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+ servings
Homemade liquid laundry detergent in a glass mason jar.

Homemade Laundry Soap

Laura Ascher
This liquid laundry soap is easy to make, effective and safe for front end and HE washing machines.
4.33 from 55 votes
Project Type Laundry Soap
Category Cleaning Products
Prep Time 5 minutes
Active Time 5 minutes
Additional Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Yield 320 loads

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Add 1/2 gallon of water to your bucket, stir in washing soda and borax.
  • Shred soap bar using a box grater. 
  • Melt soap shreds in 1 cup of water on the stove over medium heat. Stir often until melted.
  • Add the melted soap to the bucket and stir in well.
  • Stir in essential oils. 
  • Fill the rest of the way with water to about 3 inches from the top.
  • Secure lid, let it sit overnight, then give it a good shake before using.

Video

Notes

For easier handling, fill an old detergent container or 1/2 gallon mason jar with the soap and store the bucket out of the way. Use 1/4 cup per load. 
The essential oils are optional and can be omitted from the recipe.
Always follow these safety instructions when handling borax.
Scroll up for step-by-step images!
The original recipe called for a Fels-Naptha bar to make this laundry soap. Since then, I've switched to a Castile soap bar. The Castile soap bar makes a runnier final product that doesn't gel up like the Fels-Naptha version. However, the cleaning performance seems to be the same.
 
Keyword diy, all natural, homemade laundry detergent, laundry soap, homemade
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This recipe is for your own viewing pleasure and is not meant for healing purposes. Readers must perform their own research and tests before making any recipe.