# Making clothes soap



## chris_scott (Mar 25, 2008)

i am not sure where this isto be posted so if this is wrong , please move this to the right place. I started making clothes soap oh about 5 or 6 years ago to help save money. At the time we had 12 people living at home, so cutting corners was a must to make it.I used it for a while and would add softner to it to make it smell good. Well i decided to find an updated version of it. Well i found one and wanted to post the link in here for others to use if they wanted. Make A Yearâs Worth of Laundry Soap for $30.00! | One Good Thing by Jillee . I love this stuff!!! now i got most of the stuff at my local dollar store. The only thing i had to buy at the local supermarket was the washing soda, borax and fels naptha soap. The artical said it lasted a year for the family of four..well i have six so i think if i really stretch it , it can last close to the same amount of time for my family of 6. So i made it and so far so good!


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## lovemy4danes (Oct 4, 2012)

I use only the washing soda, borax and fels naptha. Works awesome. If I need fabric softener I use vinager. Once in a while I will use dryer sheets due to static if needed. The soap works great and is very cheap. Maybe $15-20 per year. I do have oxy clean if I need it for stains, but usually the reg soap or rubbing some of the fels naptha bar on the stain works just fine.


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## cpeyus (Nov 28, 2005)

Jillee's site has so many wonderful ideas!

My "recipe" for laundry soap only uses the washing soda, borax, & fels naptha. However, I prefer to use Zote...it's pink, pretty, and we think it smells better than the naptha. Just preference.

We started making our own because my sister & her family were living with us & we decided it was time to get both families in more of a frugal mode of thinking. For a year, our household went from 3 people to 6...7, when her fiancee was home on "days off." Our first batch lasted right at 6 months, much to our amazement!

(My sister learned the hard way to NOT store hers in milk jugs, lol. Fortunately, she caught it before losing too much product & nothing else was ruined.)


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## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

cpeyus said:


> (My sister learned the hard way to NOT store hers in milk jugs, lol. Fortunately, she caught it before losing too much product & nothing else was ruined.)


Why shouldn't it be stored in milk jugs?

I make and use the liquid soap and keep it in old apple juice jugs.


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## Jean in Virginia (Oct 5, 2008)

Because of the type of plastic, milk and water jugs will eventually leak.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

Just a question---
Do you all grate up your soap in a food processor? I have heard some people talk about being unable to get the soapiness out of plastic things? I have an old chopper I use, but have been afraid to use the food processor which could be so much faster and bigger.


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## backwoods (Sep 12, 2004)

Milk jugs are biodegradable and break down rapidly. My ds learned the hard way, when he stored water in them in his storage barn and in less than a year they leaked everywhere.


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## backwoods (Sep 12, 2004)

I use my stainless steel hand grater. It doesn't take as long to do, as cleaning up the food processor imo.


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## backwoods (Sep 12, 2004)

Thanks for posting this...going to try the recipe. Have always made liquid for my HE washer.


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## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

mekasmom said:


> Just a question---
> Do you all grate up your soap in a food processor? I have heard some people talk about being unable to get the soapiness out of plastic things? I have an old chopper I use, but have been afraid to use the food processor which could be so much faster and bigger.


I just use a knife. If the Fels Naptha is old enough, it will just break into shreds.


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## tojo66 (Apr 9, 2011)

If you put the Fels Naptha in the microwave for 90 seconds, it will shred much easier. And it's really fun to watch. It does leave a lingering scent in there so I wash it with vinegar and leave the door open to air it out.


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## saritamae (Jun 2, 2012)

cpeyus where do you get the Zote? I use fels naptha but don't really love the smell.


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## BlueCollarBelle (Oct 26, 2011)

I used the food processor and put it in the dishwasher afterwards-didn't have any lasting soapiness. I did find that it didn't clean my husbands sweaty coveralls and work shorts very well. He complained that they smelled very early in the day. I now use Tide for his work stuff and the homemade for everything else. Still saves $$ and cleans out casual clothes just fine..

I like to add some Scentsy Washer Wiffs to my jar of soap (I make the powdered type) it makes everything smell great since I used vinegar for the softener and missed its added scent.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

saritamae said:


> cpeyus where do you get the Zote? I use fels naptha but don't really love the smell.


