# laundry detergent recipes



## salmonslayer91 (Oct 10, 2010)

here are ten recipes formaking laundry detergent 
does anyone have a good powdered recipe that does not require bar soap?

10 Homemade Laundry Soap Detergent Recipes
Recipe #1

1 quart Water (boiling)
2 cups Bar soap (grated)
2 cups Borax
2 cups Washing Soda

&#9632;Add finely grated bar soap to the boiling water and stir until soap is melted. You can keep on low heat until soap is melted.
&#9632;Pour the soap water into a large, clean pail and add the Borax and Washing Soda. Stir well until all is dissolved.
&#9632;Add 2 gallons of water, stir until well mixed.
&#9632;Cover pail and use 1/4 cup for each load of laundry. Stir the soap each time you use it (will gel).
Recipe #2

Hot water
1 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
1 Soap bar

&#9632;Grate the bar soap and add to a large saucepan with hot water. Stir over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
&#9632;Fill a 10 gallon pail half full of hot water. Add the melted soap, Borax and Washing soda, stir well until all powder is dissolved. Top the pail up with more hot water.
&#9632;Use 1 cup per load, stirring soap before each use (will gel).
Recipe #3

Hot water
1/2 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
1/3 bar Soap (grated)

&#9632;In a large pot, heat 3 pints of water. Add the grated bar soap and stir until melted. Then add the washing soda and borax. Stir until powder is dissolved, then remove from heat.
&#9632;In a 2 gallon clean pail, pour 1 quart of hot water and add the heated soap mixture. Top pail with cold water and stir well.
&#9632;Use 1/2 cup per load, stirring soap before each use (will gel).
Powdered Laundry Detergent â Recipe #4

2 cups Fels Naptha Soap (finely grated â you could also try the other bar soaps listed at the top)
1 cup Washing Soda
1 cup Borax

&#9632;Mix well and store in an airtight plastic container.
&#9632;Use 2 tablespoons per full load.
Recipe #5

Hot water
1 bar (4.5 oz) Ivory Soap â grated
1 cup Washing Soda

&#9632;In a large saucepan add grated soap and enough hot water to cover. Heat over medium-low heat and stir until soap is melted.
&#9632;Fill a large pail with 2.5 gallons of hot water, add hot soap mixture. Stir until well mixed.
&#9632;Then add the washing soda, again stirring until well mixed.
&#9632;Set aside to cool.
&#9632;Use 1/2 cup per full load, stirring well before each use (will gel)
Recipe #6

2.5 gallons Water (hot)
1 Bar soap (grated)
3/4 cup Washing Soda
3/4 cup Borax
2 TBS Glycerin

&#9632;Melt bar soap over medium-low heat topped with water, stir until soap is melted.
&#9632;In a large pail, pour 2.5 gallons of hot water, add melted soap mixture, washing soda, borax and glycerin. Mix well.
&#9632;Use 1/2 cup per full load.
Recipe #7

2 cups Bar soap (grated)
2 cups Washing Soda
2 â 2.5 gallons hot water

&#9632;Melt grated soap in saucepan with water to cover. Heat over medium-low heat and stir until soap is dissolved. 
&#9632;Pour hot water in large pail, add hot soap and washing soda. Stir very well.
&#9632;Use 1 cup per full load.
Recipe #8

2 gallons Water (hot)
1 bar Soap (grated)
2 cups Baking soda (yes baking soda this timeânot washing soda)

&#9632;Melt grated soap in a saucepan with enough hot water to cover. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring frequently until soap is melted.
&#9632;In a large pail, pour 2 gallons hot water. Add melted soap, stir well.
&#9632;Then add the baking soda, stir well again.
&#9632;Use 1/2 cup per full load, 1 cup per very soiled load.
Powdered Laundry Detergent â Recipe #9

12 cups Borax
8 cups Baking Soda
8 cups Washing Soda
8 cups Bar soap (grated)

&#9632;Mix all ingredients well and store in a sealed tub.
&#9632;Use 1/8 cup of powder per full load.
Recipe #10 â (Powdered)

1 cup Vinegar (white)
1 cup Baking Soda
1 cup Washing Soda
1/4 cup liquid castile soap

&#9632;Mix well and store in sealed container.
&#9632;I find it easiest to pour the liquid soap into the bowl first, stirred in the washing soda, then baking soda, then added the vinegar in small batches at a time (the recipe foams up at first). The mixture is a thick paste at first that will break down into a heavy powdered detergent, just keep stirring. There may be some hard lumps, try to break them down when stirring (it really helps to make sure the baking soda isnât clumpy when first adding). I used 1/2 cup per full load with great results.


