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Original Mom’s Super Laundry Sauce Laundry Soap Recipe

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Here is an amazingly simple Do It Yourself detergent that doesn’t leave any residue on clothing, gets nearly every stain known to man out the first time around and smells clean and fresh- oh and did I mention that it costs about $1.76 for 128 loads of laundry?
original-moms-super-laundry-sauce-laundry-soap-recipe

Since our teen son started working at a fast-food restaurant, this has become our most-loved detergent recipe. His clothing was so saturated with heavy french fry and onion ring grease scent that even washing them in TIDE didn’t take out the horrendous smell.

I whipped up a half-gallon of this detergent and washed his clothes while he was at school- he thought I’d gotten a new shirt from his boss at work! First time EVER that ALL of the smell finally came out of his clothes, without further ado – here is my Super Laundry Sauce recipe!

By the way, One Single tablespoon of soap does a whole load of wash! As with ALL household/Soap/Detergent/ Cleaner recipes, please take the time to read through the ENTIRE recipe before starting it. It will save you loads of hassle with a recipe that doesn’t set properly.

 

BEFORE YOU BEGIN- Check out our NO COOK VERSION HERE


Mom’s Super Laundry Sauce Recipe

adapted from Whipped Laundry Concentrate

~ This makes 1/2 Gallon of concentrate ~
~ Btw, that’s a full 128 loads of laundry!! ~

1 bar Fels Naptha (Yes, the ENTIRE Bar!)
1 cup 20 Mule Team Borax
1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (NOT BAKING SODA!!)
4 cups of hot water

Here are what the ingredients look like:
original-moms-super-laundry-sauce-laundry-soap-recipe

Quick Note:

Follow the directions Carefully, adding the ingredients at the wrong time will result in a grainy textured detergent that will not dissolve well in the washer.

Step 1:

Put 4 cups of water in a large heavy saucepan over high heat. While that is heating, mix the borax and washing soda together in a bowl, mixing well, set aside.

original-moms-super-laundry-sauce-laundry-soap-recipe

Step 2:

Grate the Fels Naptha- the easiest way to do this is to cut it into several smaller chunks and then run it through a food processor- otherwise, you can just grate it with a hand grater or shave it with a knife.

original-moms-super-laundry-sauce-laundry-soap-recipe

Step 3:

Add the freshly grated soap to the water in the saucepan, stirring almost constantly. Reduce the heat to medium, It will take approximately 10 – 15 minutes for the Fels Naptha to complete dissolve. If it takes longer, your heat wasn’t up high enough. Alternatively, you can melt the fels on the stove over low heat without water then add the water afterwards, stirring it in, as the original recipe called for. I find that it’s much easier to melt IN the water. Absolutely do NOT let this Boil over, or you’ll have a sudsy mess that you do NOT want to contend with!!

It should be a rolling, simmering boil where you must stir Constantly but it does not foam heavily or seem to “creep up” the saucepan. See the photo below- note the amount of “foam” – that’s all you should see.

original-moms-super-laundry-sauce-laundry-soap-recipe

Step 4:

Once the Fels Naptha has completely melted, remove the pan from the heat and add in the Borax and the Washing Soda, stirring constantly until the powders are completely dissolved, this will take about 3-5 minutes. Do not under-stir or your soap texture will be very grainy rather than smooth. (You can fee the “graininess” on the bottom of the pan, once you can’t feel it, it’s incorporated fully!)

original-moms-super-laundry-sauce-laundry-soap-recipe

Step 5:

Pour the liquid equally into (2) 1 quart Mason jars.

original-moms-super-laundry-sauce-laundry-soap-recipe

Step 6:

Add just enough water to bring the contents up to the “shoulders” or Rounded part of the jar, leaving approximately 1 ½ inches of headspace.

original-moms-super-laundry-sauce-laundry-soap-recipe

Step 7:

Put the lid on the jars and turn them UPSIDE DOWN and let them sit a few hours (about 4 – 5 hours). The reason for this is that the soap is going to Separate into layers while it’s resting and occasionally will form crystals on the bottom. Rather than waste these trying to scrape them off, in the next step we’re going to incorporate them easily! By the way, if you leave it overnight it will have a slightly grainier texture than if you whip it immediately after 4 hours.

original-moms-super-laundry-sauce-laundry-soap-recipe

The Layers will separate after a few hours:

original-moms-super-laundry-sauce-laundry-soap-recipe

Then the bottom layer will become very, very thick, like so:
original-moms-super-laundry-sauce-laundry-soap-recipe

Step 8:

There are two ways to do this next step, depending on what you have for equipment. Here’s how I like to do it- unscrew the blade and bottom from your blender and screw them onto your regular mouthed mason jar containing all of your ingredients.
original-moms-super-laundry-sauce-laundry-soap-recipe

Place the entire mason jar on the blender and whip until smooth and creamy throughout, about a minute. Flip back over, unscrew the blender blade, attach a cover and seal.

original-moms-super-laundry-sauce-laundry-soap-recipe

original-moms-super-laundry-sauce-laundry-soap-recipe

If you don’t have mason jars or a blender, pour the contents of your settled jar into a large bowl, be sure to scrape down any remaining from the jar to get it all. Using a Hand mixer, Whip the ingredients until light and fluffy and well blended. Transfer the ingredients back into the jar, cover, and store until needed. If you like, add a tsp of glycerin per jar.

Step 9:

To use, add 1 Tablespoon to a load of laundry in any type of machine, conventional, Front Loader, High Capacity & High Efficiency (HE), etc. Do not add the detergent to the “detergent compartment” but instead directly with the dirty clothes. The detergent is Smooth and creamy with the same Look and consistency of Mayonnaise. Be sure to label the jar to prevent accidental ingestion!!

original-moms-super-laundry-sauce-laundry-soap-recipe

Here is EXACTLY how I use our detergent:

Top Loading Machine Directions

  • Fill the machine with dirty clothes
  • start the water, (hot- Cold- or warm- doesn’t matter)
  • Measure out 1 Tablespoon (literally) of super laundry sauce
  • stick the measuring spoon of detergent under the running water, let it fall off the spoon.
  • Close the washer lid, go away and do something else while the machine runs.

Front-loader Machine Directions:

  • Fill the machine with dirty clothes
  • Measure out 1 Tablespoon (literally) of super laundry sauce On Top of the dirty clothes

Close the washer, start it, go away and do something else while the machine runs. Really, it’s that easy folks!

Tips and Tricks, Troubleshooting & Other Thoughts and experiences:

  • Do NOT Use Baking Soda or Oxyclean in this recipe hoping it will be an added “Boost”. Your jars will likely explode within 7-10 days in storage (Don’t ask how we know!)
  • We have not had any issues with clothing fading due to use
  • Since the Soaps have been completely dissolved in this recipe, it leaves NO residue on your clothing like many homemade detergent recipes
  • This recipe can easily be doubled to make a Full Gallon of Detergent.
  • This can be stored indefinitely. It does become slightly firmer but still melts fine in water, hot or cold
  • Fels Naptha Can usually be found in the Laundry Detergent Isle of the Grocery Store for about $1 a bar, or it can be found online here.
  • If you leave the detergent sitting more than 6 hours without whipping it, it will likely take on a grainy texture. It should be light, smooth, silky feeling with no “gritty” feeling whatsoever. If it Does have grit, that means that it did Not dissolve properly.
  • What do I do if it’s too grainy or if it doesn’t separate? If it’s too grainy or doesn’t separate it means that the soaps were not fully dissolved. You can spoon the mixture back into your saucepan and remelt it until it is smooth. Try not to breathe in the fumes, remember, you are making detergent! Once it feels “smooth” pour it back into the mason jars. Let it set a few hours and then whip.
  • Gritty Soap- if your soap is mostly smooth with only a little “grit” feeling, it will still work fine, but may not dissolve well in cold water.
  • If you have Moderately gritty soap that DID separate, but you don’t feel like it’s “good enough” to use in your laundry, then use it as a super stain remover for those stubborn stains
  • If your soap is Super Gritty or didn’t separate, you should remelt it over medium heat, stirring constantly.

Do NOT use different sized jars, your soap will not set properly.

Budget101 Budget Breakdown:

Fels Naptha .99 bar
Borax 76 oz box = 9.5 cups $3.29 box = .34 c per cup
Washing Soda 55 oz box =6.875 cups – $2.97 box = .43 per cup
——————————————————————————-

Total Expense for 128 loads of Laundry = $1.76

moms super laundry sauce
cropped b101 header logo

Mom’s Super Laundry Sauce Recipe

Budget101.com by Melissa 'Liss' Burnell
Super simple 4 ingredient DIY Laundry Detergent Recipe that gets out just about every stain you can think of, Smells fresh & clean and costs less than $3 for 128 loads of laundry #laundrysauce #momsLaundrysauce #superlaundrysauce #diy
Active Time 5 minutes
Resting Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 128 Loads

Materials

Instructions
 

  • Put 4 cups of water in a large heavy saucepan over high heat. While that is heating, mix the borax and washing soda together in a bowl, mixing well, set aside.
    1 cup 20 Mule Team Borax
    4 cups hot water
    1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
  • Grate the Fels Naptha- the easiest way to do this is to cut it into several smaller chunks and then run it through a food processor- otherwise, you can just grate it with a hand grater or shave it with a knife.
    1 bar Fels Naptha
  • Add the freshly grated soap to the water in the saucepan, stirring almost constantly. Reduce the heat to medium, It will take approximately 10 – 15 minutes for the Fels Naptha to complete dissolve.
    If it takes longer, your heat wasn’t up high enough. Alternatively, you can melt the fels on the stove over low heat without water then add the water afterwards, stirring it in, as the original recipe called for!
  • It should be a rolling, simmering boil where you must stir constantly but it does not foam heavily or seem to “creep up” the saucepan.
  • Once the Fels Naptha has completely melted, remove the pan from the heat and add in the Borax and the Washing Soda, stirring constantly until the powders are completely dissolved, this will take about 3-5 minutes.
  • Pour the liquid equally into (2) 1 quart Mason jars.
  • Add just enough water to bring the contents up to the “shoulders” or Rounded part of the jar, leaving approximately 1 ½ inches of headspace.
  • Put the lid on the jars and turn them UPSIDE DOWN and let them sit a few hours (about 4 – 5 hours). The reason for this is that the soap is going to Separate into layers while it’s resting and occasionally will form crystals on the bottom.
    Rather than waste these trying to scrape them off, in the next step we’re going to incorporate them easily! By the way, if you leave it overnight it will have a slightly grainier texture than if you whip it immediately after 4 hours.
  • There are two ways to do this next step, depending on what you have for equipment. Here’s how I like to do it- unscrew the blade and bottom from your blender and screw them onto your regular mouthed mason jar containing all of your ingredients.
  • Place the entire mason jar on the blender and whip until smooth and creamy throughout, about a minute. Flip back over, unscrew the blender blade, attach a cover and seal.
  • If you don’t have mason jars or a blender, pour the contents of your settled jar into a large bowl, be sure to scrape down any remaining from the jar to get it all. Using a Hand mixer, Whip the ingredients until light and fluffy and well blended. Transfer the ingredients back into the jar, cover, and store until needed. If you like, add a tsp of glycerin per jar.
  • To use, add 1 Tablespoon to a load of laundry in any type of machine, conventional, Front Loader, High Capacity & High Efficiency (HE), etc. Do not add the detergent to the “detergent compartment” but instead directly with the dirty clothes. The detergent is Smooth and creamy with the same Look and consistency of Mayonnaise. Be sure to label the jar to prevent accidental ingestion!!

Notes

Top Loading Machine Directions

Fill the machine with dirty clothes
start the water
Measure out 1 Tablespoon (literally) of super laundry sauce
stick the measuring spoon of detergent under the running water, let it fall off the spoon.
Close the washer lid, go away and do something else while the machine runs.

Front-loader Machine Directions:

Fill the machine with dirty clothes
Measure out 1 Tablespoon (literally) of super laundry sauce On Top of the dirty clothes
Note:

The information on this DIY site is for general informational purposes only. We do not guarantee the accuracy or effectiveness of the content shared. The site owner and authors are not liable for any damages or injuries. Use the information at your own risk and seek professional advice when needed.

Tried this idea?Mention @Budget101com or tag #Budget101com!

Before you Begin- Check out our Simplified NO COOK Version of this Recipe, aptly named
Super Laundry Sauce for Dummies, No Fail 7 minute Laundry Detergent

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939 thoughts on “Original Mom’s Super Laundry Sauce Laundry Soap Recipe”

    • Great Recipe, thank you for sharing

      Is this suppose to make alot of suds? I made a batch of this last night. Everything worked like magic.

      When i threw a spoon in the wash….nada. No suds. If it is suppose to not suds fine.

      I was just wondering. Most men measure the size of their accomplishment by the amount of their suds. Just curious.

      Reply
    • So, I hate cooking or doing anything domestic. But laundry soap is expensive, so I made this. First I will start by saying, I am impressed!

      It was easy to make and even though I messed up in the first batch I was able to fix it. (I misunderstood that I was supposed to add some more water after putting it in the jars, so there was nothing to separate, also I didnt have any jars so I used a plastic container) After the first batch I got some jars and tried again. The second batch turned out perfect and the first one is slightly gritty but just barely and I’m still using it.

      I dont have a blender so I had to mix it with a hand mixer (ugh). I decided I wanted it to have more fragrance, so I melted down about 1/2 cup of downy unstoppable pellets to boost the scent and added half to each jar before whipping it. It blended together perfectly and now smells great.

      The stuff seemed to get thicker as I got the hang of how much to mix it. I didnt do the first batch for as long so its not quite as thick. Next time I make this I hope to have a blender cause mixing it then transferring it back to the jars was kinda messy.

      Anyway, the real test… I had this blanket that I have washed like 3 times (in some other homemade soap my hubby made) and it had this weird smell that would not go away. So I figured this would be the best test. I threw it in with some other clothes and added ONLY one Tbsp like this recipe says.

      (I held the spoon under the water so it would not be a glob in the washer and it dissolved easily) Then this morning I pulled it out of the dryer and the stubborn weird smell is gone! Woohoo! Yay me for doing something domestic!

      My mom is proud 😀 I’m going to give her a jar since I ended up with 4 of them by the time i was done! I would definitely recommend trying this!!

      Reply
  1. i use the duggar’s recipe for home-made laundry soap and all the ingredient’s are the same except i like the idea of your’s being concentrated! will use this recipe after my current soap is all used up!!
    Love shower

    Reply
    • I had been meaning to make the Duggar’s homemade laundry soap and even had the ingredients. So I was very happy to see the very concentrated recipe. It works very well and can be stored in 2 one-quart mason jars.

      Reply
    • Like you, the “compactness” of this recipe was a big draw for me. The recipe I had before (and never made) involved two 5-gallon buckets. This is so much better – and it contains exactly the same ingredients, just a lot more concentrated.

      I love it.

      Reply
      • Like you, the “compactness” of this recipe was a big draw for me. The recipe I had before (and never made) involved two 5-gallon buckets. This is so much better – and it contains exactly the same ingredients, just a lot more concentrated.

        I love it.

        That was my reason for choosing this recipe too. It’s so concentrated and no 5 gallon mess.

        Reply
  2. does long term storage affect the detergent’s effectiveness or consistency and how long is too long as far as storage for this recipe?

    Reply
    • Does long term storage affect the detergent’s effectiveness or consistency and how long is too long as far as storage for this recipe?

      It may become slightly firmer, yet still spoonable with long term storage. It doesn’t appear to affect the effectiveness/potency of the detergent. We’ve stored laundry soap for over a year before (due to forgetting a jar).

      Reply
      • As easy as this recipe is and the fact that I have used it multiple times, I made a huge mistake. I forgot to add the water before turning upside down and sitting and then whipping….ruined? Help!

        Reply
    • I keep mine in a mason jar (in which it was made) with the top securely on. I’ve had no problems, but if I did, I feel sure I could dissolve the one Tablespoon in some warm water before putting in the washing machine.

      Reply
  3. i have made this before i was just wondering if you ever had the soap to make yor clothes look dingy? i have and that is why i stopped making it . could you tell me what i might be doing wrong?

    Reply
    • I have made this before I was just wondering if you ever had the soap to make yor clothes look dingy? I have and that is why I stopped making it . Could you tell me what I might be doing wrong?

      You have hard water. The soap is chemically reacting with magnesium or calcium in your water. You might have to wash with real detergent and alternate with your home made product.

      Let me know if you have anyone else tell you another solution.

      Reply
      • You have hard water. The soap is chemically reacting with magnesium or calcium in your water. You might have to wash with real detergent and alternate with your home made product.

        Let me know if you have anyone else tell you another solution.

        Hello, I live in Luxembourg and I’ve seen that Amazon.co.uk sells most of the products needed. I don’t know how expensive shipping would be, but I’m definitely looking into it!

        Reply
  4. the number one reason clothes look dingy is too much soap. a little vinegar instead of fabric softener in the rinse cycle will help remove detergent build-up.

    Reply
    • The number one reason clothes look dingy is too much soap. A little vinegar instead of fabric softener in the rinse cycle will help remove detergent build-up.

      Put white vinegar in the rinse cycle. It cuts build up and makes clothes softer.

      You are probably using too much soap, try cutting back. I find this recipe takes very little to clean.

      Reply
    • I’ve made this laundry sauce and discovered that I can reheat the mixture after it’s been whipped. After it was whipped, there were still a lot of small lumps that just were not smoothing out. I put it back on the stove and reheated it, stirring, until it was completely melted and smooth again.

      I poured it back in the mason jar and it separated perfectly again. After it sat for 2 hours I poured it in my blender and it whipped up smooth and creamy just like it’s supposed to! Success!

      Also, before whipping this mixture in the blender container or the mason jar, I would recommend breaking up the firmer portion in the jar with a knife so it will blend up quicker and easier.

      Reply
    • i’m wondering if you can add scents to this recipe?
      if so..how much..

      hello. i am now on my second batch of this awesome recipe. i added 2 caps of the Downy UnStopables to both of my batches, in the water, before adding the Fels Naptha.

      It added a decent amount of scent to both the detergent and the clothing without making it overpowering. The Downy UnStopables are a little on the expensive side, and the directions call for 1 cap full in the wash water per load. By splitting the amount across several jars in this recipe, it has stretched the use of this product too.

      It also did not affect the detergent recipe in any way. Both of my batches dissolved and separated exactly as shown in the tutorial.

      Reply
    • i’m wondering if you can add scents to this recipe?
      if so..how much..

      I made mine and before whipping it at the end I melted down about a half cup of downy unstoppables and divided it between the 2 jars then whipped it. It blended together perfectly and smells great. for my second batch i used a little more, so i think you could just guess, but id wait and add it at the end cause I dont know what it would do to the separation process.

      Reply
    • i’m wondering if you can add scents to this recipe?
      if so..how much..

      After I put the soap to cool in the mason jars, I added a peel of lemon in each to add a fresh scent. Remove Lemon before whipping!

      Reply
    • i’m wondering if you can add scents to this recipe?
      if so..how much..

      I was wondering the same thing, can I add some essential oils for fragrance?

      Reply
      • Is it ok to use a pot and blender that I use for cooking?

        I use mine. You are making soap. I just make sure that I or my husband are the ones to wash the pot to make sure that it is “Clean”

        Reply
    • I added vanilla to my jars. It didn’t seem to help make the laundry smell like that. I think I going to try the laundry crystals to give it a nice smell.

      Maybe next time I make it (in a year!) I will add more vanilla.

      Reply
      • 5 stars
        Try using essential oils to create a lovely scent and added benefits (ex tea tree oil and lavender have anti fungal and anti bacterial properties)and still be kind to the environment. I would start with about 20 drops and go from there.

        Reply
    • I made this and have now done several loads of laundry. It’s working very well, however, mine is more the consistency of whipped butter, rather than creamy or mayo like, did I do something wrong when making it? Also I have to use the extra rinse setting on my HE washer otherwise there seems to be some white residue on the darks.

      The “sauce” is very smooth feeling with no gritty texture at all, so I’m not convinced it’s the detergents fault, but rather the fact that my washer doesn’t have an agitator and sometimes the clothes get twisted up and maybe aren’t rinsing as well as they should. Does anyone else with an agitator-less washer have this issue?

      Reply
      • 5 stars
        I have hard water and use white vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser in my HE washer and have no problems with my laundry.

        Reply
    • There is a recipe posted that includes Purex crystals for scent. “Liss Favorite Liquid Laundry Detergent Recipe” I plan to try this one next.

      Reply
    • Can you use this soap in the dishwasher?

      NO. Fels Naptha is not meant to be used on Dishes. There are a number of (Tried-n-True) homemade dishwasher detergents on the site.

      Budget101.com – – Homemade Dishwasher pellets | Make Your Own Dish Detergents | Tips-n-Tricks Kitchen

      https://www.budget101.com/community/topic/homemade-dishwasher-liquid-help/

      i’m wondering if you can add scents to this recipe?
      if so..how much..

      Yes, you could, depends on what you use for scent, if you try it, let us know how it worked for you.

      I have made this before I was just wondering if you ever had the soap to make yor clothes look dingy? I have and that is why I stopped making it . Could you tell me what I might be doing wrong?

    • Too Much Soap
    • Hard water or Soft Water Issues

      Can this soap be used in a HE washer?

      YES.

    • Reply
      • I have a lot of skin allergies. The recipe I am using now uses any kind of bar soap and I use Dove Sensitive Skin bar soap. With this recipe could I use the Dove, or does it have to be the kind called for?:balloon:

        Reply
    • Can this soap be used in a he washer?

      i made this soap for years but when my old washer went down and i got the new he washer it didn’t wash as good as with the soap

      Reply
    • Can this soap be used in a he washer?

      it’s not worth the risk to destroy your washer…he detergent should always be used in he washers.

      Reply
    • Can this soap be used in a he washer?

      while i have not used this recipe in my he washer. i have used something almost the same. on hers it says to add it directly with the clothes (in step 9).

      I put my soap in a cup of hot water and poor it down the soap hatch. No mater if I am doing a cold load are not. The hot water is just to make the soap runny enough to go through the workings of the he washer.

      if you find that your clothes come out of the washer still feeling to soapy try using less soap.

      there is absolutely no ingredient difference between he soap and non he soap. the difference is in the machines themselves. an he washer needs less soap then a top loader.

      when i still used regular soap. i used my same laundry soap just 2/3rds less.

      Reply
  5. hi, so glad you posted this! 1st: I had no idea that you could put a mason jar onto a blender blade! Omg!

    Its like a magic bullet!

    Wow.
    Ok, next: I simply can not find the arm & hammer washing powder. Is this the same thing as like powered detergent? I can find that all day long.

    I finally found borax in target, even my wally world didnt have it.

    I will look for the fels soap, but i doubt i can find it. I will be making this tho, i love the idea of a “sauce” rather than the thin liquids i have made before that did not work. (perhaps b/c i used regular powder detergent, cheap of cheap?) anyways, thanks so much for the post!

    Reply
    • hi, so glad you posted this! 1ST: I had no idea that you could put a mason jar onto a blender blade! omg!

      its like a magic bullet!

      wow.
      ok, next: i simply can not find the arm & hammer washing powder. is this the same thing as like powered detergent? i can find that all day long.

      i finally found borax in target, even my wally world didnt have it.

      i will look for the fels soap, but i doubt i can find it. i will be making this tho, i love the idea of a “sauce” rather than the thin liquids i have made before that did not work. (perhaps b/c i used regular powder detergent, cheap of cheap?) anyways, thanks so much for the post!

      the fels soap in in the detergent isle along with the borax and washing soda. at the walmart in my area the soap was right next to the borax and washing soda.

      Reply
      • The Fels soap in in the detergent isle along with the borax and washing soda. at the walmart in my area the soap was right next to the borax and washing soda.

        i’ve also found it (including the fels naptha) at our local hyvee supermarket. i’ve seen the borax & washing soda @ supersaver supermarket also.

        so maybe looking in the laundry area of the supermarkets might work.

        Reply
      • The Fels soap in in the detergent isle along with the borax and washing soda. at the walmart in my area the soap was right next to the borax and washing soda.

        i found the fells at ace hardware, borax and washing soda at ralph’s here in san diego.

        Reply
      • The Fels soap in in the detergent isle along with the borax and washing soda. at the walmart in my area the soap was right next to the borax and washing soda.

        i live in pa and i found the soap in the health and beauty aid section of our weiss market grocery store. the borax and washing powder were in the laundry detergent section with the stain removers.

        hope this helps you in looking for the ingrediants

        Reply
      • The Fels soap in in the detergent isle along with the borax and washing soda. at the walmart in my area the soap was right next to the borax and washing soda.

        i found all three in walmart in the laundry detergent aisle. they were on the same side as the fabric softener.

        Reply
      • The Fels soap in in the detergent isle along with the borax and washing soda. at the walmart in my area the soap was right next to the borax and washing soda.

        you can easily make washing soda at home. it is simply baking soda that is baked in the oven…the consistency will change.

        do a quick search and you will be able to find instructions for the proper temperature. i have done it when making lots of laundry soap – the additional bit of time was worth it for the savings compared to purchasing!

        Reply
      • The Fels soap in in the detergent isle along with the borax and washing soda. at the walmart in my area the soap was right next to the borax and washing soda.

        they sell arm & hammer washing soda online at http://www.etsy.com or you can google search how to make your own from baking soda. it really easy, all you do it put the baking soda in the oven!

        a lot of places still haven’t adapted the natural lifestyles yet, but they’ll get there!

        Reply
      • The Fels soap in in the detergent isle along with the borax and washing soda. at the walmart in my area the soap was right next to the borax and washing soda.

        i actually ordered all of the ingredients from amazon as a “bundle” deal. total cost for 3 bars of Fels Naptha, a 55 oz (3 lb) box of Washing Soda and a 76 oz (4lb, 12 0z) box of Borax was $27.00. Here’s the link to the item if you’re interested in going that route.

        http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007CNKM42/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007CNKM42&linkCode=as2&tag=budget101com-20&linkId=SFL2IKXHEFWAQOAQ
        Obviously I’ll have LOTS of washing soda and Borax for other things but I can also order additional Fels Naptha if I can’t find it locally.
        I made my first batch 10 minutes ago and am just now waiting for it to settle and separate so I can blend.

        Fingers crossed! So far it looks just like the recipe/directions. My only concern now is that my son has sensitive skin and I am hoping that this detergent doesn’t cause him problems. Again, fingers crossed!

        Reply
    • hi, so glad you posted this! 1ST: I had no idea that you could put a mason jar onto a blender blade! omg!

      its like a magic bullet! wow.
      ok, next: i simply can not find the arm & hammer washing powder. is this the same thing as like powered detergent?

      i can find that all day long. i finally found borax in target, even my wally world didnt have it. i will look for the fels soap, but i doubt i can find it.

      i will be making this tho, i love the idea of a “sauce” rather than the thin liquids i have made before that did not work. (perhaps b/c i used regular powder detergent, cheap of cheap?) anyways, thanks so much for the post!

      i just found all three ingredients sitting right next to each other at my fred meyer, also known as kroger in most places.

      Reply
      • Try a more specialty grocery store and see what you can find. That is really weird that Walmart isn’t selling the Arm and Hammer in the yellow box. Ours has really increased it’s supply, but we live in a smaller farming community and have a lot of amish in the area.

        Hope you find it. I know you can order it online too.

        Reply
    • hi, so glad you posted this! 1ST: I had no idea that you could put a mason jar onto a blender blade! omg!

      its like a magic bullet! wow.
      ok, next: i simply can not find the arm & hammer washing powder. is this the same thing as like powered detergent?

      i can find that all day long. i finally found borax in target, even my wally world didnt have it. i will look for the fels soap, but i doubt i can find it.

      i will be making this tho, i love the idea of a “sauce” rather than the thin liquids i have made before that did not work. (perhaps b/c i used regular powder detergent, cheap of cheap?) anyways, thanks so much for the post!

      our wal-mart carries all three ingredients right next to each other on the self across from the tide detergent. also, meijers carries all three ingredients but not all in the same locations.

      the bar soap at meijers is in a really wierd location so you really have to look for it. ours is at the end of the plastic baggies isle. the other two are across from the opposite isle on the other end.

      Reply
    • hi, so glad you posted this! 1ST: I had no idea that you could put a mason jar onto a blender blade! omg!

      its like a magic bullet! wow.
      ok, next: i simply can not find the arm & hammer washing powder. is this the same thing as like powered detergent?

      i can find that all day long. i finally found borax in target, even my wally world didnt have it. i will look for the fels soap, but i doubt i can find it.

      i will be making this tho, i love the idea of a “sauce” rather than the thin liquids i have made before that did not work. (perhaps b/c i used regular powder detergent, cheap of cheap?) anyways, thanks so much for the post!

      me too. a mason jar on your blender !!

      omg what a time saver. man i love this site.

      Reply
    • ok, next: i simply can not find the arm & hammer washing powder. is this the same thing as like powered detergent?!

      you can usually find both arm and hammer washing soda and fels naphtha in the grocery store. we have hannaford where i am and they always have both.

      Reply
    • hi, so glad you posted this! 1ST: I had no idea that you could put a mason jar onto a blender blade! omg!

      its like a magic bullet! wow.
      ok, next: i simply can not find the arm & hammer washing powder. is this the same thing as like powered detergent?

      i can find that all day long. i finally found borax in target, even my wally world didnt have it. i will look for the fels soap, but i doubt i can find it.

      i will be making this tho, i love the idea of a “sauce” rather than the thin liquids i have made before that did not work. (perhaps b/c i used regular powder detergent, cheap of cheap?) anyways, thanks so much for the post!

      i found all the ingredients at a super wally world!!!

      Reply
    • ok, next: i simply can not find the arm & hammer washing powder. is this the same thing as like powered detergent?!

      i got everything from amazon

      Reply
    • hi, so glad you posted this! 1ST: I had no idea that you could put a mason jar onto a blender blade! omg!

      its like a magic bullet! wow.
      ok, next: i simply can not find the arm & hammer washing powder. is this the same thing as like powered detergent?

      i can find that all day long. i finally found borax in target, even my wally world didnt have it. i will look for the fels soap, but i doubt i can find it.

      i will be making this tho, i love the idea of a “sauce” rather than the thin liquids i have made before that did not work. (perhaps b/c i used regular powder detergent, cheap of cheap?) anyways, thanks so much for the post!

      hi, i am brand new to the site. i found this on a friend’s fb page. while reading the comments, i noticed your question and i hope this will help.

      i did a search on amazon.com and found the ingredients for this (including 3 bars of the Fels) for $33.00. Here is the link (Amazon.com: Laundry Soap Kit – Fels Naptha, Borax & Washing Soda: Home Improvement) If the link doesn’t come through, try searching Laundry Soap Kit.

      Reply
    • ok, next: i simply can not find the arm & hammer washing powder. is this the same thing as like powered detergent?

      look at tractor supply or rural king

      Reply
      • Look at tractor supply or rural king

        I found it at Publix, just a regular grocery store on the laundry isle with the laundry additives.

        Reply
    • ok, next: i simply can not find the arm & hammer washing powder. is this the same thing as like powered detergent?![/quote

      all 3 ingredients are usually together in the laundry soap aisle.

      Reply
    • hi, so glad you posted this! 1ST: I had no idea that you could put a mason jar onto a blender blade! omg!

      its like a magic bullet! wow.

      i will look for the fels soap, but i doubt i can find it.!

      go to wal-mart they have all of it. it was altogether in my wal-mart.

      Reply
    • hi, so glad you posted this! 1ST: I had no idea that you could put a mason jar onto a blender blade! omg!

      its like a magic bullet! wow.
      ok, next: i simply can not find the arm & hammer washing powder. is this the same thing as like powered detergent?

      i can find that all day long. i finally found borax in target, even my wally world didnt have it. i will look for the fels soap, but i doubt i can find it.

      i will be making this tho, i love the idea of a “sauce” rather than the thin liquids i have made before that did not work. (perhaps b/c i used regular powder detergent, cheap of cheap?) anyways, thanks so much for the post!

      i like you had trouble finding the washing soda so i yahoogel it… and this site made the most sense to me.

      Turn Baking Soda into Washing Soda {#TinyTipTues} – Nature's Nurture : Nature's Nurture there were lots of how to’s and all said the same thing this just had the best pictures I bought the super size baking soda and turned about 1/2 the box into washing soda and stored the other in a mason jar. :piggy:

      Reply
    • All of the ingredients can be found at Wal-Mart. They will be in the laundry isle. The A&H Super Washing Soap should be right next to the Borax, usually on the bottom row.

      The FelsNaptha should be next to the other bar style cleaners. Another bar soap I’ve heard rave reviews about is Castile and Ivory (just regular body soap). Castile would be in the laundry isle as well.

      Reply
    • hi, so glad you posted this! 1ST: I had no idea that you could put a mason jar onto a blender blade! omg!

      its like a magic bullet! wow.
      ok, next: i simply can not find the arm & hammer washing powder. is this the same thing as like powered detergent?

      i can find that all day long. i finally found borax in target, even my wally world didnt have it. i will look for the fels soap, but i doubt i can find it.

      i will be making this tho, i love the idea of a “sauce” rather than the thin liquids i have made before that did not work. (perhaps b/c i used regular powder detergent, cheap of cheap?) anyways, thanks so much for the post!

      you can also try looking at ace hardware, the one here has the soap. if you cannot find washing soda…then make your own, that is what i do……spread out baking soda on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 1 hour…you now have washing soda 🙂

      Reply
    • I found the Fels at my local grocery store and the Arm and Hammer Washing Powder at my local hardware store (Ace Hardware) good luck hope this helps!! Just started making my first batch tonight 🙂 I’m keeping my fingers that everything turns out and I will be on my way to saving CASH!!!

      Reply
    • ok, next: i simply can not find the arm & hammer washing powder. is this the same thing as like powered detergent?i will look for the fels soap, but i doubt i can find it.

      i have found both the super washing soda & the fels naptha bars @ walmart in the cleaning section (w/the clothes soaps &/or the dusting supplies)

      Reply
    • hi, so glad you posted this! 1ST: I had no idea that you could put a mason jar onto a blender blade! omg!

      its like a magic bullet! wow.
      ok, next: i simply can not find the arm & hammer washing powder. is this the same thing as like powered detergent?

      i can find that all day long. i finally found borax in target, even my wally world didnt have it. i will look for the fels soap, but i doubt i can find it.

      i will be making this tho, i love the idea of a “sauce” rather than the thin liquids i have made before that did not work. (perhaps b/c i used regular powder detergent, cheap of cheap?) anyways, thanks so much for the post!

      i found all of these ingredients at walmart, the bar soap was on the top shelf, the boxes of the borax (white box) and washing soda (yellow box) on the bottom shelf.

      Reply
    • Ikr! When I seen it I was like omg! I had no clue you canput jar on a blender!

      The laundry soap was great! But the blender with a jar blew my friggin mind. #smallthingsexciteme

      Reply
    • hi, so glad you posted this! 1ST: I had no idea that you could put a mason jar onto a blender blade! omg!

      its like a magic bullet! wow.
      ok, next: i simply can not find the arm & hammer washing powder. is this the same thing as like powered detergent?

      i can find that all day long. i finally found borax in target, even my wally world didnt have it. i will look for the fels soap, but i doubt i can find it.

      i will be making this tho, i love the idea of a “sauce” rather than the thin liquids i have made before that did not work. (perhaps b/c i used regular powder detergent, cheap of cheap?) anyways, thanks so much for the post!

      you can actually make your own washing soda. just put baking soda in the oven in a 2 quart baking dish at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes. It has to be washing soda, not baking, or the recipe won’t work.

      Reply
    • hi, so glad you posted this! 1ST: I had no idea that you could put a mason jar onto a blender blade! omg!

      its like a magic bullet! wow.
      ok, next: i simply can not find the arm & hammer washing powder. is this the same thing as like powered detergent?

      i can find that all day long. i finally found borax in target, even my wally world didnt have it. i will look for the fels soap, but i doubt i can find it.

      i will be making this tho, i love the idea of a “sauce” rather than the thin liquids i have made before that did not work. (perhaps b/c i used regular powder detergent, cheap of cheap?) anyways, thanks so much for the post!

      you can find all products at wal-mart they are located in the fabric dye section on the bottom shelf…same isle as the fabric softener..

      Reply
    • Does it HAVE TO BE Fels Naptha? I found a beatiful rose scented bar soap, could this be substituted?

      Yes, it MUST be fels naptha, other types of soap will leave a dingy film on your clothes.

      Reply
      • Yes, it must be fels naptha, other types of soap will leave a dingy film on your clothes.

        i have found that you can also use dove soap. i have super sensitive skin and i use half dove & half fels naptha.

        Reply
      • Yes, it must be fels naptha, other types of soap will leave a dingy film on your clothes.

        check your local grocery store. our kroger & hayes grocery stores both had all the ingredients on their laundry isle.

        Reply
      • Yes, it must be fels naptha, other types of soap will leave a dingy film on your clothes.

        zote soap just works as well.

        Reply
      • Yes, it must be fels naptha, other types of soap will leave a dingy film on your clothes.

        i found the fels naptha in the hand soap isle at my local grocery store.

        Reply
      • Yes, it must be fels naptha, other types of soap will leave a dingy film on your clothes.

        i have made this recipe with dr. bronner’s bar soap a number of times. no dingy film.

        Reply
      • Yes, it must be fels naptha, other types of soap will leave a dingy film on your clothes.

        what about zote? i have heard so many glowing reports of that brand soap too. just curious.

        :dontknow:

        Reply
        • What about Zote? I have heard so many glowing reports of that brand soap too. Just curious.

          :dontknow:

          It needs to be Fels Naptha due to the cleaning agents in it.

          Reply
      • Yes, it must be fels naptha, other types of soap will leave a dingy film on your clothes.

        i read a recipe that said fels-naptha or octagon. have not used octagon; only made two batches and that was with the fels-naptha. btw, amazon has a package deal where the three ingredients are sold together – makes it convenient.

        Reply
        • I read a recipe that said Fels-Naptha or Octagon. Have not used Octagon; only made two batches and that was with the Fels-Naptha. BTW, Amazon has a package deal where the three ingredients are sold together – makes it convenient.

          Yes, the package deal from amazon is nice UNLESS you have a Walmart nearby as you can get ALL 3 ingredients for under $10 Total

          Reply
      • all of these products are sold at Walmart, and most grocery stores!

        Right! That’s the point! They’re available and dirt cheap, it’s only $1.76 for 128 loads of laundry!

        Reply
    • Does it have to be fels naptha? i found a beatiful rose scented bar soap, could this be substituted?

      my guess is that it would not clean nearly as well. however, i have seen several times that it’s okay to add a little lavender oil or any other fragrance.

      Reply
    • Does it have to be fels naptha? i found a beatiful rose scented bar soap, could this be substituted?

      i use zote because i could not find fels naptha and it turned out great. it did take a while to melt though.

      Reply
    • Does it have to be fels naptha? i found a beatiful rose scented bar soap, could this be substituted?

      washing soda is “sodium carbonate”. if you can’t find it in the grocery store, try looking in your garage (if you have a swimming pool). it is one of the “chemicals” used to regulate ph so is sold at swimming pool supply companies.

      sodium carbonate is washing soda. sodium bicarbonate is baking soda. sodium percarbonate is the active ingredient in oxyclean (dry form of hydrogen peroxide and can also be found in big buckets for a pittance).

      Reply
    • Does it have to be fels naptha? i found a beatiful rose scented bar soap, could this be substituted?

      it needs to be a laundry bar of soap. sunlight or zote also work well.

      Reply
    • Can you use this on an he washer?

      yes you can. i have a super heavy duty he, which means it holds 2 1/2 loads of what my prior heavy duty washer held and I still use 1 tablespoon of the detergent. Only issue is the HE washer does not run water until the washer is closed so what I do with this is I put a rag in every wash that is already wet and wipe the contents out of my scoop and mash it up in the rag.

      Works perfect and laundry smells wonderful. But if you are like me and like that extra pop of scent – get the Downy Unstopables and toss in about half a cap.

      Reply
  6. i’ve tried this recipes twice and i’m having a few problems with it. first, the fels naptha takes about 30min to completely melt and I grated it. I never let it boil and it still becomes very sudsy.

    The borax and soda take about 15min to dissolve and even after that its not completely dissolved.

    I used 4 pint mason jars because that’s all I had. I whipped it on the blender which worked fine. But it doesn’t dissolve in the washer.

    I’m really sure what I’m doing wrong.

    I follwed to directions exactly. Also wasn’t sure if you add hot or cold water to the jars or if it mattered. Thanks

    Reply
    • I’ve tried this recipes twice and I’m having a few problems with it. First, the fels naptha takes about 30min to completely melt and I grated it. I never let it boil and it still becomes very sudsy. The borax and soda take about 15min to dissolve and even after that its not completely dissolved. I used 4 pint mason jars because that’s all I had. I whipped it on the blender which worked fine. But it doesn’t dissolve in the washer. I’m really sure what I’m doing wrong. I follwed to directions exactly. Also wasn’t sure if you add hot or cold water to the jars or if it mattered. Thanks

      It must be made according to the directions, you cannot use pint jars, you must use quart jars and it should not take more than 12-15 minutes for the (Fels naptha) soap to melt.
      Maybe your heat isn’t turned up quite enough, it should be at a decent simmer.

      You must MIX the borax and the washing soda together BEFORE pouring them into the melted fels naptha and it takes Maybe 4 minutes in all to fully dissolve them so that there is NO grainy texture.

      I literally just made another batch less than an hour ago, I really can’t tell what you’re doing wrong, but it sounds like you don’t have the correct water ratio due to using smaller jars and it sounds like the washing soap and borax were not mixed together, hence the texture you ended up with.

      Reply
      • It must be made according to the directions, you cannot use pint jars, you must use quart jars and it should not take more than 12-15 minutes for the (Fels naptha) soap to melt.
        Maybe your heat isn’t turned up quite enough, it should be at a decent simmer.

        You must mix the borax and the washing soda together before pouring them into the melted fels naptha and it takes maybe 4 minutes in all to fully dissolve them so that there is no grainy texture.

        i literally just made another batch less than an hour ago, i really can’t tell what you’re doing wrong, but it sounds like you don’t have the correct water ratio due to using smaller jars and it sounds like the washing soap and borax were not mixed together, hence the texture you ended up with.

        i follow the directions exactly, except i use pint jars and have never had any issues what so ever, everything dissolves, and mixes right up with my jar attached to my blender. maybe its just luck?

        Reply
    • I’ve tried this recipes twice and I’m having a few problems with it. First, the fels naptha takes about 30min to completely melt and I grated it. I never let it boil and it still becomes very sudsy.

      The borax and soda take about 15min to dissolve and even after that its not completely dissolved. I used 4 pint mason jars because that’s all I had. I whipped it on the blender which worked fine.

      But it doesn’t dissolve in the washer. I’m really sure what I’m doing wrong. I follwed to directions exactly.

      Also wasn’t sure if you add hot or cold water to the jars or if it mattered. Thanks

      i used a microplane zester to grate the soap. it dissolved quickly.

      also wasn’t sure if you add hot or cold water to the jars or if it mattered.

      if you followed the directions exactly you’d see that you must always add hot water to the jars. that’s why it didn’t come out properly.

      try the no cook version, the link is at the bottom of the recipe in giant letters, it’s much easier.

      Reply
    • I’ve tried this recipes twice and I’m having a few problems with it. First, the fels naptha takes about 30min to completely melt and I grated it. I never let it boil and it still becomes very sudsy.