I have bought it at WalMart.


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## mrsjez (Nov 4, 2010)

I use homemade soap and I love it! It's so cheap and works great. I use vinegar in the rinse cycle too.


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## lathermaker (May 7, 2010)

look for a Salad Shooter at your local Goodwill etc. It makes really short work out of grinding a bar of soap.


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## Lazydaisy67 (Jan 28, 2008)

I just purchased a stainless steel cheese grater especially for my laundry soap making. That way I don't have to worry about soap taste on things. 
One trick I've figured out to keep it from getting "snotty" looking is to melt the Fels in 2 quarts of quite hot water, not boiling, then let it cool significantly before adding the soda and borax, mix, let cool, mix, let cool. Make sure it's room temerature before putting it in your containters and adding water to it. I use vinegar jugs. I think some people mix WAY more water in theirs than I do, but I've found I use less if I "think" it's more concentrated. So I get 2 gallons from 1/2 a bar of Fels, 1/2 cup of soda, 1/2 cup borax. If it's completely cool when you mix more water in with it, it's nice and smooth, not clumpy or snotty at all. I've also gotten Gain fragrance oil and Tide fragrance oil for a treat now and then, but I have to say the smell of the Fels does compete with those scents and it's not quite the same.


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## bajiay (Apr 8, 2008)

I went to an LDS ladies church function a few weeks ago. They made the same version in the website and gave out samples. I LOVE this stuff! PLan on making my own!


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

If you want fancy scents to your homemade laundry soap, just add some essential oil to it. I have done this from my salve ingredient stash and it works wonderfully! I have been passing this around to friends and family. 

A small version for those who want to make less and the basic ingredients:
1/3 bar Naptha soap ($.99 at a Fred Meyers). 
1/2 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Mule team or other brand of Borax
2 gallons of water total. 

You can vary this little list anytime to experiment. I usually get a gel from this and not a soupy or clumpy soap. I do suggest you melt the first ingredient grated put on low to medium heat with 2 cups of water but then, I wisk it and then add in the other two ingredients. It is dissolved very quickly once hot and then I pour it into a solid plastic bucket and dump the rest of the hot water it needs, wisk again then add an essential scent if desired but add just a little drizzle mixing again and then put the lid on. It is ready to go in just hours and is a nice consistency. This makes enough for around 64 loads, cost is a penny if not scented and you can make this size batch every once in a while instead of the large batch. You just add about a half cup per large load of wash.


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## oneofeverything (May 7, 2013)

I have never used a homemade version of laundry detergent, but have been trying to gather some info about it so I can make a batch. Can you just add the dry ingredients to a load of laundry and get the same result, or does it need to be mixed with water first?


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## SJSFarm (Jun 13, 2012)

The recipe I use calls for grating the soap and heating it and some water until it melts. Then add the borax and washing soda until dissolved. 

Put some very hot water into a bucket, then add the soap mix and finish up by adding cool water until you have 2 gallons. This is for the 1/3 soap, 1/2 each borax and soda. 

Simple and easy. 

I just posted on another thread that I washed an item my cat peed on. I couldn't smell it after the wash with only this soap- I did a second wash anyhow. 
It worked as well as the initial vinegar wash I usually do. Great stuff

There is a dry recipe, but I don't recall what it is. This one literally took me 15 minutes. Just FYI, do grate the soap, it takes a long time to melt it you do chunks.


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## barnyardgal (Sep 21, 2009)

romysbaskets said:


> If you want fancy scents to your homemade laundry soap, just add some essential oil to it. I have done this from my salve ingredient stash and it works wonderfully! I have been passing this around to friends and family.
> 
> A small version for those who want to make less and the basic ingredients:
> 1/3 bar Naptha soap ($.99 at a Fred Meyers).
> ...


This is how i make mine & then pour it into empty kitty liter jugs & it keeps forever & no leaks....i save my liter jugs for hauling gas/diesel/and laundry soap...they are 2 gallons & i can still SORTA handle the jugs as i get older......


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