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

All the recipes I have seen call for grated bar soap. Here is a link that has a recipe for detergent powder, but it calls for bar soap.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4554690_make-natural-laundry-detergent-powder.html


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## salmonslayer91 (Oct 10, 2010)

linn said:


> All the recipes I have seen call for grated bar soap. Here is a link that has a recipe for detergent powder, but it calls for bar soap.
> 
> http://www.ehow.com/how_4554690_make-natural-laundry-detergent-powder.html


darn okay it seems all the home made laundry soaps need the bar soap thanks fo rlooking though


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## Maryalice (Aug 23, 2010)

What I use.
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/04/09/making-your-own-laundry-detergent-a-detailed-visual-guide/


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## GrannyG (Mar 26, 2005)

I have several soap recipes in an old cook book...this is some of them..... 

A WAR-TIME SOAP RECIPE
(1943-44)

Dissolve 1 can lye in 1 pint water. Stir until completely dissolved and let cool to lukewarm. Put 1 gallon whole sweet milk in a large enamel pan. Stir until milk and lye mixture is about like thick honey. Set aside and let cool. Cut into bars and let dry out (cure).
Makes a pretty white soap....


Granulated Soap

1 can lye
1 cup Clorox or Purex
7 cups cold water
2/3 cup Borax
5 lb. (10 cups) melted grease

Dissolve the lye and borax in water. Let grease melt until it is uncomfortable to fingers. Add Purex to lye water and pour slowly over grease and stir. Stir at intervals until it is graulated. Stir throughout the day occcassionally. (1/4 cup Calgon or water softener may be added to a load of clothes if water is hard.) 

I smile to myself when I read some of them......"take one bucket of rainwater and 8 pounds of meat scraps, and 1 can of lye. Place it in an old iron kettle. Let stand 2 weeks, stir it once a day during the time, then at the end of the two weeks, boil for 2 hours"..."makes a hard soap for clothes or cleaning".


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## salmonslayer91 (Oct 10, 2010)

what did they use way back when? back when you had to go down to the river?


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## GrannyG (Mar 26, 2005)

Probably soap made out of yucca roots and pounded with rocks....LOL....


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## salmonslayer91 (Oct 10, 2010)

that'll be WAY to much work  thanks but no thanks lol :gaptooth:


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

How about soapnuts? I haven't used them, but understand that they are a type of berry.

http://www.buysoapnuts.com/howtouse.html


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## Ozarkquilter46 (Jun 5, 2002)

I make my own soap for the laundry also. I store the dry graded mixed soap and only cook to desolve what I am going to use one week at a time. Once I had cooked it all at once and it ate right though my container LOL what a mess!!. Now I store the dry soap mixture then cook one weeks worth and store it in half gal glass container


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## fetch33 (Jan 15, 2010)

GrannyG said:


> I have several soap recipes in an old cook book...this is some of them.....
> 
> A WAR-TIME SOAP RECIPE
> (1943-44)
> ...


Where do you find 'a can of lye'? I wonder if the makers of a can of lye have shrunken it in response to the bad economy?


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

Federal regulations have clamped down on the sale of lye because the druggies were using it to make meth.


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## Citychick (Mar 27, 2008)

What does the glycerin do in the one recipe? My liquid soap recipe make a BIG batch about 5 gallons worth and I make it every month and a half or so. Uses 1/2 cup per load.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

salmonslayer91 said:


> here are ten recipes formaking laundry detergent


To be precise, none are methods for making detergent. Those are all recipes for soap with various additives. There is a fundamental chemical difference between soap and detergent.


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