      The borax and soda take about 15min to dissolve and even after that its not completely dissolved. I used 4 pint mason jars because that’s all I had. I whipped it on the blender which worked fine.

      But it doesn’t dissolve in the washer. I’m really sure what I’m doing wrong. I follwed to directions exactly.

      Also wasn’t sure if you add hot or cold water to the jars or if it mattered. Thanks

      If you chop the bars up into about 8 pieces, then put it in the food processor or blender and let it run on high until it is pulverized. Then I put it into the boiling water – turn down the flame though b/c you don’t want the water to boil over.

      I found that if you pulverize it in the food processor and then use a wire wisk to stir it – you only have to stir for a short time b/c the soap melts very quickly in the pulverized state. The wisk keeps it from clumping together and it melts very quickly – in a minute and a half. It’s so creamy and fragrant – I will do this soap forever more.

      I mainly started doing it to reduce the amount of plastic I was creating in the recycling bin. Those huge plastic bottles are now a thing of the past. Helping to reduce my carbon footprint one jar of laundry sauce at a time!

      Reply
    • I’ve tried this recipes twice and I’m having a few problems with it. First, the fels naptha takes about 30min to completely melt and I grated it. I never let it boil and it still becomes very sudsy.

      The borax and soda take about 15min to dissolve and even after that its not completely dissolved. I used 4 pint mason jars because that’s all I had. I whipped it on the blender which worked fine.

      But it doesn’t dissolve in the washer. I’m really sure what I’m doing wrong. I follwed to directions exactly.

      Also wasn’t sure if you add hot or cold water to the jars or if it mattered. Thanks

      “I never let it boil…”, “I used 4 pint mason jars…” AND “I follwed to directions exactly.” …do not go together.

      Following exact directions makes a huge difference. Have everything that needs measured and pre-mixed done before starting, and definitely watch the heat/stirring as instructed. (electric stoves are much harder to control & heat adjustments aren’t immediate as gas burners) If you want something to turn out exactly as someone else’s did- then you have to follow every step the same way they did!

      Hope this helps!

      Reply
    • I’ve tried this recipes twice and I’m having a few problems with it. First, the fels naptha takes about 30min to completely melt and I grated it. I never let it boil and it still becomes very sudsy.

      The borax and soda take about 15min to dissolve and even after that its not completely dissolved. I used 4 pint mason jars because that’s all I had. I whipped it on the blender which worked fine.

      But it doesn’t dissolve in the washer. I’m really sure what I’m doing wrong. I follwed to directions exactly.

      Also wasn’t sure if you add hot or cold water to the jars or if it mattered. Thanks

      i used a whisk to stir every thing after the water is boiling, tried with whisk and wooden spoon and whisk gets it done in no time.

      Reply
    • I’ve tried this recipes twice and I’m having a few problems with it. First, the fels naptha takes about 30min to completely melt and I grated it. I never let it boil and it still becomes very sudsy.

      The borax and soda take about 15min to dissolve and even after that its not completely dissolved. I used 4 pint mason jars because that’s all I had. I whipped it on the blender which worked fine.

      But it doesn’t dissolve in the washer. I’m really sure what I’m doing wrong. I follwed to directions exactly.

      Also wasn’t sure if you add hot or cold water to the jars or if it mattered. Thanks

      I tried this once & it does not work out well. You need to get two quart jars. I think the water that you add ends up being too much when you use 4 pint jars.

      It’s the only time I’ve had trouble with this recipe. If your borax & washing soda still give a gritty feel when you’re stirring, you need to keep stirring. It will eventually get fully incorporated.

      If it’s not dissolving in the washer it could be your water is really hard? You could put the tablespoon of soap in a pint jar with some hot water, put the lid on & shake it up until it’s all melted then dump that into your washing machine. I’ve done that when we’ve lived in places with bad water.

      Reply
    • Do you have a large pot used only for soap making? Can food be cooked in pot after soap making? Thank you.

      Yes, it must be wash thoroughly, this is just detergent.

      Reply
        • Has anyone tryed this is the he washer, do you really put it in the inside, not in the container for the soap?

          yes, i have one and i just drop a spoonful directly on to the clothes, shut the door and walk away i have had no issues 🙂

          Reply
  7. i did this today!

    so i have been wanting to try out a detergent recipe because we spend a lot…. a lot of money on laundry detergent. my darling fiancé is a farmer which means heavily soiled clothes…

    included tractor grease, hydraulic fuel, and cow manure.

    yuckk. we are gain snobs simply because tide makes him itchy. so anyways i wanted to give this a whirl to save money since a.) this is less expensive to make and b.) i wouldn’t have to use so much per load.

    so to try out this recipe i only made half. i got all the ingredients at my local walmart. the fels naptha was $0.97 and the other two…

    Well one was about $2.50 and the other about $3.50.

    So I get home, and I heated 2 cups of water in a large pot. I don’t even own any medium sized pots anymore (long story-lol) but I used my smaller 10 Qt stainless steel pot. I didn’t process nor grate the soap.

    Since I was halving the recipe I only needed half the bar.

    To my surprise when I went to chop it in Half I noticed it was very soft so I just shaved it with my knife and gave it a few good run throughs. It looked fine enough to me. I let my water come to a boil.

    I tossed my soap in and started stirring with a wooden spoon immediately.

    Then turned heat to medium. this part i was not expecting….. i swear i stirred that soap for 35 minutes!

    It felt like it anyways, I really wish I would have timed myself.

    Lets just blame it on the humidity! Us here in south alabama blame everything on humidity! But it would build up on my spoon and I’d scrape it off and stir and over and over ugh!

    I finally had about 5 baby pieces and was like “oh they’ll live” and went on to the next part- (at this time my liquid was a yellowish tint and slightly thickened)

    I turned off the heat while I opened my Borax. I measured half a cup dumped it in, and I stirred immediately. The Borax dissolved almost immediately.

    Now my liquid was thicker (almost a Liquid hand soap consitency) and I’m still stirring…..

    And trying to open my washing soda…. At the same time. Left hand– wooden spoon.

    Right hand– steak knife.

    Anyways I put the spoon down to open and measure my Soda. When I dumped it in the mixture was immediately thick and gloopy. But I thought to my self keep stirring sista!

    After about 10 minutes my mixture still had the same ricotta cheese consistency.

    it would not go away. i kept stirring and stirring. so ugh!

    i thought- perhaps some water evaporated out while i was melting my soap, because my mixture was thick!

    so i added approximately 1 cup of boiling water (by the way my well was gettig worked on today so the only means of warm water or water at all for that matter was ice!) and I turned my burner back on to medium. I’m not sure what helped more… the extra water or the heat…

    but finally it dissolved through more stirring.

    It was still slightly grainy though, but I just couldn’t stir any longer! Both my hands were asleep!! So I got my quart mason jar, scraped the pot (lord, I really need a sauce pan for this job) and filled the rest up with water to the shoulder.

    It immediately started to separate.

    I turned it upside down and went shopping from 11:30 to 5:00. 🙂 when I got home I noticed my top solid layer wasnt as… Um…

    Solid?

    As yours! There were holes and unevenness in my solids but oh well. I turned the jar on its side, and it stayed liked yours so good enough I suppose!

    I took off my cap and added my blender blade. (My mother actually was throwing out this blender last year, and I saved the base and screw cap because I knew it fit a mason jar! I’ve never used it though because I have a Ninja Blender that makes snow out of ice, and I lovvvvve it)

    Anywho- I go to plug in and turn on the blender and boom pop crack!! black smoke going everywhere! guess that blender had seen better days!

    into the trash!

    no fear ninja is here! i scraped (which was a lot easier than i expected) the solids into my ninja with the liquids and buzzed it up! i didn’t really notice too much of a grainy texture.

    it looked like yours- a whipped glossy mayonnaise type deal.

    i scraped all the detergent back into my quart jar (which by the way it didn’t all fit– i had about 1/2-3/4 pint extra (but that’s probably because its hard to pack a jar with “whipped” contents because of all the fluffiness and air pockets))

    Anyways! Now to test it out!
    I went and gathered my darling-farming-fiance’s dirty clothes from the laundry basket (also known as the floor) and started a load. I had at least a table spoon of detergent in my blender and on the blade, so I filled my blender up with water and gave it a buzz.

    Easy clean up, and I didn’t have to waste any detergent 🙂

    1st load- watered down detergent. Successful. My clothes were fresh and smelled good (I also used snuggle fabric softener in a downy ball)

    2nd load-
    I loaded my clothes in the washer as it filled up with water. The washer was almost All the way full, and I ker-plunked a table spoon of laundry sauce right on top and shut the lid. I came back maybe 10 minutes later to see floating on top…..

    2-3 penny sized dollops of detergent.

    🙁 well its not too bad of an issue because I’m sure it all dissolved and my washer is set on double rinse so not a problem.

    3rd load. As the water was filling up, I got a table spoon of detergent, and I let the washer’s water fall hit the edge of my spoon little by little till it whisked away all the detergent off my spoon. (I know it’s hard to explain) but I basically just wanted it to be some-what pieced up instead of a big blob that might not get dissolved fast enough for full usability.

    That’s all for today!
    Maybe tomorrow I’ll ker-plunk a blob of detergent into the bottom of the washer before the water and clothes so perhaps the clothes will have time to break it up once the agitation starts before it can float to the top. 🙂
    (By the way I have a regular old-school washing machine with the agitator in the middle- no HE, 1/3 of the water stuff here for me! Trust me.

    It doesn’t work on farming clothes.

    I’ve tried. Plus it’s well water! so soft…

    and free :).

    )

    fortunately-unfortunately since it has been the holidays that darling farmer of mine hasn’t had any heavily soiled clothes, but spring is right around the corner, so i’m sure that will change soon.
    i will def do an update.

    so next time:
    -i need a medium sauce pan
    -i’m going to food-process the soap so it is finer. maybe it will dissolve faster. (i might even incorporate a little at a time instead of dumping it into my water all at once)
    -have all of my ingredients pre-measured and set aside.
    -hunt me down a non-smoking blender in a yard sale for cheap.
    because lord knows i did a lot of scraping today.

    i had to scrape the soap out of my pot into my jar, out of my jar into my blender, out of my blender into my jar, out of my blender into my washer.

    lort that’s a lot of scraping. maybe i can minimize that next time!

    but! overall i’m happy.
    i’m sorry i’m rambling a lot, but i just want to help anyone else out there thinking about trying this 🙂
    i like to give full-detailed reviews!

    Reply
    • Loved this response so much!!! laughed all the way through!!! thank you!!!!!!

      I did this today!

      so i have been wanting to try out a detergent recipe because we spend a lot…. a lot of money on laundry detergent. my darling fiancé is a farmer which means heavily soiled clothes…

      included tractor grease, hydraulic fuel, and cow manure. yuckk. we are gain snobs simply because tide makes him itchy.

      but! overall i’m happy.
      i’m sorry i’m rambling a lot, but i just want to help anyone else out there thinking about trying this 🙂
      i like to give full-detailed reviews!

      Reply
    • I did this today!

      so i have been wanting to try out a detergent recipe because we spend a lot…. a lot of money on laundry detergent. my darling fiancé is a farmer which means heavily soiled clothes…

      included tractor grease, hydraulic fuel, and cow manure. yuckk. we are gain snobs simply because tide makes him itchy.
      i like to give full-detailed reviews!

      i love this site already and i seriously enjoyed reading this lol.

      thanks for the info!

      Reply
    • I did this today!

      so i have been wanting to try out a detergent recipe because we spend a lot…. a lot of money on laundry detergent.

      but! overall i’m happy.
      i’m sorry i’m rambling a lot, but i just want to help anyone else out there thinking about trying this 🙂
      i like to give full-detailed reviews!

      so entertaining to read!!!! glad someone is still working the earth.

      Reply
    • I sooo enjoyed your review!! You have a great sense of humor!!

      I did this today!

      so i have been wanting to try out a detergent recipe because we spend a lot…. a lot of money on laundry detergent. my darling fiancé is a farmer which means heavily soiled clothes…

      included tractor grease, hydraulic fuel, and cow manure. yuckk. we are gain snobs simply because tide makes him itchy.

      so anyways i wanted to give this a whirl to save money since a.) this is less expensive to make and b.) i wouldn’t have to use so much per load.

      but! overall i’m happy.
      i’m sorry i’m rambling a lot, but i just want to help anyone else out there thinking about trying this 🙂
      i like to give full-detailed reviews!

      Reply
    • omg… i have not laughed this much in a hell of a long time. i read your tail to my daughter and she’s like..

      wait.. did she actually write down “hunt me down a blender”

      thank you for the time you spent rambling!

      suzette in the great white north known as toronto, ontario. (canada)

      I did this today!

      so i have been wanting to try out a detergent recipe because we spend a lot…. >
      i’m sorry i’m rambling a lot, but i just want to help anyone else out there thinking about trying this 🙂
      i like to give full-detailed reviews!

      Reply
    • I loved reading your rendition of your experience! It made me think of how I end up writing about something.
      I was checking out this recipe for laundry soap that a friend posted on my Facebook newsfeed and started reading the comments below, I usually go there, I find sometimes the comments more interesting than the articles themselves!
      I really liked how you described everything in your process, I bet one day when I actually get around to making something like this I will remember something you wrote here…
      Thanks for a good read!

      I did this today!

      so i have been wanting to try out a detergent recipe because we spend a lot…. a lot of money on laundry detergent. my darling fiancé is a farmer which means heavily soiled clothes…

      included tractor grease, hydraulic fuel, and cow manure. yuckk …….
      ……………… ………..

      ……. ….. …

      .. .
      …….. because lord knows i did a lot of scraping today.

      i had to scrape the soap out of my pot into my jar, out of my jar into my blender, out of my blender into my jar, out of my blender into my washer. lort that’s a lot of scraping. maybe i can minimize that next time!

      but! overall i’m happy.
      i’m sorry i’m rambling a lot, but i just want to help anyone else out there thinking about trying this 🙂
      i like to give full-detailed reviews!

      Reply
    • I did this today!

      so i have been wanting to try out a detergent recipe because we spend a lot…. a lot of money on laundry detergent.
      i like to give full-detailed reviews!

      you are hilarious and i think we’d be really good friends!

      loved this!

      Reply
    • I did this today!

      i’m sorry i’m rambling a lot, but i just want to help anyone else out there thinking about trying this 🙂
      i like to give full-detailed reviews!

      thank you for you description wonderful! i just found a slightly different recipe basically the same. 1 cup borax 1cup washing soda and a bar of soap.

      I used all my soap leftover ends and put them in a old blender to my surprise they turned to a wonderful powder (I was like you one time when I cut it up)(which I since have found you need 1 cup of this powder) it worked wonderful melts very fast! now I am going to try something different for my dishwasher add Epsom’s salts 1/4 cup and some lemon or vinegar to the mix . this is suppose to work great 1 to 2 tablespoon per load of dishes.

      Thank to everyone !

      Reply
    • I just read your post and had to laugh in a good way. I hope you got it all worked out. I usually make the duggers recipe which have the same ingredients.

      I usually use zone but will be trying this recipe. Have a great day.

      Reply
    • Love your description….very entertaining!

      I did this today!

      so i have been wanting to try out a detergent recipe because we spend a lot…. a lot of money on laundry detergent. my darling fiancé is a farmer which means heavily soiled clothes…

      Reply
    • I did this today!

      so i have been wanting to try out a detergent recipe because we spend a lot….

      but! overall i’m happy.
      i’m sorry i’m rambling a lot, but i just want to help anyone else out there thinking about trying this 🙂
      i like to give full-detailed reviews![/quote

      i do believe that i have never read a more entertaining review. love it!
      i might even give the sauce a try.
      thank you😀

      Reply
    • I did this today!

      so i have been wanting to try out a detergent recipe because we spend a lot….

      but! overall i’m happy.
      i’m sorry i’m rambling a lot, but i just want to help anyone else out there thinking about trying this 🙂
      i like to give full-detailed reviews!

      i loved reading
      your review so much <3 You are so funny!!!!

      Reply
  8. followed instructions but ingredients did not separate. any idea what went wrong?
    i guess the only instruction i didn’t follow was turning the jar upside down, because the jars i bought don’t seal well and soap came pouring out of them when i flipped them.

    Reply
    • Followed instructions but ingredients did not separate. Any idea what went wrong?
      I guess the only instruction I didn’t follow was turning the jar upside down, because the jars I bought don’t seal well and soap came pouring out of them when I flipped them.

      i know! i know!!!! (raising my hand) i have made this a few times now and had the same thing happen the first time.

      leave the heat on the burner when you add the borax and washing powder and stir. (i use a heat resistant silicon spatula, super cheap at walmart.) i used a food processor for the fels naptha so it was pretty small pieces. (also, the jar is 4 cups so you don’t have to measure water just fill a jar and pour it in.) My Fels was fully dissolved around 10 minutes and the last 5 minutes I added the powder and stirred with the burner still on.

      I poured equal amounts into jars, added water to the ‘shoulders’ and set for 4 hours. I didn’t turn them upside down. After it sets take a knife and chop the soap up a little before blending.

      My blender attaches directly to the jar.

      About the short tablespoons:
      I spoon out the big jars into pint size jars after it is whipped. 1 quart=2pints An elastic hairband looped through the hole on the tablespoon and you can wrap it around the top of the jar for safekeeping.

      Stinky clothes:
      My husband is a workout freak and his gym clothes reek! I also have three teenage boys. They thought I was crazy for making this but a few weeks later are singing my praises!!

      (That never ever happpens!!) i have a normal plain jane top loader. with super stanky ones i load it (hot water) and let it agitate with the top up and walk away for a few hours. when i get back it has stopped before rinse and spin and soaked.

      close the lid and it will continue with the rinse and spin. voila! my guys have some favorite clothes that have developed a permanent stink that reactivates with a body heat.

      :worthy: they were doomed until laundry sauce. fixed! no more perma stink!!

      Love shower

      Reply
    • Followed instructions but ingredients did not separate. Any idea what went wrong?
      I guess the only instruction I didn’t follow was turning the jar upside down, because the jars I bought don’t seal well and soap came pouring out of them when I flipped them.

      Try wrapping saran wrap over the opening before putting the lid on

      Reply
  9. when using a he front loading washer do you put this in the detergent spot in the drawer that pulls out or in the drum itself? i want to try this but wanted to check before i do.

    Reply
    • When using a HE front loading washer do you put this in the detergent spot in the drawer that pulls out or in the drum itself? I want to try this but wanted to check before I do.

      hehe, see step #9 for the answer to your question.

      Reply
    • Hi, I did not find Fels Naptha, but I found a laundry bar called Zote, will that work as an alternative?

      No, Zote doesn’t work at all

      Reply
      • No, Zote doesn’t work at all

        I’m confused on why you say the Zote doesn’t work at all. I made this recipe with Fels-Naptha a couple of weeks ago; and then made more last night using the Zote instead. I had to double the recipe, as the bar of soap is larger (I only used about 2/3 of the bar), but it came out very creamy and fresh smelling.

        I’ve washed 6 loads of laundry with it already, and my clothes have no residue and smell very fresh.

        Reply
        • I’m confused on why you say the Zote doesn’t work at all. I made this recipe with Fels-Naptha a couple of weeks ago; and then made more last night using the Zote instead. I had to double the recipe, as the bar of soap is larger (I only used about 2/3 of the bar), but it came out very creamy and fresh smelling. I’ve washed 6 loads of laundry with it already, and my clothes have no residue and smell very fresh.

          The composition of the bars is completely different, yes you get a pretty smelling detergent, but that’s about it. Zote is made from animals fats- it leaves a nasty residue on the inside of the washing machine that will build up over time and be a bugger to remove.
          Secondly it does NOT contain the enzymes and solvents that Fels Naptha contains, which means unlike Fels it cannot and does not break down blood stains, grass stains, ring around the collar or any other tough stain for that matter. Zote Contains Animal Fat and does NOT breakdown or dissolve greasy stains.
          Fels naptha has a lower water content, making it more concentrated. All in all, this recipe is not meant for use with Zote, nor do we recommend it. If you can’t find it locally, we suggest purchasing Fels Naptha Online. You’ll get a MUCH better detergent that won’t slime your washing machine over time. Removing the Fels is taking the “Super” out of the “Sauce”.

          Reply
          • The composition of the bars is completely different, yes you get a pretty smelling detergent, but that’s about it. Removing the Fels is taking the “Super” out of the “Sauce”.

            Thanks for this information. Anything more you can tell me about the critical ingredients in the Fels Naptha bar for this recipe would be appreciated. I cannot use the Fels Naptha because my wife (and others I know) is extremely sensitive to fragrance scents and other unnecessary ingredients like colorants that don’t need to be there.

            But the ingredients list is full of stuff I don’t recognize. Any help would be appreciated.

          • Thanks for this information. Anything more you can tell me about the critical ingredients in the Fels Naptha bar for this recipe would be appreciated. I cannot use the Fels Naptha because my wife (and others I know) is extremely sensitive to fragrance scents and other unnecessary ingredients like colorants that don’t need to be there. But the ingredients list is full of stuff I don’t recognize. Any help would be appreciated.

            Fels-Naptha contains soap consisting of sodium tallowate and sodium cocoate or sodium palmate kernelate and sodium palmate. The word “sodium” refers to sodium hydroxide, the lye used to make soap, in this case with tallow, coconut oil, palm oil or palm kernel oil. It also contains water and talc.

      • No, Zote doesn’t work at all

        both zote & fels naptha have added fragrance and colorants, both ingredient lists include tallow (tallow is any rendered animal fat, such as lard) and coconut oil which are both great for their cleansing value, but the fels naptha also adds palm oil (listed in order as the least predominant of oils) which adds nothing to the cleansing quality of a bar of soap. so when it comes to a laundry bar of soap, i find the added palm oil in fels of little value. i think you can use fels or zote interchangeably (identical weights of either) in this formula and then you should compare their efficacy for yourself.

        i think zote smells a lot better than fels, plus the long list of additional ingredients on fels label is somewhat alarming.

        what else is listed on the fels label and just what is its purpose in laundry soap…listed in predominant order taken from fels label:
        talc – is a mineral (magnesium, silicon & oxygen) use to absorb moisture
        dipentene – is a terpene liquid used as a flavor/fragrance enhancer
        peg 6 Methyl Esther – is a polyethylene glycol used as a solvent to coat the fibers of your fabric (can make cloth diapers useless)
        Glycerin – is a polyol (sugar alcohol) used as a lubricant and as a humectant (some glycerin is synthetic, some is a plant derivative)
        Sodium Chloride (Salt) – is an ionic compound used to soften water
        Pentasodium Pentetate – is a chelating agent used to deactivate metallic ions for stability and appearance of a product
        Titanium Dioxide – an oxide mineral used to add the color white to a product or to increase opacity of a product
        Triclocarban – similar to Triclosan, is an anti-bacterial agent which the FDA has recently proposed a ban on its use

        I make my own Laundry Detergent by starting with my handmade (Cold-Process) 100% Coconut Oil soap, No Added Colorant, No Added Fragrance, No SuperFat** (see explanation below), and there is no reason to add any glycerin to the formula since glycerin is a natural byproduct in handmade soap.

        **all soap is made from fats (oils, butters, tallow…you get the idea) and lye. all soap is made using lye…don’t let anyone tell you anything differently. the lye solution (most often made mixing lye and water) is added to the fats which, when properly formulated, will turn the emulsion into soap.

        the lye is no longer present in the soap. it has saponified with the fats to make soap. you can add a lot of other things to your soap formula, but it will start with fats & lye.

        what is super fat?

        most soap makers making a bath soap will super fat a formula which means they add a little extra oil than needed with the intention of allowing those extra oils to remain in the soap without being saponified…the purpose would be for adding additional skin-conditioning properties to their bar of bath soap; in addition, they might also super fat their formula as an extra margin of certainty that all the lye has been fully saponified.

        super fatting is not recommended for laundry soap. that is why you would not want to use a regular bath bar of soap to make your laundry detergent. you want to make (or use) a laundry soap.

        i hope you find this helpful when choosing (or making) a laundry soap to use for your laundry detergent. i tried not going into too much technical detail, but instead wanted you to know that you do have choices and that you should do your own research to find out what works best for you and your family.

        The composition of the bars is completely different, yes you get a pretty smelling detergent, but that’s about it. Zote is made from animals fats- it leaves a nasty residue on the inside of the washing machine that will build up over time and be a bugger to remove.
        Secondly it does not contain the enzymes and solvents that fels naptha contains, which means unlike fels it cannot and does not break down blood stains, grass stains, ring around the collar or any other tough stain for that matter. zote contains animal fat and does not breakdown or dissolve greasy stains.
        fels naptha has a lower water content, making it more concentrated.

        all in all, this recipe is not meant for use with zote, nor do we recommend it. if you can’t find it locally, we suggest purchasing Fels Naptha Online. you’ll get a much better detergent that won’t slime your washing machine over time.

        removing the fels is taking the “super” out of the “sauce”.

        actually, fels naptha does contain animal fat…in fact, it is the first thing listed on their label: sodium tallowate…this means it is the predominant fat used in making this bar of soap.

        your comparison between the ingredients in fels naptha & zote is incorrect. fels naptha does contain animal fat as indicated on the first ingredient listed under soap (sodium tallowate). tallow is any animal fat, not just that from a cow.

        for instance, lard is pig tallow and makes a wonderful bar of laundry soap. some use cow, pig, buffalo, & deer tallow to name a few.

        the major difference between zote and fels naptha is that the fels contains a slew of other chemicals (chelaters, solvents, whiteners, etc) that you did not list making your list of ingredients comparison invalid. perhaps it is those chemicals in fels that resulted in better cleaning over zote, but many of us make our own laundry detergent to get away from those chemicals.

        both zote & fels contain added fragrance and colorant. they both contain animal fat. personally, i prefer the fragrance of zote (pink) over that of fels naptha.

        Reply
  10. ok, tried the recipe and well… i had a very gritty outcome. i am 99.9% sure that it wasn’t hot enough from your previous comments.

    My question is, instead of scrapping the whole batch and considering it a learning experience, can you possibly reheat this and break it down to get it to the proper consistency? Also, is this supposed to be the typical kinds of sudsy as a regular detergent or just more clean, less bubbles? Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Ok, tried the recipe and well… I had a very gritty outcome. I am 99.9% sure that it wasn’t hot enough from your previous comments. My question is, instead of scrapping the whole batch and considering it a learning experience, can you possibly reheat this and break it down to get it to the proper consistency? Also, is this supposed to be the typical kinds of sudsy as a regular detergent or just more clean, less bubbles? Thanks so much!

      If it’s still gritty it’s because the borax and washing soda were not fully dissolved. I don’t know whether or not it will incorporate if it’s reheated, I’ve never tried that before. If you do, let us know how it works. I would probably try melting just a cup or so of it to see. The other thing you can do is to dissolve a Tbs of the soap in a cup of HOT water and pour it into the laundry, rather than scrapping the batch. It will still work, it just won’t dissolve well in cold water. As far as “Sudsing”, it’s a very Low suds soap.

      Reply
  11. i made your laundry soap a couple of weeks ago and love it! thanks for the great instructions! my washer is an he top loader, so it doesn’t fill up like a regular top loader.

    i love the fact that the detergent isn’t sudsy at all. that is why it works so well in he machines. anyway, i have a couple of questions.

    since i can’t really rinse my tablespoon the way you do, i have dried soap on it almost all of the time. also, when i am opening and closing my mason jar, there is dried soap all around the lid. do you have this problem?

    i am noticing a lot of laundry dust on top of my dryer (where i keep the detergent). what do you do to keep your laundry soap jar neat? also, do you have a super long spoon, or does the regular tablespoon work as you get deeper into the jar?

    Reply
  12. why the problem adding the sauce to the detergent compartment of the washer? i have an he washer, but the water doesn’t come on with the top open. the water floods the little compartment for the soap, actually it is just an open vent you dump the soap into and not a compartment with a closed lid.

    does this make a difference?

    Reply
    • Why the problem adding the sauce to the detergent compartment of the washer? I have an he washer, but the water doesn’t come on with the top open. the water floods the little compartment for the soap, actually it is just an open vent you dump the soap into and not a compartment with a closed lid.

      does this make a difference?

      i thought this as well, but when i tried it didn’t work. there wasn’t enough water or time to thoroughly ‘melt’ it i guess. if you think it should work for your washer you should just try it with a load of towels and see.

      Reply
  13. [hanging head] i read your directions, i knew what to expect. after 20 minutes of stirring the fels naptha, I knew that the temperature wasn’t high enough. Still I added the borax and washing soda mix.

    Didn’t wait until it was thoroughly dissolved (though I had stirred for about 10 minutes), and poured it into the mason jars. The stuff never separated, in my arrogance I thought I had stumbled across some magic secret. Opened the jars to find a gritty mess.

    The thought of re-boiling it crossed my mind…then I thought it was time to read a few comments. No, no one had posted a re-melting reply, only one lonely question. What the heck, I hate waste, so if it’s too gritty to work well as it is, I may as well try it.

    what a dream! it worked *so* well. nearly instantly after pouring it back into the jars, the sauce began to separate.

    i can hardly wait to see the results after blending it. never mind that, i can hardly wait to use it. :d to those of you who may doubt the process, don’t, you will only waste your time.

    learn from the mistakes that preceded you. :notme:

    Reply
  14. just made this today. it works like a charm. i had used the duggars recipe and hated that 5 gal of soap.

    It works great though. Can’t wait until I can try this concentrated version. Thanks for sharing with us your recipe.

    Reply
  15. i like to use a little chlorine bleach in my towels and wash cloths. can i use bleach with this soap? only per load, not in the actual recipe.

    i see you mentioned hazards with other additives.

    this sounds like something i can do. i always get excited about saving money. i have never been so frugal as i have been in the past 5 or 6 years.

    I really like the idea of these good ‘ol home made “REAL” products. It just seems like now days we pay for x-tras in our food, grooming products, laundry products, etc… and what the heck are they???

    So thank you all for sharing your grandmother’s tricks and recipes. :brew:

    Reply
    • I like to use a little chlorine bleach in my towels and wash cloths. Can I use bleach with this soap? Only per load, not in the actual recipe.

      I see you mentioned hazards with other additives.

      I use bleach just like I would any other laundry detergent.

      Reply
  16. i just made my first “batch” of this today and so far i’m very excited about it! i didn’t have any mason jars, i gave all mine to a friend when i moved last month (sigh….) so i re-purposed other jars and it worked just fine. i used my kitchen aid to whip the soap and it worked beautifully.

    i’ve just finished my second load of laundry with my new sauce, it dissolved just fine in my top load that only adds water once the lid is locked. i haven’t tried it with cold water yet, but i’m sure it will be just fine.
    thank you so much for this awesome recipe and money saver!!!!
    :purr:

    Reply
  17. my husband and i made this recipe and followed it to a t. but still, it never separated. we whipped it in the blender just fine and the texture is soft, smooth and creamy.

    however, it doesn’t seem to dissolve well in the washer. any suggestions? also, can it be moved to a different jar now?

    i don’t like scooping the soap out and having it on my fingers.

    Reply
    • My husband and I made this recipe and followed it to a T. But still, it never separated. We whipped it in the blender just fine and the texture is soft, smooth and creamy. However, it doesn’t seem to dissolve well in the washer. Any suggestions? Also, can it be moved to a different jar now? I don’t like scooping the soap out and having it on my fingers.

      Hmm…

    • do you have soft water? (or alternatively, Hard water?)
    • Is your water Alkaline or Acidic?
    • Did you per chance substitute any of the ingredients? Failure to separate generally occurs when a different soap is substituted (like Zote or Ivory)
    • Any chance you can share a photo of your finished soap, up close?

      I like to use a little chlorine bleach in my towels and wash cloths. Can I use bleach with this soap?

      Yes, use it as you would any detergent.

    • Reply
      • Hmm…

      • do you have soft water? (or alternatively, Hard water?)
      • Is your water Alkaline or Acidic?
      • Did you per chance substitute any of the ingredieynts? Failure to separate generally occurs when a different soap is substituted (like Zote or Ivory)
      • Any chance you can share a photo of your finished soap, up close?

        yes, use it as you would any detergent.

      • yes, we have hard water, alkaline.

        no ingredients were substituted. the first jar after it was put on the blender turned out amazing. the second jar, not so much.

        it ate the rubber sealer under the blade. i did scoop it out and use my magic bullet but it wasn’t quite the same. after using a few tablespoons of the first jar, the laundry is great.

        still not too sure of the second jar. it’s just not as fluffy and light. i’m thinking maybe just whip it again?

        we are def making another batch. we have enjoyed it and my son, 6 months old, has sensitive skin and it looks so much better. I’ll see what I can do on a pic 🙂

        Reply
  18. ok- we made this but i have to confess that we didn’t follow the directions precisely at first and the ingredients did not separate, so i reheated it and brought it a boil, stirring constantly, but didn’t let it creep up the pan or foam up like the directions instructed, shut off the burner and poured it into my waiting jars and whadddya’ know, it began to separate instantly before my eyes.

    so- if your soap doesn’t separate- sorry, you were like me, you didn’t follow the directions lol. :drama:

    Reply
  19. i am up for trying this, but moving to a new house with well water and have a front load machine. i assume i can put the soap in the front load machine soap dispenser as that runs water over soap. anything i need to check on about my well water and septic before i use this soap?

    Reply
  20. do you know if you can use this on baby laundry? i use a dye-free detergent now (not dreft) and my child hasn’t had any reactions to anything so far. thank you!

    Reply
    • Do you know if you can use this on baby laundry? I use a dye-free detergent now (not Dreft) and my child hasn’t had any reactions to anything so far. Thank you!

      i use a home-made detergent recipe very similar to this on my son’s clothes, and i have very sensitive skin, so does he (he’s five months old) and we’ve never had a problem!

      but i want to try this one and see if it works better!

      Reply
  21. has anyone tried this with sensitive skin? between me and my 2 kids, we’re down to All Free & Clear detergent with no softener (I use a vinegar rinse from time to time and wool dryer balls) because we’re all super sensitive. I’d love to use detergent that actually works well, but everything makes us break out.

    I may try this since everything is so cheap…

    Reply
    • Has anyone tried this with sensitive skin? Between me and my 2 kids, we’re down to All Free & Clear detergent with no softener

      i have very sensitive skin and when we did purchase soap i could only use dye & fragrance free, which is kind of how i ended up making my own to begin with. this one doesn’t bother me at all.

      Reply
      • I have very sensitive skin and when we did purchase soap i could only use dye & fragrance free, which is kind of how i ended up making my own to begin with. this one doesn’t bother me at all.

        btw downy now makes a dye/fragrance free fabric softner.

        Reply
  22. i’m looking forward to making this, as i’ve been making (and love) the powdered version. i plan on taking my time and following directions to a tee. my question is: do you by chance share the adorable label you made for your jar?

    i would love to be able to print one out, because when god was passing out “artistic-ness”, i got in the wrong line:(

    Reply
  23. i tried this today and everything seemed fine except that when i poured it into the two quart jars it filled them both almost to the top and left no room for adding more than about a tablespoon of water.

    they are definitely quart jars and i followed the measurements exactly. i melted the soap for ten minutes stirring continuously. i premixed the powders and added them in and mixed for 5 minutes.

    I did stir vigorously and it seemed to get thick while I was mixing. Could that be the issue?

    It is separating in the jars but there is at least double the amount of solid in my jars versus yours.

    Should I add water before I blend it?

    Reply
  24. hi liss
    i am trying this recipe out today, right now i have it in the jars and will be whipping it in about 3 hours. My house smells lovely from the process so far. My ingredients were a little more expensive to buy where I live but even with that adjustment of costs, if it all works out, it is a bargain at twice (or more) the price!!

    Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe and site I am learning so much!!:party1::party1:

    Reply
  25. hello everyone! i just made this laundry sauce, and it’s in the jars (for a second time) siting for 4 (more) hours, lol! I just wanted to share my experience and maybe it will help someone else!

    I gathered all the ingredients: Grated Felz Naptha, 4 cups water, 1 cup each of Borax and Washing soda mixed well, medium saucepan. I felt fully prepared. I have made other laundry detergents in the past, so I thought that this one shouldn’t be too difficult.

    I boiled the water, melted the soap, added the detergents and stirred, stirred, stirred. I couldn’t feel the gritties anymore, so I grabbed my funnel, poured the emulsion equally into 2 regular mouthed Mason jars, flipped upside down, set the timer for 4 hours and walked away.

    4 hours later: Heard the timer, and excitedly bound into the kitchen to find…the detergent never separated! It was one light colored mass in the jar. No beautiful yellowish liquid on the bottom.

    So, having read all the comments and hints before I started, this is what I did.

    I opened a jar and used a spoon to get all the lumpy goop back into the saucepan, turned the burner on medium-high, and stirred, stirred, stirred yet again! At first it looked like chunky, yellow, cottage cheese. As it heated though, it became more like a white gravy.

    When it finally became more like milk, I could feel it: gritty detergent that must not have melted the first time around. I don’t know if I was just stirring so enthusiastically the first time, the small grit was just lifted into the watery part and I didn’t feel it, or what, but I could definitely feel it the second time when I was stirring more slowly.

    As soon as the mixture started to simmer, I turned the burner off and then stirred for 5 minutes. I couldn’t feel any more grit after about 2 minutes, but I was trying to make sure I wouldn’t have to do this a third time, lol! when i poured it back into the jar, it started to separate almost immediately.

    yay!! i flipped it over, repeated the process on the second jar, and success once again! it’s now been almost an hour, and over half the jar is the yellow liquid, so i’m feeling more confident that this time it will work out fine!

    next time i am just going to make sure that when i am melting the soap i have the heat up high enough so that when i put the detergents in there, they really melt into the liquid part. and i am going to stir and heat, repeating until it’s silky smooth…no grit!

    hope this helps someone! good luck!

    Reply
  26. okay, made this for the first time today. i followed the recipe exactly and it has worked so far. it’s amazing what happens when you follow the directions!!

    so my question is…i’m to the step where i turn the jars upside down. after just an hour, my mixture has fully separated and is solid, meaning i can turn it on it’s side like your picture. so, is it really necessary to wait 4 hours if it has already reached this point??

    Or is it okay to go on ahead and blend it? Since I’m not expecting a quick reply, I will continue following the directions exactly and will wait. I’m really just wanting to know this for future reference.

    Thanks for the recipe!!!

    Reply
    • Okay, made this for the first time today. I followed the recipe EXACTLY and it has worked so far. It’s amazing what happens when you follow the directions!!

      So my question is…I’m to the step where I turn the jars upside down. After just an hour, my mixture has fully separated and is solid, meaning I can turn it on it’s side like your picture. So, is it really necessary to wait 4 hours if it has already reached this point??

      Or is it okay to go on ahead and blend it? Since I’m not expecting a quick reply, I will continue following the directions exactly and will wait. I’m really just wanting to know this for future reference.

      Thanks for the recipe!!!

      Mine sat for an hour or so it was barely warm, but was separated and solid. I put it in my blender and whipped it up. It was so pretty!

      Reply
  27. hi! new to the site, loving it so far. quick question.

    i use the cold/cold setting on my washer for tons of reasons. would this recipe work if you only use the cold/cold setting? thanks!

    Reply
    • Hi! New to the site, loving it so far. Quick question.

      I use the cold/cold setting on my washer for tons of reasons. Would this recipe work if you only use the cold/cold setting? Thanks!

      I also use the cold/cold setting, and at first i didnt think it was going to dissolve because there were chunks that were floating on the top, but as the cycle runs and it starts to agitate they do disappear.

      I hope that answers your question :o)

      Reply
  28. i decided to start trying to make my own things in hopes of being able to put some money away towards the purchase of our first home:o) i am a stay at home mom and wanted to contribute “financially” if you will, by cutting costs wherever i can. i made this laundry detergent yesterday. it was fairly easy to make, though i found that whipping it in my kitchenaid mixer left small chunks that did not incorporate.

    i tried whipping it more, but then it started to look more like frosting than mayonnaise. i then spooned it into my blender which doesnt have a removeable blade (would have been so much easier if it did) and was able to get 99% of the chunks incorporated, while also blowing the motor in my mixer (it was a fairly cheap one) i placed it in a new container because there was no way it was all going to fit back into the mason jars. i did my first load of laundry and was a little worried when i saw globs of the detergent floating on top of the water.

    i let the cycle run for a few minutes and looked again…they were disappearing. btw, we use cold water in our washer and it seemed to dissolve really well. it seems to have washed the clothes well, but only lessened some fresh spots on my kitchen towels.

    i am wondering if i might need to put a little more than a tbsp in because i had to whip it so much, that it got kind of “fluffy”. i might just need to still pre-treat my stains with shout. the one thing i do not like about it though, is that it does not have a pleasant smell as a detergent.

    i havent been able to tell whether the smell is in the clothes when they are done, due to a stuffy nose. I think i will add some thing for scent next batch i make. also….i have a question.

    my friend wants to try it out too, but is very fond of using oxyclean with her detergent. i read to not all it to the mix, but can you add it into the water during washing as a “boost”?

    Reply
  29. i had all the stuff on hand and made it today, followed the instructions, it is more chemistry than cooking, and i had a couple of questions:

    1 – Mine, like the person’s above separated immediately and turned to a solid block. I had to take a knife and break it into pieces to blend it, so do you have to wait 4 hours to blend or just until it is cool?

    2 – Could you shave the soap, put it in the water a day or so before to melt and heat it up so you didn’t have to heat it so long? Has anyone ever tried that? My Arm and Hammer was lumpy and some of the lumps didn’t melt, so I just removed them.

    I tried the stuff out immediately in cold water. The clothes were not that dirty, but they looked and smelled fresh after the wash. I liked that it wasn’t so sudsy and that it didn’t appear to leave residue, which makes clothes look dull.

    Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. :worthy: It not only saves money. Think about how much it saves the environment – plastic packages, fuel to deliver products, etc.

    This is a win, win, win!!!!!!! :party1::party1::party1

    Reply
  30. i have been using this laundry soap for about 3 weeks now. Here is what I love, love, love about it! i have a top load, he, large capacity washer.

    in the past, i was only able to wash 3 pairs of my husbands dark work pants at a time, and I had to add the extra rinse cycle. Even then, I would take the laundry out and search for white patches. These were from sitting suds in the washer that didn’t quite get all the way out before the spin cycle.

    Since this new detergent is already suds out during the process of making it, there is very little sudsing in the washing machine. My washer easily washes 5 pairs of pants without crowding, and now I can finally wash more than 3 at a time. I don’t have to use an extra rinse cycle and they come out great!!

    I’m to the bottom of my first jar, though, and I’m not sure how my little tablespoon is going to reach! Right now I just jam my whole fist in and get it out. 🙂 Any suggestions?

    One last thing…I am also wondering if there is any way to make is smell cleaner. Right now it smells okay, but I do like the clean scent of regular laundry detergent. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to regular laundry detergent, but I do like the smell!!

    Does anyone have a recipe for those Purex Crystal Effects? Those smell great but are expensive to buy!

    Reply
    • Does anyone have a recipe for those Purex Crystal Effects? Those smell great but are expensive to buy!

      No, but there is a coupon in the forums for $1.50 off which makes them about $1.45- couple that with the fact that you can probably make 10 batches or so of soap before the bottle runs out and it’s actually pretty frugal.

      Also, I can’t find it at the moment, but someone just asked about low sudsing- this is a Low Sudsing Soap, that means you should NOT exceed the recommended amount of soap per load which is 1 Tablespoon. Rest assured, it doesn’t need to froth/bubble up to clean the clothes.

