Laundry Soap for a Lifetime

easysurfer

easysurfer

Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
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Jun 11, 2008
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Well, yesterday I read about how easy it is to create homemade laundry soap that both saves money and is more green than using regular detergent from stores.

Of course, being a bit adventurous, I decided to give it a try. Bought the supplies I needed and finished the job today.

Seems to most popular method is to create the soap in liquid form and store that in a big container. The other method is to create a powerded version.

I chose the latter, and decided to create me enough to last me a long-long-long time (using 8 bars of ivory soap).

Here is what I followed:

Homemade Laundry Detergent - Simple, Easy, Fast, & Effective

I see that this discussion actually was here on a thread back in 2007 (before I had actually FIRE'd) :)

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/homemade-laundry-detergent-30775.htmlhttp://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/homemade-laundry-detergent-30775-3.html#post836457
 
You are a good citizen, ES. That project looks like work.;) Too bad I invested in enough non-green detergent to last a couple of years. By that time, I'll have forgotten about this thread.
 
I used a food processor to mix the soap with the borox and washing soda. But in order to do it right, I really needed to grate the soap bars beforehand to work with the processor.

It is nice knowing I'm being green, also as I was waiting in line buying the processor I glanced over at the laundry detergent section. A bottle (pretty good size) was going for over $6. The homemade version is supposed to work out to only about 5 cents a load.
 
That looks cool--I'll have to give it a try. I love Borax as it is also great as a flea and roach deterrent/killer.
 
I make my own, too. My recipe proportions are slightly different than what the website is showing - I use:
1 bar of shredded soap
1 cup washing soda
1 cup borax

The first couple of times I made it I used Fels Naptha and thought I might die from the awful chemical smell while I was grating it. It didn't seem very healthy to breathe those fumes in! I found another laundry soap called Octagon that has a more pleasant smell, and seems to work well.
 
ksr said:
I make my own, too. My recipe proportions are slightly different than what the website is showing - I use:
1 bar of shredded soap
1 cup washing soda
1 cup borax

The first couple of times I made it I used Fels Naptha and thought I might die from the awful chemical smell while I was grating it. It didn't seem very healthy to breathe those fumes in! I found another laundry soap called Octagon that has a more pleasant smell, and seems to work well.
Click to expand...

Looks like the recipie proprtions that you are using calls for doubling the amount of washing soda and borax. The others only called for 1/2 cup per bar of soap.

I used Ivory soap. That soap grates so easily (practically melts in my hand).

After using all 8 bars of soap and the powders, my finished soap powder box is only about the size of a shoebox. But that should last quite awhile as the directions call for only 1 TBSP per load.
 
FYI - Borax toxicity

While making laundry soap has been done for many many years and may save you some money...

Be aware that Borax can be quite toxic and should be treated with respect and in a well ventilated area.

<from the Borax Information Page website - The Borax Information Page>

Borax information: what is it exactly?

The chemical formula for household borax is B4O7Na2. 10H2O. Borax is a name for several different similar chemical compounds, of which probably the commonest is sodium decahydrate. They all contain sodium and boron. Boric acid or boracic acid is an acid which can be derived from borax.

Boron, a valuable trace metal in foods and soils, is quite toxic in excess. In fact, it is so toxic that it can be used as a herbicide. Borax itself is also quite toxic, which means that safe handling and storage are imperative. It's toxic enough to kill ants, fleas and cockroaches and other unwanted insect life.

Its effects upon the environment are not yet well documented but it can be toxic to aquatic life if too concentrated. It is regarded by the Australian government as a low threat to the environment but a moderate threat to health.
Borax information: just how safe is borax?


This is the most crucial borax information - and yet reports about borax safety give a rather mixed message. Here's what I've gleaned about borax safety.
Borax needs to be stored carefully because it is toxic if ingested. While this may be unlikely to happen, even by accident, anyone using it should be aware because of the dangers of very young children playing with it.
31vgnRheROL._SL500_AA250_.jpg
Even as little as a teaspoonful could prove fatal if swallowed by a young child. For this reason, be very careful if using it anywhere near food and wipe up spills immediately. (See below for safety advice when using borax.)
There is a slight hazard of contamination through skin contact. It may cause irritation and redness from prolonged contact. If you have any cuts or abrasions on your hands you should use rubber gloves when handling it or using it in solution.

