How to Make Laundry Soap

   Making laundry soap is something I have always wanted to try. Making your our own laundry soap saves me money and doesn't have all those bad chemicals that are in the commercial detergents.

    I figured that laundry soap doesn't need any great oils or moisturizing properties so I chose to just use something cheap. Crisco is cheap.  I used generic Crisco to make it even cheaper. Just make sure that you get all-vegetable.


Laundry Soap Recipe
48 oz of Crisco
12 oz water
6oz lye
fragrance of your choice

   I mixed this  recipe up using basic soapmaking procedure and used 2oz of Clean Linen Fragrance to make it smell good.  Poured it in a mold and let it solidify.  You can use laundry soap as soon as it is hard because it doesn't need to cure. Just be sure not to use it on your skin and wear gloves when you grate it.  I prefer to wait until it gets a bit harder to grate it up.
Cut this into approximately 8 bars.

Grate 1 bar and place in saucepan.
Cover with 5 cups of water
Heat gently, without too much stirring, until completely melted
Add 1 cup Borax and 1 cup Washing Soda
Place in large bucket or container and add 2 gallons of water , stir
Pour into containers, old laundry soap containers, or juice containers.
This will thicken as it stands, but will also separate.  You will need to shake before pouring.
Use 1/2- 1 cup per load.  Works well in HE machines too.

UPDATE- I have started doing this with half the water. It makes it more concentrated, and in my opinion easier to use. I use half the amount 1/4 - 1/2 cup in my laundry. If it looks separated after it cools you can use a stick blender to kind of blend it back together.

This soap cost me  .53/bar

I purchased my Borax at Alice.com for $4.29 that is only .06/oz. .  4oz is   $0.24



I also purchased my Washing Soda at Alice.com for $2.99, that is only $.05/oz.  4oz is $0.20



That is a total of $0.97 for approximately  64 loads of laundry
With 5 kids we do about 3 loads a day.   A batch of soap will last about 21 days.  My regular laundry detergent cost $6.35 for 32 loads.  That is $12.70 every 21 days.  A savings of $11.73.  Over the course of a year that is $203.87.  Amazing!

By popular demand I now sell the soap bars, shredded soap, and soapmaking kits that I use to make my own laundry soap
http://avalonsoapworks.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=13

Check out Alice.com too.  They are awesome!


Saving Money at Home: How to Live Better on Less
The Unemployed Mom
Energy Savers Booklet - Tips on Saving Energy & Money at Home

Vanilla Swirl Handmade Soap

I was so inspired by my cucumber soap experience that I decided to try swirling my next batch of vanilla.  I used the same recipe as the cucumber melon soap.  I replaced the cucumber melon fragrance with vanilla and omitted the cucumber puree. I removed half of the soap at light trace and added the vanilla fragrance (which turns dark brown in cold process soap) to the remaining  half of the soap.  I poured the fragranced soap in the mold and then drizzled the unfragranced soap over it in a zigzag.  Then I just left it alone to set up.

I think it turned out beautiful, and the vanilla is awesome!


Basic Soap Making: All the Skills and Tools You Need to Get Started (Basics)
High Grade Sodium Hydroxide Lye Micro Beads, 2 Lbs.
Soaper's Delight Organic Coconut Oil, 1 Gallon buckets

My Green Cucumber Melon Handmade Soap Turned Out Awesome!

     I am very grateful that my green Cucumber Melon Handmade Soap didn't turn out quite as bright as it was when I made it.

After 24 hours I unmolded it.  It is a nice pale green, and smells yummy too.

  I can't wait for it to get done curing. 

Food Grade Sodium Hydroxide Lye Micro Beads, 2 Lbs. (Buy 5 get $15 off) 

Soaper's Delight Organic Coconut Oil, 2 Gallon 

My Weigh KD 8000 Digital Weighing Scale