Make Your Own Laundry Soap Using 3 Items
Make this easy laundry soap recipe using 3 basic household ingredients. A homemade wash powder, such as this DIY laundry soap, is chemical free option which cleans clothing quite well.
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Many years ago, as a suburban housewife, I tried my hand at making homemade laundry soap. During that time I never fathomed that it was possible to make your own laundry soap or why one would even want to.
It wasn’t until many years later when I decided to minimize my family’s footprint by learning to live simply. I quickly gained the knowledge of why it was necessary to make our own DIY laundry soap. With two children in the household with sensitive skin it was necessary to remove as many chemical items as possible from our home.
The decision to switch from a chemical and toxic fragrant wash detergent was quite easy. However, you may need a bit more convincing.
As yourself the following questions:
Is it necessary to protect the family’s overall health by offering a chemical free option to washing clothes? Yes.
Is less plastic waste necessary by not purchasing laundry detergent from the store? Yes.
Does an easy to make DIY laundry detergent which is a fraction of the cost a to a store bought detergent necessary in order to saving money? Yes.
If you have been on the fence about making your own homemade wash powder I’d suggest you jump in and just do it. This homemade laundry detergent takes only minutes to make. Because of the short amount of time it takes to make this DIY laundry soap, a month’s worth of soap can be made rather quickly.
Why You Should Make Your Own Laundry Soap
Living a toxic free life is not only about consuming clean foods. That, my friend, is only the beginning of healthy living. A toxic free life also includes what you put on your body, breath into your lungs, and how you address injuries and ailments.
The desire to live chemical free makes it necessary to make your own homemade wash powder. Many brand name laundry detergents, including laundry detergents which claim to contain no toxic ingredients actually do contain many of the following chemicals:
- sulfates and phenols
- petroleum distillates (linked to cancer and lung disease)
- fragrances (often contain a mixture of harmful chemicals)
The four items mentioned are a fraction of the chemicals found in many name brand laundry detergents.
In addition to making this easy laundry soap recipe, make the switch from using dryer sheets to wool dryer balls. Unadulterated essential oils added to wool dryer balls leaves behind a natural fragrance to the clothing. Not to mention, clothing dries much quicker and static cling in minimized.
Hanging clothes on a clothesline eliminates an possibility of static cling. In addition this, the sun naturally makes whites whiter. The hot rays of the sun also helps to eliminates odor from clothing.
This easy to build and quite unique DIY clothesline is a solid structure. Because of the type of material used it is strong enough to hold multiple comforters, sheets, and additional laundry at the same time, whereas flimsy clotheslines are not.
DIY Laundry Soap Recipe
The ability to leave behind a product which contains chemicals, as well as, chemical preservatives, for a more natural alternative is liberating. Overall, the healthy of your family is better because you chose to make a more natural homemade laundry detergent.
Ingredients for Homemade Wash Powder
- Fels-Naptha laundry soap bar, or preferred bar soap
- Washing soda
- Borax
During the 2020 Covid 19 Pandemic washing soda was unavailable at many locations. However, baking soda can be made into washing soda, see below for instruction how.
Equipment
- handheld grater, cheese grater or food processor to be used to make laundry soap or other similar projects
- 1-gallon glass or plastic jar
- large mixing bowl or medium size plastic pail
- tablespoon or 1/4 measuring cup to scoop the homemade laundry detergent
Instructions
- Grate the soap using a handheld grater or cheese grater until it is finely ground.
- In a large bowl or plastic pail, mix 1 cup washing soda, 1 cup Borax, and 1 bar of grated soap. Increase the ratio for a larger quantity.
- Store the DIY laundry soap in a container such as a 1/2-gallon jar.
- Add 2 tablespoon to 1/4 cup of soap per wash.
Notes
A few quick notes on this easy laundry soap recipe –
- Feel free to use any type of bar soap, including homemade soaps.
- To ensure the DIY laundry soap dissolves properly, add the soap and a bit of water prior to the washing machine prior to adding clothing.
- Eliminate heavy odors by adding a cup of distilled white vinegar to the wash. Remove blood stains by pre-soaking the garment in hydrogen peroxide.
- Eliminate bleach by allowing the sun to naturally whiten whites.
How to Make Washing Soda
There will come a time when the washing soda is unavailable or you are looking for an inexpensive alternative to the washing soda. Baking soda is less expensive than washing soda, and with a bit of patience it can be turned into washing soda.
The two products, baking soda and washing soda, are not the same. However, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) can be transformed into washing soda (sodium carbonate) with the use of heat over a period of time.
Ingredients and Equipment
- 1 large box baking soda
- large baking sheet, ideally a XL stainless steel sheet
- Oven
- Silicone spatula
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add the baking soda to the baking sheet making sure it is no more than 1/2-inch thick.
- Bake the baking soda for a minimum of 1 hours, stirring the powder often. When the consistency of the baking soda changes from silky feel to a grainy texture it is complete. For the chemical reaction to change within the baking soda it must reach 400 degrees Fahrenheit, hence, why the baking process can take 1 hour or longer.
- Allow the newly created washing soda to completely cool before storing it in an air-tight container.
Outside of using washing soda in the laundry this product can be used as a household cleaner. Use the washing soda to fight grease in the kitchen, as a bathroom cleaner, to clean outdoor furniture, unclog drains, and even utilize it in the garden against bugs and pests.
Homemade Laundry Soap (liquid) and Wool Dryer Balls
You can also make your own laundry soap in a liquid form. Here are two variations of a homemade laundry soap in a liquid version.
Since you are making your own laundry soap you might as well try your hand at making wool dryer balls. Your family will, without saying it out loud, thank you.
More Natural Household Recipes
Hi, you mention to change from dryer sheets to balls. I only use the sheets because they remove a large amount of dog hair from the laundry. I have 7 Cavaliers! Is there anything natural that will do this?
I use a lint roller or tape.