      Reply
  31. i followed the recipe exactly and my results were picture perfect until the end. my soap separated just like the picture and it mixed well using the blender. my end product looks thicker and is less like mayonaisse and more like lard.

    also, when i put it in the washer it doesnt seem to dissolve well but rather floats up to the top and just looks like little lumps. i’ve only tried it on old towels so far because i’m not sure if this is what is supposed to happen. it sounds like it should fall off the spoon and dissolve pretty quickly.

    the towels smell fresh and i don’t see any signs of the soap at the end of the cycle. i tried reheating and remixing one of my jars and the end result is the same. any suggestions?

    Reply
    • i’m wondering if you can add scents to this recipe?
      if so..how much..

      Yes, here is the scented version:
      Budget101.com – – Lavender Super Laundry Sauce & Softener Concentrate | Homemade Laundry Detergent

      Do you know if you can use this on baby laundry? I use a dye-free detergent now (not Dreft) and my child hasn’t had any reactions to anything so far. Thank you!

      I don’t see why not, it’s very light, doesn’t contain dyes, perfumes or additives of any kind and if used properly (1 Tbs per load) there isn’t any detergent left in the clothing after a normal wash.

      Yes, we have hard water, alkaline. It’s just not as fluffy and light. I’m thinking maybe just whip it again? We are def making another batch. We have enjoyed it and my son, 6 months old, has sensitive skin and it looks so much better. I’ll see what I can do on a pic

      It doesn’t have to be whipped again as long as it was fully dissolved the first time. I think in cases of really hard water I would increase the fels naptha an additional 1/3 of a bar and see how that works. Be aware that you’ll have more soap than will fit in 2 jars.

      Hi! New to the site, loving it so far. Quick question. I use the cold/cold setting on my washer for tons of reasons. Would this recipe work if you only use the cold/cold setting? Thanks!

      As long as it was fully dissolved when making it, then yes you can use it in cold/cold. If it is fairly gritty in texture, it means it wasn’t fully dissolved and then no, you’d need warm/cold.

      t was fairly easy to make, though i found that whipping it in my kitchenaid mixer left small chunks that did not incorporate. i tried whipping it more, but then it started to look more like frosting than mayonnaise.

      Ok.. this means you need to completely remelt it as it wasn’t melted to begin with, there should be any “chunks” to whip. It should be very smooth and completely liquid with nothing larger than a soft canned pea in the mix. It will only look like Mayonnaise if it’s still slightly warm. It will look more like frosting when it’s completely cold because it starts to form crystals, much like sugar.

      My friend is very fond of using oxyclean with her detergent. i read to not all it to the mix, but can you add it into the water during washing as a “boost”?

      Completely unneccesary and more likely to interfere with cleaning than help; Good example of More is Not Better. But, if it’ll make her happy, it won’t hurt anything to add oxyclean to the WASH, not the mix.

      . i might just need to still pre-treat my stains with shout. the one thing i do not like about it though, is that it does not have a pleasant smell as a detergent.

      Yes, here is the scented version:
      https://www.budget101.com/myo-household-items/lavender-super-laundry-sauce-softener-concentrate-4018.htm

      This sounds great. Do you know if it’s safe for septics?

      Yes, all ingredients are septic safe as per the manufacturers labels on the boxes.

      I’m to the bottom of my first jar, though, and I’m not sure how my little tablespoon is going to reach! Right now I just jam my whole fist in and get it out. Any suggestions?

      You’ve already done 60+ loads of laundry! Wow – just use a rubber spatula to scrape the jar down and push all the ingredients to one side.

      One last thing…I am also wondering if there is any way to make is smell cleaner. Right now it smells okay, but I do like the clean scent of regular laundry detergent. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to regular laundry detergent, but I do like the smell!!

      here is the scented version:
      https://www.budget101.com/myo-household-items/lavender-super-laundry-sauce-softener-concentrate-4018.htm

      Also, when I put it in the washer it doesnt seem to dissolve well but rather floats up to the top and just looks like little lumps.It sounds like it should fall off the spoon and dissolve pretty quickly. The towels smell fresh and I don’t see any signs of the soap at the end of the cycle.Any suggestions?

      Yes, use a tablespoon to measure out the soap, then hold it under the running water of your machine while it’s filling. Chances are you have hard (or excessively soft) water if it’s not dissolving right away. It will dissolve in the first few minutes of washing, regardless.

      Reply
  32. i followed the directions and the end product looks like the picture. however, when i used it my clothes did not smell good after the wash was finished. they smelled like they did when i put them in the wash.

    do you think it didn’t dissolve properly? or should i add more fels naptha to my mix? thanks!

    Reply
  33. i’m using this in a front load he washer. i scoop a tablespoon out of the jar, shake it or wipe it out of the spoon with a piece of clothing & toss the spoon into the load, shut the door & press start. it works wonders!
    our household consists of a husband working so many hours his socks literally stay in the shape of his foot; a son who is a want-to-be mechanic and a puberty ridden 13 yo son.

    This stuff cleans everything with no residue.
    My first batch came out a little gritty but is still working great; second batch came out perfect (higher heat this try).
    More is not better, its just more. The wanna be mechanic tried 3 scoops of soap & found himself repeating entire wash/rinse cycle to get the small suds but huge film out of his jeans (adding vinegar to assist). Moms are so dumb to follow directions, hehehe.

    Reply
    • I’m using this in a front load he washer. i scoop a tablespoon out of the jar, shake it or wipe it out of the spoon with a piece of clothing & toss the spoon into the load, shut the door & press start.

      lunytunes, thank you for your description of what you do with the front loader! i have a front loader and just finished making a batch of the soap. it never occurred to me that i could toss the plastic tablespoon in the washer.

      duh. Love shower

      Reply
      • Lunytunes, thank you for your description of what you do with the front loader! I have a front loader and just finished making a batch of the soap. It never occurred to me that I could toss the plastic tablespoon in the washer.

        Duh. Love shower

        Putting the spoon in washer is great, just have to remember to take it out and not put in the dryer, can be a mess. Learned the hard way.

        Reply
  34. i made the soap and the end result looked just like the picture. however when i used it in the laundry, my stinky gym clothes still were stinky at the end of the cycle. do u think its didnt dissolve properly or i need to add more fels naptha?

    thanks!

    Reply
    • Kelley14312;266020
      I have been using this for a year with hard water. I just use a heaping tbsp. Works for my hubs work clothes and twin boys clothes.

      Sometime I add 1/4 c ammonia because one of the twins had an accident and I found the laundry sauce still left a slight scent. Ammonia knock out the smell and the clothes smell fine when dry. I looked up why ammonia works and it turns out ammonia is great at getting out urea.

      We even have a small amount of urea in our sweat. I’ve even thought of using ammonia as the water in the sauce so I’ll have an all purpose sauce. The only thing keeping me back is ammonia stanks and I’m not really sure if I want to heat it up.

      I’m thinking it will up the stank by 20 and I don’t want to gas the whole house.

      Reply
    • My question is this soap suppose to lather up and cause bubbles in the wash? I made it and used it but no bubbles.

      I make the powder version of this. It doesn’t suds unless I put way too much in.

      So my guess is this won’t either.

      Reply
  35. hi, i have all the ingredients and am ready to give it a try, but i have a different question. how did you make your labels for the jars? yours are darling.

    Reply
  36. sounds awesome. i want to try, but i have always used zote soap in the past and love it. why doesn’t zote soap work in this recipe?

    what happens?

    Reply
    • Would love to try this, but no time to make. Any one ever thought of selling this on Etsy? Buyer right here.

      I’ll be happy to make it for you!!

      Terry

      Reply
  37. i saw this and i wanted so badly to try it and i am from canada i could not find the ingredients anywhere, i was so dissapointed but i kept looking and i finally found some (not exact) on a site called well.ca so i ordered my ingredients and i will try this out as soon as i receive them, i will certainly post again, to let you know if they turned out ok.

    Reply
    • I saw this and I wanted so badly to try it and I am from Canada I could not find the ingredients anywhere, I was so dissapointed but I kept looking and I finally found some (not exact) on a site called well.ca so I ordered my ingredients and I will try this out as soon as I receive them, I will certainly post again, to let you know if they turned out ok.

      update i made the laundry soap but it came out kinda hard and not creamy what ever did i do wrong?

      Reply
      • update i made the laundry soap but it came out kinda hard and not creamy what ever did i do wrong?

        tiff, it’s likely that the (almost exact) ingredients you bought weren’t compatible. the instructions do state that you should follow them excatly. forgive me if that sounded condescending, it wasn’t intended to be.

        i suggest you look online on either amazon or ebay for the ingredients. before i found out i could buy them locally i checked both these sites and found them. downside, they are more expensive to buy that way.

        you could try googling where to buy the ingredients (if you haven’t already) and maybe find a better deal. good luck to you.

        Reply
  38. can you wash the pan and utensils used to make the soap in the dishwasher? i put them in the dishwasher and now i’m thinking maybe i shouldn’t have.

    Reply
  39. i actually halved the recipe. it came out super creamy and looks just like your pics! i’m curious though – is it a very low sudsing detergent or is my super hard water making it so?

    or is it because i halved it?

    Reply
  40. haven’t made this yet. but, have made a dry recipe i love. i used the fels naptha bar & grated it with the grater attachment on my kitchenaid stand mixer.

    super fast and super easy. smaller pieces than in these illustrations above.

    Reply
  41. ok…i read pretty much all the comments, and i don’t think anyone has asked this question yet. forgive me if they have. i really, really want to try making this recipe, but i don’t have the mason jars.

    has anyone tried doing this without them? i went to buy them, but you have to buy a dozen of them for, $15. It’s a little less budget-friendly if I have to buy all those extra jars, and I live in an apartment anyway, and don’t really have the excess space for that.

    Any suggestions? :helpme::smiley-signs083:

    Reply
    • Ok…I read pretty much all the comments, and I don’t think anyone has asked this question yet. Forgive me if they have. I really, really want to try making this recipe, but I don’t have the mason jars.

      Has anyone tried doing this without them? I went to buy them, but you have to buy a dozen of them for, $15. It’s a little less budget-friendly if I have to buy all those extra jars, and I live in an apartment anyway, and don’t really have the excess space for that.

      Any suggestions? :helpme::smiley-signs083:

      If you go to a hobby store (Hobby Lobby or Michaels or maybe even Joanns), they will sell them by the single there.

      Reply
      • If you go to a hobby store (Hobby Lobby or Michaels or maybe even Joanns), they will sell them by the single there.

        i just went to ac moore and they have them on sale for $0.88 each!! So, I grabbed two!! And they are Ball’s and made in USA!!!

        Reply
        • I just went to AC Moore and they have them on sale for $0.88 each!! So, I grabbed two!! And they are Ball’s and made in usa!!!

          awesome!!!

          thanks for the tip! Love shower

          Reply
        • I just went to AC Moore and they have them on sale for $0.88 each!! So, I grabbed two!! And they are Ball’s and made in usa!!!

          you can also try resale shops & thrift stores like goodwill.

          i see jars nearly every time i go there. or garage sales.

          Reply
      • If you go to a hobby store (Hobby Lobby or Michaels or maybe even Joanns), they will sell them by the single there.

        I would also think you could go to a Goodwill and then you can always just buy you some lids or seals and rims in the canning department at Walmart, etc.

        Reply
      • I made this for the first time today. I followed the directions. It took over 20 minutes to melt the gels Balthazar.

        After I poured the other stuff in and stirred for 5 minutes, it was a paste, not a liquid. I spooned it into the jars anyway, but I was wondering, should I pour it back into the pan and melt it better? Should I have added water when it was pastey?

        Reply
    • Ok…I read pretty much all the comments, and I don’t think anyone has asked this question yet. Forgive me if they have. I really, really want to try making this recipe, but I don’t have the mason jars.

      Has anyone tried doing this without them? I went to buy them, but you have to buy a dozen of them for, $15. It’s a little less budget-friendly if I have to buy all those extra jars, and I live in an apartment anyway, and don’t really have the excess space for that.

      Any suggestions? :helpme::smiley-signs083:

      try any flea market or thrift store – good will, salvation army, dav, etc. they sell tons of them by the piece and many have rings, if not caps!

      Reply
    • Ok…I read pretty much all the comments, and I don’t think anyone has asked this question yet. Forgive me if they have. I really, really want to try making this recipe, but I don’t have the mason jars.

      Has anyone tried doing this without them? I went to buy them, but you have to buy a dozen of them for, $15. It’s a little less budget-friendly if I have to buy all those extra jars, and I live in an apartment anyway, and don’t really have the excess space for that.

      Any suggestions? :helpme::smiley-signs083:

      You can buy jars at any second hand store. They are usually 25 cents each or so.

      If you don’t see any on the shelves, just ask someone who works there.

      Reply
      • You can buy jars at any second hand store. They are usually 25 cents each or so. If you don’t see any on the shelves, just ask someone who works there.

        I buy pasta sauce that comes in mason jars and just re-use the jars for this (once they are clean of course) and then you don’t need to buy anything.

        Reply
    • Ok…I read pretty much all the comments, and I don’t think anyone has asked this question yet. Forgive me if they have. I really, really want to try making this recipe, but I don’t have the mason jars.

      Has anyone tried doing this without them? I went to buy them, but you have to buy a dozen of them for, $15. It’s a little less budget-friendly if I have to buy all those extra jars, and I live in an apartment anyway, and don’t really have the excess space for that.

      Any suggestions? :helpme::smiley-signs083:

      You can usually find quart size canning jars at garage/yard sales, or at thrift stores. Even if you can’t find them and have to purchase them you will be saving money the next time you make the soap.

      Reply
  42. moms super laundry sauce is great, my clothes feel so soft and fresh smelling . i can’t wait to make another batch of it. so simple to make.

    it really gets your clothes clean no pig pen here:suey:

    thanks,
    bigbadbitty1

    Reply
  43. ok, so i made this according to your directions, minus the blender (although that would have been so much easier…i don’t have one. so i used my kitchen aid). the first one i whipped up looked perfect, the second one whipped up so much i had to use 4 extra little jars to put it in.

    Is there something I can do to reverse that or do I need to use more than a tablespoon as its more widely distributed? I am so excited about not having to store my detergent in a 5 gallon paint bucket.

    Reply
  44. i have made a similar recipe to this before, but i had to store it in a 5 gallon paint bucket. lame. I am pretty pumped about having this recipe- I made it this afternoon during Fischer’s nap time.

    I had 2 jars that I turned over and they settled nicely. When my husband left for work, I put them in the mixing bowl (as I do not have a blender…which would have made my life a lot easier) separately and the first jar came out nicely. it almost looked the consistency of thick lotion.

    The second jar, however…I fear I may have whipped it too much. It fluffed up so much I couldn’t fit it in the original mason jar, I had to get 3 other little jars to put the rest of the stuff in. SO, is there any way I can make the detergent “shrink”?

    or do I need to just use more than a tablespoon since it is spread a little thinner….? ugh. I can’t wait to use it, though 🙂

    Reply
  45. i made this laundry soap and i love it…..it will be hard for me to know exactly how many loads i’ll wash with this soap, since there are two other people in our house who do laundry….so since i made the first batch on 1/19, I fiqured it should last at least until 2/21….that would be 4 loads a day, 32 days=128 loads….of course, we don’t wash that many a day, so I’m looking forward to see how long it will last…

    Reply
  46. ok, i am ready to make this and can’t wait! however i have a question to anyone that have made this soap… can you use regular grater and pot to make this and then re-use them for cooking purpose or do you have a special grater and pot just for soap making purpose?!?
    tia!!

    Reply
    • ok, I am ready to make this and can’t wait! However I have a question to anyone that have made this soap… Can you use regular grater and pot to make this and then re-use them for cooking purpose or do you have a special grater and pot just for soap making purpose?!?
      TIA!!

      You can use whatever grater you have, and the just wash it well!

      Reply
  47. is there a different soap that can be used instead of the Fels Naptha , it has a few more chemicals than i like, my kids have asthma and this scent is really strong as well.

    Reply
    • is there a different soap that can be used instead of the Fels Naptha , it has a few more chemicals than i like, my kids have asthma and this scent is really strong as well.

      I don’t know about making it this way, but I think there is one that is either Ivory soap or close to it that you can use to make it the other way. Hope this helps.

      Reply
  48. you mentioned adding a tsp of glycerin to each jar. why? what would that do the laundry soap?

    my batch is cooling and separating right now (success so far) and i’m wondering if i should add the glycerin.

    Reply
  49. i have been making my own laundry soap (in a 5 gallon bucket) for a couple years. I knew I had to give this method a try and I am so glad I did. I was a little concerned about using Fels Naptha soap since my hubby has pretty sensitive skin and hates strong smelling detergents.

    I’ve done laundry a couple times since and he’s not said a single word about it. The only thing he commented on was how there was no fragrance smell…none at all, which was fine by him.
    I was pretty careful about following the direction exactly. One jar separated just like the picture, the other didn’t come out exactly the same.

    Both whipped up just the same though. I am saying bye-bye to the bucket and look forward to not banging my toe on it every time I walk by.

    Reply
  50. thank you so much for posting this! i made my first patch today and followed your directions with every detail and it came out perfect! my first load is in now, the house smells great and my boys loved it too.

    we’ll will be making this again for sure!!

    Reply
  51. i am wondering if when ready to mix this if you could use a vitamix or a kitchen aid mixer to mix it up. i have plenty of qt. canning jars just not a regular blender.

    thanks for any information. i presently make the powder soap, but sometimes it doesn’t always dissolve (i find the residue around the washer seal, i have a front loader). so this looks really interesting to me.

    interested in trying it. also do you use just one particular pan only for making the soap?
    thanks

    Reply
  52. so i made this today and put a load of laundry in right away i was so excited! as i peeked in the washer through the cycle i noticed there wasn’t a single sud & i also couldn’t smell the scent at all like i had during the making process. is it supposed to be this way??

    Reply
  53. i’m new to this site coming from pintrest. i love the label on your soap. i have been looking for labels like that for my canning jars. is there a link or info on where to get those labels?

    thanks so much!!!!
    becky

    Reply
  54. i just made this…finally! but it has been sitting for almost 4 hours and no signs of separation! What did I do wrong?

    I am assuming it will still work out okay since soap is soap but just thought it was odd. Any suggestions for this time or next time?

    Reply
  55. hi, i cant buy fels naptha in new zealand and would have to buy it on ebay and have it shipped here! but there are a few different sized bars shown for sale! i want to buy several bars to make it worth while.

    what size bar do i need to buy? i can buy sunlight laundry soap, which is vegetable based, will this work?

    Reply
    • hi, i cant buy fels naptha in new zealand and would have to buy it on ebay and have it shipped here! but there are a few different sized bars shown for sale! i want to buy several bars to make it worth while. what size bar do i need to buy? i can buy sunlight laundry soap, which is vegetable based, will this work?

      I don’t know, I couldn’t say, but you could try it and let us know!

      Reply
  56. i made this last week and my daughters could not wait to try it. the result: we love this!!!! it’s so easy and the savings is phenomenal.

    so i’ve been telling everyone about it, sharing what i made with some folks at church – they love it too!! thank you for sharing such a wonderful product. god bless!

    Reply
  57. ok, I am ready to make this and can’t wait! However I have a question to anyone that have made this soap… Can you use regular grater and pot to make this and then re-use them for cooking purpose or do you have a special grater and pot just for soap making purpose?!?
    TIA!!

    Yes, you can use a regular pot, just make sure you Scrub them really really well afterwards!

    I actually halved the recipe. It came out super creamy and looks just like your pics! I’m curious though – is it a very low sudsing detergent or is my super hard water making it so? Or is it because I halved it?

    It’s very low sudsing, which makes it work really well in HE machines. (Don’t use “more” to make suds, it won’t rinse out of your clothes well if you do.

    1 – Mine, like the person’s above separated immediately and turned to a solid block. I had to take a knife and break it into pieces to blend it, so do you have to wait 4 hours to blend or just until it is cool?

    2 – Could you shave the soap, put it in the water a day or so before to melt and heat it up so you didn’t have to heat it so long? Has anyone ever tried that? My Arm and Hammer was lumpy and some of the lumps didn’t melt, so I just removed them.

    I wait until it’s cool enough to handle the jar easily, which takes about 4 hours usually. The soap is REALLY REALLY hot when it goes into the jars.

    On shaving the soap- you could, but it might not be worth it in the long run because fels kind of “clumps” together when it’s melting in the pan, even when it’s finely chopped. You might be able to get away with melting half the fels and then adding the other half After to keep it from clumping and save some time.

    Questions regarding the labels- these were just labels that I threw together and printed out. Here are the directions for making your own labels:

    Budget101.com – – Make Your Own Antiqued Paper | Craft Recipes

    I didn’t bother to “antique” them first, I just printed them off and then cut them out.

    Reply
  58. ok, i followed the recipe to the t. it took a little longer than 15 min for the fels naptha to dissolve completely, and it felt like forever for the borax/washing soda to dissolve, but I had everything perfect, at least it seemed perfect. I divided the mixture between two-quart mason jars and filled with water exactly like the pictures.

    As soon as I closed the jars and put upside down I started to see already separating so I was pretty happy. Then after 4 1/2 hours it didn’t really separate like the pictures, more liquid and less solid part. It was mostly solid than liquid.

    When blending, it didn’t blend all the way and I could not do it for a minute straight. I had to blend for few seconds then the motor of my quite new blender starting to make a noise and I started to smell burnt motor. So, I had to stop and open and mix.

    I had to do that for like 10 times per jar and still like a quarter of the jar didn’t get really mixed in, and finally the rubber ring from my blender broke! The top part looked exactly like the picture. Like mayo!

    Super smooth. I am guessing that happened because the solid part was the majority of the jar. Not sure if the fels naptha comes in different size and maybe I used a bigger size?

    So now I am doing a load to test it. I am hoping that when it gets to the bottom I will be able to scrape and blend again. Any ideas what went wrong?

    I am doing a load of laundry right now to test it, but I don’t want to kill my blender next time making it, otherwise this soap making will cost me more $$, if I have to purchase another blender!
    TIA!

    Reply
  59. i’ve read alot of comments and i did everything to a t like the recipe said. i too found that it took a lot longer than the recipe said to dissolve the fels naptha (more like 20 min.) The I added the Borax and the washing soda which again took forever to dissolve. I tried to keep the temp up high but it always wanted to go over and I surely did want that to happen.

    When I put them in the canning jars they started to separate but not as it should have because when I came back 4 hrs. later they did not look like the picture did at all. SO, for all of you wondering if you can put it back in the pot and remelt it..you certainly can.

    I did and when I put it back in the canning jars they separated almost immediately! After 4 hrs. I mixed it up with my mixer because my blender bottom doesn’t come off.

    It came out smooth but I was afraid it was going to turn to butter like consistency so I stopped mixing. I filled up one jar as my husband watched and he asked “How do you plan on getting it out of the bottom of the jar?” His suggestion was to put it in a Ziploc container which is exactly what I did and it works great!

    I put it in my washer by the 1/2 Tbsp. (loved the suggestion to throw the spoon in with the load of laundry to clean it off) I’ve been using it in my Front load washer for a week now and so far so good! Thinking I may share some of it with my daughter and get her hooked.

    It’s cheap!

    Reply
  60. instead of stirring, has anyone tried a stick blender while melting? i have one that i use solely for chemical stuff (i make hand cream, etc) and i would like to do that rather than stirring. seems like it would be a lot easier, but it may foam up too much?

    has anyone tried?

    Reply
    • Instead of stirring, has anyone tried a stick blender while melting? I have one that I use solely for chemical stuff (I make hand cream, etc) and I would like to do that rather than stirring. Seems like it would be a lot easier, but it may foam up too much?

      Has anyone tried?

      This comes months after your post, but I used a hand blender, and made quite a mess in my kitchen. My son found it quite funny and it cleaned up easily. Lol But if you don’t want, or have time to clean up your counters and walls, then maybe use a mixer and bowl.

      Reply
  61. i just made a batch and was easier than i thought. i used wide mouth quart jars so couldn’t use my blender. after 6.5 hours used my kitchen aide to mix.

    Used the whisk and let it blend for a while. My two year old had me distracted. It had increased in volume.

    I ended up needing another quart jar and there still was more soap in the bowl. Should I use more than a tablespoon now when doing my laundry?

    Reply
  62. so i decided to try this one, i admit i was a bit hesitant after reading some of these epic fails (no offense to anyone, you should’ve seen the first time i made creme brulee!). anyways, i forgot to do the part where you are supposed to add water to the shoulders and remembered like a half hour later after some separating already occurred…oops! so mine didn’t separate as well as the picture, but it came out beautifully in the end.

    my daughter even thought it was dessert and asked if she could eat some. no? oh, so it’s a drink?

    haha, anywho, i’ve done a few loads and i’m happy. plus i love the whipped cream consistency, great recipe!

    Reply
  63. i have always made the regular liquid laundry detergent, but liked the idea of this being so concentrated. i ran out of detergent, my dd was sick so i was desperate and out of fels naptha, i tried this with octagon soap and have to say that it worked as well. it didn’t separate as cleanly or prettily as the photos, but whipped up to a beautiful consistency.

    has worked great. i do prefer the smell of the fels naptha so will make that next time, but thought i would put this out there for those who for whatever reason wanted another soap 🙂

    Reply
  64. we reheated our soap as per directions. it separated. once it was on the blender it would not completely whip the entire jar.

    any suggestions?

    Reply
  65. i followed the directions perfectly. i mixed the borax and washing soda, i grated the fels naphtha and before i put everything in the jar my soap was the consistency of mashed potatoes. i don’t know what i did wrong?

    Reply
  66. i ended up with a mashed potato like substance but after continuing with the process and blending it the sauce turned out all right. since it had already separated because it was like mashed potatoes when i took it out of the pan i waited like 30 min with it upside down then blended it it turned out like the final product should but just to be safe I turned it upside down again and it didn’t separate. Here’s hoping that although this time turned out okay that next time actually goes as it should.

    Reply
    • I ended up with a mashed potato like substance but after continuing with the process and blending it the sauce turned out all right. Since it had already separated because it was like mashed potatoes when I took it out of the pan I waited like 30 min with it upside down then blended it it turned out like the final product should but just to be safe I turned it upside down again and it didn’t separate. Here’s hoping that although this time turned out okay that next time actually goes as it should.

      Mine did the same thing!

      Reply
  67. i have had this pinned for a month; finally got around to making it. wow! easy and i love it!

    i followed the directions exactly, as i read that other users had problems, but mine came out perfectly. i love the whipped consistency, and though i did use a mixer instead of a blender (and splashed a little on the floor), i had great success. this is my first dyi home project, and i could not be more pleased.

    i took it right to the laundry room and did two loads of really bad clothes. stains came out, and everything smells so nice. thank you!

    Reply
  68. okay, before i start trying to make this. which by the way, i found everything at my little grocery store almost right next to each other. i was amazed, besides the fact i am continually finding cool stuff at this little country grocery store.

    anyway, i have a machine that the lid locks and the water doesn’t start until the lid is shut. so here’s the question??? would it be okay to just use the bombs made from the same products for general clothes washing???

    thanks in advance, happy..

    Reply
  69. while melting down the fels naptha, i had to keep blowing on it while i was constantly stirring it because it kept rising up to the top of my very deep pan. i even had the flame on medium/low. it was completely melted in 10 minutes but I still feel like I did it wrong because of how high it was rising.

    I don’t know if your directions are specified with the stove setting for electric, but I have propane. Does it make a difference and should I just keep it on a low flame when making it?

    Reply
  70. how much of the fels naptha should i be using for this recipe? the recipe this was taken from shows 1 cup…the directions don’t really say besides you needing one bar of it and in the picture it doesn’t look like you used a whole lot! I recently made this recipe and used a whole bar of soap for it and it works and smells great, I just want to make sure that’s how I should be making it.

    Other websites I’ve seen where they “Pour it into a 5 gallon bucket” only use 1 bar for all of that. So I just want to make sure I am using the right amount 🙂

    Reply
  71. So here’s the question??? Would it be okay to just use the bombs made from the same products for general clothes washing???

    You can use any of the recipes, it’s just a matter of preference. Overall, I prefer the laundry sauce for everyday clothes and the kids have gotten to the point where they prefer the laundry bombs.

    While melting down the Fels Naptha, I had to keep blowing on it while I was constantly stirring it because it kept rising up to the top of my very deep pan. I even had the flame on medium/low. It was completely melted in 10 minutes

    Yup that’s about right, it takes about 10-15 minutes tops and it sounds like you had the flame at the right level. I had forgotten, when sharing this recipe, that some folks use Electric stoves and that will just about double your melting time. But good ol’ propane really gets the job done!

    How much of the Fels Naptha should I be using for this recipe?

    The Entire Bar, This recipe uses 1 bar Fels Naptha in it’s entirety.

    I made this for the first time today. I followed the directions. It took over 20 minutes to melt the gels Balthazar. After I poured the other stuff in and stirred for 5 minutes, it was a paste, not a liquid. I spooned it into the jars anyway, but I was wondering, should I pour it back into the pan and melt it better? Should I have added water when it was pastey?

    It sounds like your heat was way too low and your water evaporated before your fels naptha dissolved, which is how you ended up with Paste. Next time around you’ll want to turn your burner up higher and melt the fels, stirring constantly. As for adding more water when it became pastey… I don’t know, I’ve never encountered that issue. How did the soap work for you? Does it dissolve okay?

    Reply
  72. i’ve tried the powder version of this soap before and had mixed results. if i didn’t wash on very warm or a hot setting the fels naptha wouldn’t dissolve. after i realized this and upped my water temps i noticed it cleaned well and smelled ok, but my he machine seemed to get a build up or residue on it faster than when i used tide.

    i have since switched to vinegar for rinse, and that seems to have almost eliminated the residue issue with the store bought soaps. my question mainly is- do you notice a build up or residue in your machine after a few uses of this creamy version?

    Reply
  73. just made this today. i used a larger pan, not a sauce pan, which could explain a longer length of time for the process. my main concern as i have them sitting upside down is what i put in the mason jars was no longer liquid…it’s more like a paste.

    i’m not sure what this means…perhaps not quite stirring consistently enough…i didn’t think of adding in a little more hot water to loosen it back into liquid…so i guess i will wait to see if it separates and what we get. i guess if its still too gritty, back on the burner we go…

    Reply
    • Just made this today. I used a larger pan, not a sauce pan, which could explain a longer length of time for the process. My main concern as I have them sitting upside down is what I put in the mason jars was no longer liquid…it’s more like a paste.

      I’m not sure what this means…perhaps not quite stirring consistently enough…I didn’t think of adding in a little more hot water to loosen it back into liquid…so I guess I will wait to see if it separates and what we get. I guess if its still too gritty, back on the burner we go…

      update: it did not separate out at all, so back into the pan it went. i used a potato masher to get the clumps out, got it nice and smooth, and then ladled it back into the jars. it set up quite nicely, and whipped nicely too.

      just tried my first load with it this morning!

      Reply
  74. though the prices have gone up on all the ingredients since the original posting, they are still reasonably priced and add up to a better valued detergent. i paid:
    1.33 for the Fels Naptha,
    4.35 for the Borax, and
    3.49 for the washing soda. So 1.92 more than expected, but not terrible :piggy:
    One little piece of advice I could share is, use 2 piece mason jar lids.

    Don’t bother trying to use the lids that come on store bought jars like mayo or peanut butter. They do NOT seal the same and when you flip over that hot jar full of freshly boiled ingredients, believe me, you don’t want to find out it’s not going to work the way I found out.
    Other than that, this was a simple recipe that works just as well as it claims.

    Reply
  75. i just tried to make this soap and it turned out horrible. i don’t know what i did wrong. i followed the recipe to a t.

    i read the recipe all the way through twice and even read a bunch of comments before starting. i knew it was a picky recipe so i wanted to make sure i did everything just right so it would turn out correctly.

    well first off, my fels did not melt in 10-15 mins. It took forever. I think I stirred for probably 30 mins and it still would not melt all the way.

    I had a rolling boil and my fels looked just like the picture in step 3. But as I continued to stir and let it try to melt all the way, it seemed to make it worse. It kept getting caked on the sides of my pan.

    So I scraped it down and it just made more fels chunks to melt. This cycle just continued until I finally gave up and figured I would just spoon out the little chunks and move on to the next step. Then I poured my pre-measured, pre-mixed washing soda and borax into the pan (after removing fels/water mixture from heat).

    That didn’t work either. It never dissolved completely and was very grainy. So I went back and re-read the “What to do if it’s too grainy” steps while continuing to stir.

    Directions said to reheat the mixture to get the soda and borax to melt all the way. So that’s what I did. And I stirred.

    And stirred. And stirred. It was STILL grainy!

    I had my soap over medium heat, but the soda and borax still wouldn’t dissolved! So I gave up and just figured I’d have grainy soap and “we will just wait and see how it turns out.” Boy was I in for a surprise when I dumped my soap into the mason jar (1 qt jar).

    First, there was only enough yellow liquid to put into one jar. Where was the rest of my yellow liquid that was supposed to be poured into jar #2? Hardened to the bottom of my pan!

    And I mean it was hard! white stuff stuck to the bottom of my pan. and thick too!

    i couldn’t even get it scraped out with a metal spoon. so now it’s just sitting in my sink soaking until i can think of a better way to get that stuff out. so can you tell me what i did wrong?

    or how i can get it out of my pan?

    idk if the link below will work but it’s a picture of my pan with the hardened mess after i tried to scrape it out.

    /users/marlonladd/desktop/laundry sauce gone wrong.jpg

    Reply
    • I just tried to make this soap and it turned out HORRIBLE. I don’t know what I did wrong. I followed the recipe to a T. I read the recipe all the way through twice and even read a bunch of comments before starting. I knew it was a picky recipe so I wanted to make sure I did everything just right so it would turn out correctly.

      1. What kind of stove/heat did you use? Propane/electric/etc

      2. Do you use a water softener system in your house?

      3. Do you have Hard Water? (a telltale sign is water stains in the bottom of your sink/tub or toilet)

      4. How much liquid was left in the pan after you dissolved your fels naptha? It sounds as though all the liquid was evaporated or nearly gone. If there isn’t quite enough liquid then the fels cannot dissolve.

      5. The fels must be very finely grated in order to dissolve quickly, otherwise it takes forever, which then leads to too much evaporated liquid and grainy soap.

      Directions said to reheat the mixture to get the soda and borax to melt all the way. So that’s what I did. And I stirred. And stirred. And stirred. It was STILL grainy! I had my soap over medium heat, but the soda and borax still wouldn’t dissolved!

      This occurs when there is Not enough liquid left in the pan, too much had evaporated. The borax and washing soda cannot dissolve properly unless there’s enough liquid. If, when you pour it into the jars, it does not fill the jars to about the same level as the photo, it means that your detergent doesn’t have the proper amount of liquid left for the soaps to set properly. Add water to the correct level, dump the contents back into pan and reheat, stirring until it’s dissolved.

      Then complete the recipe as per the directions and it should still set fine.

      Reply
  76. i’ve almost used my first batch of laundry sauce and i love it! i also used it to clean my carpets with very good results. i just dissolved a teaspoon of sauce in a bucket of water and used that in my machine.

    Reply
  77. i just made this stuff! first someone asked about soaking the soap overnight, works great! and the other thing i wondered was how much extra water was add when put into the jars.

    answer 10oz (1 1/4C). I only had one narrow mouth jar and wanted to know this for future reference. Next time I’m going to get essential oils and try that out!

    By the way silky smooth!

    Reply
    • I made this the other day for the first time and love it except I had yo whip it in my kitchen aid mixer. Going yo try to find me a used blender. I’m using it for washing my dishes.

      My husband was wondering how it would work as a dishwasher soap. I don’t have one now, but we are buying a house that has one. So I will try it soon.

      Reply
  78. do you know if this detergent is safe to use on cloth diapers? i have already used this recipe to make my own detergent and i love it! i just am not sure if it will be ok to use with my cloth diapers once my little one gets here in may!

    Reply
  79. made this for the first time last night. followed instructions. had perfect separation (this was of course after having to remelt after it didn’t separate the first time).

    then after 4.5 hours, and the hard part was so thick I could lay it on its side (just like the pictures). I poured it out and mixed it with a hand mixer and my sauce is more of a liquid than whipped. Is this ok?

    Did I do something wrong? I am hoping to use tomorrow. Thanks.

    Reply
  80. i love this laundry soap and so does my budget minded husband!

    we are new parents and i usually use dreft on our son’s clothes. is this gentle enough to use on his clothes? i’m most concerned because we use cloth diapers and i want to make sure this soap is ok to use on his diapers.

    any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!!

    Reply
  81. i love this soap! my budget-minded-husband loves it even more than i do.

    we are new parents and use dreft for the baby’s laundry, including our cloth diapers. do you think this home made detergent is gentle enough for our new born’s laundry?

    i’m especially interested in the cloth diapers because we run a load a day for the diapers.

    thanks for any input!!

    Reply
  82. first…thanks for the recipe. love it. i made it and have been using it for a week and it works great!

    i really loved the smell of the fels as i was cutting and cooking it, but i do wish it would have retained more of that smell once it was complete. it does smell clean, like soap, but it doesnt have that strong smell that i smelt when it was just the fels. also mine did not seperate exactly like the pictures show, but it still turned out great.

    smooth and creamy.

    second…i do not understand why everyone is having so many problems with this recipe. it is really not that complicated. for new commers that are thinking about trying this…just follow the directions and it will turn out fine.

    don’t let all of the comments freak you out. it is not rocket science.

    third….i haven’t seen this really mentioned before so i thought it might be worth saying. i let my mom try this detergent and she has a front loader machine. we put it in the normal detergent thing (i now know not to do this, but didn’t know why before).

    we even lifted the little trap door up some for “powder detergent” thinking it would pass through easier…….well it started leaking all over the place (water) out of the detergent dispenser thing. it was a total mess. needless to say…my mom was not so interested in trying it again and putting it in with the clothes instead.

    lol i dont blame her. my bad, but just thought others might want to be warned of what will happen if you make the same mistake.

    again thanks for the recipe. i should have done this years ago. now i am off to try and make my own dishwasher detergent!

    Reply
    • when i put Fels Naptha in the walmart search i get a soap called zote pink laundry soap, can i use that?

      Hi Kristine!:dontknow: Check the comments above yours this question has been answered several times already.

      Reply
  83. i am on my 2nd batch of laundry soap, going to try this one, I cant find Fel Natha in Canada and have used Dr Bonners, first batch with liquid diodnt like it very much, last batch with the solid bar which i liek much better works better as well, which has geled up alot theyare solid in the jars like the renunzit deoderizers, i am going to try this recipe, I have two quart jars that I am going to try to whip, but they did not seperate like this one did, will let you know how it works 🙂

    Reply
  84. wee! i just tried this recipe, i used an old cheese grater for the fels naptha and added it about a third of a bar at a time and it dissolved fairly quickly, probably about 10 to 15 minutes. I don’t know, my husband kept distracting me.

    ANYWAY, mixed the powders in a bowl before adding them and they dissolved rather quickly, I would say less than the 3 minutes specified, although I did have my heat fairly high. (the fels almost boiled over once, oops.) Now they are settling in the jars, nicely separated. My husband kept me from blending them too soon, although I’m pretty impatient about it.

    I can’t wait to see how this turns out! I promised all of my pinterest friends and my sister that I would update them on how it works on my clothes so that they can save $10 per batch of laundry detergent too!

    Question, does it HAVE to set for 4 hours, or it is OK to blend sooner if it separates quickly?

    Reply
    • Question, does it HAVE to set for 4 hours, or it is OK to blend sooner if it separates quickly?

      you can do it sooner, just make sure your jar is cool enough to handle safely. I’ve never had a jar break, knock on wood, but I wouldn’t want the contents to be hot if it did!

      Reply
      • you can do it sooner, just make sure your jar is cool enough to handle safely. I’ve never had a jar break, knock on wood, but I wouldn’t want the contents to be hot if it did!

        Thanks! I just blended them and put some in a load.

        I am pretty excited to see how it worked.

        Reply
  85. i used all the ingredients but mine only made one quart jar. i tried putting it in two but it only filled one about half way. when i was melting the fels, it was getting stuck to the bottom of the pan so i had it on the stove for about 30 minutes trying to dissolve the stuff that was scraping up from the bottom.

    After adding the dry ingredients it stayed pretty grainy so I put it back on the stove, stirring it the whole time. I added water to it after putting it in the jar but its not separating very well, only the very bottom of the jar is the yellow/clear. I only finished and flipped it about a half an hour ago so ill keep checking on it.

    I was just wondering how I only made one jar and not two.

    Reply
  86. i made this soap today and so far it’s doing what it’s supposed to do. it’s still sitting upside down in the jars and will be ready to whip in about 3 hours.

    I’m wondering if I could put the tablespoon of “sauce” in a cup, mix it with a little water until dissolved, then pour it into my front loader’s detergent compartment that’s located in a pull out drawer. Has anyone tried this before and will it work?

    Reply
  87. i have been using this homemade laundry soap for over a month now, and i still love it, i have noticed that my high efficiency washer no longer has that awful stink to it, and it is working much better, when i first purchased the washer it was supposed to take out 75% of the water out of the clothes, this did not last long using regular laundry soap. my clothes were coming out wet and taking forever to dry, but now it seems that my homemade laundry soap has actually cleaned my machine and it is now actually spin drying the clothes. Fresh and Clean is the way I like it.

    Reply
  88. i tried making this recipe yesterday. i don’t know where i went wrong but i had trouble with the fels sticking to the bottom and sides of the pan and it seemed to take 10 minutes to get the majority of it melted what with scraping it off the sides and bottom. I had mixed the two powders together before adding them but after 15 minutes of stirring it still felt a little gritty.

    It didn’t separate in the jars and after 6 hrs I mixed it with my stick blender anyway. It increased in volume and is creamy but gritty. Any ideas would be very much appreciated.

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • I tried making this recipe yesterday. I don’t know where I went wrong but I had trouble with the Fels sticking to the bottom and sides of the pan and it seemed to take 10 minutes to get the majority of it melted what with scraping it off the sides and bottom. I had mixed the two powders together before adding them but after 15 minutes of stirring it still felt a little gritty. It didn’t separate in the jars and after 6 hrs I mixed it with my stick blender anyway. It increased in volume and is creamy but gritty. Any ideas would be very much appreciated. Thanks!

      If it’s gritty it means the soaps did not properly dissolve, It should still work, but will work best in warm water. Try this one next time instead:

      https://www.budget101.com/myo-household-items/5-minute-no-cook-laundry-detergent-recipe-4075.html

      Reply
  89. i know a few people have asked about whether or not this “sauce” is safe to use on kid’s clothing and cloth diapers? i am expecting my first child in a few weeks and want to start prepping my cloth diapers and infant clothing. i already use the sauce for my own laundry and would love to use it for the baby’s as well.

    i just need to know if it is safe to do so! thanks in advance!!

    Reply
    • I know a few people have asked about whether or not this “sauce” is safe to use on kid’s clothing and cloth diapers? I am expecting my first child in a few weeks and want to start prepping my cloth diapers and infant clothing. I already use the sauce for my own laundry and would love to use it for the baby’s as well. I just need to know if it is safe to do so! Thanks in advance!!

      I see no reason why it wouldn’t be, all the ingredients in the detergent are safe.

      Reply
  90. i followed everything and as soon as i flipped my jars upside down they separate right away. should i still wait four hours or should i whip now?

    Reply
    • I followed everything and as soon as I flipped my jars upside down they separate right away. Should I still wait four hours or should I whip now?

      you can whip it as soon as it’s cool enough to handle.

