I finally got around to making and trying out my own liquid laundry soap a few months ago. And, like the powdered laundry soap I posted about four years ago (!) it’s kind of a life-changer.

This recipe takes a bit more time and effort – the whole process takes about a day and a half, but it’s mostly sitting time, and there’s only about 15-20 minutes (if that) of actual labor on your part. However, it makes a heck of a lot of laundry soap that lasts months, rather than weeks. Also, I find it easier to make than the powdered kind, since I don’t have to grind the soap in such fine shreds. Huzzah!

So, if you’re looking to reduce or eliminate plastic waste from detergent containers, and get a ton of laundry soap on the cheap that actually works on your clothes, give this recipe a try. I’ll walk you through with a picture or two, since I would’ve appreciated some pictures when I first made this, and as always, the short recipe is at the bottom of the page.

On to liquid laundry soap!

Liquid Laundry Soap

Okay, so firstly, you need a blessedly short list of ingredients:

• Borax
• Washing Soda (NOT baking soda. You can find washing soda in the laundry or cleaning supplies section of most grocery stores)
• 1 bar of good-quality solid soap. I use Dr. Bronners hemp soap, which is safe on most materials. Others use Fels-Naptha or other varieties. You do you.
• Water
• Optional essential oil for tasty-smelling laundry

You’ll also need a 5-gallon bucket with a lid for mixing and storing the soap, as well as smaller containers for diluting and using the soap when needed. You can find 5-gallon buckets at home improvement stores, but you can also ask around, especially people who work in contracting and construction – they usually have a gazillion of extras just lying around.

As for the smaller containers, we like using gallon-sized vinegar jugs, like this one:

You can also use empty, clean gallon milk jugs, or even clean, empty laundry jugs (hah!) as well.

Onto the steps!

Step 1

Shred the soap. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, dissolve the soap in hot water, stirring frequently.

Step 2

Fill your five-gallon bucket half-full with hot tap water. Add borax, washing soda, and the dissolved soap, and stir well. Cover, and allow to sit overnight (about 8 hours) to set. You’ll know it’s ready when it gels and looks a little something like this:

Step 3

Add essential oil, if using. When ready to use, fill your desired small container half-full with the gelled laundry soap, and dilute the rest of the way with water. Shake well before each use. I keep an old plastic measuring cup marked with the correct measurement in the laundry room so I don’t have to run and use my good cooking cups every time I do laundry.

So, in the end, you’ve made yourself about 10 gallons of laundry soap for $20 or less. Whaaaaat. We wash cloth diapers successfully with this stuff, as well as the rest of our laundry, so we know it works.

Go forth and launder!