Making Your Own Laundry Soap for $7 Per Year: Step by Step Instructions

In an effort to really protect our children and ourselves from harmful toxics, my friend Lynda and I decided to make our own laundry detergent. Of course the other advantage is the cost factor. We paid a total of $7 for 3 of the ingredients but 2 of those ingredients still have tons left for us to do it again. I estimate we will get an ENTIRE year's worth of laundry detergent for $7. Of course based on your family size this will vary but what I know is; it's way cheaper than a store brand and way better for you and the environment.

Before I show you how I have to tell you I felt a little funny making it, like even I had gone too far in the frugality thing but it only took us 30 minutes and was a ton of fun. I would recommend doing it with a friend, you make a HOWGE batch!!
Here's the step by step guide:


You need:
Borax (around $2.50)
Washing soda. Found in the laundry aisle. ($3.50)
Bar of soap. Use a pure natural one to make this even better for your family. ($.99)
Grater
Pan and spoon
5 gallon bucket
I also had 2 empty laundry detergents
TOTAL COST: $7 but we have lots of borax and soda left!

1) First, grate the soap.


2) Put about four cups of water into a pan and heat it up. Keep the heat below a boil and add the soap to it gradually. Stir the hot water until the soap is dissolved and you have soapy water.






3) Put three gallons of hot water into the five gallon bucket. Then mix in the hot soapy water stir it for a while, then add a cup of the washing soda. Keep stirring it for another minute or two, then add a half cup of borax if you are using borax. Stir for another couple of minutes, then let the stuff sit overnight to cool.

When you wake up in the morning, your soap will be that’s a paler shade of the soap that you used. One measuring cup full of this will be roughly what you need to do a load of laundry and the ingredients are basically the same as laundry detergent. Out of three gallons, you’ll get about 48 loads of laundry.

Tip: You know all those little bars of soap you get that you can't use anymore as they're the "end bit"? You can save those and use them for this.

Many of you have asked if it worked well. I honestly love the way it works but I am going to stain and wash two shirts in the next couple of days and show you the results so stick around!

Recipe as used by the Duggars!