      Reply
  91. i’ve made this and love it. i’m ready to make a second batch and wondered, what is the purpose of the glycerin as an optional added ingredient?

    Reply
  92. this is great!!!…..made it in saturday and it did not separate the right way….after reading a lot of posts i reheated it this morning and within 5 minutes of putting it back in the jars it was separating…It looked just like the pictures…..I just finished blending them and it came out perfect……Using it now…..Thanks so much for the information

    Reply
  93. i made it and have used it without incident. it was super easy to make. the first batch i followed the times and measurements as stated.

    the second batch was grainy because i didn’t’ dissolve the powder fully. i also whipped one jar after only two and one half hours. the other jar i waited about six hours.

    the one whipped prematurely was lighter in color. the texture was the same in both jars.

    Reply
  94. love this stuff!!! i have found that it mixes up better if i use a gas stove rather than an electric one (not really sure why other than instant adjustments to temperature can be made). i usually set a time for a full 5 minutes when adding the borax and washing soda and stir steady and continiously.

    I have also discovered that it is right about 2 cups of water that I add in the end. 1 cup per jar. Hope these tips help.

    I am on my forth batch of the stuff and still have borax and washing soda. Also, I have a drink mixer blender (one from south beach for smoothies and stuff) , the pour spout makes getting it into the jars less of a chore.

    Reply
  95. i’m just waiting to whip mine, but so far it looks good! my question is this- do you use a tablespoon even on a small load??? thanks for any input!

    Reply
  96. not sure why people are having so much trouble. i made this for the first time today with no issues at all. also, i only had one quart sized jar and a few pint jars so i measured half into quart jar and topped it off then poured it into the two pint jars to get the right proportions.

    thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  97. just a quick question… i made it with no problem, but when i used it the water seems to get cloudy but there’s really no other indication that i’m actually am using soap… is it supposed be get sudsy at all?

    Reply
  98. hi everyone. i live in ireland and was wondering if anyone knows where i can get ingredients for this – without having today astronomical postage fees – thank you so much xx

    Reply
  99. i love the idea behind this recipe! i want to make a batch to try it out, but i need to know if it’s going to be alright for sensitive skin?

    my family has a problem with being allergic to most detergents. has anyone had an issue with allergic reactions to any of these ingredients?

    Reply
    • I love the idea behind this recipe! I want to make a batch to try it out, but I need to know if it’s going to be alright for sensitive skin?

      My family has a problem with being allergic to most detergents. Has anyone had an issue with allergic reactions to any of these ingredients?

      It works fine for my girls who have sensitive skin, and my sister who is allergic to several name brand laundry detergents. I hope it works for you too!

      Reply
  100. great recipe thanks. i also used to make duggar’s laundry soap but this is much more convenient i however used zote laundry soap as i’m allergic to fels napth i just had to add 1 cup of extra water as the bar is much larger also bought on the Laundry cleaning isleLove shower

    Reply
  101. i have successfully made this soap twice. however, today, when i began whipping end product with mixer, the consistency never really became creamy.
    today, i used a grater that made the bar soap very fine. it melted very quickly in the boiling water.

    (previously i had to cook the shreds of bar soap quite a while before it all melted.) that is the only difference in today’s attempt and previously successful times.
    wondering if the fels naptha can be out of date?
    i did get it mixed and will use it, but just wondering what went wrong with the texture this time.
    it has done a fine job of cleaning our clothes. have been using it since jan. thanks for any help.

    Reply
  102. how do i add the sauce to a front load washer? the door locks while water is running… can i just dump a scoop right on the clothes??

    Reply
  103. i love this detergent! it saves so much money, and gets my family’s clothes super clean. it comes out perfect every time i make it.

    i have a top loading he washer. the first time i made this, it wouldn’t completely dissolve. so i split the detergent among four quart mason jars, added water to the shoulders, attached blade, and put back on the blender.

    so i use 2 tbsp of detergent per load. The clothes smell so clean and don’t irritate your skin. I have two little kids with sensitive skin and a husband that works in construction.

    I recently ran out of this detergent, didn’t have time to make a new batch, and used my old major name brand detergent that I had left on hand instead. I was disappointed. I will make sure I never run out of this again!!!

    Reply
  104. how do i add this to my front loading washer? once the water is running, the door is locked for obvious reasons… can i just drop it in there with the clothes?

    Reply
    • How do I add this to my front loading washer? Once the water is running, the door is locked for obvious reasons… Can I just drop it in there with the clothes?

      We have a front loader and we just scoop out a tablespoon and plop it in there, kind of wiping it on the clothes and then run like normal.

      Works great.

      Reply
  105. hello, i tried making this laundry sauce and i’ve followed all of the directions as given but my laundry sauce came out really runny. did i add too much water when filling the jars to the shoulders? how do i fix it or do i just make another batch completely?

    can i try to add more of the dry mix of borax and washing soda to try to thicken it?

    Reply
  106. i made this last week and have finally gotten to use it and i love it!!!
    it took far too (in my opinion) to melt the soap, so i think i’ll try the other version of this recipe next time… also, i couldn’t whip it with my blender because my blender is too wide, so i used my hand mixer and it worked out great! over-all this is a great laundry detergent.

    🙂 it was a tad grainy, but not too much that it made a difference.

    Reply
  107. made this today for the first time. i cloth diapered with my boys, and i used charlie’s soap. i was searching to find out what is safe for cloth diapers.

    i read a bunch of comments on here about hard water. it says washing soda is great for softening hard water. i wonder if you are having hard water issues if you added a little bit more washing soda to the mix of it would work.

    i’m still hesitant about using fels on cloth diapers (i used pockets).

    Reply
  108. i’ve had this page bookmarked for months. can’t wait to try this formula. i’ve always got plenty of jars on hand, but learned here that i can put them on my blender.

    can’t tell you how much i’ve used that tip since finding this page. i have grip issues when it comes to opening jar lids, so i’ve saved the lid off a kraft grated parmesan cheese container & it fits the regular mouth jar perfectly. that is set aside along with a plastic cookie scoop.

    it’ll be easy to dip into by just flipping one half of the lid instead of unscrewing the cap each time. as soon as the bucket of duggars is gone & i’ve used up my store bought detergent stash (sales & coupon combos) i plan to switch elusively to this. the only thing i’ve still got to buy is the fels naptha & that is very easy to find here.

    🙂 thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  109. i made this today, and everything came out fine except for one small thing….i used the mon jar in the blender like it said, but….it won’t whip. i’m not sure if the recipe is too thick, or if my blender is not powerful enough. the latter might be true…it is over 30 years old.

    But I’ve never had an issue mixing anything with it before. Does anyone have a solution??

    Reply
    • I made this today, and everything came out fine except for one small thing….I used the mon jar in the blender like it said, but….it won’t whip. I’m not sure if the recipe is too thick, or if my blender is not powerful enough. The latter might be true…it is over 30 years old. But I’ve never had an issue mixing anything with it before. Does anyone have a solution??

      It sounds like 2 things, 1. it was too thick- not enough water and 2. the water wasn’t hot enough.

      Have you seen this simplified version?

      https://www.budget101.com/myo-household-items/5-minute-no-cook-laundry-detergent-recipe-4075.html

      Can’t tell you how much I’ve used that tip since finding this page. I have grip issues when it comes to opening jar lids, so I’ve saved the lid off a Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese container & it fits the regular mouth jar perfectly.

      LOVE LOVE LOVE this tip, what a fabulous idea! We often reuse parmesan tops (even get them from friends that save them since we usually purchase whole parm cheese instead of the grated kind). This would prevent the kids from leaving the lid off all the time, a real pet peeve of mine! Thank you 🙂

      Budget101.com – – Repurposing: Parmesean Cheese Covers | Household Tips and Tricks from Budget101.com

      Reply
  110. so i just wanted to share. i have been using the duggar recipe for quite some time. i recently ran out and came across this recipe so decided to try it.

    i found it very easy to make, came out great. i was dying my hair yesterday and got hot pink dye on them, happy that i had used my old towels because i figured they were ruined. on a lark i threw all towels, including my dye covered towels in the wash and hoped it wouldn’t bleed all over the rest of them…..not only did it not bleed onto the other towels it came out completely.

    there is no sign that it was ever there. the only thing i did was add 2 tablespoons because I don’t have a high efficiency washer. Can’t tell you how happy I am thatI came across this post. I found you on Pinterest. Thanks again!!

    Reply
  111. i made 2 batches of this today. The first batch took longer dissolving the fels naphtha soap so the second time I used a whisk which helped a lot! No problems dissolving!

    Also, the first batch I used the smaller burner and the second I used the larger burner which def made a difference! I’m just waiting to whip it up then I can’t wait it try it!!! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  112. i have a question about using the soap in an he washer… i don’t think i can open the door after the water starts filling (which is when i’m supposed to add it)… if i unlock the door, the water drains.

    can i put the soap in on top of the clothes and then start the water?

    thank you!

    Reply
    • I have a question about using the soap in an he washer… i don’t think i can open the door after the water starts filling (which is when i’m supposed to add it)… if i unlock the door, the water drains.

      can i put the soap in on top of the clothes and then start the water?

      front-loader machine directions:

    • Fill the machine with dirty clothes
    • Measure out 1 Tablespoon (literally) of super laundry sauce On Top of the dirty Clothes
    • Close the washer, start it, go away and do something else while the machine runs.
    • Reply
  113. i was given the directions and ingredients list for this by a facebook friend. however, nothing was said about whipping it so i have a gallon container with fully seperated mix. nice gold liquid on the bottom and at least a 1 inch thick layer of white on the top.

    Am I able to still whip it? Should I reheat it all together. I plan on making another batch following your directions but wondered if there was anything I could do to save what I already have.

    Reply
    • I was given the directions and ingredients list for this by a Facebook friend. However, nothing was said about whipping it so I have a gallon container with fully seperated mix. Nice gold liquid on the bottom and at least a 1 inch thick layer of white on the top. Am I able to still whip it? Should I reheat it all together. I plan on making another batch following your directions but wondered if there was anything I could do to save what I already have.

      You have a GALLON of this?? How much of each ingredient and how much water did you use??

      Reply
      • You have a gallon of this?? how much of each ingredient and how much water did you use??

        yep..i was told to use 1 bar of Fels Naptha, 1 cup of Borax, 1 cup of Washing Soda and 1 gallon plus 1 quart of water I swear..lol. I had grated the soap and mixed it with the washing soda and Borax intending to use it as a dry mix because that was the directions I had gotten from ehow.com.

        I contacted my friend and was then told about the water so..i decided to put it all together in one pot and heat it up..oops. she tells me that she dissolves the soap in the quart of water, mixes the borax and washing soda in the gallon of water in another bucket, then dumps in the soap mix and lets it set over night and in the morning it has all gelled. got any suggestions?

        used 1 bar soap, 1 cup of Borax, 1 cup of washing soda. Was told to use 1 gallon plus 1 quart of water. Obviously BIG goof somewhere.

        Any thing I can do to save it? Can I possibly re-heat the entire mixture and pour it into the canning jars? Will it then re-seperate so that I can whip each jar?

        I figure I got nothing to loose by trying it.

        Reply
        • Yep..I was told to use 1 bar of Fels Naptha, 1 cup of Borax, 1 cup of Washing Soda and 1 gallon plus 1 quart of water I swear..lol. I had grated the soap and mixed it with the washing soda and Borax intending to use it as a dry mix because that was the directions I had gotten from ehow.com. I contacted my friend and was then told about the water SO..I decided to put it all together in one pot and heat it up..OOPS. She tells me that she dissolves the soap in the quart of water, mixes the Borax and washing soda in the gallon of water in another bucket, then dumps in the soap mix and lets it set over night and in the morning it has all gelled. Got any suggestions?

          Used 1 bar soap, 1 cup of Borax, 1 cup of washing soda. Was told to use 1 gallon plus 1 quart of water. Obviously BIG goof somewhere. Any thing I can do to save it? Can I possibly re-heat the entire mixture and pour it into the canning jars? Will it then re-seperate so that I can whip each jar? I figure I got nothing to loose by trying it.

          Nope, Nope, there isn’t anything you can do, it’s too watered down to attempt to whip it. The Super Laundry Sauce is Highly Concentrated.

          Right now you’ve just made your first batch of regular liquid detergent. You’ll need to stir it really really well before you use it and you’ll need 1/3-1/2 cup of detergent per load for it to be effective.

          Reply
        • Used 1 bar soap, 1 cup of Borax, 1 cup of washing soda. Was told to use 1 gallon plus 1 quart of water. Obviously big goof somewhere.

          any thing i can do to save it? can i possibly re-heat the entire mixture and pour it into the canning jars? will it then re-seperate so that i can whip each jar?

          i figure i got nothing to loose by trying it.

          you used a different recipe is all, it cleans the same. you can use 1/3 of a cup in each load, just mix it first. I have heard of people using a paint stirrer attachment on a drill to mix full batches like yours. I have never tried it, but I have heard it works well.

          If you have a power drill and can put a stirring attachment on it, I belt you could at least blend your soap well and turn it into something closer to commercial detergent consistentancy.

          Reply
          • You used a different recipe is all, it cleans the same. You can use 1/3 of a cup in each load, just mix it first. I have heard of people using a paint stirrer attachment on a drill to mix full batches like yours. I have never tried it, but I have heard it works well.

            If you have a power drill and can put a stirring attachment on it, I belt you could at least blend your soap well and turn it into something closer to commercial detergent consistentancy.

            Actually found time to work on it today. Have it divided into 4 jars at the moment but plan on re-mixing it just as you suggested. I actually own a power drill and stir attachment.

            And have access to a better bucket also. Ended up chewing up the gasket on the blender so gotta replace that too.

  114. ok, so i followed the directions exactly, but my laundry concentrate was super thick. alot thicker than mayo. is there something i missed or didn’t add or did i blend to long?

    i only blended about a min. or so. also, my blender broke in the midst of making this so i had to go to my stick blender.

    now my question is can i use my stick blender in food now, if i wash it with regular dishwashing soap? i am now concerned that everything i used on this project is ruined to use with regular food now. please help, cause i love the compact idea of this soap, but i am about to just ditch this idea of it ever working for me.

    Reply
  115. a lot of the newer washing machines will not physically let you open the lid while the water is running. the lid “locks” & you cannot open it unless you push “pause/cancel”, which shuts off the water. so how do you dispense the soap for these newer machines??

    Reply
  116. i am going to try this, but i have a quick question. lots of my whites come out with gray spots all over and nothing i have used has gotten them out. i have cleaned my washer by running a cycle with vinegar and still i get them.

    is there something i can do to get these out? i am not sure what i am doing to cause this, but it sucks when you have nice clothes for the kids and they get these gray stains from nowhere on them… :dontknow: please help!!!

    Reply
    • I am going to try this, but I have a quick question. Lots of my whites come out with gray spots all over and nothing I have used has gotten them out. I have cleaned my washer by running a cycle with vinegar and still I get them.

      Is there something I can do to get these out? I am not sure what I am doing to cause this, but it sucks when you have nice clothes for the kids and they get these gray stains from nowhere on them… :dontknow: please help!!!

      i had the same problem. it turns out that my washer was leaking oil on the inside. didn’t realize until it was too late and started leaking a ton and ruined a load of clothes.

      you should have someone take a look at your washer and take the inside spinner apart to check it out.

      Reply
  117. could i know what the composition of the fels naptha is? i live in the czech republic, and i am afraid i cannot get it here so i might try to find something similar. thank you.

    Reply
  118. this is the recipe that brought me to this wonderful site. i love, love this idea and am going to make a batch as soon as i find the ingredients. i will let everyone know how it works out for me.

    Reply
  119. i was wondering how well this got smells out of clothes? my husband works in a hot welding shop so his shirts are always very heavily sweat smelling. i have tried other detergents and i was the shirts and they smell fine but the moment they get the least bit damp again when at work (or even swimming in the pool) they smell horrible again.

    i hate to have to buy him new shirts every month but i don’t know what will get the smell out, anyone have any experience with smells and this detergent.

    Reply
  120. question, how does this do with taking out smells. my husband works in a weld shot and his shirts smell like sweat. i have tried other detergents and they smell good out of the dryer but as soon as they are even lightly damp (even by running through a rain shower) they smell horrible!

    i have not found anything that will get the smell out, would be great if this would.

    Reply
  121. hi liss,
    i have an aerobic septic system, and i’m wondering if this mixture will harm (or kill) the bacteria in the tanks?

    thank you for all you do. :rodeo::brew:

    Reply
  122. if i had to reheat this, do i need to wait until it cools down to put it back in the jars. it seems like there is twice as much now in the pot.

    Reply
  123. not sure if my question got posted, but i had to reheat mine, it was to grainy. now there seems to be twice as much in the pot, do i wait until it cools off to put it back in the jars ?

    Reply
  124. can you substitute ammonia for the borax and use less water? borax makes my husband breakout. ammonia is only slightly stronger alkaline than the borax.

    has anyone tried this?

    Reply
  125. i do very large loads of laundry- do i still use the same teaspoon amt in the washer? or what if i did a very small load-should i use less?

    Reply
  126. hello thanks for posting this recipe. i was wondering if this detergent is good for those with sensitive skin? i have eczema and my husband has been wanting me to make our own laundry detergent for awhile now.

    i currently use soap nuts or all free and clear. thank you 🙂

    Reply
  127. hello thanks for posting this recipe. i was wondering if this detergent is good for those with sensitive skin? i have eczema and my husband has been wanting me to make our own laundry detergent for awhile now.

    i currently use soap nuts or all free and clear. thanks 🙂

    Reply
  128. i have used sunlight laundry bars for this. did not make my clothes dingy and left a nice lemon scent… thanks for sharing this.

    i was using a more watery version and this is much better!!!

    Reply
    • Ok, so it says to use 1 T per load, but what size load, small, medium, large?

      I tried speed recipe #2. it came out just like the picture. My question is (as was a few others) do you adjust amount depending on size of load?

      Seems to me you would have to, as a medium load uses only half the water as a large load.Referring to the statement “more is not better” it only makes sense to decrease the amount of laundry sauce used.

      I can’t understand why anyone would take the time to cook on a stove when the microwave, speedy version gives you the same result! 48 hours, but less than 30 minutes of my actual time spent making it.

      Love the smell, hoping it works as well as every says….

      Just finished my first load, and I must say I am slightly disappointed. I thought my white socks would be brighter,with more of the dirt stains removed. Oh well, maybe it takes a few washings for set/dried stains to lighten/disappear.

      Reply
  129. okay, so i finally found all of the ingredients and made this today. yeah, it’s a bit time consuming but you cannot beat this kind of savings, so it’s worth the time. i followed the recipe to the letter and it turned out just the way it’s supposed to.(yay me!) i’ve done one load of laundry(whites) with it so far and the difference is amazing.

    i held back one towel and compared it to the newly washed ones. it looked old and dingy compared to the freshly laundered ones. i may never buy regular laundry detergent again.

    next time i need to make a batch i think i’ll try the scented one and cut out the fabric softner as well. thank you so much for this great recipe and for all the money i’ll be saving by using it. Love shower

    Reply
  130. ok, either i missed it or it hasn’t been addressed yet. what about using homemade soap that was made with olive and coconut oils for the base, no animal fats? any ideas how well (or even if) this might work?

    Reply
  131. either i missed the comment or it hasn’t been addressed yet. what about using homemade soap that was made using only olive and coconut oil as the base? any ideas how well (or if) this would work?

    Reply
  132. i was wondering if i could use zote in place of fels naptha? i did a little research and found that zote is pretty much the same thing but better for the environment…the water that drains from my washer spills out into the grass in my backyard. my husband and i are excited to try this since i usually wash 3-4 loads a week, and we purchased some of the ingredients needed but we were curious about using Zote instead :dunno: .

    If you could help me out I would greatly appreciate it.

    Reply
  133. ok so i tried this and not sure if i did it right, it didn’t separate like yours but i tried it anyway and whipped it in a bowl (my blender doesn’t fit like that) whipped and whipped finish product was more like a light fluffy cool whip not mayo :dontknow: so i’m trying it anyway! also i used quart sized jars from ball, i couldn’t find mason brand and i needed like 4 jars just to fit it all. So let me know if I’m going to be ok with it this way or should I start over.

    Reply
  134. so i made this soap today, and it worked great. rather than my blender, i used my stick mixer because my jars are wide-mouth canning jars.
    also, you asked if anyone used scents, and i did. i used the liquid oil scents from walmart (little brown bottles near the candles and potpourri) which i have used for duggar style laundry soap in the past. the scents worked just fine, though i did add quite a bit because i like it to be strong smelling detergent and also because this detergent is super concentrated.

    i added about 1/3 of a bottle of the scent just before mixing and the only thing I would change is maybe adding an ounce or so less water before allowing it to set since the scent is a liquid. The scent is an oil, but I haven’t had problems with it in my laundry before. My husband is a mechanic and this style of homemade soap cleans his clothing just as well as store brand.
    This is also far easier for storage and was far easier to mix that the huge gallons of it I was making before.

    Thanks so much budget101!

    Reply
  135. this is very similar to the recipe i’ve been using, but it makes a 5 gal bucket that needs stirred before every use. I made this one tonight and I’ll mix it up in a bit and see how it works. Much easier to use out of a jar.

    Thanks!

    Reply
  136. i am curious if anyone has tried to dilute this so that it can be put into a bottle to pump or pour more easily? what ratio of added water/soap and what amout was added to washer?

    Reply
  137. has anyone tried adding a few drops of mrs stewarts bluing to each jar, probably in the last step, to aid in whitening of whites? thanks in advance for all responses!
    b.

    Reply
  138. all righty then!! i have just finished making my two mason jars of detergent. i have a bullet and the bottom does not fit the mason jar top so i had to dump it into bullet…blend…then scoop back into mason jar.

    (i may have lost a bit of my detergent here) the finished product is close to mayo texture. my test load is in the wash right now!! my husband is skeptical that 1 tbsp would do anything.

    Sheesh! He’s the one who sent me this link! Oh…

    and I threw the plastic spoon in the load as well. Seems there are a few of you that do that and I felt like joining your crowd! yay us!

    Reply
  139. is it possible to dissolve the fels naptha too long? it seemed almost dissolved after about 15 minutes, but not quite. So, I kept stirring, and it started getting thinker.

    I was getting more and more chunks and suds. Throughout the process, tt didn’t do what the instructions described, but in the end it seems to have turned out the same. It got my clothes clean1

    Reply
  140. ok…i have finished to step seven but i could not “pour” my contents in jars but rather had to “spoon in”….not as liquidy as should be. i stirred for five minutes after removing from stove and thought i could better stir with a whisk:( it did disolve most all soap granules but i was wondering if it will still come out the same? it seems to be separating ok but doesnt look as creamy as yours:*( will it be ok?

    or do i have to start over::(

    Reply
    • Ok…I have finished to step seven but I could not “pour” my contents in jars but rather had to “spoon in”….not as liquidy as should be. I stirred for five minutes after removing from stove and thought I could better stir with a whisk:( It did disolve most all soap granules but I was wondering if it will still come out the same? It seems to be separating ok but doesnt look as creamy as yours:*( Will it be ok?

      or do I have to start over::(

      Has anyone else experienced this? Anyone use a whisk for the last 3 min?

      Reply
  141. i may have heated the fels naptha too long. i stirred for about 15 minutes, and it seemed ALMOST dissolved, but not quite. So, I kept stirring.

    Then it started getting thick and really chunky and sudsy. So I added the dry ingredients before it got any chunkier. It seemed too thick to be able to dissolve the powdered ingredients.

    While it didn’t go as planned, the end product seems the same as described here.

    Reply
  142. just finished my final project….was worried it would not turn out due to using a whisk the last few minutes of stiring detergent in but, …didnt seem to separate as “pretty” in the picture, but after i blended it, it came out silky and creamy:*) now for the big test…i have a load of my husbands “stinky” t shirts in the wash….if they come out smelling like a rose i’ll be making this for all my friends:*) stay tuned!…….

    Reply
  143. has anyone had problems with this soap bleaching anything it was sitting on? i made it yesterday, turned out fine. smells great.

    used it on several loads…worked fine. until i washed my sheets. brand new sheets, at that.

    one pillow case and the flat sheet has a bleached out spot on it. i assume it was from where the soap was sitting.

    Reply
  144. just made this for the second time, and absolutely love it. i realized today that i make a double recipe in about the same amount of time as a single, so hopefully this will work out to make 4 jars worth. Thanks so much for the ‘recipe’!

    Reply
  145. i have found in making my own laundry soap for over 7 years now, if I open the fels naptha & let it dry out ahead of time it grates into a finer powder & disolves easier & better for me. I always have made the liquid since we have had a septic system, but now with this recipe I will gain more valuable storage space on my shelf for my canning jars(unused ones) since I don’t need as much space to store this as I do the 400oz of liquid I get from the other one!

    Reply
  146. so my sister and i made this recipe. i have used it on a set of sheets already and it totally took out the smell of my husband’s man funk. it was awesome!

    although we did scent our laundry sauce with lemongrass essential oil. it smells wonderful! i cannot wait to use it on my clothes and see how clean they get!

    :celebrate1:

    Reply
  147. this stuff is wonderful – we had just been debating about whether to stick with all free and clear, which inevitably leaves a gooey mess in our cabinets as the spigot drips, or the more expensive “pods.” then i saw a link to your recipe on facebook, tried it, and we have our answer – neither! we are so happy with your laundry sauce and the laundry bombs – thank you, thank you!

    Reply
  148. it says to use 1TBSP. Is that a leveled TBSP and for what size load is that for? What can you use other than essential oils for scent?

    What do you recommend? Love the posting and can’t wait to try it.

    Thanks

    Reply
  149. i made this recipe just a few days ago but instead of fels naptha, i used zote (the pink bar) which is also around the same price but it is twice as big. because the bar is twice as big i doubled all the other ingredients and used 4 Quart size mason jars. It took about double the time to melt the Zote in the the boiling water, probably because it is twice as much.

    It seemed to turn out great and I now have 4 quart size jars of “Pink Mayo”! 😀
    I have a front loading machine and I like to add about a tablespoon of Dawn dish detergent to the detergent drawer because it helps with any oil/grease. I actually use it full strength on grease/oil spots and the collars of my husbands shirts as well.

    I mix a few tablespoons in a spray bottle that I fill the rest of the way with water and spray it on our bed sheets on my husband’s side of the bed (he has oily skin).
    I am now trying the no cook method to see if I find this to be much easier since it was quite the pain standing at the stove and stirring for so long. I bought a box of 12 Quart Size Mason jars since that is the way it came at Walmart, so I decided to go ahead and fill all twelve jars and just keep them in the same box. :jar:
    So far I am liking this homemade detergent.

    I am still using up the dry version I had made that has the oxiclean in it. I had decided that I didn’t want oxiclean in every load I did, especially the new Underarmor clothes (and the like) that are not suppose to be washed with fabric softeners either. :laundry:

    I will say that I am tempted to look for some type of mini ice cream scoop that has the little push lever, because getting the detergent off the tablespoon is a bit of a chore. I use some of the dirty clothes to wipe it off, but would be nice if i could scoop and dump more quickly! :morechores3:

    Reply
  150. i am wondering if i can use a different bar soap and have success. if my research is correct fels naptha is not all natural. i was hoping to switch away from the all natural laundry soap i use now that is so expensive.

    Reply
  151. made my first batch a few hours ago. started to separate immediately! now waiting a few more hours so we can actually try this.

    :d this is awesome and a great way to save $$$.

    thank you!

    Reply
  152. well, i just made a batch of this laundry sauce…..it is still setting up. i have 2 hours to go. :impatient:But I can’t wait to give it a try in the wash.

    Thanks for sharing the recipe

    Reply
  153. thanks a bunch! trying to find the ingredients for the soap sauce. amazon has borax on for $76.00.

    This doesn’t seem to be right?

    Reply
  154. i made this sauce today & can’t wait to try it. looked everywhere for the a&h super washing soda without luck, so i got biz (which is also a laundry booster & cleaner).
    followed the directions & it’s turned out great looking, no gritty feel & smells so good!
    i’ll post again after i try it.

    Reply
  155. i too used pint jars instead of quart.. it’s all i had and ran out of money. mine didn’t separate and was wondering if i could still blend them and then use them?

    would it cause any problems??

    Reply
  156. i have a new he top loader washer. the lid locks so you can’t let detergent dissolve in water. can you drop detergent on the clothes?

    Reply
  157. :worthy: i bow down to anyone who has time to spend on this process…the ingredients might be cheap but figure out how much you are worth at an hourly wage and i think you’d save money at walley world buying tide.. kinda made me think of a couldron :brew:

    Reply
    • :worthy: I bow down to anyone who has time to spend on this process…the ingredients might be cheap but figure out how much you are worth at an hourly wage and I think you’d save money at Walley World buying Tide.. kinda made me think of a couldron :brew:

      Which is precisely why we recommend the 5-minute no fail version at the end of the post 😉

      Reply
  158. hello
    i just made this soap yesterday, and i love it. the only thing was that my blender didn’t fit right on my jar (it was the right size jar) so i had to figure out another way to blend it. i am so glad i found this site.

    Reply
  159. ok, they do not sell the super washing soda in my area. is there a substitute? i had my water ready my bar grated and ready to go.

    but then realized i had the wrong a&h product, it’s actually detergent!! i have oxi clean, will that work?

    Reply
  160. i just made this and wanted to make sure..mine looks less like mayonnaise and more like whip cream…like when you beat heavy cream…is that ok?

    Reply
    • I just made this and wanted to make sure..mine looks less like mayonnaise and more like whip cream…like when you beat heavy cream…is that ok?

      Sounds perfect. The only texture that isn’t good is Lumpy Mashed Potatoes! Creamy, Heavy Whipping Cream, Meringue,mayo, etc are all perfect. 🙂

      Reply
  161. i found the super washing soda! apparently a&h doesn’t know they sell it here, lol! got my sauce made, looks beautiful!

    i did have to use four pint jars, all my quart jars are wide mouth. but they look perfect! guess i’ll have to do laundry tomorrow!

    Reply
  162. first, thank you for this recipe. so far, so good. just made it, and set it in two mason jars.

    the only problem i have is i suspect i over-mixed (whipped) it while i was adding the borax and the arm+hammer. it whipped up like cream. when i poured the mix into the two mason jars, they filled up both to their “shoulders”.

    i suspect over the next few hours, it may sink a little bit. do you think i should add the water up to the “shoulders” of the mason-jar after it has settled, but before i blend it – or should i add this water sooner? thank you!!!

    Reply
    • First, thank you for this recipe. So far, so good. Just made it, and set it in two mason jars. The only problem I have is I suspect I over-mixed (whipped) it while I was adding the borax and the arm+hammer. It whipped up like cream. When I poured the mix into the two mason jars, they filled up both to their “shoulders”. I suspect over the next few hours, it may sink a little bit. Do you think I should add the water up to the “shoulders” of the mason-jar after it has settled, but before I blend it – or should I add this water sooner? THANK YOU!!!

      Did you prepare it In mason jars to begin with and then add water to the shoulders after you added the borax/washing soda but before you whipped it? It shouldn’t be whipped until after the addition of the borax/washing soda and water up to the shoulders. THEN whipped. .. . . Could you list out the steps you took? I’m confused how it’s whipped before the water… (sorry!)

      Reply
  163. 1…..DONT let it boil over, 2…..DONT spill it, 3…..Have all prep materials before you start.
    i forgot to watch it and stir it while melting the soap bar pieces….what…a…mess! i also spilled a bit when pouring into my blender from pan(no mason jars here at all and my blender blades actually dont screw on to mason jars due to the way they are made) as the spout on the back of my blender is mia (maybe kids took it, lost in a move, mom in law threw it out not knowing what it was, lost in house somewhere?) so as blender filled unfinished detergent poured out everywhere!!! thought the boiled over mess was bad?

    ha! 30 minute cleanup (dish towel positively sparkles now). Been setting for 30 minutes and looking good so far.

    P.S. 4…..dont start at 12AM unless u plan to be up till 5 AM!!! Probably have the water addition off a tad as i have no money to buy mason jars at the moment lol.

    Another hint, have all pans, spoons, (hahaha) blender spouts, and storage containers ready and waiting even if you have a closet of a kitchen like mine that is as small as my closet literally (if not smaller). Cant wait to turn on blender even if it does wake up all 3 kids, the mom in law and hubby lol. Keep out of reach of kids, and animals also, might smell good but not great for your insides (also tastes terrible, accidentally got some in my mouth while cleaning (dont ask) and i wont ever repeat that particular mistake!!!)

    Reply
    • 1…..DONT let it boil over, 2…..DONT spill it, 3…..Have ALL prep materials BEFORE you start.
      I forgot to watch it and stir it while melting the soap bar pieces….WHAT…A…MESS! Cant wait to turn on blender even if it does wake up all 3 kids, the mom in law and hubby lol. Keep out of reach of kids, and animals also, might smell good but not great for your insides (also tastes TERRIBLE, accidentally got some in my mouth while cleaning (dont ask) and I wont EVER repeat that particular mistake!!!)

      OMG! I have to say that I completely Loved your review and as soon as I read the first line I thought, OH NO, she didn’t! Yes Ma’am, if you let it boil over, it takes what seems like a lifetime to clean up. And I ALMOST Hate to offer you this link.. because it really IS in the recipe above that you tried (at the Bottom)… but.. here’s My No Fail, No Cook (NO TASTE) 7 Minute Super Laundry Soap after you try this method, you’ll never go back to the cook version.

      Reply
  164. thank you for getting back to me.. and sorry for the double post.. i made mine with zote before i saw there was a difference..

    i am trying it now for the first time.. i have a washer like the lady who posted before where the lid locks and it doesn’t have a well for detergent or softener so i added one tbs to the bottom before adding the clothes.. we’ll see how it goes..

    thank you so much for not only posting all this but for answering questions..

    Reply
  165. my grandmother used to make something very similar and when she passed, so it the recipe. i can’t wait to try it! (payday lol).

    i will definitely be back to let you know how it went!!! michelle
    :morechores3::laundry::laundry3:

    Reply
  166. i just made this for the first time i have made it prev as the dry version but wated to the the sauce version. so i folled the directions completely even printed the out at work to take home. i grated and blendered the fels naptha which turned clumpy in the water finally got it to melt after about 30+ mins added the borax and super washing soda and it turned into a really wet like paste put it in the newly purchased 32 oz mason jar and turned it upside down and took a nap and came back at about 5 1/2 – 6hrs later and id didnt look at all like the pictures.

    i did put it in my ninja after scooping it out into the blender ( guess i needed the wide opening mas jar ) and it finally went creamy looking but i cant figure out why it did not seperate. Any one have any ideas.

    Reply
    • I grated and blendered the fels naptha which turned clumpy in the water finally got it to melt after about 30+ mins added the borax and super washing soda and it turned into a really wet like paste put it in the newly purchased 32 oz mason jar and turned it upside down and took a nap and came back at about 5 1/2 – 6hrs later and id didnt look at all like the pictures

      Too much water evaporated during the cooking process and it was too dry, which is why you had a hard time getting the soap to dissolve. It’s probably a bit over-concentrated now which means that it most likely will only dissolve in warm or hot water.

      Did you see the link to the NO COOK Version that is in the post??

      https://www.budget101.com/myo-household-items/5-minute-no-cook-laundry-detergent-recipe-4075.html

      Reply
  167. i just made the laundry sauce. i shredded the fels naptha soap in my processor. i found i needed to keep the heat up so that the soap would dissolve.

    i used 2 quart canning jars and didn’t realize I needed to evenly divide the mixture between the two jars and then add warm water to each jar to bring it up to the shoulders of the jars. I used my blender blade on the first jar and it worked fine. The second jar the solid part didn’t come down into the blade so had to break it up and put all of it into the blender and whip it that way.

    It came out fine and I have used it on two loads of laundry. I also use Amway fabric softener and have a front loading washer. I had to go to Ace Hardware store for the Fels Naptha bar of soap and paid $1.99 for it and $4.99 for a box of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda.

    I found the 20 Mule Team borax at a grocery store for $4.39. So I paid $11.37 for it all. At least the washing soda and borax will give me more recipes and will only have to get the Fels Naptha each time.

    But two qts of laundry sauce will last me quite a while.

    Reply
  168. measured and followed all the direction exactly and ended up with 3 jars of it. For whatever reason the liquid part was only 1/4 of what you saw in the pictures. Ended up having to take it out of the mason jars and use the hand mixer.:2cents:

    Reply
  169. cleaning carpet

    we mixed this laundry detergent up and have been using it for a couple weeks. works great and thanks to the poster.

    as many have asked about using it to clean carpet, i have your answer. i used to clean carpets over 20 years ago. I did mix this up and used it and it did a great job.

    I will explain the tricks to it shortly. After getting out of the business, I refused to pay the overpriced amounts for carpet detergent so we have been using Liquid Gain he. you can use this laundry detergent recipe and not have to worry about it foaming up or any sort of problems with the machine and no defoamer is needed.

    i will start off by giving the general waiver…don’t try this at home…not responsible for any damages done to your carpet or any rental machine, or your cousin who is 300 miles away. The only thing that I will say is that I would test a spot in a corner of the carpet to make sure this cleaner will not discolor your carpet. Over 95% of carpet will work fine and turn out great. If your carpet is wool or a certain kind of acryllic material, BEWARE.

    This has nothing to do with the detergent we are using here, but the carpet itself. Most carpets dry from the top down but these dry from the bottom up and will leave a discolored residue at the top that is nearly impossible to remove. I had it happen to me years ago.

    You won’t know it until the day after it has been cleaned

    Since I have rented a Rug Doctor for my recent cleaning, I can tell you there wasn’t any damage done to the machine. I actually mixed up 2 different solutions. 1 was for cleaning the carpet and the other was used as a prespray which was applied to the carpet by a simple 1 gallon pump garden sprayer.

    For the prespray, I would take about 1/2 – 3/4 cup of the whipped detergent and put it in a coffee pot of just brewed HOT water. This is so the detergent would dissolve completely. Simply mix the hot water and detergent and then fill the sprayer with warm water, then simply shake up to mix.

    I would go thru and spray the room of carpet I was getting ready to clean and allow it to work for 5-10 minutes. Depending on how dirty the carpet is, this may take just a dusting or the whole gallon for 1 room. Any badly discolored areas need to be wet enough with sprayer so you can tell it is wet.

    It is important to prespray each room prior to cleaning to help release any stains. When cleaning without the prespray, the carpet is only wettened and then brush agitated for 2-3 seconds before being sucked back up. When pulling the Rug Doctor, only pull the cleaner back about 4 feet at a time and it should take 10-15 seconds to complete each 4′ path.

    If you go faster, the water/detergent won’t have time to get the dirt out of the carpet.

    Next is to make the detergent that goes into the cleaner. I would again pour nearly 1 pot of water into a Mr. Coffee and let it “brew” the water so it is hot. After this is done, mix in about 3/4 – 1 cup of whipped detergent into the coffee pot and dissolve completely.

    After this is done, take a plastic 1 gallon storage container and pour this pot of detergent/water into the container. I used an open top pitcher we used for tea. After doing this, fill it up with hot water until you hit the 1 gallon mark.

    To fill the Rug Doctor, we used a 2 gallon plastic pail. I would put 3/4 cup of the solution we just made into the 1st bucket of hot water and mix. If yours did like mine, you will see a layer of soap scum float to the top.

    Simply take a large spoon and scoop most of this off so it doesn’t get into the screen on the Rug Doctor. Pour this bucket into the Rug Doctor and then fill your bucket back up with hot water and top off the Rug Doctor.

    A common mistake many people make when cleaning carpet is using too much detergent. If you use too much, it will not rinse out and will make the carpet feel “sticky” after cleaning. This will cause dirt to be more attracted to the carpet and will get dirty faster.

    Be sure to allow it to dry about 24 hours before allowing any walking from shoes that have just come in from outside. Running the A/C, furnace fan, or box fans will speed up the drying.

    Reply
  170. i am 2 1/2 hours away from whipping my laundry sauce, The recipe was easy to follow and I have not been looking forward to laundry………….well, ever, but am excited to try this. All the ingredients were right next to each other on the top shelf at Fred Meyer!!

    Reply
  171. woooohooooo i have made and used some of the first batch. let me tell you i will never buy the store bought detergent again. this is wonderful.

    gave a jar to my sister and she loves it too. she even used it to clean her carpet and it came out wonderful and smelled so nice, even got out the pet stains and odor. thank you so much for this recipe.

    next i will try the faster recipe to see how that works. have a feeling will be making more soon for my sister and i. hey it’s really fun to do too.

    Reply
  172. love this stuff! not only did i make some for myself but for some family and friends that have a lot of detergent allergies. it is working great!

    my daughter dyes her hair all sorts of funky colors…after using a much more expensive brand name detergent (that didn’t work) i used this on her pilloa case and all the dye came out and saved the pillow case! yaaaaayyyy!!!!! going to make more for my granddaughter and her momma too!

    this site is so awesome telling everyone about it!

    Reply
  173. this sounds great & very economical. the problem is, every person in my house has sensitive skin. i have to buy the commercial “sensitive skin” or “no scent” soaps that are ridiculously priced.

    has anyone on here with sensitive skin made this & used it? how did it work out?

    Reply
  174. i made this today. when i let it sit, some of it seperated… nott reading the rest of the article i just went ahead and whipped it up.

    it looks just like the finished product pictured here. do you think it will be ok?

    Reply
  175. do you have issues with people selling this as a finished product? i came across a facebook post today selling it and was curious about copyrights or patents. i have been making and using this on my own for six months.

    even converted my mom and a friend to using it. i just felt it unethical to sell someone else’s product for profit. any info would be greatly appreciated.

    Reply
    • Do you have issues with people selling this as a finished product? I came across a facebook post today selling it and was curious about copyrights or patents. I have been making and using this on my own for six months. Even converted my mom and a friend to using it. I just felt it unethical to sell someone else’s product for profit. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

      I think it’s pretty tacky, are they using my labels as well?

      Reply
    • Can lemon juice or some kind of oils be add for smell?

      For scented version see:

      Budget101.com – – Lavender Super Laundry Sauce & Softener Concentrate | Homemade Laundry Detergent

      Why would you add a tsp of glycerin per jar? does it keep it softer????

      Glycerin negates the need for a fabric softener, it extends the shelf life, and maintains the integrity of the soap.

      Question, can you store it in plastic containers? Thanks

      Yes, Short Term only. It does not store well in plastic long term.

      I was wondering what brand of mason jars you are using.

      Ball.
      Mason.
      Jarden
      Vintage
      Kerr
      and Atlas are a few of the brands we always have on hand. The brand is not important, the size of the jar is what is important.

      I have oxi clean, will that work?

      NO. See the warning about the exploding Jars.

      My Major problem is my Osterizer keeps cutting the Gaskets and I am clueless on what to do to stop this from happening. If anybody has any ideas I would love to hear them.

      Carefully seat the gasket and blender blade onto the bottom of the jar. If the rubber gasket is wet or has any contents of the jar on it, it will get chewed up into your laundry soap.

      Additional Questions & Answers

      Budget101.com – – Super Laundry Sauce Frequently Asked Questions | Budget101 Laundry Detergent Recipes

      Reply
  176. i have made both the super laundry sauce and dishwasher supreme sauce. they both work very well and i am preparing to make the laundry bombs. i did not find the ingredients for either as cheap as what is posted here but the prices were not bad either.

    i ended up purchasing a huge supply from buythecase as they had the best pricing i could find online. my major problem is my osterizer keeps cutting the gaskets and i am clueless on what to do to stop this from happening. if anybody has any ideas i would love to hear them.

