Out of all the things I’m talking about this week in regards to laundry, this homemade laundry soap recipe is by far my favorite. It’s super easy to make, and is the cheapest out of all the laundry detergent recipes I’ve been sharing.

If you’ve got these ingredients and twenty minutes, then you can make your own laundry detergent, be more eco-friendly, and start saving a lot of money. Here’s what you’re going to need…

Ingredients and Supplies

• 1 Bar Soap (I use this castile soap)
• 1 cup Washing Soda
• 1 cup Borax
• Hot Water
• Measuring Cup
• Cheese Grater
• 5 Gallon Bucket
• Big Metal Cooking Pot
• Long Wooden Spoon
• Optional: 35-40 drops of essential oil (tea tree, lavender etc…) I chose tea tree oil.

Directions for Homemade Laundry Soap

Step One: Grate your soap with a cheese grater. This is probably the most work you will do in the entire process. But afterwards your cheese grater will be really clean!

Step Two: Bring big pot of water (about half full) to a boil, and then slowly stir in your grated soap.

Step Three: Once the soap is melted, reduce heat and slowly add in the Washing Soda while stirring with the wooden spoon. At this point a small reaction will occur, and your mixture will try to bubble over a little in your pot. This is where the wooden spoon comes in handy. Lay the wooden spoon across your pot, and then your mixture won’t boil over and make a mess.

Step Four: Add in your Borax to the pot while stirring. Once everything is blended and melted, remove from heat.

Step Five: Fill your five gallon bucket half-way with hot water. Add your soap mixture from the pot to your bucket of water.

Step Six: At this point you can add in your optional essential oil, and stir the mixture really well with your wooden spoon.

Step Seven: Once everything is well-blended, fill the bucket the rest of the way with water and then put the lid on. Allow to cool and sit overnight.

Step Eight: After sitting overnight, your mixture will become a gel-like goop, and that means it’s ready to use! At this point you can transfer some of the soap to clean and empty smaller bottles (old laundry detergent bottles or milk jugs), so that it’s easy to use every day. Shake/stir the mixture before using in your washing machine. Use one cup or less of “gel-like goop” per load.

A lot of people come out with a really thick gloopy mixture. This makes it harder to use, so I recommend this specific recipe, as it is a little less gloopy and easier to use (mainly because of the soap brand I used). If it gets too gloopy, just add more hot water.

While these ingredients are non-toxic and eco-friendly, I recommend that you still keep them out of reach of children and they should not be consumed. Handle with care just like you would any  laundry detergent.

Cost of Homemade Laundry Soap (Liquid)

• 1 bar soap = $3.49
• 1 box Washing Soda (55oz) $3.19 – Cost Per Cup = .46 cents
• 1 box Borax (76oz) $4.49 – Cost Per Cup = .47 cents
• Optional Essential Oil: Tea Tree Oil (1oz) $8.99 – Cost for 40 Drops = .72 cents

Total Cost for 5 Gallons or 80+ loads of Laundry Detergent = $5.17
Total Cost Per Load: Approximately .06 cents

*Note that prices are common retail. Watch for a sale or deal at an outlet for even cheaper cost per load!