How To... make your own Laundry Soap!!

Would you like to make your own Laundry Soap in three easy steps?  Would you like to pay less than $0.09 per load?  How about having enough soap on hand for a whole year?  Then please read what I have discovered and made!

Thanks to the wonderful world of Pinterest I have learned all about cost effective ways to DIY (Do It Yourself) your own cleaning products.  I have been interested for awhile in making my own Laundry Soap but to be honest didn't find the time to just sit down and do it. So after pinning several Laundry Soap ideas, I read and researched through the comments on effectiveness and felt that I finally found a good one to try out.  This is the blog with step-by-step instructions that I choose to make.  It is a powder based Laundry Soap.  We typically use a liquid soap as that is what Shawn, the hubby, prefers but after reading over a lot of liquid laundry soap ideas it seemed very time consuming and not as effective.  So since she made it look super easy and you can't beat the price comparison either, I decided to give it a whirl.  I purchased what was needed and today made my first ever batch of homemade Laundry Soap!!

Here is my step-by-step process...

Pictured above are the products you will need... here is a breakdown:

• 2 (14.1oz) bars of Zote Soap - found this at my local Home Depot in the cleaning supplies aisle near their laundry products. Cost $1.67 per bar

• 1 (4lb 12oz) box of Borax  -   found this at Wal-Mart in the laundry aisle. Cost $ ~7

• 1 (3lb 7oz) box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda - found this at Wal-Mart in the laundry aisle. Cost $ ~4

• 1 (4lb) box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda - found this at Wal-Mart in the baking aisle.  If you cannot find the bigger boxes you can purchase 4 of the 1lb like I did.  Cost $0.98 each

• 1 (3lb) tub of OxiClean Stain Remover - found this at Wal-Mart in the laundry aisle.  This is an optional ingredient but I figured it couldn't hurt.  Cost $7.52

Now the post I referenced uses Purex Crystals to add scent but I choose not to use them for two reasons 1) I sell Scentsy and we have/use Washer Whiffs that do the same thing and 2) we use a scent fabric softener or Scentsy's Dryer Disk, so didn't see the point really.

So I spent approximately $26 for roughly a YEARS* worth of Laundry Soap!!!

So lets say I do 6 loads a week x 52 weeks is 312 loads of laundry per year... mind blowing isn't it!  Take the number of loads (312) and divide by $26 (supplies cost) and that is how I figured up my cost per load.  Simple and super cheap!!

* I am not positive on if this really will last a year since I have never made or used this before but based on the blog I got it from she calculated that it should.  She has done over 40 loads and has used only about 26oz.  I will keep you all posted on my findings.

 Above is a picture of Zote so you know what you are looking for.

STEP ONE... Grate your Zote.

I only had a large hole grater so that is what I used to begin with but it is recommended that if you have a small hole grate to use it.  Or you can choose to cube up the bar and use a food processor to grind it up into smaller pieces.  The picture below shows it grinned up after I put it through my mini food processor.  IF you do choose to use a food processor add a little bit of the baking soda to help it not stick and slightly clump up.

STEP TWO... layer it all together.

Now I did as suggested and combined it by layering smaller amounts of product.  I started with one of the powders on the bottom and just layered, kind of lasagna style.  Keep doing it until you have used everything.

 Below is the 5 gallon bucket I purchased from Home Depot to combine, mix and store my Laundry Soap in.  I took a side view picture of the bucket so that you can see how much it made.
* You may not need as large of a bucket so if you have something smaller, perhaps 2.5 gallons, you should be fine.

 STEP THREE... mix it up.

 I started out using a wooden spoon and that worked through the first half of it but well it was hard to reach the bottom.  So I decided to put the lid on the bucket and shake it!  Surprising it was not all that heavy or difficult so if you also have issues "stirring" it then just shake it.

All mixed up!

So because I know that I will not enjoy having to bend over and scoop out of the orange bucket each time I go to do laundry I decided to up-cycle the OxiClean container.  Bouns, the OxiClean comes with the blue scoop pictured below.  It has measurements on the side and each one is equivalent to one tablespoon.  Here's the best part... you only need 1-2 tablespoons per load to wash your clothes.  For smaller to medium loads use 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons and for large to extra large loads 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons will do the job.

Hope you find this helpful and had fun reading it.
My laundry room smells amazing and I only have the small OxiClean container in there!
Enjoy!!

FAQ's

1) Can this be used in HE (High Efficiency) washers?

 - YES... the reason you have to use HE detergent in the first place is because most regular detergents and soaps create suds as they are cleaning.  Suds are not good for HE washers.  This homemade Laundry Soap will not create suds. Keep in mind suds does not equal cleaning.  Make sure to put it directly into the drum of your washer.

2) Can I use something else besides Zote, like fels naptha, or soap bars?

- I have read a lot and it seems that Zote is better at getting the clothes clean. Fels Naptha and soap bars comes in a smaller form so you would have to buy more to equal the amount of Zote.  I recommend stick with Zote.

3) I have seen other homemade soap recipes and they require water, does this?

 - NO you do not have to add any water to this before you use it.  Simply scoop the amount you need, dump into your drum, turn on and load dirty laundry in.

4) If I have a larger family will this last a year?

 - Probably not.  My information is based on the blog linked above.  In her comments someone said that her family of 7 went through it in 4 months.  Still that breaks down to $0.29 per load and still cheaper than buying "OTC" regular laundry detergent.

5) Is there other ways to grate your Zote?

 - YES... you may use a food processor but recommend that you add in some baking soda to keep it from sticking and easily clump.  Also I have read that you can microwave the bar and it "puffs up and crumbles when cooled".  It was recommended to place on a heavy plate and microwave for 4-5 mins.  My recommendation, all microwaves are different you know yours so use your best judgement.  Start off at smaller increments and check often.

** Disclaimer:  I myself have never used this recipe for homemade Laundry Soap and cannot guarantee the outcome.  I have done research, posted my opinions and process along with referencing the linked blog, www.howdoesshe.com.  I am not responsible or liable if this recipe breaks or damages your washing machine or clothes.  As always please do your own personal research before you decide to make Homemade Laundry Soap.