    Reply
  177. i have made this wonderful sauce and it works great. i used an immersion blender and it looked like the picture when done but i removed the soap from the jars and mixed it. then put it back in the jars for storage.

    question, can you store it in plastic containers? thanks

    Reply
  178. the recipe calls for 4 cups of hot water but does not specify that you need hot water to fill the mason jars… It states 4 cups of water on stove top to a boil to melt soap in. Last post sounded a bit put off.

    It is overwhelming to try this recipe for the first time.

    Reply
  179. i made this recipe today, doubled the ingredients to make a full gallon, but for some reason it only filled 3 quart mason jars. It’s still cooling off so i haven’t had a chance to whip it and then try it out so i’m not sure if it works as it’s supposed to yet. Thanks for the wonderful recipe, I can’t wait to try out more recipes.

    Reply
  180. i made this recipe yesterday and tried it today! i love it. it worked perfectly.

    smells great, did a beautiful job on my clothes and kids clothes… i do not have a blender so i used a blender stick instead. i took a couple of seconds and it was done.

    thanks so much for the recipe!

    Reply
  181. lizz:

    thank you so much for sharing this recipe! i have my first batch of soap ‘brewing’ in the baggie!

    how did you come up with the idea of whipping the basic recipe?

    also, do you know of any reason the product should not be placed in a plastic container? i hesitate to have glass where there is a probability of the jar getting wet and/or slippery (it is filled with soap, after all!)

    thanks!
    grammalu

    p.s. please forgive if you’ve already answered these questions… there are 17 pages of comments as of this date!

    (8/26/13)

    Reply
  182. i just made this and it was much easier than i thought from the comments. however, one thing i did note was that a lot of people had evaporation problems when melting the fels naptha. so i started with 5 cups of water, and let it come to a rolling boil before I added the grated soap.

    Kept it at a low simmer boil, stirring, and it took less than 10 minutes to completely melt. Then added the powders and in no time it was completely dissolved. Since I started with a bit more water, I added less to the jars at the end.

    It worked perfectly and whipped up just as shown. Now I’m trying it in the wash to see how it does. Can’t wait.

    This may be the next best thing to sliced bread :celebrate1:

    Reply
  183. so i made the sauce using the no cook method… i’m not patient enough to wait over a stove. the end result came out the way it was supposed to.

    i did the first load last night, and it smelled soooo nice. but tonight when i got home to fold all those clothes… they didn’t smell as clean and the new towels still smelled a bit like store.

    is it because i was in cold water? they definitely don’t smell like they got all the way clean… which seams like i did something wrong given that every one else loves it.

    Reply
    • l0627;329414]So I made the sauce using the no cook method… I’m not patient enough to wait over a stove. The end result came out the way it was supposed to.

      I did the first load last night, and it smelled soooo nice. But tonight when I got home to fold all those clothes… they didn’t smell as clean and the new towels still smelled a bit like store.

      Is it because I was in cold water? They definitely don’t smell like they got all the way clean… which seams like I did something wrong given that every one else loves it.

      I made this for the 2nd time but I made it in the crock pot and was so easy added the grated soap and water set on high came back after some errands stired soap was melted added powder stirred came back a bit later all dissolved then followed the rest like normal

      Reply
  184. so i made the sauce using the no cook method… i’m not patient enough to wait over a stove. the end result came out the way it was supposed to.

    i did the first load last night, and it smelled soooo nice. but tonight when i got home to fold all those clothes… they didn’t smell as clean and the new towels still smelled a bit like store.

    is it because i was in cold water? they definitely don’t smell like they got all the way clean… which seams like i did something wrong given that every one else loves it.

    ( sorry if a repost… didn’t see it come up)

    Reply
  185. okay, i am sold on this. after i made this, i washed some clothes. colors in warm water.

    great! then i did the dirty dishcloth test. put a bit in a cup with my dishcloth and some hot water. wow.

    i could almost see the dirt come out. but for the real test, my husband’s work clothes. he cleaned the chimney, and was working out in the woods the other day.

    left his clothes on the porch becuase i wouldn’t let him in the house in them. dirty, smelly, sooty, yuck. i put them in the washer (front load he) with some other dark clothes to make up a full load.

    put in just the required amount, 1 Tablespoon, of sauce, set it for cold water wash and double rinse. I honestly can’t beleive how great everything came out. I was really impressed.

    Soot, dirt, smell, all gone. I’m going to keep making and using this. It WORKS!

    And being retired and on a fixed income, we need all the good money saving ideas we can get.
    Also, a little bit dissolved in some warm water in a container makes a great all purpose cleaner. Used some to wipe down my kitchen cabinets and get a few stubborn stains on other things here and there. Worked just as good, if not better, than the expensive sprays and wipes.

    Keep the ideas coming. I’m going to make the dishwashing gel next. Love this.

    Thanks.:celebrate1:

    Reply
  186. jumped in with both feet !!! i made the dummies’ #2 Method and it was so easy !!!! Why go to all of the trouble with the cooked method when a gallon Ziplock bag, measuring cup, whisk and a stainless steel bowl will do ?

    Mine turned out just like it said and I had to use it immediately !!! Needless to say, I was impressed !!! I also made this with 4 pint jars instead of 2 quart jars, so, I can share with some of my friends !!!!

    Will definitely keep a couple of jars on hand. ps my wash turned out perfect, no more laundry detergent from the super market !!!yeah !!!!

    Reply
  187. is there any way for me to salvage this? i did not see the step by step recipe because it was posted on facebook and didn’t show it. it just had the ingredients.

    i just through it all together. i did cut the soap into small chunks first, then added the boiling water and then the powdered soap. well you can imagine the mess i have……the soap chunks are floating around in the liquid…..ugh!

    any suggestions?

    Reply
    • Is there any way for me to salvage this? I did not see the step by step recipe because it was posted on Facebook and didn’t show it. It just had the ingredients. I just through it all together. I did cut the soap into small chunks first, then added the boiling water and then the powdered soap. Well you can imagine the mess I have……the soap chunks are floating around in the liquid…..UGH! Any suggestions?

      There isn’t anyway to salvage it so that you can whip it into concentrated laundry sauce.

      About the only thing you can do now is dump it all into a 2 gallon pail, fill it to the top with HOT water and leave it overnight. Next day, Mix it thoroughly and transfer to a regular laundry detergent bottle (reuse an old one) You’ll use 1/3- 1/2 c. per wash AFTER it gels.

      Reply
  188. i was told that this recipe can ruin your washing machine is this true? they said that it will gum up my washer. i am trying it anyway and am half way done but was just wondering if it was true.

    Reply
    • I was told that this recipe can ruin your washing machine is this true? They said that it will gum up my washer. I am trying it anyway and am half way done but was just wondering if it was true.

      All of the ingredients used in the recipe are labeled as Machine Safe. I don’t know who told you that or why, but unless they have some special “knowledge” that the companies producing the soaps don’t know, they’re probably just running off at the mouth b/c they don’t want to take the time to make it.

      I’ve had a couple people poo-poo some of the recipes, but it’s usually plain laziness on their part, lol.

      Reply
  189. first check to make sure your blender blade fits a mason jar, mine does not (i have a ninja). if not it may be a struggle to get the soap out of the jar into your blender as it is pretty solid at the end of the 3 hours. Blending does whip it up nicely though .

    I am eager to see how well it cleans my clothes!

    Reply
  190. i just made this. love the scent, but i still have grease on 2 shirts. Am I supposed to pre-treat the stains with the mixture?

    Reply
  191. just made for the 1st time, and I’m not sure it’s going to turn out. I followed the directions, but I’m afraid that too much water evaporated out in the form of steam as I was stirring the water/fels. Once I added the borax & soda, the whole mixture was thickening before my eyes.

    By the time I had the grittiness stirred out & it was ready for jars, it was very think & paste-like. I added water up to the shoulders, sealed & inverted. My jars have white goop on the bottom (top) & *not* yellow liquid on top, and they aren’t making nice layers like yours does.

    What the heck?

    Reply
  192. i just made this for the 1st time, and I’m not sure that it’s going to turn out. I followed the directions, almost to the letter, except I’m afraid that too much water evaporated by the way of steam while I was melting the Fels in water. What is the hottest the water should be, temperature-wise?

    I could use a candy thermometer next time. I brought the water to a boil, added the Fels, turned the heat down to 7. My stove goes from Low, then 1-9, then High.

    I stirred until my arm fell off at 7, and it still wasn’t fully melted. I kicked it up to 8 for a piece, but got lots of foam, so I turned it back down to 7. When it was finally melted, I added the already mixed powders, took it off the heat & it started getting thicker before my eyes.

    By the time I got all the grittiness out, it was a thick paste! But it did fill half-way 2 quart mason jars. I added water to the shoulders, sealed & inverted.

    It seems that they are separating, but not as pretty as yours. There’s white goop & yellow liquid, but the white goop is staying on the bottom, and the liquid is surrounding & on top of the white goop. Should I have thumped the bottom of the jars on the counter after adding the finished paste & before the water, to knock all the goop down into a nice even layer?

    I’ll post an update after 4 hours.

    Reply
  193. i made this today. grated the naptha soap, premixed both powders prior to adding to the pot, dissolved everything, no grit, poured into 1 qt mason jars filled with water to the shoulder, put the lid on flipped upside down and it separated. 4 1/2 hrs later set the jars on their sides, they looked good.

    Opened the lid to put the blender bottom on and it was like a volcano! What the heck happened there??? Scooped up the mess put it on the blender and blended for several minutes…

    it whipped, but the solid part was still half way up the jar. I got a spoon out and broke up the solid mass blended some more. Finally got the whipped creamy consistency.

    Threw some in the washer did a load of clothes and it worked great. My concern is why did it erupt when I removed the lid…Should I have let it cool before putting the lid on? Should I have let it sit longer to cool before removing the lid????

    Reply
  194. f.y.i. i just made my first batch of this today. i found it was a lot easier to do than what it seemed at first from reading the directions.

    gotta say, i was a little nervous going into it. not sure why. but it really was simple to do, especially with the part about attaching your blender blade directly to the jar for whipping.

    that. was. genius.

    have my first load of wash in now. can’t wait to see how it turns out!

    Reply
  195. i’ve been using the powder version of this for about 18 mos and LOVE it. I also use white vinegar as fabric softener and all our clothes are soft and fresh smelling without the perfumey smell.

    Reply
  196. checking back in for an update –

    1st – Sorry for the double post! I thought my 1st post didn’t go through, so I posted again later. My bad!

    :oops1:

    2nd – Although my batch didn’t separate as nicely as what is pictured, it did still whip up very nicely with the blender after 4 hours. It has a very creamy look, but is only *ever so slightly* gritty to the touch. And it’s getting the clothes clean!

    However, I haven’t had to wash anything overly greasy or grass stained as of yet, so the ultimate test hasn’t happened yet.

    3rd – SPOON!!!
    I realize now that I need a long handled tablespoon, or I’ll never get past half of the jar! And then there’s the residue on the spoon, and that kills me! I’ve got a front loader, so just rinsing the spoon in the wash water isn’t doable.

    What does everyone else use? I’ve looked at some push button cookie dough scoops, are they really an accurate tablespoon? I also was noticing the purple bottomed spoon in one of the Laundry Sauce pictures…is that the one made by Chip Clip?

    I’d like to use the Parmesan cheese lid, so I’ve got a leveler, but that opening seems too small for the push button cookie dough scoops. Advice & recommendations on actually spooning this stuff out neatly, accurately & efficiently would be mucho appreciated!!! :morechores3:

    4th – I think I’m going to make a few slight modifications next batch. Either I’m going to let the shredded Fels soak in a ziplock baggie with half the water for a couple days then proceed with the rest of the water, etc…or I’m going to melt it on the stove with all the water over low heat with the lid on (so no steam evaporates) and let it sit (I know it will likely take half the day this way), while I do other things. I feel like I stirred my ever lovin’ arm off, only to have the Fels take forever to melt, gum up on the spoon, etc.

    :cook2: I also think I may try the Purex crystals next time just for funsies. 🙂

    Reply
    • Checking back in for an update –

      3rd – SPOON!!!
      I realize now that I need a long handled tablespoon, or I’ll never get past half of the jar! And then there’s the residue on the spoon, and that kills me! I’ve got a front loader, so just rinsing the spoon in the wash water isn’t doable.

      What does everyone else use? I’ve looked at some push button cookie dough scoops, are they really an accurate tablespoon? I also was noticing the purple bottomed spoon in one of the Laundry Sauce pictures…is that the one made by Chip Clip?

      I’d like to use the Parmesan cheese lid, so I’ve got a leveler, but that opening seems too small for the push button cookie dough scoops. Advice & recommendations on actually spooning this stuff out neatly, accurately & efficiently would be mucho appreciated!!! :morechores3:

      I found tablespoon size scoop measures on Rachelssupply.com. They’re plastic with about a 3 1/2 inch handle. Since I’ve been re-portioning all my sauces (laundry and dishwasher) into smaller jars for gift giving these work perfectly.

      They’re plastic, so I just throw them in the washer (front load HE for laundry) or dishwasher. I got them for 9.95 (plus shipping) for a box of 20. Since I’m giving out as gifts, it made sense for me to get a bunch.

      I think if you put your sauce in smaller jars after you make it (and while it’s still soft and creamy) you could probably use an old plastic 1T measuring spoon. Again, just throw it in the washer and it will be fine.

      Reply
    • Checking back in for an update –

      I just through my spoon in the wash with my clothes and fish it out as I’m adding the clothes to the dryer.

      I made mine using the no fail method 1. No stirring at all.

      Reply
  197. i posted earlier (much earlier) today about my “sauce” not separating correctly. opened the jars and to my surprise liquid squirted out at me with every one. but at least i smell good.

    😉 cut the solid parts with a knife. dumped them all into a pan and stirred it constantly for about twenty minutes. took that long to get it remelted and blended.

    no graininess either time. soft slimy/soapy. may not be able to move my arms tomorrow.

    whew! once it was more liquid gel again, i had my brother keep stirring while i used a ladle to refill the jars to the 24 ounce mark. At just over four hours, they all looked more like the pictures.

    🙂 I opened the jars and splash again. But the first one would not creme together correctly. After almost two minutes, I cut the solid parts again into slices in the jar.

    Whipped them in the jars using the blender. It took about 45 seconds to one minute, but waa-laa it worked! After all were done, I consolidated them to get it down to 7 jars instead of eight and still have about 1 inch room at the top.

    My sauce looks more like half melted marshmallow cream. All jars are labeled, and my first trial wash is going this minute. Wish me luck.

    If all goes well, I have a wonderful gift for my neighbors for Christmas.

    Reply
  198. i had been using the same ingredients in a recipe in which the method called for you to dilute the melted soap, borax, and washing soda two different times ending up with 8 to 10 gallons of detergent. I LOVE your method so much more and it cleans so much more effectively since the first time it is diluted in water is in your machine! And it takes up less space as well as cutting prep time by a whole day!Thanks so much for the better option!

    Reply
  199. i know there are several pages of questions. has anyone ever added baking soda to this receipt? i have read in places that it helps when washing clothes.

    thanks

    Reply
  200. i made this laundry sauce, and i love it! mine separated after only 20 minutes. When I turned them upside down, I made sure to put the jars on towels, in case they leaked.

    It’s a good thing I did, since opening the jars and putting the blender blades in made them overflow. But they whipped up nicely! I must also add that my Hubs has used the sauce for a hand cleaner, after working on our cars.

    He said it worked better than store bought hand cleaners. It smells better too!

    Reply
  201. this worked so well in my laundry i tried it in the rug doctor mixing 2tblsp to 2 gallons of hot water to shampoo my carpet, after rinsing with plain hot water. It seems to work better than the rug shampoo.

    Reply
  202. i made 2 batches last night. Mine does not seperate like the pictures above. The solid part went to the lid but when I blended it, it looks just like the pictures.

    Reply
  203. i made the sauce and did my laundry with it. i am more than pleased. my whites are really whiter and my coloreds are really brighter and there is no scent to aggravate my allergies.

    it took a little longer to make the sauce but it came out the consistency of mayo. i used 5 pint jars because they are easier for me to handle. Just do not fill them as full before you invert them.

    I blended them in my blender after separation. I may try the recipe for Dummies as it is not as labor intensive. I will use the one that works best. Thank you so much for the recipe.

    I live on a fixed income and appreciate the savings and cleaner brighter clothes.

    Reply
  204. i made this recipe out came out perfect but will not dissolve in my top load washer! it is not grainy at all and is a smooth creamy texture. i followed all steps as directed

    Reply
  205. finally made this today and i didn’t have to re-do anything! what i did do is grate the soap with my food processor then use the chopping blade and work it over until it looked like coarse sand, careful not to melt it in the processor. it made melting very easy.

    i used the high btu burner on my stove and kept it at a nice boil for 13 minutes, it looked “done” after 10 but wanted to be sure and I also used a whisk and stirred it constantly after it began to boil. I continued to use the whisk when adding the dry ingredients. I did fudge and tried to use some rescued spaghetti sauce jars, unfortunately they are not full quart and did not fit my oster blender so ended up with those two jars and one small jelly jar, not a big problem as I had to dump everything into the blender to get it mixed.

    I wasn’t sure how the clean up would be so I didn’t use my Ninja, next time I will so I’ll have the extra blades. As it was it came out nice and creamy and smooth, I did have to add a little more water to thin it up, with the Ninja I might not have to but that one little blade just doesn’t cut it. I had a little of the mixture left in the pot so added water and cleaned it out and used it to do a couple of loads of laundry, the first load will be coming out of the dryer in a few.

    They looked good as I transferred them to the dryer, no residue. I did one load with fabric softener and one without just to sniff the difference. I would not add additional fragrance since the Fels Naptha already has a nice smell to it plus I do use the softener.

    Reply
  206. finally used this for 1st time. Noticed that it did not dissolve as I thought it would. I thought, close the lid and just wait.

    At the “rinse” cycle, I opened the lid and looked in, I saw a blob on the side of the wash tub, stuck on a shirt.
    Can you help me understand why this did not dissolve? I washed in top load, on warm and put it in the water and let it swish before adding any clothes…it did not dissolve (Or at least not completely).
    Thanks.
    Jo

    Reply
  207. hi, i just made my first batch. i know i added a touch too much water when i added the sauce base into the mason jar. the batch did not separate really great, i waited 5 hours to whip.

    It is too runny. I am not completely upset, it is a learning process but I was wondering if I can still use the runny mixture. It still equals two quart jars after whipping.

    The texture is only slightly grainy. What amount do you recommend using since it is runny? Thank you ahead of time.

    I read through all 19 pages and couldn’t find an answer, if I overlooked it, I apologize.:stars:

    Reply
  208. i love this stuff!!!! thank you!

    it cleans my laundry, even my sons dirty work jeans. gets out all the smells, and the best part is it makes everything so soft !

    i had seen this recipe before, but it looked so complicated. with your step-by-step pictures it was so simple and easy. i didn’t know you could put a quart jar on a blender :-).

    thanks again.

    Reply
  209. i made this sauce about a month ago. i will never go back to store bought. my daughter and i are allergic to most everything out there.

    we can both use this even though it has a gentle scent. i haven’t used a scent in years! it’s easier than it sounds to make and so much cheaper than store bought, too.

    i am sharing this recipe with many friends. thank you!!:beaverhug:

    Reply
  210. just finished whipping it all up. would not fir on my blender, so i did use the hand mixer. got a load in now.

    see how it all turns out!

    Reply
  211. :worthy: i made a batch of this incredible stuff today! this process is the result of a chemical change, so the recipe has to be followed to the letter. the key is measuring exactly, measuring everything out ahead of time, using correct sizes of everything, boiling water, and continual stirring.

    not counting the resting period, the whole process took less than a half hour. i do, however, wonder if the hardness/softness of a person’s water would affect the outcome for some. thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  212. i plan to make the lavender super laundry sauce & softener concentrate, soon. this process satisfies many needs; the need to create, save money, learn, and be productive just to name a few.

    Reply
  213. been waiting to try this several months.

    i purchased the ingredients at a publix grocery store. they were all located nearly next to each other. forgot amounts so i bought two fels-naptha bars and a box each of the borax and a&h washing soda.

    so after checking the recipe i decided to make a double batch.

    i wanted to use a pot that i would only use for non-cooking purposes. i finally found a large pot at goodwill perfect for the work. i used a simple hand held grater, old wooden spoon and broken whisk which are now dedicated for non-cooking purposes as well.

    i grated both of the bars into fine little bits. i used the whisk to stir the bits into the hot water. a little clumped on the whisk at first but it quickly dissolved.

    after the fels had finally dissolved i took it of the heat and again used the whisk to add in the washing soda/borax mixture. after it was mixed in i could feel the grittiness. i then used a wooden spoon and kept stirring until i could feel the grittiness slowly disappear.

    after pouring into 4 jars I found they were almost completely full. So I took out another jar and poured off the excess until I had 5 jars that were a little more than half. The jars were already starting to show some separation.

    I added water to jar, closed them up and turned them upside down.

    I used a blender to whip them up. However, after the first jar I was careful to loosen the the somewhat hardened lower layer. I blended all the jars and then decided to homogenize all the jars by pouring them into a large bowl and mixing them together.

    Looked like a cross between mayo and whipped cream. I then returned the mixture to the jars and ended up with 4 1/2 jars of the laundry sauce.

    I have only done one load of whites so far and can’t wait to do so more loads of laundry.

    I also did not know about the ball jar on a blender trick. Glad a kept the old blender after getting a Vitamix blender.

    Thank you for a wonderful DIY write-up.

    Reply
    • can this be used in he washers or will it be too sudsy?

      i’ve been using this for several weeks in my front load he washer. no sudsing at all.

      also, i’ve heard people complain of a musty odor with their front load washers. since i’ve been using this soap every time i open the door to the washer all i smell is a nice clean fresh scent. even after a couple of days of not doing laundry.

      this laundry soap is really great. it gets the clothes clean and fresh, is safe for my septic and is so much less expensive than store bought. i love this.

      Reply
  214. hey this turned out fantastic. we dont have fels naptha in australia so i googled the ingredients and found the closest thing to it. fyi its called sards wondersoap.

    its essentially a stain removing prewash bar of soap. i was going to use sunlight soap, but i think it might be a little basic. maybe next time.
    the result was great, put my first wash thru tonight and its clean!
    didnt flip the jars as they didnt seal well enough.

    i guess thats what u get for $2 from kmart!!
    Whipped it after only maybe an hour or two as it had well and truly separated. Cake beaters were good enough for the job.
    Loved making it, thank you so much for sharing!!

    Reply
  215. i have made this twice now and i must say, i love it. this second time around i used the food processor to grate my soap and what a difference that made, it melted super fast. i don’t use jars, i use my ninja blender. i just pour in my concoction after i combine everything and make sure it is smooth then add about a cup of water to get the full half gallon.

    let it sit for 4 hours and then whip. I use an empty coconut oil jar to store my sauce as it all fits and the jar mouth is big enough for a short tablespoon. I plan on making this stuff for several of my family members I love it so much.

    We wash a lot of clothes and this has really saved us money. I will never go back to store bought again. :2cents:

    Reply
  216. so i did follow the directions exactly. and like some others, i could never get the fels to completely melt. it 99% melted, but after 20 minutes of constant stirring, I still have around 5 chunks floating around the top.

    Finally gave up and removed them with a slotted spoon. Removed from heat, added my soda and borax (mixed together). Stirred for 15 minutes, and still gritty.

    Gave up again and poured it into the jars. They are not sitting upside down. It separated immediately, but when I turned the jar upside down the soap mixture stayed in the bottom (now the top) of the jar, and the water moved to the bottom.

    So there is an empty stripe in the middle of my jars. This is going to be interesting.

    I am certain I followed directions exactly. I am thinking that 1) the thickness of the pot can affect this, and temperature should be adjusted to account for that. My pot is obviously thicker than the one in the picture.

    2) Was this done over a gas or electric stove? Because “medium” after being turned down from “high” on an electric stove is higher than medium. With the adjustment time to get down to medium, you are actually cooking over closer to medium-high than medium.

    I hope I didn’t just waste a bunch of time…:dontknow:

    Reply
  217. i tried this today and even did 2 loads of wash with it – I am very satisfied. You can’t beat it for the price. I followed the directions carefully – the only difference is that I didn’t have to wait the 4 hours – one hour seemed more than enough for the soap layers to separate in my batch, and I was able to blend it to a smooth consistency.

    My laundry came out fresh and clean, although I had a garment with a recent tomato sauce splash on it – and it did not wash out. So I would plan to pre-treat any major stains. In the past I have used an old toothbrush with a bit of wet Fels Naptha soap to pre-treat, and I will continue to do that.

    Thanks for a great recipe!

    Reply
  218. i tried this today and even did 2 loads of wash with it – I am very satisfied. You can’t beat it for the price. I followed the directions carefully – the only difference is that I didn’t have to wait the 4 hours – one hour seemed more than enough for the soap layers to separate in my batch, and I was able to blend it to a smooth consistency.

    My laundry came out fresh and clean, although I had a garment with a recent tomato sauce splash on it – and it did not wash out. So I would plan to pre-treat any major stains. In the past I have used an old toothbrush with a bit of wet Fels Naptha soap to pre-treat, and I will continue to do that.

    Reply
  219. just made this as the directions specify. seperated nicely and the blender whipped it up very smooth.very nice idea btw. my girlfriend and i will wash clothes tomorrow.

    we can’t wait to see how this works for us.
    thank you for this laundry sauce. if it works like i’ve seen in the comments i’ll never buy retail laundry soap ever again. thank you so much!

    Reply
  220. just made my first batch of laundry sauce. it smells great and will be using it in the morning. will definitely have to label the jar.

    my husband has already picked up one of the jars saying”this looks good enough to eat”

    Reply
  221. i’m new to this site and to this “make your own” movement, so my questions may seem silly to veterans. i’ve made the super laundry sauce twice now and it turned out exactly as the pictures. i love the fresh, clean scent!

    the thing i’m having a hard time with is this. according to the package directions on each of the ingredients: 1 bar of Fels-Naptha soap cleans 16 loads, 1 cup of Borax cleans 2 loads, and 1 cup of washing soda cleans 2 loads. And this is when added with your regular detergent.

    So I’m not understanding how when all these are combined they clean 128 loads. Is there a scientific reason or something that when combined, you need less? Is it possible that you could need more?

    Some of my clothes are not getting clean and I’ve read some of the comments about needing adjustments if you have exceptionally hard water. Can you use more Borax in the recipe to further soften the water? How much more is it safe to use because I think I may need much, much more?

    :helpme::smiley-signs083:

    Reply
  222. just made my first batch of your recipe with a twist of my own …
    i had been making this in a 5 gal. bucket and using a 1/4 cup per load. I also add a bottle of “Downey sent pellets to each batch of laundry soap.

    “He who ever gets his way” doesn’t like it when his clothes don’t “smell good”
    I hope it stores well never had a problem with the other recipe exploding on me. I’m ditching the bucket for your space saving recipe. :jar:
    Thank you so much.

    Reply
  223. i love this! have made it several times, i leave a tablespoon in the jar so it is always handy, since the texture is so thick i wipe the detergent out of the spoon with a dirty sock and throw it all in. works great.

    Reply
  224. can i use my regular bleach with this laundry detergent as i do with my existing laundry detergent? you know, like i have white loads and dark loads. i use bleach with the whites and i really like to use bleach on my towels and sheets etc.

    Reply
    • Can I use my regular bleach with this laundry detergent as I do with my existing laundry detergent? You know, like I have white loads and dark loads. I use bleach with the whites and I really like to use bleach on my towels and sheets etc.

      Yes, you can use it with bleach, oxyclean, laundry softener or anything else that you would use with any other detergent. 🙂

      Reply
  225. i’m wondering about the size of the fels-naptha bar because the laundry sauce didn’t turn out exactly like mayo. was like whipped cream. currently, in 2013, the bar is 5.5 oz.

    As with pretty much everything else has the size changed lately, and if so, how many ounces does your your recipe call for?

    Reply
  226. this stuff works awesome! thank you so much liss for posting. i have also made my own pre treater spray out of this using 13 ounces hot water and 2 tablespoons mixing till dissolved then poured into a spray bottle and used it like spay and wash it worked wonders!

    Reply
  227. i made this for a gift for my mom. she was skeptical about it cleaning her clothes. she started with just towels, then a few dirtier items. now she washes my dad’s jeans with automotive grease and lots of dirt on them and they come out clean!!

    the stuff is better than any other brand i have tried Love shower

    Reply
  228. this is the second time i make this, i follow the instruction exactly but it doesn’t come out creamy. its comes out more like a paste.. any suggestions??

    Reply
  229. i got all the ingredients to make the laundry soap, i don’t have 2 qt jars though. Off to the dollar store! Hopefully I can make today and post how it turned out by the end of the week.

    I have a 6, 4 and 3 yr old….. plus hubby and me = a lot of laundry. Would love to save a few $$ on my grocery bill on laundry detergent.

    I also got the ingredients to make a “Shout” and fabric softener recipes, having problems finding the castile soap for the softener. But I will prevail. Can’t wait to use all!

    Reply
  230. i’m having problems with the detergent dissolving. unless i use hot water, there are pieces left in the washer. also, i have a he washer and using 1 tablespoon of detergent, there is soap bubbles on the door when I open it.

    My “sauce” thickened so maybe a tablespoon of it is too concentrated. I’d appreciate any help!

    Reply
  231. i am just getting ready to make my second batch and i love this recipe. i notice some color fading in some of the clothes but i do wash in hot water so that may be why. i think i would rather have the fading than pay outrageous amounts of money for laundry soap.

    i run the tablespoon under the water while the washer is filling. it eventually plunks off the spoon and slowly melts away. i even have added the clothes before it is completely dissolved and i never have a problem with residue or undissolved soap.

    thank you again for this recipe. :celebrate1:

    Reply
  232. i made a batch in the middle of august which made 2qts and a half but it turned out great. I am down to a half jar left humm big savings. I highly recommend it, it is AWESOME!!!!!

    Reply
  233. i have a friend that i’ve been selling laundry detergent to for over a year. well, she just informed me that fels naptha soap uses animal fat tallow as it’s base ingredient (she’s vegan). so, i found dr. bronner’s castille soap bars are vegetable based.

    they are more expensive than fels naptha but it’s still cheaper and healthier than store bought detergent. it came out great! some if his soaps are pre-scented (lavender, citrus, almond, rose, etc…) so i saved on adding essential oils for scent that i used in the original recip above.

    i liked it so much that i’m changing my recipe permanently. so, for others concerned about using animal fat on your clothing, dr. bronner’s is a great alternative. i bought mine on amazon in a multi-count box (12 and 6).

    It came out to about $3.75 a bar. Again, a few dollars more than Fels Naptha but worth it in my opinion. ��

    Reply
  234. for those of you interested in saving even more money..’here is a recipe for”home made washing soda”

    washing soda is no more than baking soda that is dried. drying changes it’s chemical structure and it becomes washing soda. so..

    purchase the largest bag of baking soda available at costco. dump a bunch on a cookie sheet, as much as you can without making a mess.

    bake at 400F for a half hour. You now have washing soda. For those of you that do dying of clothes,or yarn that requires soda ash, you now also have soda ash!

    Soda ash=washing soda!

    Washing soda’s price is steadily going up due to it’s increasing demand.

    Reply
  235. i tried this once and loved it the only thing i didn’t like was standind on my bd knee so long to keep stirring so this morning i tried it in my slow cooker (crock pot) it worked great it now cooling in the quart jars

    Reply
  236. i made this about a month ago and i’m in love! previously i was using the liquid form of this recipe but i thought it would be fun to try this. it is great!

    i had no problems making it, it is super smooth and i only let it sit for 3 hours. No reside on my clothes and I must say it is an oddity for my to put soap directly on my clothes since I have a front load HE washer. Thanks so much for this recipe, I am making it for christmas gifts and passing along the recipe!

    Reply
  237. i made the no cook recipe about a month ago and have been using it since. the detergent has a very delicate and light creamy mayonaise texture but it does not suds *at all*. i need to help it dissolve by squeezing thru my knuckles when the machine is full, it does not dissolve on it’s own.

    when i initially made it, i left the felsnaptha in the plastic bag to dissolve for a couple of weeks (i got busy :)). everything else was done exactly. (thank you for the blender/mason jar tip!!) why do you think it doesn’t suds or easily dissolve?

    our clothes come out smelling clean, but i don’t know if it’s actually ‘cleaning’ since there are no suds,none. can you tell me if this is what it’s suppose to be like? thank you!

    Reply
  238. i made mine and when i put it in the blender i added fabric softener for scent. it made just fine and it smells awesome so i’m guessing the fabric softener didn’t mess with the recipe

    Reply
  239. i’ve made this twice now and i love it! the only thing i noticed being strange was that i never could get the mixture from being grainy after adding the borax and arm & hammer. this past time i made it, i added more water, hoping that would help, and it didn’t.

    it doesn’t really matter, though. my laundry still comes out very clean and smelling great!! thanks for sharing!!

    Reply
  240. making my 4th batch tonight, and I have encountered an odd thing that hasn’t happened with the previous 3. I melted the FN with 4 cups of water, added 1 cup each of both powders (which were already mixed prior to adding)…stirred & stirred & stirred some more until I no longer felt the grit in the mix. Then when I went to pour this mix into the jars, I had no room for water!!!

    There was enough “mix” to reach the shoulders of both jars, and there was a small amount of mix left over! WTH?! I can see that it is starting to separate, with the gold colored liquid on bottom.

    Should I just leave them alone to cool, or???

    Reply
  241. i just made this today, it was so easy! my blender didn’t work with the mason jar but no worries i just poured the mixture into the blender carafe to blend and then poured back into jars. mine made 3qt jars!

    The first thing I did was use this detergent to work on some old stains in my carpet and hit some high traffic areas. This pulled 5yr old stains out in less than 5 minutes! I ladled a tbsp on a large stain and worked the detergent in with my fingers.

    In the high traffic dirty areas like in front of the couch, I mixed 1-2 tbsp with warm water in a 1 liter tupperware bowl, then I slowly poured the mixture over the dirty area, let sit a couple minutes. I used my steam cleaner to pull the water and detergent up and filled the water tank with warm water to rinse out the “sauce” and dirt. My steam cleaner sucked dirt out like crazy.

    I was shocked because I steam clean about once a month.

    I also steam cleaned the entire floor, I used 1 tbsp of sauce and fill the water tank with very warm water. I shook the tank to dissolve the sauce and then steam cleaned as normal. My carpet looks great and smells great too.

    Can’t wait to try this on laundry! Thanks Liss!

    Reply
  242. i have been making my own detergent for about 2 years now, but this is the first time with this recipe. I’m excited to try it tomorrow. I LOVE that it’s so concentrated.

    My other recipe was very similar; however, it made 5 gallons, took about 1 cup per load, and had to be shaken/stirred well each time before use. Needless to say, I only used it because it was so inexpensive for such a large family. I may make some for Christmas gifts for teachers and extended family!

    Reply
  243. i have a top loading washer, but it only runs the water when the lid is closed. how can i put this detergent in the washer and it still dissolve completely? should i just put the detergent on top of the clothes?

    Reply
  244. i have been using this for about 4 months, I started my 3rd batch 3 weeks ago before my father passed away. I ran out of my super sauce before I was able to finish the batch, and I used a different laundry soap from my daughters stock pile.

    My dh noticed right away and asked me why I stopped using the super sauce. he asked me to go back to making it! Thanks for the recipe Liss, it is the first time ever he has asked me to make my diy projects again!

    Oh, I finished that batch this morning (it was the no cook method) and it waited until I came back and finished. It turned out great~

    Reply
  245. i’ve made this same soap for years, and a tip i’m excited to share is to take any size crockpot.. fill approx 3/4 full of water and add your bar of Fels Naptha soap. Mine only has low and high setting options so I put mine on high overnight.

    By morning the soap is dissolved, the water/soap solution is hot enough, I add the borox and washing soda, stir a few min and voila`! easy peasy! 🙂 And yes, since the crock is a glazed stoneware type- it doesn’t hold any soapy flavors and I use it for food all the time!

    Reply
  246. i thought i read somewhere on here that epsom salt can be added? i may of dreamt it or something. if i did see it and just can’t find it can someone please tell me how much epsom salt to add.

    and those who have added essence oils for scent what do you suggest? thanks!

    Reply
  247. you can add baking soda without any issues, i use 1 cup of baking soda along with the washing powder and borax. I have never had anything explode but I store mine in a plastic gallon bucket with a lid. I do not use Fels Naptha but use handmade soap made from 100% lard and I dilute with 4 quarts of water instead of 2.

    It is still very thick and cleans just as well as the Fels Naptha version, but obviously goes farther. Also, to disperse the bubbles while melting the grated soap, use a spray bottle with rubbing alcohol…a light spritz will help disperse the suds/foam. (just be careful not to spritz on stove ring!) Also, i rarely end up with a smooth texture, i generally have it turn out grainy.

    This is probably due to the type of water we have, which can effect the way soaps perform.

    Reply
  248. there is a way to make your own washing soda out of regular baking soda (sodium bicarbonate).
    i found this at about.com, it’s a way to make your own washing soda from baking soda, might work!

    difficulty: easy
    time required: 1-2 hours
    Here’s How:

    Preheat your oven to approximately 390° – 400° Fahrenheit. (200° C)
    Pour a box (or a few cups) of baking soda (not baking powder) onto a baking sheet, and put it in the oven.
    Bake the baking soda from 30-60 minutes. I’ve seen reports of people baking it as little as 30 minutes – and people baking it as long as 2 hours.

    It doesn’t appear that over-baking it is a problem…so I’d recommend 45-60 minutes just to assure that the chemical reaction is completely complete.
    After pulling the baking sheet out of the oven and letting it cool, store the washing soda in a clearly labeled airtight container. The washing soda can “convert” back into baking soda if it’s exposed to air.

    Reply
  249. hi everyone =) i made this soap last night and it didnt go perfectly (being my 1st time I imagine) but it did work. We have washed about 6 loads of laundry with it and my clothes smell wonderful and are clean. I did eat up the rubber seal in my blender but whipped it fine with a hand mixer.

    I didnt read the no cook version which rells why my rubber seal got eaten by the blender so be sure to read that before you make this. So far i love this and will be sharing with family and friends. Thank you so much.

    Reply
  250. you recommend that the “sauce” be added to the clothes, (in the drum) for front load washers. i am curious as to how effective it can be, when the first cycle is a soak (short) cycle, not the wash (longer) cycle. can this be put in the soap dispenser for the wash cycle?

    Reply
  251. thanks! i loved the idea of having the detergent that is also a fabric softener, but i had to go to this recipe instead since my husband is allergic to anything scented! maybe someday purex will make a fragrance free version of their crystals!

    Reply
  252. i’ve made this twice now and i am so happy with how well it works. i think the fels naphtha smells pretty nice on its own, but i might try adding some essential oil to the next batch, just prior to blending.

    the first batch i made i did in the mason jars and although i have the exact same blender as the author, the gasket on mine got sucked up into the jar and chopped up. oh well, it was an old blender anyway…good excuse to get a new one. i combined everything into one big container and whipped it up with my immersion blender.

    the second batch i made, i found it easier to cut the fels naphtha up into chunks with a large knife on my cutting board. i usually keep several bars on hand and being a bit drier, it crumbled up nicely. i put that into the food processor and pulverized it (lid on and under the vent hood of the stove.) the soap powder dissolved very quickly, no problem.

    i had to leave it though and come back later. having turned off the stove, it gelled up in the pan, but melted again when i reheated it. i added a little extra water, about half a cup, then added the borax and laundry soda.

    no problems there either. i left it in the pan this time to set and came back four hours later to whip it…it was not finicky. it whipped up nicely, although a little bit thicker this time.

    then i scooped it into wide-mouth mason jars.

    i used to make and use the powder version. i never had any trouble with it dissolving either, but i prefer this version because it is more compact, easier to make and you don’t have to worry about breathing in any airborne powder (afterwards). this is basically the same way soap makers re-batch a failed soap.

    fun with chemistry! 🙂 thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  253. this is a great laundry soap…i did shortcut to the no-cook version…. what a $$$ saver…. awesome…

    thanks so much for this great site…

    Reply
  254. i’ve had trouble finding washing soda in my area, but i found a link to make your own from baking soda.turn baking soda into washing soda {#tinytiptues} – nature's Nurture : Nature's Nurture I haven’t tried this yet but when I do I’ll let everyone know how it comes out.

    Reply
  255. has any one tried adding fabric softener beads/pellets etc. to this? will it explode or is it ok?

    i know oxy clean makes it explode but. wasnt sure if i could add softener??

    Reply
  256. i love this detergent! i have a daughter, 21 y.o., who still lives at home and she has always suffered Eczema and rashes from certain detergents. We were “stuck” buying Tide because of this.

    The last time I bought Tide, it was $17!!! That is ridiculous price! I had made up the first batch and used it.

    Worked wonderful! My daughter’s cat was recuperating from an infection and couldn’t get to the litter box. I had her try the laundry sauce and she declared its the only thing that takes the cat urine smell out!

    She then tried on a small load of her clothes: no rash or itching. ( we had tried another “homemade” detergent that sent her into a flurry of itching that she couldn’t stand it.) now this is all she uses. my other two daughters want to make up batches with me so that they can know how to make it and use it for their homes.

    we also have “barn clothes” that have chick poo, mud, blood, etc. i spread a little bit like butter onto knee spot of mud/blood/poo on my jeans and washed it about an hour later. it came out.

    (i use cold water only with a front loading he machine). i am going to be making my next batch this after noon!

    we ran out and i had to use tide for hubby’s work clothes. the clothes washed in tide still had dirt and still smelled! now he is totally sold as well!

    i use a plastic measuring spoon to dispense it, then i throw it in the washer with the clothes to get any left on the spoon. (waste not!) the spoon comes out clean as do the clothes. thank you!

    Reply
  257. i saw your post of this on fb and i came to the site to check it out. i was impressed and needless to say i made my batch on new years eve. my fels soap took about 30 minutes to melt all the way and once incorporating the mixed borax and washing soda, after 15 minutes of stirring, had not incorporated all the way.

    It was grainy and getting thick, I stuck it back on the stove for about another 10 minutes re-melting it per say and it became perfectly smooth. I added it to the 2 quart jars and added the water from the tap to the shoulders, inverted and let sit for 4 hours as stated. It did gel but mine was rather large and it took a lot of blending along with breaking up the block inside the jar with a butter knife to get the mayo consistency.

    I did laundry all day on the 1st and I am impressed!!!! family has issues with allergic skin and headaches from perfumes and dyes and need less to say all free and clear while nice does not remove stains very well. i did not pretreat anything and wow!!!

    stuff is cleaner than it has been in years. it even removed set in underarm sweat and deodorant stains on my kid’s clothes that no pretreater has ever gotten out for me before.. love it and will definitely be making it from now on.

    i did 8 loads of laundry and I have a HE, I did put it in the powder detergent area and had no issues with it dissolving either. I did mash it around onto the bottom of the dispenser so it was not in big glob though. I am sold and will be trying your other recipes as soon as possible.

    Depending on cost of the castile soap, I will be making the dishwasher soap next.

    Reply
  258. i made this recipe as shown, and when i was going to blend them on the blender, i spilled the liquid out of one of them. :wall: is there anything that i can still do with the hardened white part left in the jar?

    Reply
    • What would adding glycerin do?
      I tried printing out the labels and I keep getting an error.Helpplease!

      Glycerin is generally used in recipes to adhere the ingredients together, as the recipe states, it’s not needed or necessary to use it in this recipe, it does not separate after its been whipped.

