Making your own laundry soap is not only affordable, it really is easy to do! You can make this soap with 4 ingredients and 20 minutes!
Homemade Laundry Soap
Years ago, when I was a mom of little boys, I made my own laundry detergent. I wanted to do like everyone else - the best for your kids.
Then I learned that one of the ingredients that I was using weren't the best and I decided that I needed to figure out a different option.
The bar I was using was the one commonly found at all the grocery stores - Fels Naptha. I relied on EWG when I was learning about household products that I had in my home. You can check out EWG's rating here. I decided that I needed to look for another option.
Learning Different Ways of Making Laundry Soap
You don't need to completely abandon a system if it's not fully broken. I may not have liked the bar I was using, but there are always other options.
Luckily, I found a website that I really liked and trusted and purchased my laundry bar from her for years, until unfortunately she closed her shop.
Then I was forced to make another choice about how I wanted to source my ingredients.
That's when I had the bright idea to make my own. I know how to make soap, I do make soap, so why not attempt a bar myself.
And that was where Acorn Ridge Soap Co.'s Laundry Bar came from.
Supplies Needed to Make Laundry Soap at Home
You will only need a handful of supplies to make your own homemade liquid laundry soap.
- Hand Grater - Buy a new one, check out the secondhand stores, or find one at an antique shop. This will be used to grate the bar of soap, so while I would absolutely feel comfortable using the one I have to grate cheese in my kitchen, it is more fun to use one of my many antique ones. *Some folks feel more comfortable having separate products that they use specifically for grating soap. The ingredients in this soap are very similar to the ingredients in my Solid Dish Soap Bar. The only difference is that I use olive oil in the laundry bar and castor oil in the dish soap bar.
- 3-5 Gallon Plastic Bucket and Lid - Sized according to how much soap you plan on making.
- Small Pot - Use this to melt the grated soap with a little water on the stovetop. I prefer a 2-quart stainless steel pot.
- Spoon - Long enough to stir the soap in the bucket.
- Holding Container for Your Liquid Soap - I love my glass jug, but any container will do. Just make sure it has a lid, as you will need to give the soap a shake every once in a while.
- Label - Label your container so everyone knows what's in it.
Ingredients Needed for Homemade Laundry Soap
4 ingredients are all that you need to make laundry soap. It really is very easy!
- Acorn Ridge Soap Co. Homestead Laundry Bar - Made with simple ingredients.
- Soda Ash (Sodium Carbonate) - Commonly known as Washing Soda or Super Washing Soda, which is found in many kinds of mineral waters and in mineral deposits of certain springs and lake brines. *This is NOT the same as Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate).
- Borax (Sodium Tetaborate Pentahydrate) - Borax is a multipurpose cleaner that can be used for many things. It can be added to your laundry to help boost your clean or used as a bathroom and kitchen cleaning tool. Note- Borax also has a very low rating on EWG's scale. I am more comfortable using this than the bar that I avoid.
- Water - You can use filtered or distilled water for the longest shelf life. I just use hot water straight from the tap and have never had any problems with shelf life though.
How to Make Homemade Laundry Soap
Gather your supplies and ingredients and let's make some laundry soap!
1. Begin by grating the bar of soap into a pot with about a quart of water. Melt over medium heat, stirring until all of the soap is melted. Remove from the heat.
2. Fill your bucket just under halfway full of hot water. Add the Borax and Soda Ash (Super Washing Soda) and stir until dissolved.
3. Add the melted soap water to the bucket and stir well.
4. Cover the bucket and let it sit for 24-48 hours.
5. Fill it the rest of the way with warm water.
This is the concentrated mix that I use in my laundry. You may dilute it down farther by adding up to equal amounts more water. Play around with it and see what you like. We have dirty farm clothes and super hard water, so I like to keep mine more concentrated.
Store the laundry soap in the covered bucket, or in old laundry jugs or jars.
Give it a shake or stir before using.
I don't have an exact shelf life, but I have made 5 gallons at a time, and it has never gone bad on me. You should be able to see and know if it's bad or unusable.
Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap Recipe
This recipe makes 5-gallons of liquid soap at a time. Feel free to quarter or half this recipe for smaller amounts.
The recipe does not need to contain exact amounts. My laundry bars are handmade and hand cut. They will vary in weight. Trust me - 1 bar will serve this recipe well. Don't overthink this.
| Recipe | Feel free to quarter or half this recipe |
| Acorn Ridge Soap Co.'s Laundry Bar | 1 bar - 4-5 ounces |
| Washing Soda | 1 cup |
| Borax | 1 cup |
| Water | 5 gallons |
Here at Acorn Ridge, we offer four products to make laundry soap making easier for you!
- Laundry Soap Bar - This is a 4–5-ounce bar, handmade in small batches. This bar will make 5-10 gallons of laundry soap, depending on the strength that you make.
- Pre-Grated Laundry Bar - This is a package of pre-grated laundry soap, that is premeasured and ready to mix into your homemade laundry soap. This package makes 2.5-5 gallons of liquid laundry soap.
- Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap Kit - This kit contains premeasured ingredients specifically for making 2.5-5 gallons of homemade laundry soap. Contents include: 1 bag of grated bar of laundry soap, 1 bag of borax & 1 bag of soda ash. Gather your supplies and some water, and you will have laundry soap made quickly.
- Laundry Soap Label - Want to add a fancy touch to your homemade laundry soap? These labels will have your laundry room looking stylish and well as functional.
For a printable version of this recipe, please visit my farm blog where I have posted this recipe as well. COMING SOON!
FAQs
What is the difference between soap and detergent?
Soap refers to a product that goes through a saponification process to convert oils and lye to soap.
Detergent refers to a product that was made with chemicals.
I found this post to be very interesting and tells the difference between the two.
How much do you use?
Start with ½ cup and see how it works for you. Adjust if needed. With my hard water and grungy clothing, I usually use 1 cup of the concentrated mix.
If you have other questions, please email me at hello@acornridgesoap.com.
More Products for You
Laundry Stain Stick - Wet the area that is stained. Rub the stain stick over the area. For very tough stains, use a brush to loosen the stain. Leave the fabric sit overnight for best results.
Solid Dish Soap Bar - Keep your conscience clear and your dishes sparkly with our Eco-Friendly Solid Dish Soap. This is a sustainable swap for traditional bottled dish soap.
Eco-Friendly Solid Dish Soap Bundle - This bundle comes with a solid dish soap bar, a dish brush and a beautiful ramekin to make dishwashing minimal, sustainable and it's plastic-free!
These products and statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to cure, treat, diagnose, or prevent any disease. Use at your own risk.
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