Easy to Make Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap Recipe

Making your own liquid laundry soap at home is a game-changer for your wallet and the environment. This recipe is a simple and effective way to clean your clothes without harsh chemicals.

You'll need just a few ingredients to get started: washing soda, borax, soap flakes, and hot water.

These ingredients work together to create a powerful cleaning solution that's gentle on clothes and the planet. The washing soda and borax help to soften water and remove stains, while the soap flakes provide a rich lather.

On a similar theme: Laundry Soap for Soft Water

To get started with making your own homemade liquid laundry soap, you'll need to know a few things. The detergent is ready to use immediately after making and can be stored for later use.

Give the jar a good shake or stir before use to ensure the ingredients are well mixed. This homemade liquid laundry soap is highly concentrated, so you'll only need a tiny amount to get the job done.

For top-loading washer machines, use 1/8-1/4 cup of detergent, while for an HE front loader, use 1-2 tablespoons.

Curious to learn more? Check out: Non Toxic Dishwasher Detergent Recipe

To make your homemade liquid laundry detergent, you'll need the following ingredients:

The main ingredients are sodium carbonate, borax, and liquid castile soap. You'll need 1 cup of washing soda (sodium carbonate), 1 cup of borax, and 1 cup of liquid castile soap.

You'll also need a large amount of water - 13 cups to be exact.

Now, let's move on to the supplies you'll need:

A large pot is necessary to mix the ingredients together. You'll also need a large spoon to stir the mixture.

A funnel can be helpful if you're transferring the mixture to a container. You might also want to use a large container, such as a gallon jar or a 5-gallon bucket, to store the detergent.

Here's an interesting read: Homemade Laundry Soap with Borax

Making homemade liquid laundry soap is a great way to save money and reduce your environmental impact. You can make a large batch or a small one, depending on your needs.

To get started, you'll need to heat some water on the stove. For a small batch, heat 4 cups of water until boiling, while for a large batch, heat 24 cups of water or 1.5 gallons.

You'll also need to grate your Fels-Naptha soap bar and add it to the boiling water, or mix in liquid castile soap, washing soda, and borax. For a small batch, use 4 cups of washing soda and 4 cups of borax, while for a large batch, use 4 cups of washing soda and 4 cups of borax.

After adding the soap and other ingredients, stir until they're dissolved, then add the remaining water. For a small batch, use 4 cups of hot tap water, while for a large batch, use 28 cups of tap water.

Once you've mixed everything together, place a lid on the container and let it sit for 24 hours to gel. After that, your laundry soap should be an even consistency and white.

Here are some general guidelines for using your homemade laundry soap:

You can store your laundry soap in a glass gallon tea jug or an old laundry detergent container with a spout. When you're ready to use it, simply scoop out 1/4 cup per load of laundry.

Don't use baking soda in place of washing soda, as they have different chemical compositions and won't work as a substitute.

Be cautious when using dish soap, as it can cause the soap to have too many bubbles in the wash, making it less effective.

A lack of suds and bubbles doesn't necessarily mean the soap isn't working – it's still 100% effective and usable.

If you're reusing an old detergent bottle for storage, make sure the laundry detergent is fully cool before adding it to a plastic container.

To avoid issues, use a heat-resistant glass jar and let the detergent cool for about 10 minutes before adding it.

When adding essential oils for fragrance, wait until the soap has cooled, as heat can cause the essential oil to evaporate.

Explore further: Homemade Laundry Soap with Essential Oils

Don't use baking soda in place of washing soda, as they have different chemical compositions and won't work the same in this recipe.

Discover more: Homemade Dish Soap with Baking Soda

Lack of suds and bubbles doesn't mean the soap isn't effective - suds and bubbles don't equal clean.

If you're reusing an old detergent bottle for storage, make sure the laundry detergent is fully cool before adding it to a plastic container.

Use a heat-resistant glass jar and allow the detergent to cool a bit (about 10 minutes) before adding it.

Adding essential oils will add a subtle fragrance, but should be done after the soap has cooled, as heat will cause the essential oil to evaporate.

Don't use dish soap in place of castile soap, as it will cause the soap to have too many bubbles in the wash.

To avoid bubbling, add the dish soap at the very end of the mixing process, as I learned from experience.

A different take: What O Add to Homemade Soap as a Preservative

Preventing Chunky or Gelled Detergent is a normal chemical reaction that can happen when the outside temperature cools down.

This reaction can cause the liquid laundry detergent to clump or gel, but it's not a reason to worry. The detergent is still 100% usable.

To make the most of the situation, you can try adding 2-3 cups more water to make a less concentrated soap. This can help prevent the clumping or gelling.

Consider reading: Castile Soap Dishwasher Detergent Recipe

Dawn dish soap can be used for laundry, but it needs to be diluted with enough water.

Using Dawn dish soap for laundry requires some experimentation to get it just right, but it can work very well.

Dawn is a good choice for laundry because it's known for cutting grease, which is also helpful for removing tough stains.

If you can't find Dawn dish soap, look for another dish soap that's good at cutting grease.

Avoid using creamy or hand moisturizing formulas, as they may not be effective for laundry.

Making homemade liquid laundry soap is a cost-effective solution, with a total cost of $5.41 for one gallon of soap. This breaks down to a cost per load of just $0.08/load.

The cost per load is influenced by the ingredients used, with a cup of washing soda costing $0.68, a cup of borax costing $0.74, and a cup of liquid castile soap costing $3.99. You only need 1/4 cup of soap per load, making it a very affordable option.

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To put this into perspective, using a bar of castile soap to make DIY laundry detergent can be even cheaper, at just $0.02/load. However, using liquid castile soap is quicker and still cheaper than many natural, non-toxic store-bought brands.

Here's a rough breakdown of the costs involved:

This recipe makes a 5-gallon tub of liquid detergent, which is equivalent to 160 ½ cup loads or 320 ¼ cup loads. This can last a family of four for over 8 months, with only 2 loads of laundry per day, or for a family with a larger laundry load, it can last for over 4 months.

For your interest: Does Bar Soap Last Longer than Liquid

Label and store your homemade laundry detergent properly to keep it fresh and out of reach of little hands. Be sure to clearly label your containers so that everyone knows they contain a detergent.

Store your detergent in a container with an airtight lid, like a gallon glass jug with a dispenser or a 5-gallon bucket. This will keep it fresh and prevent spills.

If you have young children, keep your laundry detergent in a childproof container or on a high shelf. I like to store a small amount in my laundry room cabinet and the remainder in a 5-gallon bucket in my basement.

A different take: Laundry Detergent