      What error are you receiving when you print? Are you going to Laundry Sauce Labels – Downloads – Budget101.com and clicking on the pink download button on the right hand side?

      Reply
  259. does anyone know if this laundry sauce is hypoallergenic? my sister would love to try this, but she has very sensitive skin, and we are worried she will have issues with it. thank you!

    Reply
  260. i found that both my local hardware store (menard’s) and wal-mart had all three ingredients in the laundry isle and all right next to each other. made my first batch today and the first load is in the washer. the only problem i had was that i only had wide mouth mason jars so my blender part did not fit on them.

    i have a braun hand blender that fits right into the jar so i was able to whip the sauce right in the jar using that. ironically i made this in my stainless steel pan that had some black marks on the bottom that no amount of scrubbing could remove and after heating and mixing all of the ingredients in it the stains are almost gone! i expect that if it could clean that pan it out to be able to get out anyting my teenage boys manage to get on their clothes!:2cents:

    Reply
  261. i found all three ingredients at both my local hardware store (menard’s) and walmart. both in the laundry isle and all three right next ro each other. made my first batch today and the first load is in the dwasher.

    the only problem i had was not being able to use the blender attachment method because i only had wide mouth mason jars. i have a braun hand blender that is designed for mixing and whipping things in jars so i used it and it worked very nicely. i like that the smell is simply a clean scent and that there are no perfumes or coloring agents in it.

    ironically, i used a stainless steel pan that had some black marks in the bottom that no amount of scrubbing could seem to remove, but after making a batch the marks are nearly gone! if it can get those marks out of my pan i can’t wait to see how it does on whatever messes my three teenage boys manage to get on their clothes!

    Reply
  262. i am a deer hunter and scent control is very important so as to not be detected by the deer. there are special laundry soaps that can be bought over the counter (very expensive, usually around $12 for about 16 loads) that have no scent and no UV brighteners that the deer can pick up on. I was wondering if this mixture would be a viable solution?

    Reply
    • I am a deer hunter and scent control is very important so as to not be detected by the deer. There are special laundry soaps that can be bought over the counter (very expensive, usually around $12 for about 16 loads) that have no scent and no UV brighteners that the deer can pick up on. I was wondering if this mixture would be a viable solution?

      Hi stan, that is a very interesting question. Dh & I both hunt and in the past I have purchased a “scent erasing” detergent- which unfortunately caused me to break out in hives. I wash ALL of clothes in my SLS, including my hunting clothes. I wash dh’s clothes in it as well. It removes ALL scent. I do find that dh likes to use either doe estrus or cedar scent pads while he’s hunting.

      I don’t, I wash my hunting clothes in the Super Laundry sauce and leave them for several days prior to use. Animals are far more sensitive than we are to scents. I’ve never had a problem getting my deer (or turkey, for that matter).

      If you’re concerned about the smell, wash a load of regular clothes and smell them. They smell clean, but without any actual “fragrance”.

      Reply
  263. ok so i just tried this out and i have to say i love it so far. i did every step of the recipe above through step 8 exactly. I didn’t have any quart jars handy but I had tons of pint jars left from canning.

    So I poured the sauce mix in my pint jars to the shoulder and put the lids on and flipped upside down. They immediately started seperating and I left th alone for 3-3.5 hrs and turned then on their side and even upside down, everything stayed. So I then poped the tops and added the blender blade and presto it turned out like you said it would.

    I have the first load in the wash now it’s all the dirtiest clothes I could gather, hubby works oilfield, I’m a corrections officer and we have a four year old tomboy. So I’ll post how out laundry turned out.

    Reply
  264. this is totally awesome! i got this from a friend on fb the other day and made a batch immediately. it does take some perfecting but i have it dialed in and it works great.

    if there are any of you out there wanting some but don’t want the bother, send me a message or reply and i’ll be happy to make some for you, scented or not.

    thank you liss for your recipe and hard work!

    terry

    Reply
  265. hi guys i just recently started using washable diapers can i use this as the detergent do you think it will get it clean enough? and my son needs hypoallergenic will this affect his skin overmuch?

    Reply
  266. this is the most awesome laundry soap in the world!! love it!! clothes are so clean and no more dingy whites!

    i make mine with a veggie oil soap as we are vegan and the only difference is i cant let it sit for too long or i have to manually break up the clump but other than that it is so easy to make! thank you!!!!!! oh the dishwaher sauce is cool too!

    definately need the rinse aid though!! but so cheap to make iy doesnt matter!!:jar::you_rock_emoticon:

    Reply
  267. i’m definitely not getting the “3-5 minutes” to dissolve the borax and soda. It doesn’t say anything about returned the pan to the heat after adding the powders, but I did. Wasn’t getting anywhere without the heat.

    20 minutes later, still grainy. Not sure what I’m missing here.
    Next time I might add the grated soap to the 4 c water before heating it. When I add the grated soap to the boiling water, it blobs up into clumps and doesn’t want to dissolve.

    Maybe I had it too hot, it’s almost like it scorched.
    Also, if I stop stirring for more than a few seconds (after adding powders), I get a “crust” on the top of dryer, grainy stuff.
    1/2 hour later and it’s still as grainy as ever. I’m definitely missing something.
    I used to make homemade laundry soap in the past but quit because I seem to be consistency-challenged!

    Reply
  268. i’m wondering if i did something wrong. i followed the directions but after i put it in the first 1 qt jar there was only enough to fill half the other 1 qt jar. I know I used 4 cups water like it said.

    And I never left it so the water didn’t boil off.

    Reply
    • Hey does anyone know if we can use the purex fels naptha or not? its the only one I can find in stores

      Purex is the company that makes fels naptha. 😉

      Reply
  269. mine it a bit clumpy. maybe i didn’t put exactly 4 cups water or my dry measuring cup was off a bit. I also still have tiny clumps but gonna try it out anyway on my towels at least. Maybe when I make my next batch it will be better.

    I know I ended up putting in in a mixing bowl and used my electric hand mixer. The parts that did get good and whipped with my blender looked like the pics or at least close to it. Like it says it can always be used as a stain remover if it’s to clumpy.

    Reply
  270. hi i’m new to the site and love the dishwasher soap!Love shower i’m going to be making this next but i was wondering if i would be able to add downy unstoppables to the recipe or would that not work. i know that you said not to add oxiclean cause it will explode. thank you

    Reply
  271. is there a formula for a soap to hand wash dishes with? my s.i.l.. can’t stand soap smells so wife can’t use them, and i can’t believe things are clean enough without some soap.

    Reply
  272. i’ll be making this today!!! thanks so much for the recipe and money saving tip! and thanks to all the great tips from member comments.

    with a 13 yr old softball player, Correction Officer hubby, and 9 yr old mischievous daughter…..I need all the laundry and money saving tips that I can get!!!! I’ll let you guys know how my “recipe” turned out. :worthy:

    Reply
  273. i tried it for the first time this last week and seems to work really well and i get a lot of grease and stuff on my cloths i am a mechanic and found that i cleans them ok but still looks like a bit of dirt but that may be from they have been that way but all in all it seems to work good and after the first week it looks like it grows crystals but does not seem to have any problems and stays creamy and i like it

    Reply
  274. i am one of those people who will try something if it looks interesting. i am also one who will say just what i think of it, if it’s good i will say so, if it’s bad i will say so. well i tried this recipe for mom’s super laundry sauce.

    and i loved it. my clothes were cleaner than ever. keep up the great work sharing recipes like this one.

    Reply
  275. i used the no-cook method and it was so easy. i made only half the recipe because i used the magic bullet and that’s all it would hold. so far so good.

    it got a heavy wine stain out of my daughters wedding dress and the clothes seem to be clean and fresh smelling. i would strongly advise using the no cook method. super ez

    Reply
  276. i’m working on the “no cook” method, have my ziplock bag w/ 2 c. of water and chopped soap on the counter. Can’t wait to try this!:jar:

    Reply
  277. last weekend, i made up two batches of laundry soap. i have a 4-sided tower type grater and used the smallest grating side. The Fels Naptha was like powder and dissolved effortlessly.

    I used my spaghetti pot so there would be plenty of room for suds creep but that wasn’t a concern for me. I ran into a problem with having large mouth canning jars and the blender step. I thought, “What if I attach one beater in my hand mixer and fit that in the jar?!

    The first jar was messy – when the beater went from solid to liquid, it sprayed out all over. The second jar, I cut up the solid section, first. This step, without a blender, would be a deterrent for a lot of folks. So, I decided to make a second batch but, this time, instead of transferring the hot soap to the jars, I poured it in my Kitchen-Aid mixer bowl and turned the mixer on to keep it blended.

    When it cooled to the consistency that it looked mayonnaise, I just spatula’ed the soap into the mason jars and went to town, looking for laundry to do! I love, love, love it! Thanks!

    Reply
  278. just made my first batch and it went really good. less than 30 minuets from start to finish to make. It’s sitting on my counter and I can’t wait to whip it up.

    So easy! Next time I will try the no-cook method.

    Reply
  279. i love your laundry soaps! i can’t wait to try it out, but i have a few questions. i’m from canada and we don’t have fels-naptha bar here, can buy on line dr. brooners bars or ivory soap, would those work?

    Reply
  280. i made this about a month and a half ago and have found it to be great! my clothes and towels are clean and they don’t have a strong smell. (prior to the “sauce” i used tide free.) i have yet to find any clumps not dissoved during the wash cycle.

    no complalints from me. :party1:

    Reply
  281. i made this for the first time today, and the finished result is very liquid-y. it’s also slightly grainy, though everything was dissolved completely. any idea what i did wrong?

    Reply
  282. i was just wondering what if i dont have massing jars but i have everything elts can i use a 2 quart plastic jug with lid to put it in

    Reply
  283. just made it! will add a bit more water next time as it is a bit thick, not sure if that is because i am using ingredients in australia and not sure if measurements for the soap are the same but its working beautifully now just have to convert my husband to using it!:party1:

    Reply
  284. at what point in the process would you suggest adding a sent? i really want to try this but would like to add some good smell to it

    Reply
  285. you have made me a diyer!! i found this recipe on facebook and thought i would give it a try. mainly because the blender blades on a mason jar blew my mind.

    any who, the first time i put it in the jars it did not separate. so back into the pot it went and i remelted and i got success! separated great!

    let it set only for about 3 hours and whipped it up. It turned out more of a butter consistency(Not mayo), but it dissolves well in my washer (my hubby is freaked because of no suds, i had to reassure him it would do the job). I think next time i will leave it on the heat (on Low) for the first few minutes that i add the borax and washing soda.

    Because I think that is why it didn’t separate is because the dry ingredients didn’t dissolve well. Overall, first batch SUCCESS! thanks for this recipe!

    Reply
  286. i have made a powdered laundry detergent for the last year and a half but when i seen your recipe i knew i had to try it. my first batch is currently cooling in jars. i am wondering if any one can tell me how much addition water they added to the jar?

    i was trying to find a jar that was wide even that i could get my hand into it etc but then i wasn’t sure the amount of water. i didn’t want it to turn out to liquidy or to thick. for all those in canada (that is where i am from) i am trying it with linda laundry bar soap today as that is what i had at home.

    it is a bigger bar though so i did alot of improvising. the one thing that i found is that i could not get it to melt completely so after a half hour i used my hand whizzer to blend it in. it looked a bit like cottage cheese so i added more water and heated it up again.

    the second time that i whizzed it it looked just like the picture above of the melted fels naptha. i will let you know how it turns out. i have my fingers crossed.

    Reply
    • Can anyone tell me if this will rid my clothes of the smell of Diesel Fuel and diesel stains?

      I washed a pair of my husbands pants and work shirt that was covered in diesel fuel and grease, he is a heavy equipment mechanic. It got out most of the stains and all of the smell. Although it did not get out all of the stains, it did get out more than what I expected.

      The pants were going to be thrown away because they were so bad. I was impressed with it.

      Reply
      • I washed a pair of my husbands pants and work shirt that was covered in diesel fuel and grease, he is a heavy equipment mechanic. It got out most of the stains and all of the smell. Although it did not get out all of the stains, it did get out more than what I expected.

        The pants were going to be thrown away because they were so bad. I was impressed with it.

        I am so happy to hear this. When my husband gets home he is generally covered in grease from head to toe basically.

        Nothing really seems to get that smell outta his clothes. thank you

        Reply
  287. hi there!!

    i was soooo excited to finally give this a try! i followed the directions as shown (or atleast i thought), reading and re-reading and inspecting the pictures thoroughly as i went…all was great…..until….there was no “separation” in my jars as they sat! i even decided to take the risk and let them sit overnight, which gave them about 11 hours “rest time” instead of the 4-5.

    Still nothin :dontknow: I went ahead and hooked my jar up to the blender and after a brief struggle, the blades of the blender got the sauce to mix. It came out smooth, with no grit and looks just like mayo ;). I tried it in a load of laundry and seemed to do ok as well.

    I think it’ll be ok, but its bugging me like crazy that it didnt separate as shown in the directions!! please help!! thx!!

    :):morechores3:

    Reply
  288. if your fels naptha soap is hard to grate, just pop it in the microwave for a few seconds and it will soften it up enough to grate easily. i have arthritis in my hands and this made it much easier. the first bar took 15 seconds to soften enough but the second bar took 30 seconds to soften.

    Don’t know why; they were bought at the same time.

    Reply
  289. well, here i am, lol. i actually found the sauce recipe on fb. glad i found this site.

    as, i’m sure, like many, i am scraping pennies lately. i am now headed to my kitchen to play a little “mad scientist”, lol. thanks to all who have contributed to this site.

    wish me luck. 🙂

    Reply
  290. i really like the label that says “mom’s laundry sauce”, but am only finding the “super laundry sauce”. is the mom one on here somewhere? thanks.

    Reply
  291. i have finally made your homemade dishwasher cream using bronners lavender scent ($10 at Marketbasket–bargain!) Last night I washed dishes with it and they came out fairly decent. Had a plate with some dark streaks but it wiped off, and a silverware piece or two that didn’t wash well–but I’ve generally experienced that sort of result with store-bought dishwasher detergent. I read through all your customer comments and finally found your own reply, Lis, stating that as long as the soap was whipped and fluffy that crystals were fine and to be expected.

    Perhaps you should add that result to your original directions to help avoid so many of the same question. That is exactly the results I received–a light-fluffy whipped product with a slight grittiness. However, as I slowly stirred in the A&H Washing soda in the beginning I, too, found it didn’t dissolve too well AND the entire jar was full to the brim with a very thick product.

    It did not separate at all when inverted nor could I even hope to shake it. I had to remove it from the container and used a Braun brand hand blender to whip it (electric blender was broken–ugh!) I am consistently reading that the washing soda doesn’t dissolve too well. It didn’t look at all like the slightly cloudy fully-liquid photo you post. I didn’t panic, just kept plugging along.

    So, for those who have wondered, I removed the product from the 1 quart jar, whipped it in a bowl till fluffy and creamy with slight grittiness, put it back in the jar and it was full to the brim with maybe a tablespoon or two over the top–which I just soaked dishes in the sink with. Hoping it remains fluffly and light when I use it again. I love making home-made cleaning agents that save me money.

    It’s the best raise I can give myself by lessening money I need to spend on items.:2cents:

    Reply
  292. i just got through making this laundry sauce. i followed the recipe exactly and it looks great. i have just used it in my first wash load.

    will let you know how it worked!

    Reply
  293. i made it, and it went really well except it seems to have been too think. i don’t know if it just wasn’t enough water?…but i used more than called for. i scooped it all out and put it in my ninja blender and voila!

    messy though. looks like soft serve ice cream, so don’t do this with little milk-shake eaters around!

    Reply
  294. i followed your directions to a t. everything was going very smoothly until i took it off the burner and added the borax and washing soda. i begin noticing little black specks and realized it had taken the finish off my new pot.

    i checked the bottom of the pot to see what kind of finish but it doesn’t say. my guess is teflon. i realize you aren’t responsible for the pot but you may want to add to your directions not to use a pot with a finish of any kind.

    are you sure this is safe for clothing?

    Reply
    • I followed your directions to a T. Everything was going very smoothly until I took it off the burner and added the borax and washing soda. I begin noticing little black specks and realized it had taken the finish off my new pot. I checked the bottom of the pot to see what kind of finish but it doesn’t say. My guess is Teflon. I realize you aren’t responsible for the pot but you may want to add to your directions not to use a pot with a finish of any kind. Are you sure this is safe for clothing?

      My pot has a teflon finish as well and I’ve made this recipe for several Years without issue.

      Reply
    • I followed your directions to a T. Everything was going very smoothly until I took it off the burner and added the borax and washing soda. I begin noticing little black specks and realized it had taken the finish off my new pot.

      I checked the bottom of the pot to see what kind of finish but it doesn’t say. My guess is Teflon. I realize you aren’t responsible for the pot but you may want to add to your directions not to use a pot with a finish of any kind.

      Are you sure this is safe for clothing?

      I actually had something similar happen to me when I recently made this. Turns out there were some specks of burned food in the bottom of the pot (hubby didn’t scrub the pot properly after he burned the potatoes in it). So your pot may have just had some bit in it too.

      And this was a teflon lined pot that I had used twice before for making soap with no problem.
      Personally, I find this laundry soap to be great. Doesn’t cause my allergies to kick in, cleans great, and is really easy on the pocketbook.
      I make this in 1/2 batches, and have made the recipe 3 times now with great results. I have a front load large capacity HE machine and have nad no problems with it dissolving.

      And I use hot, cold, or warm water, depending on what I’m washing. Clothes come out clean and fresh. I recommend this highly.

      Reply
  295. i have made this recipe twice and have had no problems with it. worked just fine. but i wanted to know if any has used it on baby clothes?

    would it be too harsh?

    Reply
  296. hi, newbe here, i made and followed all the directions exactly and my soap is really, really, thick. it works fine, just really thick. should i add some water tomit and whip again??

    Reply
  297. i was so excited to make my laundry sauce today only to finish and realize i used baking soda instead of washing soda!!! i read the above “tips and tricks” to see if there was any way my sauce could be salvaged and read tip do not use baking soda…. i am sad and disappointed in myself!

    apart from the glass possibly breaking, is here any other reason to not use baking soda? will it still be good for my laundry if i store it in a sealed plastic container so should i just discard it altogether?

    Reply
  298. hi, i did this recipe it turned out like expected no graininess at all but when i was finished with the first jar i opened the second and it was solid like wet powder…i could use it still but it started leaving residue on the clothes. is this normal and what did i do wrong i followed the recipe correctly it turned out right but after sitting in a mason jar it turned hard.

    Reply
  299. helpful information. for anyone who doesn’t can. to get your jars to keep from leaking.

    prep them to seal. soak the kids in very hot water for about 30 seconds. While you’re doing that make sure to use a paper towel or rag to wipe down the tops of the jars.

    Get any soap and residue off otherwise they will leK when you flip then. Then pop on the kids and screw your rings on. Make sure to use nice looking rings (on the inside at least) no rust or minimal rust. 🙂

    Reply
  300. I just finished making my laundry sauce. I can’t wait to use it! I added about a half a teaspoon of vanilla extract in each jar.

    So far it seemed to take away the harsh detergent smell. We will see if it gives a scent to the laundry.

    Reply
  301. i absolutely love this detergent. my clothes always smell great, my husband loves how clean they feel, and it’s so simple to make. i’ve given some to others to try and they love it as well.

    🙂 i love the price the most though! 🙂 such a great detergent! 🙂

    Reply
  302. i was excited by the simplicity of this recipe, and the high quality results. i will never buy chemical ladened laundry soaps again. i am going to make the dishwasher pellets next!:money1:

    Reply
  303. hi i’m from canada and frankly we just can’t buy fels naptha here. yes i “could” order it online, but with the cost of s&h it drives the price up.

    i am able to buy a bar of “linda” brand which from reading here & there i understand is the same or very, very close to the fels naptha
    …….. could i use this instead ?

    i’m very excited about trying your concentrated version

    thank you

    Reply
  304. wow, it worked. used sunlight as we do not have the other in south africa but it worked great. cannot wait to share with my family, great idea.

    thanks.

    Reply
  305. i tried it and it works really well the clothes feels very clean. when i use regular detergent our clothes feels slime and it feels likes there still soap on it but with this our clothes feels really clean. i will always take the time and make this.

    sending some to my mother inlaw she wants to try it.

    Reply
    • Is fels naptha like velvet or sard? I live in Australia and haven’t seen it.

      Yes Tanny, it’s like SARD. (or so my Aussie friends have told me!)

      Reply
  306. so i am trying this out, and so far the process went well. i aam separating in the jars right now, however there’s not as much yellow liquid as there is solid. i only have about 2 inches of liquid, and the rest is the solid.

    Is that fine, or do I need to add more water and reheat?

    Reply
  307. two questions:

    1) Can you add a scent like a little perfume or an essential oil?

    2) Can you cut the recipe in half and have it still work out?

    Reply
  308. i have made this and love it. i only wish the dishwasher recipe would turn out as good. it has failed me 3 times…

    Any suggestions? Should I add glycerin?

    Reply
  309. So I made this today! I haven’t tried washing with it yet cause I just finished it. I don’t know what I did different other than straining out the skimmy solids and putting the liquid into a bowl and then mixing in my powders with a whisk, but it didn’t separate.

    It just starting getting mousse-y LOL So I skipped the waiting for 4 hours, added some essential oil for scent, and used my hand mixer. Wala! Perfect consistency, not quite as solid as mayo, no grit texture at all (I rubbed some between my fingers).

    Reply
  310. i made this today, but mine starting getting a mousse texture when i was adding the powders, so i skipped the flipping and waiting 4 hours and went ahead and used my hand mixer. It came out great, no grit. Added some essential oils for scent.

    Getting ready to try it out! Thanks for posting 🙂

    Reply
  311. i have hard water and a softener. can i use softened water to make this laundry sauce or do i need to use bottled distilled?

    Reply
  312. hi,

    my 2 quart jars have been sitting now for 3 hours and they haven’t separated at all. It looks the same as it did when I first put them in, except the white part on top (when the jar is sitting upside down), it has little holes in it and it looks dry. I followed each and every step correctly, I didn’t skip anything, I did everything I was supposed to.

    And when I put them the stuff into the jars everything looked and it looked the same way as the pictures did…. What did I do wrong?

    Reply
  313. mine didn’t separate properly and i followedeach and every step correctly. it now is mousse-y with little holes and it it looks dry. what do i need to do?

    Reply
  314. hey there! so i tried this today and it’s great, but i made a few changes because i didn’t have and could not find some materials. i also did some calculations and estimates, and ended up with the same creamy soap.

    thank you for the recipe! here are some pointers with what ended up as 7.5 cups (just under 2 liters) of the soap:
    CHALLENGE: Nowhere could I find mason jars or washing soda in my city. So I had to 1) Make washing soda from baking soda by baking it at 400 degrees for about 1 hr and 30 mins (be sure to stir every 30 mins or so); 2) Calculate how to make almost 2 liters of the soap with no mason jars.
    RESULT: I came up with the same soap, still creamy and light, and used a ninja blender with a 7.75 cup capacity.

    The rest of the recipe was the same.

    Here’s what I did:
    1) Follow the recipe to a “T” until the mason jar step. Make sure you have a blender with a capacity of at least 8 cups. Put the blade in/on the pitcher.

    Pour the mixture from the stove into the pitcher. (This should be about 5 cups of liquid material.)
    2) Add enough water to fill the pitcher with 7.5 cups of the mixture. (I added 2.5 cups.) Use only filtered water.
    3) Put the lid on the pitcher and let it sit, as the recipe says.
    4) After a few hours (4), scrape down the sides of the pitcher with a butter knife.

    If you want to add essential oils, add them now.
    5) Blend the mixture in small bursts. Once the center mass starts to blend, you can blend in longer bursts.
    6) Spoon into your container. (I just used another pitcher.)
    REMINDER: In the end you will end up with 7.5 cups (just under 2 quarts) of soap.

    Use as directed by the blog above.

    I decided to make this as a boost to my regular washing of doggy pads. I have 4 rescue pups at the moment, and I wash the pads every week about 3x a week. I decided to invest in this so I could use less baking soda and borax, and no shmancy detergent at all.

    If it works well (which it does so far!) I will use it on all my clothes once I finish my store bought discount soap. Very easy to make. So far I have washed one towel that had doggy pee on it (from a recent rescue pup who is still being trained) and a doggy pad that is used regularly by 3 doggy ladies.

    They have done well with the addition of a few tablespoons of baking soda to the wash along with 2 large servings of this detergent. In the end, this recipe will help me save on both detergent and baking soda, which I have had to buy in bulk. Thank you so much for the recipe!

    I will be ordering bars of fels-naptha for sure now, since they are hard to find as well around here!
    Hope this helps!

    Reply
  315. thank you for sharing this! i can’t wait to try it. i will also take a look at the no cook recipe.

    it all adds up!:2cents:

    Reply
  316. so..is the bar soap for fragrance? can i omit that..because i use the scentsy washer whiffs for scent..or is in there for cleaning purposes as well

    Reply
  317. things i learned making 4 batched of laundry sauce

    1. Batch one.. no jars suitable for blender, and lids leaked.

    Turning upside down not an option and it all worked out.

    2. Batch two: The “add water until so high” is about 3/4 cup each jar. Again, works great.

    3. Batch three: Don’t try to help the melting of the Fels Naptha along by inserting infusion blender into the batch while cooking. Sooooo many suds.

    Soooo much time to get them down.

    4. Batch four: Why not go crazy? I added the “later” water to the cooking water, for a total of 5.5 cups.

    Cooked it all together, took it off the heat. When cool, blended all of it together in one large container. Did not separate into 2 batches, did not add water later, did not turn over a jar.

    And it was the same consistancy and it is still cleaning work clothes like a charm. So many steps eliminated.

    Reply
  318. “so..is the bar soap for fragrance? can i omit that..because i use the scentsy washer whiffs for scent..or is in there for cleaning purposes as well”

    eeeek! it’s the main cleaning ingredient, more or less.

    Reply
  319. thank you so much for this great recipe! we absolutely love it. i will never buy laundry soap again!

    i did make it with a sunlight bar the first time as it’s all i could find in canada. found it worked great but my mother-in-law travels to the us in the winter. she has gotten me 4 bars of Fels Naptha.

    I know you can get it online but I don’t want to get into that or the cost of shipping. For any skeptics of this laundry soaps effectiveness don’t be. It works fantastic!

    Honestly I can’t believe how good it works, how easy it is to make and how cost effective! It’s fun to make and you get such satisfactions out of it. I feel like a kid in class cheating!

    so thank you, thank you!!!

    Reply
    • Does it matter If you use the Fels-Naptha made by Dial or the one made by Purex?

      Purex and Dial are owned by the same corporation

      Reply
  320. got all the ingredients today and plan on making it…. cant wait to start saving all the money i used to spend on laundry soap.

    Reply
  321. i made this last week and it works freaking awesome even my wife that is really picky about laundry detergents likes it. the jars i used do not fit my blender so i tried a hand mixer and a bowl for the first jar which i do not recommend, it made my mix look like whip cream, very fluffy and it felt like the ingredients did not dissolve well. for the second jar i used the blender and it came out just right so i did the same with the other jar and it came out right as well.

    i tried it in my clothes first which are the dirtiest and i was amazed by the results. this will save me some money since we are a family of seven and we were spending a lot of money in laundry soap.

    Reply
    • I made this last week and it works freaking awesome even my wife that is really picky about laundry detergents likes it. The jars i used do not fit my blender so i tried a hand mixer and a bowl for the first jar which i do not recommend, it made my mix look like whip cream, very fluffy and it felt like the ingredients did not dissolve well. For the second jar i used the blender and it came out just right so i did the same with the other jar and it came out right as well.

      I tried it in my clothes first which are the dirtiest and i was amazed by the results. This will save me some money since we are a family of seven and we were spending a lot of money in laundry soap.

      I am making this right now and I think I messed up I think its to thick and don’t know what to do I have it in the jars upside down but its like jello right now

      Reply
  322. i am making this right now and need help if you can help please look me up on facebook and message me sarah crouch chester, virginia im wearing an orange shirt i have short hair and glasses in my picture please contact me even if you see this and it’s a different day really need help

    Reply
  323. i was wondering about adding tea tree oil into this mixture for it’s disinfectant properties. if it is ok to do this, please tell me how much i should use, when i should add it, etc. thank you so much!

    Reply
    • Why does this have to be stored in mason jars? i dont have them on hand cant i just store in something else?

      it doesn’t have to be stored in mason jars. it’s just really easy to attach them to a blender to whip up the sauce.

      if you don’t have mason jars, let the soap set in whatever you do have. then whip it up and store it in a sealed container you have on hand.

      Reply
  324. made it … love it … will never waste money to support name brand companies on worthless crap ever again (well laundry detergent wise anyway lol).

    my experience: first off i did all of this with the help & assistance of my 10 yr old son and he had a blast! Honestly, he asked me if he could try the next batch all by himself and I am confident that he could do it. It’s really that easy!

    The prep was obviously easy, but we followed to a tee. Started water and measured and chopped Fels while waiting for it to boil.

    We did not grate the Fels because I was not excited about washing it off the grater, so we just diced it up into small pieces (almost shaved). Took 10 min to dissolve completely, we referred to the picture a few times to compare sud levels. A slow rolling boil is what we did and it was perfection!

    Added (kind of slowly) the powder mixture. In 5 minutes, there was no grit at all and it was completely mixed.

    I wasn’t sure whether to add hot or cold water (assuming it didn’t matter and erring on the side of caution, I added warm water lol). flipped upside down. one kind of separated, one did not at all but it did gel up.

    i went on with the process.

    cut it into pieces inside the jar. blended it all up till it looked like mayo and bada bing … laundry sauce!!

    *i say bada bing but i did have some issues blending. only because the blender i bought from good will clearly didn’t have enough juice left in it and the lack of liquid from it not separating was jamming it up. put it in my regular blender though and bada bing …

    laundry sauce.*

    it seems to be working fine, but after reading comments if that happens on my next batch i will just reheat it so it separates correctly.

    i highly recommend this to people, have posted an album on fb for my new found desire to put a little effort into the things i am using in my home, & the best part is by involving my son he is learning and trying to think of ways we can save money and do cool things at the same time now!!!! big win in my book!

    Reply
  325. is it supposed to get all sudsy in the washing machine like the store bought soap? mine didn’t. …did i do something wrong?

    i followed recipe exactly only mine didn’t separate completely like yours but the texture isn’t grainy.

    Reply
  326. please tell me the radio of the water to use .is this to one bar of soap or halves? tell me if now what i should do.i put 2 cups of water to 1/2 bar of soap in to a plastic bag..i have made just one bag so far.i then put another two cups of water to 1/2 cup of both soaps.i then mix it up in my blender.it made one qt and a half pint.it looks like the mayonnaise in the picture.what is the separation of the mixture come in at?if this is not correct-what can I do if it is not to late to try and salvage what I have done?thank you–jane white:worthy:

    this is the dummie laundry homemade soap

    Reply
    • Half bar to 1 qt. Jar with 1 1/2 hot water. Let set over night.

      1/2 cup each of washing soda & borax. Put enough hot water to fill jar 1 inch from top. Then put mixer bottom on jar & mix.

      You are done.

      Reply
  327. i have been using this for over a year!!!! i love it. i busted my blender so i just scrape it of and use my mixer.

    works great. i also keep mine in a plastic bowl with lid. much easier than trying to get your hand in the jar to get the last of it.

    Reply
    • I have been using this for over a year!!!! I love it. I busted my blender so I just scrape it of and use my mixer.

      Works great. I also keep mine in a plastic bowl with lid. Much easier than trying to get your hand in the jar to get the last of it.

      i was looking for a long-handled measuring spoon (tbsp) online…then i had the idea of taking a regular tbsp and duct-taping a large craft stick to the handle (the handle on my tbsp is just about the same width as the craft stick).

      voila – it’s the perfect length for the jars. just thought i’d share, maybe it will help someone out. 🙂

      Reply
  328. this recipe seems cool and less messy then the one i use. i make three gallons and have had it for ever but very messy when moving it to a smaller bottle

    Reply
  329. a couple of things i learned. this is my first try and the jars are sitting and separating as i write.

    1. don’t remove from heat to fill the jars. it starts to coagulate.

    2. you must keep it at a boil. it will start to coagulate.

    3. don’t let a lot of the soda/borax mixture slide into the liquid at once. it will settle to the bottom and stick.

    (yes, while you’re stirring it.)

    3. use the rings and dome lids…not the white plastic tops…don’t ask how i know this.

    i’m excited to do my first laundry load! *bump*

    Reply
    • And that’s just the initial purchase…you’ll get several loads out of the Borax and the Super Washing Soda. The only expense you’ll have for the next several loads is the Fels Naptha (and look around for that; in my area it ranges from $.97 to over $2.00 per bar)!

      Reply
  330. just mixed up my first batch! now i will wait patiently for four hours until i can whip it…. who am i kidding?

    i’ll most likely watch it like it’s an ant farm until then. anyway, crossing my fingers and hoping i followed directions correctly!

    Reply
  331. i am going to try this out one day this week….what we paid for everything is what we would normally spend on two bottles of laundry soap…..i can’t wait to try this i am so super excited 🙂

    Reply
  332. just made up my first batch of mom’s super laundry sauce…am excited to try it …and also the “”no cook” recipe 🙂

    Reply
  333. has anyone had problems with towels not being very absorbant after using this soap? i’m wondering if i’m doing something wrong. other than that, the soap is great!

    Reply
  334. a couple things… i’m just about to use up my first batch. love it!

    someone asked about towels not being as absorbent. i found that mine actually got better with this laundry soap! don’t use too much, and i wash my towels in hot water.

    i read something somewhere in all the posts about using an immersion blender. i want to try this when i make my next batch. anyone who can give me some pointers?

    lastly – someone else said something about not using the white plastic lids. that’s how i stored my first batch and had no issues.

    Reply
  335. what a great idea and savings! unfortunately my store does not carry any of these ingredients so i just used the links and ordered on amazon along with the quart jars and i even found a long handled tablespoon! easy peasy!

    thanx! :party1:

    Reply
  336. love this stuff! this is my second time i’ve made the recipe. i always double it.

    a few things i’ve noticed (based on my experience):

    1. When I flip the mason jars and blend it, only about 1/3 of the mixture at the bottom whips. It turns out to be a *messy nightmare* even if you cut into the mixture to try to get everything to blend or scoop mixed mixture out, blend more, take out, blend more, get it all back in the jar etc…

    so…tip: Do the entire recipe as stated originally EXCEPT use 2 1 pint mason jars instead of one. Reason: I feel that the recipe fills up the jar too high, and then I’m not able to add much water at the end before the separation process. If you use two mason jars instead of one, you can add a bit more water. It gives the blender enough space to blend everything and a less messy experience.

    Might be best to try the 2 mason jar trick on your second go round so you can see how much water you might need.

    2. Wear gloves. I did this whole thing w/o gloves and originally was a very messy experience b/c of the blending nightmare (taking some of the whipped mixture out, then blending more, then taking more out, then blending more etc). My hands feel dry and whenever I get them wet they still feel soapy!

    Gloves will keep your digits gorgeous.

    So far, that’s all I can recommend! Love the original smell, my sheets and clothes have never been cleaner, and I rarely use fabric softener since everything comes out so soft!

    Reply
  337. made my second batch today! been very happy with the results of this and it was super easy to make! quick question–what is the purpose of turning the jars upsidedown?

    i don’t have any mason jars. i have been using my 1.1 quart size Lock & Lock containers, easier to scoop detergent out of once made. I end up making a mess with the liquid that splashes out when I turn them back over to dump the stuff in the blender.

    Does the container have to be turned upsidedown? Thanks!

    Reply
  338. made my second batch today! super easy and i’ve been very happy with the laundry. quick question- is it necessary to turn the container upsidedown?

    i don’t have any mason jars, i use my 1.1 quart Lock & Lock containers instead and make a huge mess from the liquid that splashes out as I’m transferring to the blender. Thanks!

    Reply
  339. i made a mistake! i have used this recipe multiple times yet i forgot to add the water at top of jar before closing, sitting upside down, and whipping. what should i do?!

    i hate to wait all i used and did :/

    Reply
  340. i just joined and made this…now i am just waiting for the 4-5 hours to pass. but I didn’t have any qt jars like I thougt…only pint. what can I do to fix this?

    if anything

    Reply
    • I just joined and made this…now I am just waiting for the 4-5 hours to pass. but I didn’t have any qt jars like I thougt…only pint. what can I do to fix this?

      if anything

      update: I just tossed my first batch & bought qt jars. and just threw in a load of laundry. My soap was a little gritty but not too bad.

      However, the consistency was more whipped butter than mayo…did I mess up??

      Reply
  341. i need help. my jars don’t fit on my blender. i have a nutribullet but have been unable to find 1 qt cups for it.

    Does anyone have any suggestions? If I I might have to break down and buy a hand mixer.

    Reply
  342. can i use this detergent if i have sensitive skin? i usually have to buy free and clear detergents otherwise i get hives.

    Reply
  343. i made a batch today and just realized – i used baking soda instead of washing soda. aaaaaaaack!!!
    is there anyway to salvage it? i hate to toss it.

    i’m a derp.:shame:

    Reply
  344. ok… i posted this but had not done my profile yet and i can’t find my post and am not sure if the profile has anything to do with that but here goes again lol, i am brand new to the site, found the laundry sauce recipe and would like to give it a go, just curious about the blender to use? can i use my food processor?

    it’s just soap right? i t will come out of the processor right? thanx for any and all help/advice 🙂

    scarlettfeather

    Reply
  345. love this recipe. used sunlight laundry bar soap instead of the naptha, couldn;t find it here and the sunlight is a family favourite. found my clothes are actually softer, i love this recipe easy and effective.

    and very budget friendly. only problem i want to five some to family but am afraid they will like it as much as i do then i’m cooking laundry soap for the whole family. love it love it love it.

    looking forward to trying more recipes, next sunscreen

    Reply
  346. hi , have used your soap recopy for one and a half months, gradually increasing the amount used as i see zero suds, none at all.
    recipe coming out right , adding soap as water is filling. point: we have extremely hard water here. stains still not coming out.

    any suggestions. does anyone one else not see soap suds? is that ok?

    please help….

    Reply
    • hi , have used your soap recopy for one and a half months, gradually increasing the amount used as i see zero suds, none at all.
      recipe coming out right , adding soap as water is filling. point: we have extremely hard water here. stains still not coming out.

      any suggestions. does anyone one else not see soap suds? is that ok?

      please help….

      this is a non-sudsing soap. it still works without any soap bubbles. there are additives in store-bought detergents that create suds, but they really serve no purpose.

      as for the hard water, i’ll have to let that up to someone else, as i don’t have that issue here.

      Reply
      • This is a non-sudsing soap. It still works without any soap bubbles. There are additives in store-bought detergents that create suds, but they really serve no purpose.

        As for the hard water, I’ll have to let that up to someone else, as I don’t have that issue here.

        I’m not seeing suds but everything else seems right…except I let my jar sit over night not just 4-6 hrs. (Only bc I fell asleep). I’m glad you posted I thought I ruined it.

        My first batch is in the washer right now!!

        Reply
  347. what kind of blender do you use? the bottom of mine does not screw onto my jar, and it makes an absolute mess when i try to flip it on to the blender. i will try my hand mixer, but i love the idea of the blender!

    suggestions?

    Reply
    • What kind of blender do you use? The bottom of mine does not screw onto my jar, and it makes an absolute mess when I try to flip it on to the blender. I will try my hand mixer, but I love the idea of the blender!

      Suggestions?

      I just bought an oster beehive to use on mason jars and it worked like a charm.

      Reply
  348. i am a naturalist on a mission! i found this recipe and was ecstatic! i have been using the traditional natural laundry recipes (which are great but left me desiring a little more from my soaps).

    i whipped up some of this last night and just did my first load with it today. it works wonders! i made my own borax powder from organic baking soda (hoping my mason jars won’t explode lol).

    i also used all natural castile soap which i bought on etsy from a sweet homemaker. my laundry routine now consists of this laundry soap, vinegar for fabric softener, and wool balls in my dryer (these are all natural dryer aids that reduce static and cut down on dryer time massively, can we say cha-ching $$$). for those of you having a hard time finding the ingredients in this recipe etsy.com and mountainroseherbs.com are two amazing websites full of organic and home-made goodness.

    you can find essential oils, borax powder, baking soda, washing soda, all-natural soaps, and so much more! these are good companies who care about you and our planet! i can’t tell you how grateful i am for this recipe, thank you!

    Reply
  349. love this recipe, i’ve used the powder version for years but i think i like this better. however, there is no way this recipe is doing 128 loads of laundry!! And, yes, I’m only using one tablespoon per load.

    I have 4 kids so I’m always doing laundry. I’m actually tallying the number of loads per jar and I’m half way thru one jar and only up to 15 loads. Anyone else??

    Reply
    • Love this recipe, I’ve used the powder version for years but I think I like this better. However, there is NO way this recipe is doing 128 loads of laundry!! And, yes, I’m only using one tablespoon per load.

      I have 4 kids so I’m always doing laundry. I’m actually tallying the number of loads per jar and I’m half way thru one jar and only up to 15 loads. Anyone else??

      There are 64 Tbsp per quart…

      so, you must be using way more than that per load.

      Reply
  350. i’m not comfortable with some ingredients in fels-naptha. would this recipe work with dr. bronners bar castile soap instead?

    Reply
    • I’m not comfortable with some ingredients in Fels-Naptha. Would this recipe work with Dr. Bronners bar Castile soap instead?

      you can try it, but it doesn’t whip the same and doesn’t have half the cleaning ability.

      Reply
  351. i have made this soap now three times and i totally love it. our clothing is cleaner and there is no soap residue, so they are brighter as well. i have one issue that i am not able to figure out what to do with it.

    it seems as though this soap makes my towels non absorbent. anyone know how to counter act that?

    Reply
  352. i love this stuff!! used my enamel coated cast iron dutch oven and everything melted and mixed perfectly in the minimal times! used my magic bullet blender and cups that go on it to let it setup and blend instead of a regular blender and mason jars and it whipped it perfect!

    then for storage…appropriately marked an old mayonnaise jar (the big one) to store it in! my kids love the smell of the laundry and i started making my own reusable dryer sheets by soaking wash clothes in fabric softener and letting them dry…i use them about 10 times per soak each and it’s reduced the cost of dryer sheets and I still get the name brand scents I love! Love saving money!!!!

    Reply
  353. i love this stuff!! used my enamel coated cast iron dutch oven and everything melted and mixed perfectly in the minimal times! used my magic bullet blender and cups that go on it to let it setup and blend instead of a regular blender and mason jars and it whipped it perfect!

    then for storage…appropriately marked an old mayonnaise jar (the big one) to store it in! my kids love the smell of the laundry and i started making my own reusable dryer sheets by soaking wash clothes in fabric softener and letting them dry…i use them about 10 times per soak each and it’s reduced the cost of dryer sheets and I still get the name brand scents I love! Love saving money!!!!

    Reply
  354. i am getting ready to make my second batch of the laundry sauce. i love this stuff! clothes feel cleaner and smell great.

    Reply
  355. hello! just became a registered user and i love the site. just one question.

    has anyone ever used dr. bronners castile soap in this recipe? i’m a big fan of dr. bronners and use it for many things, including another recipe for laundry detergent. should i play the guinea pig and try it if no one else has or does anyone have any firsthand disaster stories that would dissuade me from trying it out?

    i appreciate your thoughts and input!

