load of towels. This makes the towels develop a film and causes them to not dry as well.

If you fill your fabric softener cup with vinegar in each load the vinegar acts as a natural fabric softener. I promise, your clothes will not smell like vinegar once they come out of the dryer.