Picture, right: Borax can also be bought as a powdered hand soap
ir
.
As it comes in a stable, crystalline powder there's very little danger of inhalation. However, if you use it as a fine powder you should protect yourself against inhalation and wear safety goggles.

Borax is related to but not the same as boron - which is now thought to be an essential trace element in human nutrition. Some people take "Borax tablets" as a medicine for a variety of complaints. The amounts of borax contained in these preparations is extremely small and should present no health threat, used correctly.
It is probably easy to get unduly concerned about the safety of borax; if you look at the toxicology data for common salt, it is not that different! Even salt can be hazardous if you ingest too much of it. For most purposes, borax is quite safe if you keep it out of reach of children and take precautions if there is a risk of dust inhalation.
 
We make our own too. I didn't know Borax was that bad, but we don't have kids so we should be OK. I could use it when I have any ants problem...
 
My long gone MIL made bar soap. She would save fats then would make a batch using lye. The result was actually very easy on the hands.
 
Thanks MasterBlaster for the caution. I think the washing soda even had a stronger warning than the Borax. One of the places I read about making your own detergent mentioned, yes, to be careful. In otherwords, one wouldn't want to go excessively handling regular detergent/laundry powder nor put that next to your food, and the same holds for the homemade powder.
 
I'm curious, for those that do make their own laundry soap, how would you rate the results vs what you'd by from the store?

I just did my first load using my homemade laundry soap. Washed a load of whites (nothing else, such as bleach etc. added in), using 1 tbsp of power. In a totally un-controlled test (I used my memory, only), I'd say the homemade works a little better than just regular detergent. It wasn't a miracle a the result wasn't totally white clothes, but definitely acceptable and I'd say brighter than just a cup of detergent.
 
easysurfer said:
I'm curious, for those that do make their own laundry soap, how would you rate the results vs what you'd by from the store?
Click to expand...

I think it works just as well as the store-bought stuff. What I like especially is that it leaves no fragrance whatsoever. I can't stand a perfume-y smell on my clothing after I do the wash.
 
ksr said:
I think it works just as well as the store-bought stuff. What I like especially is that it leaves no fragrance whatsoever. I can't stand a perfume-y smell on my clothing after I do the wash.
Click to expand...


Yeah. I like the no fragrance too. I'm happy with the results.
 
I live a few minutes walk from a discount grocery store that sells 150 fluid oz bottles of laundry detergent for $3.99. A 4oz capful does a load, so the bottle holds enough for 37 loads, making the cost per load just under 11c.

I only do 3 or 4 loads a month, so my savings using the home made stuff would be no more than 24c.

Making your own laundry soap looks like a cool thing but for me, the time and effort doesn't justify the savings. For someone who is paying the full retail price for their detergent and who is doing a lot of laundry, then maybe the savings would be a few dollars a month and making their own detergent would make more sense.
 
In my Grandmother's day in the country, women had a little buildings they used to make soap with. I have no idea the recipe, but my Grandma had one made of concrete blocks she used when she was raising her kids during the Depression. I have a feeling it was from the fat of pigs or something. Women really had to work like dogs back then...thank heaven those days are gone.:)
 
Orchidflower - you reminded me of a British TV series I watched a while back called "The 1900 House". The producers found a typical house from 1900 and retrofitted it to look the way it would have back then - appliances, stove, everything. Then a family lived in it for a a few months and the whole experience was filmed. It took them (or the women, I should say) 2 whole days every week just to do the laundry.

I agree - thank heavens those days are gone!
 
I remember when my mother finally got a laundry machine. She was amazed that such a "contraption" worked and would be entertaining looking at the dirty water draining out through the hoses. I was only about 5 years old at the time.
 
Major Tom said:
I live a few minutes walk from a discount grocery store that sells 150 fluid oz bottles of laundry detergent for $3.99. A 4oz capful does a load, so the bottle holds enough for 37 loads, making the cost per load just under 11c.

I only do 3 or 4 loads a month, so my savings using the home made stuff would be no more than 24c.

Making your own laundry soap looks like a cool thing but for me, the time and effort doesn't justify the savings. For someone who is paying the full retail price for their detergent and who is doing a lot of laundry, then maybe the savings would be a few dollars a month and making their own detergent would make more sense.
Click to expand...

Yes, that's why I decided to roll up my sleeves and make a huge batch (from 8 bars of soap) to last a long time. If I had to make the detergent every month or so, that would become a chore. Guess it all balances out because for the effot, now I won't have to lug the laundry bottles around in the grocery cart again :)
 
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