    Reply
  356. yeahhhhh finally something that works!!!!! my family have sensitive skin and the “free and clear” stuff you buy in my opinion don’t work worth beans. my husband hate’s when his cloths smell not matter what the smell good or bad and this leave your cloths smelling well fresh without the scent..

    if that make any sense my hubby didnt even know i switched. highly recommended

    Reply
    • I am so excited to try this recipe!! Thanks for sharing!!

      I think if you make it for your dishwasher just leave out the bar of soap (still keep the borax and washing soda [cup of each]) but add 1/4 cup Epson salt and add vinegar or lemon this is suppose to work great 1 to 2 tablespoon per load of dishes. I have mixed my borax and washing soda 1 cup of each in a ziplock bag together so they are quick and ready to go going to do the same with the powder soap from the bar soap. so It will be quick and less mess .

      Reply
  357. i tried it and so far it works great. the true test will be tomorrow when my husband comes home from his drilling rig and i start washing his clothes.

    Reply
    • Maggie Here is one
      homemade dishwasher pellets (found on this site)
      Small Batch Test Version Recipe:
      1 Cup Borax
      1 Cup Washing Soda
      1/4 Cup Epsom Salt
      Lemon Juice (just enough to wet the ingredients to get them to stick) follow the same instructions!
      for a dry powder mix this is found on this site

      But I was thinking of a liquid kind thought it maybe cheaper by doing the same as laundry ( with the hot and cold gals of water) just leaving out the bar soap and adding the esposm salts

      Reply
    • sure any thing will do it may separate a bit if you do not blend but I do not blend just mix really well and have really cold water. (Cooling make it thicker and some separation may occur then but no worry )

      Reply
  358. all,
    i recently made the laundry sauce and after i grated the bar of soap i used a whisk to constantly stir in boiling water and when i add the other two items i also use the whisk and it dissolves in no time. i also have a gas stove, i make sure the water is boiling and i prepare every thing before starting then just dump and constantly stir, since every thing melted so fast i had enough to fill 3 qt jar’s half full then add water and after mixing in blender it turned out exactly like the one pictured. and this stuff is awesome, gets out every thing and we have 5 kiddos and two are boys.

    Reply
    • All,
      I recently made the laundry sauce and after i grated the bar of soap i used a whisk to constantly stir in boiling water and when i add the other two items i also use the whisk and it dissolves in no time. i also have a gas stove, i make sure the water is boiling and i prepare every thing before starting then just dump and constantly stir, since every thing melted so fast i had enough to fill 3 qt jar’s half full then add water and after mixing in blender it turned out exactly like the one pictured. and this stuff is awesome, gets out every thing and we have 5 kiddos and two are boys.

      🙂

      I always use a wisk & constantly stirring mine too but Even boiling the whole time it takes forever to melt and still can’t ever get the fels naphtha to dissolve completely. Why? And it also seems to coat the bottom of the pan while I’m stirring.

      This happens everytime I make it but soap still works great in the end. Also i notice with in a couple days after making it, I have to add more water & reblend because it doesn’t seem to stay creamy it kinda hardens.??

      Reply
      • I always use a wisk & constantly stirring mine too but Even boiling the whole time it takes forever to melt and still can’t ever get the fels naphtha to dissolve completely. Why? And it also seems to coat the bottom of the pan while I’m stirring.

        This happens everytime I make it but soap still works great in the end. Also i notice with in a couple days after making it, I have to add more water & reblend because it doesn’t seem to stay creamy it kinda hardens.??

        I’ve had the same problem with 3 attempts…boil everything to just below foaming, and the Fels never fully dissolves, it just seems to stick to the bottom of the pan. Then I tried the no cook version, and I love it!!! just don’t shake up the no cook version while it’s sitting; it hardens with too much volume, and then you can’t get enough water in it to mix it up right.

        Reply
  359. would love to try this but i have super-sensitive skin and can only use three laundry detergents. can i use this with out breaking out?

    Reply
  360. i absolutely love this recipe. now my daughter is even hooked. it cleaned & removed odors from her stinky work out cloths.

    winner winner chicken dinner.

    Reply
  361. hi, i am wanting to try this, but so far have been unable to find fels naptha here in australia, just wondering where other australians have sourced theirs or if sunlight laundry soap is able to be used instead as the ingredients look similar.

    Reply
    • I have used sunlight but have also used many other kinds and no name brands and it turned out just fine, just put them thru the blender and use about 1 cup of this powder bar soup. sunlight is softer so it just took a bit longer for it to melt for me but turned out wonderful!

      Reply
  362. i was so excited, when i saw this recipe. i made it exactly as it is laid out here, in the exact measurements, however, it does not work. that white part, in the picture, looked exactly like my jars did, but it is so solid, you have to cut it up with a knife.

    i had to stick a butter knife up into the jars to cut the solid and release it from the sides of the jar, to dump them out of the jar, and into a mixing bowl. then i whipped it with a mixer, and the texture did result in the consistency of mayonnaise. i used 1 tablespoon in a small load for testing, and the clothes did not come out clean.

    Ran it again, with 1/4 cup of the stuff and they were a little better, but still not clean. Test clothes were dirty socks and dirty smelly dish rags. Came out with a slight original odor and not clean.

    Sorry, but this does not work. I had to wash the load a 3rd time, with my store bought stuff. Very sadly disappointed.

    Reply
  363. mine turns out like mayo as well but works get . 1 gal hot water in pot boiling add 1 bar soap grated stir till melted then I add 1 cup borax and 1 cup washing soda (has to be washing soda not just soda) stir very well until mixed then add 1 gal cold water. Mix well and I pour into containers and use 1 tablespoon works well.

    So sorry it did not work for you

    Reply
  364. i just made my first batch of laundry sauce. it was just slightly gritty i whipped it. very easy recipe.

    i will post later the results of my first load.

    Reply
  365. hi i’m new to this site, & glad i found you! i’ve been trying to find this recipe (i’ve made it before & lost it), so thank you!

    Reply
    • Hi I’m new to this site, & glad I found you! I’ve been trying to find this recipe (I’ve made it before & lost it), so thank you!

      We have a small town, but two Walmart’s. The one didn’t have the Arm/Hammer box. The second one did.

      I’d also try Walmart or a big grocer.

      Reply
  366. wow. several things to say about this amazing recipe (all positive).

    1: Super fantastic instructions, thank you. Worked perfectly!

    2: I have had super stinky towels for years. We can’t use anything with artificial scent, so we use an all natural unscented laundry detergent. We’ve used this for the last nine years because when I tried to switch to another all natural unscented brand, my daughter broke out with a terrible case of eczema, so I was afraid to change.

    I’ve tried every natural thing I’ve read about to make our towels not stink, including hot water cycles with soak, extra rinse, and everything else extra long cycles. Nothing has ever, ever worked. I was a little afraid because the bar has a small amount of unnatural scent, but it was small and mixed with other scentless ingredients, so I thought I’d give it a go.

    My towels smell clean for the first time in YEARS!!! I actually don’t mind using them!

    3: This is super cheap to make. Talk about cost effective.

    You are a goddess! https://www.budget101.com/images/smilies/worthy.gif

    Thank you sooooo much!!

    Reply
  367. OPTIPHEN PLUS (BETTER THAN REGULAR OPTPHEN) Paraben/Formaldehyde free….Yes, this needs a Preservative!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This Can be found on EBAY….Or you can go to Brambleberry.com to buy Optiphen-ND
    Ok, I have been finding out that ANYTHING made with Water, that needs Long storage, will be needing a preservative. From my understanding, Homemade Lotion made with a mixture of water, and oils, needs a preservative, so why wouldn’t this Laundry Sauce need a preservative? For that matter, whenever you make DIY Liquid Soap, its strongly recommended that ALL liquid soap that will be sitting around any longer than 1 week, NEEDS a preservative. Ugly bacteria can grow, mold and other nasty that can get your family sick. And if you say, “well the washing machine will sanitize the clothes with the high heat”-Well, My answer to that is this..that YOU are important TOO…and just sticking your spoon into the Laundry Sauce, where mold can be, if ANY of it gets on your skin, while you are placing it into the machine, you are setting yourself up to get really SICK!!
    Also, On BrambleBerry:

    Optiphen ND | Bramble Berry® Soap Making Supplies

    Optiphen ND is a preservative of the optiphen family. It’s a very mild, broad spectrum preservative consisting of phenoxyethanol, benzoic acid, and dehydroacetic acid. Completely paraben and formaldahyde free. This preservative works best in surfactant based systems, shampoos, conditioners, gels, creams, and lotions. It’s meant for use in products that contain water. For Optiphen ND to be fully effective the pH of your final product should be below 6 and it should be added to your product at temperatures below 176°F. Recommended usage rate is 1%.

    Reply
  368. i will try this recipe soon. i like the idea of having just a small amount of soap to store instead of the large amount other recipes make using so much more water.

    Reply
  369. i have tried to post this about additives and or preservatives many times and it seems to never post…so, i am trying again….so, if this is a repeat post, i am not trying to repeat posts…but, this information is super important so that nobody get sick…………..optiphen plus (better than regular optphen) paraben/formaldehyde free….yes, this needs a preservative!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    this can be found on ebay….or you can go to brambleberry.com to buy optiphen-nd
    ok, i have been finding out that anything made with water, that needs long storage, will be needing a preservative. from my understanding, homemade lotion made with a mixture of water, and oils, needs a preservative, so why wouldn’t this laundry sauce need a preservative? for that matter, whenever you make diy liquid soap, its strongly recommended that all liquid soap that will be sitting around any longer than 1 week, needs a preservative.

    ugly bacteria can grow, mold and other nasty that can get your family sick. and if you say, “well the washing machine will sanitize the clothes with the high heat”-well, my answer to that is this..that you are important too…and just sticking your spoon into the laundry sauce, where mold can be, if any of it gets on your skin, while you are placing it into the machine, you are setting yourself up to get really sick!!
    also, on brambleberry:

    Optiphen nd | bramble berry® soap making supplies

    optiphen nd is a preservative of the optiphen family. it’s a very mild, broad spectrum preservative consisting of phenoxyethanol, benzoic acid, and dehydroacetic acid. completely paraben and formaldahyde free.

    this preservative works best in surfactant based systems, shampoos, conditioners, gels, creams, and lotions. it’s meant for use in products that contain water. for optiphen nd to be fully effective the ph of your final product should be below 6 and it should be added to your product at temperatures below 176°F.

    Recommended usage rate is 1%.

    Reply
  370. my husband went out today and bought the ingredients. i am going to start making this tonight. thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
  371. ok i tried, i failed. i read and followed all instructions but ended up with ricotta cheese type mix on first try. put mess back in a pot, brought to a slow simmer, stirring constantly, never got beyond gravy thickness stage after 45 minutes.

    Don’t understand why it never dissolved even after constant stirring at boiling point. Don’t believe I have hard water but if this is so crucial would like to have known earlier. Read your other posts so don’t think you can resolve but wish it was as easy as it seemed for everyone else.

    Currently looks like cottage cheese, spooned into jars and my pots are a mess. Grrrrr

    Reply
    • OK I tried, I failed. I read and followed all instructions but ended up with ricotta cheese type mix on first try. Put mess back in a pot, brought to a slow simmer, stirring constantly, never got beyond gravy thickness stage after 45 minutes.

      Don’t understand why it never dissolved even after constant stirring at boiling point. Don’t believe I have hard water but if this is so crucial would like to have known earlier. Read your other posts so don’t think you can resolve but wish it was as easy as it seemed for everyone else.

      Currently looks like cottage cheese, spooned into jars and my pots are a mess. Grrrrr

      I’ve made the cooked version three times, and had issues every time. It seemed I cooked forever, too, stirring constantly at a low boil – and the soap never quite wanted to completely dissolve.

      The one time I did have luck putting it back on the stove. But then I tried the no-cook version, and it worked beautifully on the first try. I’d give that one a try, you already have the washing soda & borax, all it will cost you is the bar of fels naptha.

      Good luck to you; I do love this soap & will be making the no cook version from now on.

      Reply
  372. is there a way to blend it without a blender? high end blenders do not come apart/work the way required by these directions.

    Reply
  373. i have used this recipe and i love it! but i do see that my whites are with time becoming dingy grey in color, is this normal and or is there something to do to correct this?

    Reply
  374. i would love a “printable” version of these recipes. i don’t like having to print off multiple pages for a recipe. it would be very helpful.

    i love this laundry detergent. it really works and it only takes 1 TBSP!!!

    Reply
  375. has anyone actually tried bar castille soap? i know zote didn’t work from a previous comment. i want something more natural and sensitive but want to know if there are any problems with using the castille?

    Reply
  376. ok so i made a batch with kirk’s castille bar soap today. i wasn’t sure how much because a bar is 4 oz and fels naptha is 5.5 so I weighed and used the same amount. It was all fairly solid- not hard solid but a little stiffer than coconut oil solid.

    I may have used too much soap or maybe the castille just doesn’t separate like the fels naptha. I added about 1/2 cup or so warm water to the sauce in the blender and it came out great! Took a while to thicken once back in the jar but that doesn’t bother me!

    I just washed a load and drying now- we’ll see if there are any streaks and if the load seems clean in the morning! I am excited!

    Next thing to try: making my own soap and using it in the sauce!

    Reply
  377. i have made this recipe five times and love it. i grate the bar in my food processor, then switch to a chopping blade to get the pieces smaller for melting. i have a new low water usage washer and i also wash in cold water only, so i went to the store and brought a protein drink shaker, the kind with metal whisk ball.

    i put my 1T of soap in it with hot water, shake it up and pour on my laundry. Works wonderful

    Reply
  378. hi, im in australia. i really want to give this a try, but, i cant find fels naptha soap, what would be good to use as an alternative? i have made a dry version with lux soap flakes, but am getting a film on my clothes.

    Reply
  379. i am now on my 4th batch of your laundry soap and have not complaints at all. It works great, I have this time added some essential oil to it so I hope it sets up okay, it looks the same! My only problem is with the other users in my household who always leave the measuring spoon covered in residue which hardens and is messy…but that is my issue not yours!

    Reply
    • I am now on my 4th batch of your laundry soap and have not complaints at all. It works great, I have this time added some essential oil to it so I hope it sets up okay, it looks the same! My only problem is with the other users in my household who always leave the measuring spoon covered in residue which hardens and is messy…but that is my issue not yours!

      One of the other users said she wipes out the plastic measuring spoon with an article of clothing and then tosses the spoon in with the wash.

      Reply
  380. i made a batch of the original version and then a batch of the no cook method this weekend- gave 2 jars away to family to try and promptly went to the laundry mat this morning. I am VERY happy with the results!! So glad I found this!

    So many more recopies to try!!! Thank you!!

    Reply
  381. i have been using this soap for well over a month now probably two. my husband works in the oilfield and i normally used only tide. but this stuff is great and works just as well.

    i have shared it with family and friends. i will be using this laundry soap from now on.

    Reply
  382. i followed this to a tee and i only got enough to fill one jar to the shoulders. it did take me forever to get the borax mix to de-granulate from the bottom, but i wasn’t sure if i should add more water?

    Reply
    • I followed this to a tee and I only got enough to fill one jar to the shoulders. It did take me forever to get the borax mix to de-granulate from the bottom, but i wasn’t sure if i should add more water?

      did you use two quart sized mason jars? you divide the cooked mix between two jars, then add water to that, to the shoulder.

      i am asking because the cooked mix makes around half of one jar full.

      Reply
  383. i just made my first batch of laundry sauce and it came out perfect. it was nice and smooth with absolutely no grainy feel whatsoever. however, after doing my first load of laundry, i
    using only one tbsp of sauce, my clothes had white residue on them.

    i’m putting them through a second rinse now. hopefully it comes out. what did i do wrong?

    i used all the right ingredients. fels naptha, arm and hammer laundry soda and borax. the sauce was very smooth so i know it all was dissolved.

    Reply
  384. i finished making a batch and now i can’t wait to actually do laundry to test it out lol, doesn’t take much to make this girl happy. simple needs simple life simple love.

    Reply
  385. Here’s a super simple Whipped Cream Super Laundry Soap, Do It Yourself detergent that doesn’t leave any residue on clothing, gets nearly every stain known to man out the first time around and smells clean and fresh- oh and did I mention that it costs about $1.76 for 128 loads of laundry?

    Read More: Article: Mom’s Super Laundry Sauce

    love this laundry sauce! i was concerned because there are no suds, but the clothes are really clean.

    Reply
  386. I have made this and it works great, but my husband has sensitive skin and has developed a reaction. I used fels – naptha, is there another soap I could use that is milder?

    Reply
  387. i love this stuff. i’m getting ready to make my second batch and remember seeing where you can add the pyrex crystals to it when making, but i can’t remember how much to add. could someone refresh my memory, please?

    :dontknow:

    Reply
    • I love this stuff. I’m getting ready to make my second batch and remember seeing where you can add the Pyrex crystals to it when making, but I can’t remember how much to add. Could someone refresh my memory, please?

      :dontknow:

      I did not use the crystals but instead added essential oil, because of sensitivities. Just a thought.

      Reply
    • I love this stuff. I’m getting ready to make my second batch and remember seeing where you can add the Pyrex crystals to it when making, but I can’t remember how much to add. Could someone refresh my memory, please?

      :dontknow:

      never mind, i found it in the faq’s and the lavender recipe. i thought the lavender recipe was one of the no-cook ones.

      i used the pink crystals, turned out good. thanks for this site, lots of great info here.

      Reply
  388. i love this laundry soap. when i made it i added 30 drops of lavender essential oil. Getting ready to make my second batch and will add a bit more essential oil.

    Reply
  389. i have make this recipe several times, not always successfully, but with a little more heat everything always turned out. my problem was in the blending…i went through 2 seals on my blender before I gave up and started using wide mouth quart jars and my hand held blender to whip it. I broke up the solids on the bottom first and just put that blender right down into the jar and it whipped up really nice.

    Less muss and fuss and the wide mouth jars are a lot easier to get the sauce out of.

    Reply
  390. I saw this recipe for homemade soap about a year ago, and it has taken me this long to finally make it. I was afraid I would chop up my rubber gasket, due to the warning, LOL So I finally bought a couple on Ebay just in case and last night I bit the bullet and made the no cook one for dummies last night. This morning I got up and I cut up the gel in the bottom, added the rest of the ingredients, being super careful of the top of the jar and getting the gasket set right.

    and whipped it up. It came out perfect and if I’d have known how easy it was, I wouldn’t have waited a year to make it. 🙂 I couldn’t wait to use it, so I have done a couple of loads of laundry.

    It seems to be working perfect. I did add some fabric softener to the rinse. Not sure if it’s necessary??

    Anyway I am very happy with it. I also printed out the labels for the jars, so I have 2 beautiful quarts of the sauce on my washing machine. Thank you for the recipe.

    Reply
  391. I don’t know hwo many youtube videos I have watched recently, and all the mess was horrendous compared to this one. Thanks again, I can’t wait to make more, even though I don’t need anymore yet. LOL

    Reply
  392. How long is this good for if make several batches at once? Do you know the shelf life? Do I need to reheat and remix if it sits longer than an month>|?

    Reply
    • I have not kept it to long but one lady said she had it for over a year and it was fine.
      What I do is measure the 1 cup borax and 1 cup washing soda and put them together in a ziplox together marked with felt and then shave up the bar soap and put one bar in each ziplox. then put the two bags together and there they are ready for one recipe quickly. I do up many bags like this to keep the largest part of the mess finished with at once.

      So now I can simply put a gallon of water on the stove and grab set of bags (one of each) and then when the water boils i put in the bar soap grinds, wen the melt I add the borax, washing soda mix stir and remove from heat and add one gallon of cold water. Then things are ready for the next batch at any time,

      Reply
    • I have only made one batch about a month ago. I keep it in tightly sealed jar and have seen no problem with it breaking down or indication that it will need remixing. Happy laundering!

      Reply
  393. Okay, just mixed up my first batch of laundry sauce and now waiting to see how it comes out. So far no problems(um, that I know of!). Will post again with final results:) I sure hope it works, smells great and lord knows I need to save money!:Moneystack:

    Reply
  394. I made my first batch of the laundry soap the easy way, cut up the Fels and put it in the jar to set over night with hot water, the next day added my melted, dissolved Laundry soda and borax, cut up the softened fels in the jar, added water to shoulder of jar, carefully seated the gasket and blades, whipped up the nicest laundry sauce. Printed out the labels and taped them to the outside and we are using it one tablespoon at a time. Can’t seem to have enough dirty clothes to make a dent in it.

    I can’t wait to do it again it’s so much fun to make. I had bought all the ingredients a year ago, but when I read about eating the gasket in my blender, I decided to safe guard myself and order extra gaskets. I had also watched dozens of the most messy ways to make 5 gallons of laundry detergent, I was pretty much turned off trying to make it.

    I had also read this recipe, but all the melting and stirring and chewing up gaskets had me a bit scared. So I kept putting it off. When I found the recipe for non cook for dummies, I bit the bullet and did it.

    I’m so glad I did. .

    Reply
  395. I tried this for the first time the other day, following the directions exactly. I had no problems and the laundry sauce came out perfect. I love this recipe and will be replacing the dry soap recipe I was using with this.

    I started noticing my clothes were fading and looking dingy even though I just washed them, even using oxyclean with the dry soap. So far, this recipe is the best and it was so easy to make. Thank you so much for sharing this with us!

    Reply
  396. I’m chomping at the bit to make more, but we have barely made a dent in one of the quarts. So I guess I will have to wait. LOL :Liss:

    Reply
  397. Thank you Liss. I don’t think I ever actually thanked you for the recipe. What a lot of trouble and trial and error had to go into getting the right amount of ingredients and to make it so concentrated to go into 2 quart jars instead of two 5 gallon buckets.

    LOL :jar:

    Reply
  398. I’ve made the lavender laundry sauce once and it turned out perfect (slightly grainy but barely) so since I am trying to get rid of un-necessary toxins in the house (fabric softener in this case) I decided to make this one. I wasn’t sure if my jars were ‘quarts’ so I filled up my 4 cup measuring cup and tested it that way and they were quart jars.

    Well I made it and let it stand (unfortunately I had to let it sit til next day in the jars) and it didn’t separate properly and turned out completely grainy, which I knew it would because as I was pouring it into the jars there was a lot of unmelted grit, so I threw it back on the stove and melted it completely and let it sit to separate again, once again it wasn’t til the next day that I could get to it.

    Well it wasn’t grainy, but I whipped the first jar so I could add both jars to an old peanut butter container and it was very very runny so I strained a lot of the water off the second one and added the chunks to the first content and now it’s like a very soft whipping cream, not a nice mayo creamy consistency. Any idea why? I did add the proper amounts.

    It may have been that I waited too long to whip up or had to reheat it….I’m still going to use it (without the excess water added). I may give it a go so I have back up all tho my last batch lasted me about 5 months and that’s with 7 of us in the house!

    Reply
    • hi, im in Australia. I can not find fels naptha soap, what do I use instead?

      Yoni, there is a link on here to mail order Fels Naptha soap. You can also find it for sale on Amazon.com.

      Reply
  399. This recipe is what got me to join this site. I made it today, following the instructions completely. My soap and dry goods blended completely.

    It whipped up perfectly and looks just like your pictures. I washed four loads of laundry and everything same out perfectly. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

    I’m looking forward to trying other recipes.

    Reply
  400. Thank you for posting this op. i made this up and it worked perfectly the first time. going to try it on some laundry in a moment.

    note to all who go to make this. don’t be clever and screw with the instructions. do what they say, in the order they say and it will work.

    don’t add one powder and then the other. it doesn’t say to do that. it says to mix completely first. i put the jars on the blender while they were still a little warm and it came out soft and creamy just like it said it would.

    i can suggest getting a long knife and slicing the chunk on the bottom into slabs before blending. they break free of the bottom and float to the top but the smaller pieces whip up a lot faster without jarring the blades.

    Reply
  401. I’ve read through comments to see if anyone else can answer my question, but I haven’t found it yet. Both my grandmother and I made a batch for ourselves. Mine turned out great, easy peasy!

    Hers seems to have turned out great and she has used it in the machine already. Here’s what she did different . .

    She didn’t let it sit for 4-5 hours upside down before blending, she said it was maybe 15 mins while she cleaned up. (She didn’t the recipe in front of her) So my questions – Why does it have to sit for 4-5 hours? Does it really make a difference?

    Reply
  402. I cannot wait to try this great looking recipe! Thanks for posting it! Can you tell me if it makes much of a difference adding the glycerin or not?

    Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Glycerin? Laundry soap recipe has none 1 gallon boiling water , add 1 bar of soap grated, melt add 1cup each of borax and washing soda stir until dissolved add 1 gallon cold water and place in containers use about 1 T per load.

      Reply
  403. I made the “Mom’s Super Laundry Sauce” (cooked) and it is the best so far. My husband approves and I have shared this with a friend to see if she would also be interested. I’m very pleased.

    Reply
    • I’ve only made one batch and it was the “cold” method. End result turned out somewhat gritty but dissolves well in any temperature water. Husband loves it.

      He likes things that are frugal and this detergent really works, too. Think I’ll try the heated method next.

      Reply
        • There is a method shown on this website when one cuts up the soap into small bits, puts it in a 3 quart heavy duty freezer bag, adds two cups of water and leaves it for two or more days. The other ingredients are added later and well mixed. I don’t have a blender where the Mason jars will fit, either, so I sort of have to wing this part too.

          Reply
  404. Hi – made this and all went well. Excited to try this out. How much detergent should you use if you are doing a load of hand wash?

    I read through about 15 pages of comments and couldn’t find anything about this. And, can you add essential oils for fragrance instead of laundry crystals?

    Reply
  405. Wahoo! This is the 3rd load of laundry using this Sauce in my HE washer. I do use vinegar in the rinse water as my mom is really sensitive to soap residue.

    So far its all good, even my delicate items and the items that really should be dry cleaned but I can get away with washing them in cold and line drying them are looking and feeling clean and bright. Thanks for a great recipe.

    Reply
  406. Made this a couple weeks ago. Doubled the recipe to make more at one time (I like to share things with friends when i get something good so now i have lots to share). Have a HE washer and found it best to just add my Tbsp to 1/4 cup of water and mix it together to liquefy it some then add to me soap compartment.

    After doing that for the last couple of weeks I decided to split my jars in half and fill the other half with water and blend again. By doing this I have created a syrupy type liquid and am using 2 Tbsp instead of one. So far so good and much, much easier to work with.

    Reply
  407. I make my own liquid laundry soap, same ingredients, but very liquidy. I am looking forward to making a more concentrated version. I will try when I am out of my current supply.

    One question, is it cloth diaper friendly?

    Reply
  408. I finished making my first batch of this Super Sauce detergent, and I LOVE it. I cleaned my bathtub today and it does a great job on it too.
    I am now washing my clothes with it and it is great for the laundry too.
    I am hooked on it and will be making more as soon as I need more. But using it for cleaning too, will make it go faster but hey it does the job, that is all I really care about.
    I did one thing different tho, instead of using the plain water, I used some of my detergent I had made from a different recipe, it worked the same as the original here, but I am able to use up what I already have, with the new recipe.
    A win for me!!!
    Thanks for the recipe!!!

    Reply
  409. The other day I made some more laundry detergent. I accidentally put in about 3 1/2 cups of super washing soda. I realized that when I poured it into the pot and it came up to high.

    I had to quickly shred two more laundry bar and melt them down. When I went to blend the jars my rubber ring broke on me. I finally got done with making 6 jars of laundry detergent.

    I won’t be needing to make more for some time.

    Reply
  410. I know this is kinda late, but I have trouble finding washing soda in my area, too. So I wanted to post info about making your own. It’s what I have to do all the time.

    Washing soda is just baking soda that has been baked at 425°-450° for about an hour. The baking soda must reach 400° to make the conversion. I am new to this site, so maybe there is already a recipe on here somewhere…gonna go check!

    Reply
  411. This is the fourth time I’ve made this. 2X cooked 2X no cook. The cooked seems to come out considerably better.

    Here’s a tip don’t waste a measuring cup and bowl for the powders, use one of the jars they have cup graduations on them and you can shake the powders together. I even used one of the jars to measure the water. The first time I cooked it the Fels-naptha took muck longer to melt than 15 minutes.

    It turns out that my temp was too low, you have to keep it just under a boil. second time was a success. My wife is really picky about soaps & detergents and like this one a lot.

    Thanks! Oh and one last tip for those people out there with a Kitchen-Aid blender wide mouth jars will screw on them just fine. I found this out by mistake as I only had wide mouth quart jars, and only a Kitchen-Aid blender.

    Low and behold they fit, ta da!

    Reply
  412. Hi. I have a couple questions. I am an avid Tide user.

    I keep trying to find cheaper laundry detergents but always go back to Tide. I also use Oxiclean in every load for thar added boost.
    1. I see you use to be a Tide user as well.

    This homemade detergent cleans clothes BETTER??
    2. I have sensative skin and was wondering how this is for that.
    3. Do I and ways use 1 tablespoon of the mix no matter the size of my load?
    4.

    Does this have natural fabric softener in it or do I need to add some?
    Thanks and can’t wait to hear from you!!!

    Reply
  413. Hi, there folks! I am new to Budget101 and today I happened to make this recipe. It worked like a charm!

    My friend Ann gave me a similar recipe twice and both times I misplaced it. I searched online and found this formula which matches hers almost perfectly. Ann no longer uses Fels-Naptha as they have changed their ingredients.

    She subs another bar and is very satisfied with it’s performance. I let jars sit about 4 hours and then used my immersion blender to blend ingredients as my blender does not have removable parts other than the pitcher. I would liken this to a “mousse” rather than a “sauce”.

    Ann has said that as it sits awaiting usage it will develop a more solid consistency. I’ve seen hers and I would say so. I poured my “mousse” into a plastic container that previously held 100 pieces of Caramel Cremes candies.

    It filled it to the top perfectly with no spillage or leftovers. I will be making a label shortly. I am too excited and I can’t wait to use it.

    Some pointers…

    *If you have the time please read through all or most of the comments. You will find that they are as helpful as the recipe itself.

    *Make sure you follow the instructions to the letter. Read through comments if you are substituting anything.

    *An immersion blender is a lifesaver. I read where the ingredients were burning through some folks’ rubber gasket on their blenders.

    You will be glad that you took the extra time to read through the comments. Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe and steps that are not at all complicated. I will now be following you on Pinterest!

    Reply
    • Give it a try. If it mixes well, then I think it would be fine. I did something wrong the first time and mine was real gritty.

      I just dissolved it well in some water before adding to laundry and all was fine.

      Reply
  414. Hi I misread the recipe (reading from my phone) and instead of mixing in the borax and washing soda mixture to my melted naptha, I added the naptha mixture to my jars and filled up the shoulder with water like the recipe said. Did I mess up? Or can I heat and remelt the naptha mixture and then add in my soda and borax mixture to let sit in the jars again?

    Reply
  415. I am new to this site, is this detergent safe to use on cloth diapers and pads? I use a homemade powder for my cloth diapers/pads that omits the soap, so i am wondering if I have to do it with this one

    Reply
  416. Where can I find the Super Washing Soda? I’ve looked everywhere? I can’t find it in the grocery store, Walmart, Kmart, Target…anywhere.

    🙁 Is there anywhere I can find it without going online?

    Reply
  417. The first time I ever made the sauce, was in June 2014. At that time, the recipe filled 3-1 qt jars full and I had absolutely no problems getting them to separate. I made it again 2 times since then, one of those times being today, and these last 2 times, it has come out different than the 1st time I did it.

    When and what did you change about the original recipe?

    1) Being that I could fill 3 jars instead of just 2 the first time……Did you reduce the amount of water in the beginning stages of the recipe?

    2) When I make the recipe now, without fail every time, it does not separate and I ALWAYS have to reheat. 2nd time, I learned that you don’t have to wait 4 hours to see if it separates, because it should start to within 5 mins of putting into the jars. This was an issue again this 3rd time and I REALLY made sure everything was dissolved.

    When I reheat, it separates just fine within 5 mins of pouring into the jars.

    3) The first time I made this in 6/2014, the separated contents of each jar where nice and evenly distributed throughout the 3 jars and each jar had the exact same amount of “yellow vs white” separated contents. Meaning, each jar had about 1/4 yellow liquid like substance and 3/4 white solid substance before blending. The last 2 times I have made it (I use the exact same jars every time) the separated contents are not even in each jar (1 jar has 1/3 yellow liquid and 2/3 white solid, and 1 has 1/3 white solid and 2/3 yellow liquid)???.

    I’m not sure if this has anything to do with the fact that I have to reheat after “adding water to each jar to bring the level up to the shoulder” or not, but I always end up with way more “white” in one jar and way more “yellow” in the other.
    I really wish I could add photos here to show you what I mean. I took pics the first time as I was going through and making it, and I posted them to my fb page so that is how i can state the date in which i first did this.

    i just could swear that this recipe was different the first time i made it and it worked perfectly. but now, i can’t seem to get it to turn out right from the start. if you did change the recipe/method at all, could you please post the old recipe/method because it worked way better.

    Reply
    • The first time I ever made the sauce, was in June 2014. At that time, the recipe filled 3-1 qt jars full and I had absolutely no problems getting them to separate. I made it again 2 times since then, one of those times being today, and these last 2 times, it has come out different than the 1st time I did it. When and what did you change about the original recipe?

      The recipe has NEVER been changed.
      It’s entirely possible that the Fels Naptha bars have changed their recipe again, also, if the bars are older they need more water during the cooking process.

      However, I suspect the difference is the amount of moisture/humidity in your kitchen when you were cooking it as you’ve indicated you cook at it different times of the year, much like candy frequently fails when made during the summertime.

      I highly recommend the No Cook Method.

      https://www.budget101.com/myo-household-items/super-laundry-sauce-dummies-4075.html

      Reply
      • Hi, a newbie.

        I was just wondering if it is possible to put the Borax and ah washing soda into the water, before putting in the fels-naptha? it would insure that the borax and ah were completely dissolved and would eliminate the possibility of grittiness. or would the b & ah being in the water first, affect the fels-naptha?

        greg w.

        Reply
  418. Since I am going to be using a Oster Blender, I was looking for an opinion.
    Would it be better to use a milkshake blade vs the standard Oster blade?

    Greg W.

    Reply
  419. I have used a cloth to roll out my pie crust and to roll out my noodles for 30 years I quit using it because of a rancid oil stain .
    I tried everything on the market but nothing worked. Then I read here to slather on the Mom’s super laundry sauce I did and let it set for 3 weeks [I was in hospital] I threw it in washer hot water and bleach and voila it is perfectly clean smells great too
    Thank you for saving my favorite big kitchen cloth !!!:approved1:

    Reply
  420. Been making laundry soap for years but made this one last week and love it. So easy to make. The instructions are well put and easy to follow.

    Thanks

    Reply
  421. I have been wanting to make this for a while and today I finally did! I just poured the melted soap mixture into the mason jars. I am excited and can hardly wait to see the finished product!

    Only 4 hours or so to go!

    Reply
  422. Mine was smooth and get free when done cooking last night. I don’t have mason jars nor anything I can flip without leaking so I put it all in .y blender to set overnight. It appeared to start to separate b4 I went to bed but this morning there was no separation.

    When I rubbed my finger over the top it felt nice and slick and smooth. When I get home from church I plan to wip it seeing there is no grit. What are your thoughts on this happening?

    Reply
  423. I use Kirks Castile soap, and it’s wonderful. It doesn’t have the awful chemicals that fels naptha has. I add essential oils and I actually make buckets at a time, using an immersion blender.

    Reply
  424. I have been making this soap for a couple of years and I love it. However, blending is always an issue. It takes a long time to blend and often times, the gaskets rip and get sucked into the mason jar.

    I just bought a new blender hoping that it would be more powerful than my old one but nope. On the second jar, the gasket was ripped into 5 pieces and I had to fish it out of the jar. Anybody else having this issue.

    I am waiting 4 hours before blending. Think the mixture is too hard for it?

    Reply
  425. I have been making this soap for a couple of years and I love it! However, the blending part always gives me trouble. My blender is really struggling to whip everything and often times, the gasket will get sucked into the jar and rip into multiple pieces.

    I went out and bought a new $60 blender hoping that would fix the problem but nope…while blending the 2nd jar, the gasket was sucked in again and ruined.
    Anybody have suggestions? Am I waiting too long before whipping (avg 4 hours). Please help!

    I am in the process of making quite a few for other people who are eagerly waiting to try it!

    Reply
  426. I made this the other day and used it for the first time yesterday, all I can say is this stuff is awesome. I can’t believe all the money I will be saving because I’m not going back to the bought stuff anymore. My towels that I washed smell so good, and I never use softener on towels they just don’t absorb well if you do.

    Thanks again for the recipe Love your site 🙂

    Reply
  427. I love this recipe, we have used this in our house for over a year. That being said it does an awesome job but sometimes I miss my gain freshness when I’m doing laundry. So I decided to experiment and discovered I can use the Gain Fireworks Scent Booster with this recipe.

    I just add about 3 caps in with the Fels Naptha and it melts beautifully. You can add more or less to your taste (some days I add a little extra to my husbands yucky work clothes). The great part is they these Scent boosters in a few different scents to take your pick and happy washing.

    Reply
  428. love this !!! i do 6-8 loads of laundry a day….yes people i do! 8 kids 🙂
    i made double the batch and it last for one month in our house!

    i can’t explain how great this is and how it has saved us money. i love how it gets stains out also. i find all our items at walmart and its cheap.

    thank you from one mom to the next use this and never buy expensive non working laundry detergent again!!! you can also add sence for smell !!
    :party1:

    Reply
  429. Here’s a super simple Whipped Cream Super Laundry Soap, Do It Yourself detergent that doesn’t leave any residue on clothing, gets nearly every stain known to man out the first time around and smells clean and fresh- oh and did I mention that it costs about $1.76 for 128 loads of laundry?

    Read More: Article: Mom’s Super Laundry Sauce

    i love this recipe, so thanks so much for sharing. i do have a question though. i have the oster blender that was mentioned in the recipe, but i keep having problems with the rubber gasket slipping out from where it should be and getting caught in the blades.

    it then gets cut and is useless. when i make this i usually double the recipe, so i’m doing 4 jars. I have gone to using the hand mixer method, but would prefer to know what I can do differently to use the blender method again.

    That way is so much easier and less clean-up. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

    Reply
    • I love this recipe, so thanks so much for sharing. I do have a question though. I have the Oster blender that was mentioned in the recipe, but I keep having problems with the rubber gasket slipping out from where it should be and getting caught in the blades. It then gets cut and is useless. When I make this I usually double the recipe, so I’m doing 4 jars. I have gone to using the hand mixer method, but would prefer to know what I can do differently to use the blender method again. That way is so much easier and less clean-up. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

      Thoroughly wash, wipe and dry the mouth of the jar. If the gasket is slipping it’s more than likely due to it being wet and not seating properly on the edge of the jar.

      Reply
    • I love this recipe, so thanks so much for sharing. I do have a question though. I have the Oster blender that was mentioned in the recipe, but I keep having problems with the rubber gasket slipping out from where it should be and getting caught in the blades.

      It then gets cut and is useless. When I make this I usually double the recipe, so I’m doing 4 jars. I have gone to using the hand mixer method, but would prefer to know what I can do differently to use the blender method again.

      That way is so much easier and less clean-up. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

      You don’t have to use a blender for this, nor do you have to use canning jars. I make the identical formula in a stainless steel container using a stick blender (immersion blender) and it comes out perfect every time. I then pour it into repurposed peanut butter jars which hold about 15 oz each, and they’re plastic so I can handle and store them without fear of breaking glass jars.

      Reply
  430. I have been making this for a while. I found that if I use an enormous soup kettle, doubling the recipe, and once everything has been incorporated and dissolved, I immerse the kettle in an ice bath and use a wand blender to whip it. It cuts down the time and mess considerably.

    Also, I add six drops each of gardenia, jasmine and lily of the valley essential oil while I am whipping it. The result has an amazing scent. Once it is whipped, I simply ladle it into my mason jars and clean up.

    Easy as pie!

    Reply
  431. I shared this recipe a year or so ago on my Facebook group & was told by many members that it shouldn’t be used if you have a septic tank. That it would clog it. Is this right?

    And if so is there another recipe that won’t? I think they said it was because of the material Fels Naptha is made from; something about animal fats; but I can’t remember exactly. I really need to find a way to save on laundry soap.

    Thanks

    Reply
    • I shared this recipe a year or so ago on my Facebook group & was told by many members that it shouldn’t be used if you have a septic tank. That it would clog it. Is this right? And if so is there another recipe that won’t? I think they said it was because of the material Fels Naptha is made from; something about animal fats; but I can’t remember exactly. I really need to find a way to save on laundry soap. Thanks

      I personally believe that’s crap. I have a septic and I’ve used this recipe for literally Years and never had an issue. You know what clogs septic tanks CHARMIN. Those “fluffy” 10 ply toilet tissues that can’t break down. We have our septic pumped every 10-15 years – always made my own laundry soap using the same ingredients in the laundry sauce.

      13. Is this safe for kids/pets/ babies/ kids clothing/pet beds/ Septic tanks etc?

      Yes. All of the ingredients are kid & pet friendly. The ingredients state they are septic safe.

      Think of it this way- if it really clogged septics, don’t you think someone would have Sued Purex by now?? There site recommends using Half a Bar in ONE load of laundry

      Reply
  432. Hello,
    I am brand new to this site. I have read more comments on this post than I can remember, but from everything I have read- I have not seen a direct answer to my question. Please forgive me if it has been asked/answered already.

    I would like to know why this detergent can not be placed in the detergent slot (hole) on HE top loading washing machines? My washer shots water in there for a good 30 seconds at the start of the cycles. I ask because my machine does not allow me to open the lid while the water is running- (to rinse the soap off).

    i have to pause the machine to add anything to it. the other (huge) issue is that the machine -maytag bravos quiet series 300- spends about 10-20 mins on ea cycle it has “filling” the machine and not actually washing anything.
    I only know because I actually stood and watched the whites cycle (glass top) after the bleach leaked out the bottom of it. Basically, if I put the detergent in the wash when I put the clothes in, it would be a waste because it spends so much time going through this “filling” cycle where it constantly pours water in agitates a little and then lets it out spins a half turn and repeats!?!?

    Im literally talking to my washer at this point like I think you are wasting my water with all this sensor smart filling crap-lol. I read it does this to “sense” the size of the load to put in the correct amount of water.
    I seriously want to try this, but I am not going to sit around waiting for my washer to get to the wash cycle every time i do laundry~
    recap-
    can any one tell me exactly why the detergent can not go into the slot?
    does any one else have a washer that does this? and if so, have you had any problems with adding the soap right when you put the clothes in?
    thank you for reading and responding!

    Reply
    • Hello,
      I am brand new to this site. I have read more comments on this post than I can remember, but from everything I have read- I have not seen a direct answer to my question. Please forgive me if it has been asked/answered already.

      I would like to know why this detergent can not be placed in the detergent slot (hole) on HE top loading washing machines? My washer shots water in there for a good 30 seconds at the start of the cycles. I ask because my machine does not allow me to open the lid while the water is running- (to rinse the soap off).

      i have to pause the machine to add anything to it. the other (huge) issue is that the machine -maytag bravos quiet series 300- spends about 10-20 mins on ea cycle it has “filling” the machine and not actually washing anything.
      I only know because I actually stood and watched the whites cycle (glass top) after the bleach leaked out the bottom of it. Basically, if I put the detergent in the wash when I put the clothes in, it would be a waste because it spends so much time going through this “filling” cycle where it constantly pours water in agitates a little and then lets it out spins a half turn and repeats!?!?

      Im literally talking to my washer at this point like I think you are wasting my water with all this sensor smart filling crap-lol. I read it does this to “sense” the size of the load to put in the correct amount of water.
      I seriously want to try this, but I am not going to sit around waiting for my washer to get to the wash cycle every time i do laundry~
      recap-
      can any one tell me exactly why the detergent can not go into the slot?
      does any one else have a washer that does this? and if so, have you had any problems with adding the soap right when you put the clothes in?
      thank you for reading and responding!

      i recently bought the maytag bravo washer. i love it and use this laundry soap. i add 1TBSP to the bottom of washer, add about 1/3 cup vinegar to the fabric softener dispenser ( I don’t use chemical fabric softeners or sheets), and add the clothes and start the machine.

      Mine does the sensing thing for about 2-3 min and then starts filling and then washing. I have no problems with it dissolving or leaving residue or spots on my clothes. I hope this helps!

      Reply
  433. Hello,

    I am brand new to this site. I have read more comments on this post than
    I can remember, but from everything I have read- I have not seen a
    direct answer to my question. Please forgive me if it has been
    asked/answered already.

    I would like to know why this detergent can not
    be placed in the detergent slot (hole) on he top loading washing
    machines?

    it can get stuck. put it in the bottom of your machine, add your clothes, hit start and go about your day. it’ll clean fine, this stuff rocks.

    a side note though, first chance you get, ditch that front loading thing, they’re terrible on clothes, don’t save a drop of water and kill the back when you have to switch the laundry over. i was never so happy in my life when i finally got rid of mine. no more moldy smell, no more drying it out in between washes, no more pilled shirts!

    Reply
  434. I currently use gain pods and downy unstoppables…do you think adding downy unstoppables to this recipe during the melting would affect the outcome?

    Reply
    • I add the Gain Fireworks (same thing as the unstoppables) to mine and it comes out the same as if I didn’t. It’s great to have that smell that I love added to it.

      Reply
    • Yes you can! I use the gain fireworks in mine, they are the same thing. I just add them in with the grated soap haven’t had any issues and I’ve been doing it for over a year.

      Reply
    • I currently use gain pods and downy unstoppables…do you think adding downy unstoppables to this recipe during the melting would affect the outcome?

      your best bet is to pop those unstoppables into your washer with the laundry mousse. i tried a different laundry soap with the dissolved unstoppables and diy softener with the dissolved unstoppables and the laundry had no scent after it had been dried. it was a waste of money along with the crappy recipe.

      now this laundry mousse, i’ve made a less concentrated version and love it so next effort will be this mousse.

      Reply
  435. 40 pages and counting but I’ll add my experience anyway. My sons/girlfriend/family use this. So it was much more assuring to try something new, when I have seen/smelled their clothing.

    I am not good with change, like ever haha
    I hit my WalMart for all 3 ingredients which were shelved together. I also bought a case of the mason jars, hey, Pinterest has TONS of mason jar uses right? I also bought a new/cheap wooden spoon since wood is porous, a designated stirring spoon for detergent.
    I read the original recipe as this is what my neighbor friend (sons girlfriends mom) uses, after 3 years still.
    I premeasured everything, wisked my powders & fine grated the soap.
    cooking on electric, i put the water in a large stainless steel pot, high heat.

    i watched, i fussed at my family to not speak to me and distract me at all. as soon as i had a low rumble boil i stirred in the grated soap & lowered the temp to medium. i stirred constantly.

    it pretty much melted immediately, but i continued for a few more minutes stirring. it was yellow liquid. i then added the powder blend and stirred constantly.

    i removed it from burner. it seemed to melt within 5 minutes. I didn’t “feel “any grit.

    After a few more minutes I called hubby in to balance my funnel. I added tap water (I must have missed that you add HOT here). Flipped jars and slight separation.

    Ok speed up 4 hours and it looked like fluff with a little yellow liquid in the bottom. I blended with my Osterizer and it whipped up.

    Here’s my deal, if it doesn’t turn out, step by step as per instructions, it is always due to subsatuting ingredients or operator error, (i.e. burner temperature, not watching, not stirring, letting water evaporate, the list goes on.) i’ve learned this over the years of cooking/baking.
    so i had creamy smooth with a tiny bit of grit. i washed a few loads, one hot the others cold.

    no residue on clothes or machine (he toploader). that grit was driving my crazy though because i knew it wasn’t perfect,so back to the 40pages of comments I read.
    I scraped out one jar at a time to reheat. easy!!!

    noticed my grit was because of utterly constant stirring it wasn’t making it to the bottom of the pot for my spoon to feel it. see, operator error! poured back in the jars and bingo.

    the instruction pics could have been real life in my kitchen. after 2 hours (cool enough to handle jars). Opened and broke up with a butter knife.

    Back on blender. Perfection.
    Another note, I made utterly sure my jar edge/rim was clean of mixture as well as my blender pieces. set carefully on jar, held still as i added the plastic piece to screw on.

    i even put my finger through the hole to hold the other pieces in the jar steady. once again, any issues there will also be operator error.
    i really like the detergent. i use snuggle fabric softener so other than my towels, everything still had laundry fresh smell.

    no need for me to add scents/extra cost.
    i was going to return my brand new tide simply clean but thought i’ll keep it on hand for company who wants to wash (like my mother who will think i have lost my mind not using commercial detergent hahahaha)
    next batch i’m trying the noncook method. just because it’s there lol. i’ve thought of using a shallower jar that’s just over a quart, to use this out of.

    not make in, but to transfer it into, for easier scooping with my short handle tlbspoon. but liss is very clear about being exact, so i haven’t been able to go against the instructions hahahahaha
    i also tried the parmesean cheese lid but find my detergent turned more like cake frosting, dryer, due to not as well sealed as the jar lid. i whipped that back up with my stick mixer and placed the 2piece metal jar lid back on.
    Happy washing everyone.

    And remember, there’s specific ingredients & instructions for a reason 😉

    Reply
    • And remember, there’s specific ingredients & instructions for a reason 😉

      you do know that you don’t have to go through the mason jar upside down on a blender thing….right? you can make this laundry detergent and achieve the identical results without all that rigmarole. i’m sure i’ve explained this process in earlier posts.

      it involves a stickblender in the pot (no mason jars) after allowing soap to cool in the pot for its 3-5 hour cool down period.

      …in some of the posts I read a user had a “bleached out” spot on new sheets. I just did a load and noticed on the light gray pillow case I had the same thing. It’s where I placed the detergent and wiped my tablespoon.

      Has anyone else had an issue with he machines that you can’t run the detergent under the water flow? …
      i have a simple solution for you. i believe this solution will work especially good when your “laundry sauce” gets a little thicker because the consistency will change from when you first make it and by the time you are finishing up the last two jars or so.

      this stuff is concentrated, so this is basically how i reconstitute it when it gets too thick.

      grab an empty peanut butter (or other) jar (15 oz jar is the typical PB jar size), which is a good way to repurpose it, and because it’s plastic it won’t break if you drop it on the floor of your laundry room. Scoop your Tablespoon (+/-)of laundry sauce from its container and place it in the empty jar. Add about a cup of water, put the lid on and shake the jar to reconstitute the laundry sauce into a more pourable solution.

      Remove the lid, and pour the reconstituted laundry sauce directly on the clothes in the washer (top load or front load), close the door and let it run. Rinse out the jar, and tuck it aside your laundry sauce jar for future use.

      Reply
  436. Oh question, in some of the posts I read a user had a “bleached out” spot on new sheets. I just did a load and noticed on the light gray pillow case I had the same thing. It’s where I placed the detergent and wiped my tablespoon.

    I washed that load on warm, though I do most loads on tap cold. Has anyone else had an issue with HE machines that you can’t run the detergent under the water flow? Anyone have that lighter spot or bleached looking spot where it sat until it disintegrated?

    Reply
  437. Howdy everyone, I am new to the sight and wanted to know if anyone had an opinion on how this recipe works on whites. there are 40 pages of comments so I thought it may be a bit faster to just ask 🙂

    Reply
  438. I just made this. My blender doesn’t like it but my bowl and mixer worked. Looks like fresh vanilla ice cream!

    Can’t wait to use it…or maybe I can. Who likes laundry?!

    Reply
    • I store it in on of the cheap ziplock plastic storage containers. Still works great but its easier for me to scoop out.

      Reply
    • Of course you can store your laundry soap in something other than a Mason Jar. I store mine in re-purposed peanut butter jars. Nice wide opening, not too deep.

      Reply
  439. Use a stick or emersion blender. You can do this directly in the mason jar. I bought mine at a garage sale for $2 and use it only for this.

    Want to crush and pulverize that bar of fels naptha in seconds? leave it in the paper wrapper, then wrap loosly it in half a dozen plastic grocery bags. place it lenghth wise in front of you car tire.

    once forward, once reverse. it is powdered.

    Reply
  440. I made the laundry soap and have been using it for about four days now and absolutely love it. I have tried other recipes in the past and they have not been what I thought they would and had to discontinue using them. I have not read all of the 800 or more comments posted to this recipe but my question is how much Dawn dish soap could I add to the recipe?

    There were a few shirts that came out with grease spots on them still from my boys, I rewash them added Don to the load and it came out any advice ?

    Reply
  441. Have made this today. Worked well. Unable to get Fels Naptha bars in Australia, so used Lux pure soap instead as this is apparently similar to the Fels soap.

    Separated beautifully. Only had a problem when I tried to whip. It wouldn’t thicken up and looks more like whipped milk.

    Also once it sits for a while it begins to separate again. It’s this normal, or should I reheat and try again?

    Reply
    • Have made this today. Worked well. Unable to get Fels Naptha bars in Australia, so used Lux pure soap instead as this is apparently similar to the Fels soap.

      Separated beautifully. Only had a problem when I tried to whip. It wouldn’t thicken up and looks more like whipped milk.

      Also once it sits for a while it begins to separate again. It’s this normal, or should I reheat and try again?

      Sorted out my problem. Fixed and the mix is perfect now.

      First load done, looks and smells great.

      Reply
  442. I tried the no cook version, and while this may clean my laundry beautifully, it has the consistency of a melting milkshake. My immersion blender wouldn’t fit through the neck of the quart jar, so I estimated the amount of water (“fill to this line” isn’t very exacting when using a container other than a quart jar), and it looks like you used about 3 1/2 cups total, but it looks like I could whip this for hours and never get it to thicken any further.
    I’m going to cook up a bit more using less water, and add this to my “milkshake” batch in hope of reaching the mayo consistency, but in the meantime, if you would provide exact water amounts for those of us NOT using canning jars, that would be a huge help!
    (And yes, I could go buy a wide-mouth jar, but I was so excited to try this that I didn’t want to wait!)

    Reply
  443. I know I am late to this discussion thread but I had a problem with ‘whipping’ the two separated layers together. The bottom more solid layer was almost hard, and after blending for several minutes had to disassemble the jar from the blender and use a knife to cut the layer into smaller more movable/manageable chunks. Even after more blending, I still have serious a layer at the bottom of my jars that wouldn’t mix in.

    While I believe the top portion is usable and am currently washing a load with the results. Next time I will use my hand mixer as this was a waste. Any ideas?

    Reply
  444. Does it matter if the quart bottles are wide mouth or regular mouth? I can’t tell from the pictures if yours are wide or regular. I think they are regular mouth, but I would think wide mouth would make it easier to scoop the detergent.

    Reply
    • Does it matter if the quart bottles are wide mouth or regular mouth? I can’t tell from the pictures if yours are wide or regular. I think they are regular mouth, but I would think wide mouth would make it easier to scoop the detergent.

      You’ll need the old fashioned smaller mouthed mason jars for your blender bottom to fit.

      Reply
  445. I made 4 quarts of this on my first try and everything went smoothly as the instructions stated. I even timed myself melting the Fels and dissolving the Arm & Hammer Washing powder and the Borax. I added Lavender essential oil to the mix before blending it into the mayonnaise consistency and wow…

    it was lovely. (I had to keep sniffing on the lavender essentials until I got it to the power of smell I wanted). The only thing I ended up adjusting is, when doing heavily soiled laundry, I have boosted the power of the soap by adding in a little more borax to the wash or pre-treating what I know are going to be stubborn stains with peroxide.

    (Peroxide is such a miracle pre-treat). I gave my mil a jar of soap to try out and give feedback and her response was wow! if you make more, i’ll take more.

    the cost was very effective, even with the essential oils. i also made lavender scented softener for around $1.45 per bottle, which kept my laundry smelling lovely. Thanks for the recipe!

    I’m off to make my 2nd batch of soap after 3 months of laundry from 3 quarts of Laundry sauce – just think, laundry cleaner for $1.95 per month.

    Reply
  446. Just thought that i would let you know that I have made this twice thank you for posting it. well i like the fact that no matter how dirty or dingy my clothes are they always come out really clean. and it has also been a money saver do to the fact that we where paying about $8 a month for those flings from purex so when we did finally find every thing we made and we have been using for about 2 months now and just made a double recipe and we have been saving money ever since.

    again thank you for posting it

    Reply
  447. I just made this today and am currently washing a load with it.

    I will say I didn’t follow the instructions, hardly at all. I started out making the fail proof version, and decided I didn’t want to wait….sooooo….I looked up this version.

    I cut the recipe in half. I used a half gallon wide mouth mason jar. I also only waited like MAYBE 2 hours.

    Everything separated great. I dumped the separated mixture into my blender and whipped it up. It turned out like mayo…just like what everyone says it should.

    It’s actually still warm. Not hot…but like a nice warm cup of tea (won’t be drinking it though).

    Also it’s not grainy at all.

    Before this sauce, I have always used to powdered version the homemade soap with the borax, baking soda, washing soda, and grated up bar. While I LOVE that version, I was up for something new. So I have a half a gallon of this fun new laundry sauce!!!

    Plus, I think it’s hilarious that it’s called Laundry Sauce. Heehee. 🙂

    Reply
  448. Am I the only one who has figured out you can make this a solid by keeping it cold… I got some silicone ice trays and filled them with the soap and as long as I keep them cold I have pods to drop in… it’s kind of a cheaper way to make the pods…

    just saying 🙂

    Reply
  449. So here is something I haven’t seen mentioned! Temperature plays a roll in the consistency of the finished product. If it’s in a colder environment it becomes a solid and can be treated like a laundry pod.

    I bought silicon ice trays and filled them with the sauce and now I have a bunch of cubes about the size of ice breaker gum cubes… two cubes per load and I’m good to go!

    Reply
  450. Hi there, my name is Candy, and I unfortunately live in the rear end country of the civilised world.. namely South Africa. Unfortunately I have never heard of fels napth soap.before and I believe Arm and Hammer are not yet in the county.

    And when contemplating . Does the soap have a specific list of ingredients that I could potentially narrow my options down instead of ordering online, at our current exchange rate, it would be cheaper In the long run to burn my clothes and buy new ones ..

    Reply
    • Hi there, my name is Candy, and I unfortunately live in the rear end country of the civilised world.. namely South Africa. Unfortunately I have never heard of fels napth soap.before and I believe Arm and Hammer are not yet in the county. And when contemplating . Does the soap have a specific list of ingredients that I could potentially narrow my options down instead of ordering online, at our current exchange rate, it would be cheaper In the long run to burn my clothes and buy new ones ..

      I believe the bar you’d use in your area is called Sunlight Soap. Do you happen to have access to a Swimming Pool Supply store? If so, you can purchase Sodium Carbonate. Alternatively, you can make your own washing soda, but it’s not nearly as strong as the stuff you purchase. There is a recipe here on the site.

      https://www.budget101.com/content.php/4879-How-to-make-arm-and-hammer-washing-powder

      I hope that helps you. I cannot say whether the cleaning power is the same using these ingredients as I do not have access to a Sunlight bar.

      Reply
  451. Small piece of advice: grating the Fels Naptha can be done quickly and easily using a rotary hand grater (like the cheese grater they use at Olive Garden). The bar is a little bit too long to fit into the grater? Break it in half.

    Reply
  452. Does this remove the underarm odors from shirts? No matter how much I wash that part of my husbands shirts they still “smell”. :-/

    Reply
  453. The blender I have is a Ninja blender so it didn’t fit my mason jars. I had to spoon it in and out of the blender. But it whipped the detergent so well and it came out so smooth that it is the consistency of shaving cream!

    I hope that’s a good thing! I added a couple of drops of lavender oil before blending. The only thing I will say is it was so thick that it wasn’t blending very well.

    The contents at the outside edge of the blender that were out of reach of the blades were sitting stagnant. So I added a little more water to get it all to blend well and ended up with two completely full mason jars and another half of a jar of detergent. I can’t wait to try it on my first load!

    Reply
  454. Do i have to wait 4-5 hours for it to separate and former crystals or can I put them in the fridge to speed up the process?

    Reply
    • Does anyone know if this would be an approved detergent for he washers?

      All of the ingredients in it are approved, so I don’t see why not. It doesn’t foam like detergents because it doesn’t contain any foaming agents.

      Does this remove the underarm odors from shirts? No matter how much I wash that part of my husbands shirts they still “smell”. :-/

      Yes.

      So I added a little more water to get it all to blend well and ended up with two completely full mason jars and another half of a jar of detergent. I can’t wait to try it on my first load!

      Because it’s more diluted from the addition of extra water you’ll need to use 1 1/2 tablespoons per load for efficient cleaning.

      Do i have to wait 4-5 hours for it to separate and former crystals or can I put them in the fridge to speed up the process?

      No. It takes about 30 minutes to separate.

      Reply
  455. I followed the direction to a T and it’s still grainy. I stirred for about 20 minutes before giving up. I know the heat was up high enough for sure, was at a rolling boil with just a little bit of sudsing the whole time, took longer than 15 mins for the Fels Napatha to melt but it did.

    I added the washing soda and borax, both I mixed together first. Stirred and stirred and still grainy. The mixture looks lumpy after I turned the quart sized mason jars upside down. Going to let it rest for 4 hours and then see how it turns out.

    I will return it to the stove if needed, hopefully it turns out! Any pointers on what may have gone wrong? Thank you!!!

    Reply
    • The mixture looks lumpy after I turned the quart sized mason jars upside down. Going to let it rest for 4 hours and then see how it turns out. I will return it to the stove if needed, hopefully it turns out! Any pointers on what may have gone wrong? Thank you!!!

      The issue is that there was too much water loss which resulted in a grainy texture. We recommend the No Fail, No-Cook Version, it takes 5 minutes and is considerably easier.

      https://www.budget101.com/content.php?r=4075

      Reply
  456. Hi, this laundry soap looks wonderful, i was just wandering if it was safe to be use in a H.E Laundry machine? I know that those H.E machines asked to us H.E laundry soap. Would you know?

    (H.E=high efficiency)

    Reply
  457. hello
    I am the program coordinator of a non profit organization that provides hygiene items to people in need. We take used hotel hygiene products and reprocess them to help others, keeping it all out of the landfill. Soap is washed and dried and packaged up for international aid.

    We always get the little bits of soap though as well. In your opinion would it be possible to use this soap in place of the “soap” you use? This would keep everything out of our landfills and help others.

    Reply
  458. I just read the note advising not to add Oxyclean to the ingredients, after I had added it. Anyone had experience with this? I’m wondering if I should abort this mission now or proceed with caution.

    Reply
  459. Just made my first batch, turned out great! My blender didn’t fit on a standard jar, used a wide mouth. Sat jars upside down and they looked just like pictures.

    After 4 hours, attached to blender and tried to mix, but jar was too full. I stuck a straw carefully down the inside of the jar to open an air space so the jar wasn’t full clear to top of neck. Then, blender was old and didn’t have enough power.

    Poured into bowl (one jar at a time) and mixed well. Ended up with 2 quarts and almost 3 pints of sauce. Anxious to try it tomorrow.

    If I make a double batch, can I make it in an ice cream pail and just leave it stand upright? Just trying to save the purchase of a new blender which I would never use for anything else.

    Reply
  460. This sounds like a great idea, but it sounds complicated. A lot of room for error…if there was a simpler way to make it id definitely be interested though.

    Reply
  461. I made this today. My 1st jar I accidentally knocked over and spilled the liquid, but I still tried to save it by adding a little water and detergent and washing soda also. It didn’t turn out thick like it should have but I’m letting it sit to see if it’ll thicken up.

    The 2nd jar turned out perfect! I can’t wait to use it in my laundry.

    Reply
    • Is there a microwave version?

      No But as it says in GIANT Letters in the first Paragraph, there is a NO COOK version.

      Reply
      • No But as it says in giant letters in the first paragraph, there is a no cook version.

        yes…but i was addressing the time factor instead of the cook factor…i made my batch last night and just thought of maybe a faster cook method…although i would not want to compromise the quality of course…

        Reply
  462. I’ve used this twice now and am super happy!! I added scented crystals to the boiling water and sunlight bar soap mixture and it separated. I whipped it after sitting for 4 hrs and it’s separating again.

    I’m going to try and whip it again and hope for it to be come creamy. Now having said that, I made another batch and added the scented crystals to the powders and it worked! It whipped up beautifully and no issues with that batch.

    Reply
  463. Fels naphtha made my whole family break out. We use Zote it’s a much bigger bar, grates faster, smells amazing, & keeps bugs away from us. It’s only $.98 at Walmart.

    We’ve been making this laundry soap recipe with it for 8 months. We use cloth diapers on our 13 month old and it works great even on poopy diapers!!

    Reply
  464. I know this blog was from quite awhile ago but hopefully someone sees my question and has an answer. I have used this recipe for over a year and it has been wonderful! Now, I am doing at home childcare and have loads of washcloths and bibs that have yogurt, milk, fruit and other things all over them.

    I rinse them, sometimes handwash them and then wash them with the detergent and hot water but still can’t get this sweet musty smell out of them. Any ideas??

    Reply
  465. I just made a batch of this last night and it came out great, but, this morning it is now the consistency of play dough. What did I do wrong? Can it be fixed??

    Reply
  466. This is a wonderful recipe and all I ever use anymore! I haven’t really thought about how much it’s saving me in the long run, but man this stuff really works. I really enjoy making homemade things to save money and my husband was really skeptical about this one.

    At one point we ran out and he used what was left of the Tide soap we had, and once the clothes were done he was displaying that he didn’t like that soap anymore because he got used to this one. Success! He’s a convert!

    My methods:
    1. I use a zester that’s reserved to grate my soap finely ahead of time (more work but it melts much faster). Add it a handful at a time while stirring in irregular motions in the pan, don’t dump it all in at once.

    2. I make sure to mix the washing soda and borax together (like it says in the recipe), before starting the process so it’s ready to go when I need to add it. When adding, mix in a little at a time while constantly stirring so it dissolves better; don’t just dump it all in at once.

    3. After the soap is set, I stick a butter knife in the jar to cut the solid layer into chunks (not just to break it off from the sides) to help the blender blade whip it easier. I also use a paper towel to carefully wipe off the rim of the jar and the blender blade ring to get a good seal for blending.

    —————–

    Also, I wanted to comment on a couple questions I’ve seen that don’t have answers…

    Q: “My soap isn’t setting in the jar and still has a grainy texture (before whipping). Can I reboil it?”
    A: Yes. The first time I tried this recipe, my soap didn’t set properly, or at all really, in the jar (you’ve incorporated it properly if you flip the jar when sealed and it immediately begins to separate).

    So before I tried to whip it, I scraped everything out of the jars back into the pan, brought the heat back up to a medium-low (it kept foaming too much if it was higher), and just kept stirring frequently until I didn’t feel anything scratchy in the pan (it took a while). Poured it back into the jars, sealed, flipped, and it immediately separated and dissolved properly when washing.

    Q: “Can you add scents?”
    A: Yes. I put a few drops of an essential oil into the mixture right before I attach the blender blade. Give it a good shake to mix, and blend as usual.

    Reply
  467. Have seen the question regarding adding glycerin a number of times throughout the comments but have never seen an answer in the comments section (stopped trying after getting 30+ pages in) or the FAQ’s. So…I will see if anyone out there now knows…What would the purpose of adding glycerin be to this recipe? Is it beneficial to the cleaning process or is it more a matter of obtaining a particular “sauce consistency”?

    Reply
  468. Just made the quickest, easiest, and possibly best batch of this laundry sauce I’ve ever made. A couple of things I did this time:
    A rotary cheese grater makes grating the fels naptha a breeze.
    Distilled water makes the incorporation of the ingredients quicker.
    A robostir is crap for most anything else but does a great job of stirring this sauce as it boils.
    Get the water up to a HARD boil and allow it to boil for a minute once it gets there, to make sure it’s hot enough.
    Like I said, best, easiest sauce I’ve ever made.

    Reply
  469. Have you added essential oils to this? I was thinking of adding lavender just for the smell. Will that change or mess with anything?

    Reply
  470. A family friend gave me this recipe and we both love it! but we like ours a little smoother/thinner so we dump it into a 2.5 gallon bucket, add 4 quarts of water and mix it with an immersion blender, We use 3-4 tablespoons of sauce to each load of laundry. 🙂 and it works wonderfully in both cold and hot water.

    Reply
  471. Hi, I have been making this for almost 4 years now and absolutely love it. But with one variation. Fels Naptha is NOT sold in Canada..or at least that I have been able to find..so I have been using Sunlight Laundry bar soap with great results.

    More recently my mother in law had me make her a batch but my father in law is allergic to Sunlight soap so she picked up a homemade type laundry bar soap from Bulk Barn to try. I measured out how much the sunlight soap weighed and grated the same amount of the new bar (new bars are lot larger than the sunlight bars) and made a batch with it. Turned out great and works wonderfully.

    I have a double batch cooling right now that I used 1 sunlight bar and one homemade bar mixed together. This batch I will be using essential oils to scent and add extra cleaning oomph to the detergent.
    So for people asking if another laundry bar can be substituted..answer is yes!
    thank you so very much liss for this recipe! my family and i love this stuff and it saves me so much money…even though washing soda and borax, for me, runs anywhere between $5 – $8!

    But still WAAAAAAY cheaper (and healthier) than buying those chemical laden detergents!!

    Reply
  472. Are you able to use baking soda in the washing machine with this? I know it says not to put it in the jar. I have very hard water and use baking soda in the washing cycle with detergent and vinegar in the rinse cycle.

    Reply
  473. The notes say that you should not use different sized mason jars, as the mixture may not set properly. However, I have been making this detergent for several years and I routinely use whatever sized jars I have on hand. I frequently mix different sized jars for the same batch and have never had a problem with the detergent not setting properly.

    As long as the proportions are the same, it works fine.

    Reply
  474. Thank you so much for sharing. I absolutely love this recipe! I like it better than the detergents I have bought….even the name brands.

    Thank you.

    Reply
  475. I love this recipe. I do not find that it incorporates into the water well, but I imagine it’s because we have well water and low water pressure. I normally put a tablespoon in a jar of warm water, shake it well and add it to the wash.

    It’s marvelous for getting stains out! I like to add some orange or lemon essential oil and a bit of lavender. So nice.

    Thank you for posting this!!

    Reply
  476. I use this recipe but do add a step. I cut the fels naptha soap into 1 inch cubes and microwave it on a paper plate for 2 minutes . then i put it thru the food processor.

    comes out really fine textured and melts beautifully.

    Reply
  477. My washer won’t start dispensing water until the lid is down and it Auto-fills so I cannot run the soap under the water. It would be most convenient to dilute it and put it into a drink dispenser. Otherwise I would think only thing to do would be to dilute the 1T right before every load and add to the barrel.
    What say you?

    Reply
  478. I am wondering, could I add some essential oils or may coconut oil to the recipe? I’m finding I’m not a big fan of the way my clothes smell after using this. It cleans wonderful though.

    Reply
  479. How does it do on antiperspirant smell. I have made my own before but after my husband would workout or the kids played hard it the park there was still dirt and perspiration smell.

    Reply
  480. Hello! So I made this soap and I love it. i halved the recipe though and i didn’t think it would make too much difference.

    for most of my clothes it works like a charm! i’m having a little problem though, my ~ahem~ intimates aren’t getting as clean and fresh as when i use normal detergent and oxi clean. even when i do them as a separate load they seem like they’re just not being cleaned well.

    any pointers on what i can do? and reason why it’s not cleaning well? i have an he front loader and have tried all different water heating settings.

    Reply
  481. This stuff is awesome!!! I have been using it for over a year now and have not purchased laundry detergent since. What a money saver and so easy!!

    I was using a hand mixer for a while but then found a blender at goodwill to fit the jars and made it even faster. Thanks!!!

    Reply
  482. We have a house full! 7 people, and between work and sports, etc. detergent is getting very expensive!

    Unfortunately we have more than half of us that NEED to use perfume and dye free soaps due to sensitive skin… I am looking for an alternative to the dets. You buy at the store but I want to make sure that none of us will break out in hives.

    Lol. I know the borax has caused a lot of uproar with the kids alike recipes, just trying to see if anyone else with sensitive skin issues have tried this!

    Thanks Jess

    Reply
  483. So I tried this and I guess some of the water evaporated while I did this and it came up super thick so I added some water to it and made it liquid but it’s more white than yellow. Is that okay?

    Reply
  484. I made this today and I apparently had pint jars instead of quart (they were my grandmas since I didn’t have any and didn’t notice what size they were) there wasn’t a lot of liquid in there only about 1/4 of the jar was liquid and the rest was the thick part I whipped it up and it was more of a white color than yellow. I tried it on the laundry and my clothes don’t smell clean and didn’t even take fresh mud stains out of the clothes. So I tried using more of it in the wash and it was still the same.

    Is it because of the smaller jars and not enough liquid in the jars?

    Reply
  485. Have you ever had any issues with the laundry soap discoloring/staining clothes? I made my first batch 6-8 weeks ago and have used it on our 3-4 weekly loads of laundry since then. During that time, I noticed some spots on clothes that had been discolored in various spots.

    I don’t know if this comes from how I have been putting the laundry detergent into our top-loading washer. I didn’t run the tablespoon under the water completely. I would only do that to get the excess detergent off.

    Is this part crucial to completely dissolving the soap in the wash and preventing discoloration of clothing while it sits in the washer as it fills? Just curious. Thanks!

    Reply
  486. I have made this soap several times. I didn’t think it took oil stains out the best until I tried putting the soap directly on the stain, scrub with a brush and leave overnight has been the best luck for me and the stain disappears.

    Reply
  487. Going to try this staying with the instructions you gave. Once the machine starts washing can I add bleach for the whites and towels which this mixture?

    Reply
  488. I live in South Africa and would like to make this recipe to eliminate washing powder residue on my clothing. With which local soap can the Fels Naptha be replaced? It should not be a problem to obtain the other ingredients locally.

    Reply
  489. I make this laundry sauce…i add concentrated laundry scent…iv used the rose…lavender…and spring rain…all three work wonderfully…as for my very hard water issues…i just add a couple tblsp of salt in the wash when i add the laundry sauce….as for my sons sweaty smelly clothes…i add a couple tblsp baking soda or oxyclean in with the salt and sauce…clothes come out super bright and clean…and the scents last up to two wks…i made 12 jars of sauce…almost 5 yrs ago….im on my last two jars…

    My son is now living on his own…i made him 12 jars when he moved out…he says he swears by the stuff…and he still has about 8 jars to go…he asked that next time to give him the spring rain scent…lol…he says its hard smelling manly with flowery scented clothes on

    It makes for great gifts…along with the dishwashing sauce…youll be amazed how many come back asking for more…

    Also…iv made the body bath soap…but i soak loofah sponges in the soap and let it harden in the sponge…again…great gift item

    I save up my peach and apricot seeds…i wash and scrub them with a toothbrush to get all the fruit pulp off…then i bake them on a cookie sheet at 400° for about 10 minutes or till they pop open…i pull out the inner seeds…then i put the shells into a heavy duty food grinder and grind them into a fine grain sand like consistency…i mix the shell sand into the body wash sauce…it makes a great all over body exfoliating soap…its a lot of work…but if you can save up enough shells…you can make a large batch…i found that it wont last more than about 6 months before it starts to smell stale…i alleviated that problem by putting the body wash sauce without the shell sand into small mason jars…i use small jelly sized jars…i pour dry shell sand into each jar as i use them…i simply mix the sand into the sauce with a teaspoon…simple as that…i have friends constantly wanting jars of this stuff…it goes fast !!!

    The only down side to making my own dish and body sauces….i have a dickins of a time finding liquid glycerine for soaps !!!

    Hope these ideas help someone

    God bless

    Reply
  490. I’ve enjoyed this recipe for a long while now. Its wonderful. However, dont try this with soaps that conain oils, like Zoot.

    My son thought he was doing a good thing. Buying a cheaper bar soap for me. The stuff doesn’t desolve right, doesn’t set up the same, and after blending, well it separated again.

    I will continue to make laundry paste, but with the right soap. I told my son never to be nice to me again. Lol

    Reply
  491. Made this soap today. I was not able to find the fells naphtha soap in a local store so I ordered it from amazon. It cost more than stated in the OP but it’s still much cheaper per load than any detergent.

    The soap was very soft so I just cut it into small chunks with a sharp knife. It melted just fine within 10 minutes

    Everything else worked as described and my soap turned out very nice. Perhaps a tiny bit gritty but not very noticeable so I used it. I have a front loading washer and added the soap to the clothes as instructed.

    Everything came out looking and smelling nice. It did not create a lot of suds in the washer which is great for a front loader.

    However it is hard to wash off my hands. This stuff is super concentrated! This is the best homemade detergent recipe I’ve tried and am pleased with how it works in my washer.

    Do be sure to follow the instructions exactly and you’ll get good results too! I used a regular pot which washed up perfectly fine afterward. The wooden spoon I used has now been labelled for soap making!

    I expect this will be my new detergent as it’s simple to make, not terribly time consuming , less expensive than anything I can buy and it does a good job Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply
  492. Ok so I tried this recipe and so far so good. I haven’t washed anything yet but I’m actually very anxious to do laundry now. I did add some Gain laundry scent booster.

    I put about 2 cups (I like to over due everything) melted it in the microwave and added it after the powders and melted soap were completely mixed.

    At first there was a big fizzle and I thought omg science experiment gone bad and I’m gonna have foam everywhere. This didn’t happen though, the big fizzle just fizzled out. So after I mixed the scent booster I continued on as directed.

    Everything went according to plan and I have 2 jars of soap. I would have had 3 but something went wrong when I was mixing the 3rd bottle (I’m not sure if I want to talk about it) so I have 2 jars full.

    It smells amazing and my whole house smells like Gain. Of course that could be because there may still be some on my walls or ceiling (still not ready to talk about it).

    Next time I will only use 1 cup of the scent bead thingies. Like I said I like to overdue stuff but I think 2 cups was a little much. I’m worried about the jars exploding (like with the oxyclean) so I think I might just leave the top opened slightly to ensure it ventilates, just Incase of expansion.

    I keep my laundry supplies in the same room my pigs sleep in at night.

    I can’t imagine the mess I’d have to clean if they ate the exploded soap jars. My first load will be their bedding blankets. If this stuff can get those blankets clean then it will clean anything.

    Well I hope this helps. I’ll let you know how my first load goes. I also wanted to address the melting time of the bar soap.

    With my stove and altitude it was necessary for me to go from high to medium throughout the whole melting time. It did take about 15 minutes but had I not adjusted the heat back and forth it would have taken a lot longer.

    I think it really depends on your stove with what temperature you use, you just have to play with it. I’ve made laundry soap before but it was in powder form. The bar soap I used that time was Zote, which is also used for laundry.

    Anybody try making this with that one?

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  493. My blender quit working when I tried to whip it up!!! Is there any other way I could make this work for me? I hate to throw it out!!!!

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  494. I have made this 3 times so far and each time I have to reboil the mixture after putting it in the jars. It doesn’t separate like it’s supposed to until I reboil it. Do you know what I’m doing wrong??

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  495. I didn’t know there were different kinds of borax, I must of used the wrong one, mine never dissolved even though I stirred & cooked it 4x longer than the directions. I washed a load & there was tons of gunk stuck on my laundry & washer tub. Any suggestions on how to strain that out of laundry soap?

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  496. I tried this and it is great! I use it for everything I forgot to put in an essential oil scent but the “fragrance” of the Fels Naphtha is pleasant enough but I use vinegar for rinse so it doesn’t really matter.

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  497. I have a large capacity Samsung washer. I can wash about 4 normal loads at once. (Or King comforter, king blanket, sheet set….easily) should I use more than one tablespoon with so many clothes?

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  498. I have a question, if I was to leave out the borax (it gets an f rating on the ewg website and I’d love to make this recipe “healthier”) do you think it should effect the efficacy of the detergent or do you think it would still perform ok? And do you think it will effect how the detergent sets as far as texture?

    Reply
    • I have a question, if I was to leave out the borax (it gets an f rating on the ewg website and I’d love to make this recipe “healthier”) do you think it should effect the efficacy of the detergent or do you think it would still perform ok? And do you think it will effect how the detergent sets as far as texture?

      Well, let’s take a look at your question from the perspective of a recipe- this calls for 3 Ingredients

      Fels
      Borax
      Washing Soda

      You want to leave out 1/3 of the recipe and hope it still works.

      Let’s look at another 3 ingredient recipe, french toast.

      eggs
      milk
      bread

      You could certainly whip eggs and milk together, but that doesn’t make french toast. You could dip bread in milk, but still no french toast.

      In short, NO, it won’t work, for Super Laundry sauce or for french toast.

      Reply
  499. I followed the directctions step by step and it turned out just like you said. When I washed a pad of clothes with it it did not dissolve in the wash. When I went to put the clothes in the dryer there were still globs if it stuck to my clothes. What can I try to fix this? I wash with cold water

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  500. Yeah, I know this post is old. I found it in 2013 and have been making it ever since. About 5 or 6 times now. I’d like to throw in a couple of my recommendations.

    1. Use a food processor and a fine grater for the Fels Naptha. It’ll dissolve better in the water. And take your time. The article says 10 to 15 minutes but I go up to about 20, just to be sure. Yes, it’s somewhat boring having to stand there and casually stir for awhile, but put on some good soft rock or R&B and go with it.

    2. Definitely use an Oster Blender. Their mechanism for turning the blades is much stronger than a Hamilton Beach or other brands with the rubber gear. And I truly believe they last longer.

    3. For mixing the Borax and Washing Soda, I would suggest using a flour sifter and a plastic bowl with a lid. It just makes it powder a little finer and helps it dissolve better. Sift the Borax and Washing Soda, put the lid on the bowl and shake it up. Then put on some more music for the final stir.

    4. Get some kind of Pot Pour device. It’ll make it easier, trust me. And for God’s sake don’t pour from the pot on the kitchen counter or you WILL make a mess. It’s inevitable.

    5. When you’re ready to blend, first open up the jar and use a small spatula or spoon to break up the solid part into a few pieces. It’ll make it easier on the blender. And make sure the rubber gasket goes between the blade plate and the part you screw onto the jar. I made that discovery one time when I did it wrong and tried to pulverize that gasket into my mix.

    6. Lastly, while it’s on the blender, start slow then work your way up to the Liquify setting (the one right after Frappe). And keep an eye on it. You’ll see the line in the jar as it’s mixing (the upper part will be an off white while the lower will turn white). You’ll see the whiter part rise in the jar. When it reaches the top (or bottom depending on how you look at it) keep blending a minute or two longer. Be sure to check the heat on both the blender and the jar. They do heat up. Turn it off for a few seconds if you feel it might be overheating.

    Well, that’s my story. The first couple of times it got messy, then I used these refinements to finally do it right. Literally I just made another gallon (4 quarts, I double the recipe) today and it’ll last us over a year. Our clothes always come out clean, and the only thing we add is some fabric softener. I’ve been really happy with it and haven’t bought Tide or Gain or any of that other stuff for nearly 6 years. A little time and patience on your day off can save you lots of money.

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  501. I have used this recipe for years and absolutely love it! I’ve held classes to teach others and given jars as gifts. For some reason people return that jar empty and expect me to make more. That’s when I hand over the recipe and this website!

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  502. I am keen to try this recipe, we don’t have Fels Naptha in NZ. Have you tried using a Castile soap? I am wondering about the consistency
    Many thanks

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  503. I have been using this recipe for a few years. I love it! It saves me money, which is important on a tight budget. That said, it is also the best detergent I’ve used. It’s great for my daughter, who has sensitive skin. Best of all, it cleans even really dirty clothes. I used to hate how store bought detergents made my clothes smell (the fragrances aren’t great for me). My clothes smell as clean as they are, no awkward scent afterward.

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  504. Issue #1 – unable to find a blender whose blades fit a mason jar, plus I read that it is dangerous to do so, since the jar could break in your hand.
    Issue #2 – using a bowl and mixer is VERY messy and wasteful

    Question #1 – Why does the jar need to be turned upside down?

    I have to tell you that this sauce is FANTASTIC and passed the ultimate test – It made these filthy, nasty horse blankets smell FRESH- even the leg straps that get peed on, came out CLEAN and with no smell! It also removed the ground in dirt, which brightened them and made them look new. No commercial detergent has been able to do that EVER – 15 stars!!

    Reply
    • Why does the jar need to be turned upside down?

      Because if you don’t the contents gel at the very bottom of the jar which makes properly mixing them nearly impossible. By flipping the jar, the contents do not adhere to the bottom and the blender doesn’t overheat.

      Reply
  505. You really make it seem so easy with your presentation and I’m really looking forward to making this recipe and giving it a try. I work with grease all the time, it’ll be nice to have a homemade laundry detergent recipe that can lift grease stains.

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  506. My washing machine doesn’t have an option for hot or warm water, well, techinically, the machine has the option, but the hot water isn’t hooked up. I usually dissolve a tablespoon of this in a coffee cup of hot water and then pour it into my frontloader washing machine. It works a treat! Hope this tip helps someone else.

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  507. This Super Laundry Sauce is most excellent! I managed to get all of the stains out of my husbands clothes and many of them had set in for several washes. I applied the sauce with a toothbrush and used a piece of cardboard behind it to keep it from soaking to the otherside.

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  508. I love this Quick and Easy DIY Laundry soap recipe. I’ve tried the original version, but I’ve also used bar soap in place of the fels and then followed the remaining directions in the post.

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  509. Best homemade laundry soap recipe I’ve ever encountered, hands down. I don’t know why companies don’t make and sell this Mom’s Super Laundry Sauce, this stuff is that awesome!

    I gets grease, blood, and grass stains out. My sons baseball uniform is actually spotless for a change. It even lifted old stains out.

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  510. I use this on my daughter’s school uniforms and sports clothes. Those come home looking so nice after being washed in homemade Mom’s Super Laundry Sauce Laundry Soap. She loves wearing her soccer uniform because she knows it’ll be bright white again by tomorrow morning 🙂

    Reply
  511. Does this original super laundry sauce laundry soap recipe work any differently than the 5 minute version for dummies?

    It seems like the end product is the same, so I was curious as to whether there’s a difference.

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  512. OMG, I love this Super Laundry Sauce recipe and will never buy laundry detergent again!

    It makes a semi-liquid laundry detergent that lasts forever. I was getting discouraged because it seemed like nothing got my clothes clean, even when adding more and more laundry soap to the wash. But now I’m pleased as punch! It gets out stains (like dirt, mud, coffee) with no problem at all! Easy peasy every time!

    I found this recipe on Pinterest and can’t thank whoever posted it enough for sharing!!

    Reply
  513. I slopped banana cream pie on my favorite shirt at a recent friendsgiving dinner and didn’t realize it until the stain had really set in. I washed it in hot water with this super laundry sauce and the creme pie stain came right out!!

    Reply

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