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Super Laundry Sauce for Dummies

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Are you a bit domestically challenged? Try our Super Laundry Sauce for Dummies! This 7 minute, No Mess, no-cook laundry detergent recipe makes enough Heavy Duty Laundry Detergent to wash 128 Loads of laundry, but it takes up very little room and costs less than $2.00 to make.
super-laundry-sauce-for-dummies

After reading 900+ comments from our readers we realized that not everyone is used to making their own detergents, cleaners, and soaps- so I set out to figure out a way to make the recipe Fool-Proof for those that may be.. domestically challenged (or just plain too busy to spend time Cooking their own Detergent!)

Thus, My Super Laundry Sauce for Dummies recipe was born! This has all the amazing washing capabilities of our Original Laundry Sauce Recipe– but with very minimal effort. If you can Boil water in a microwave, you can make your own no-fail laundry soap. The ingredients are linked below so you can see what they should look like as well as where you can purchase them if they are not available to you locally.

Super Laundry Sauce for Dummies How-To Video

Below you’ll see that I’ve broken down this 1 recipe into 2 different methods- the recipe is the same- the preparation is slightly different, the end result is the same. I guess what I’m trying to tell you is that this is not Brain Surgery- it’s like any other recipe, it can be made a thousand different ways and still come out great, that’s the beauty of it! Find a method that works best for you and go with it.

Super Laundry Sauce for Dummies Recipe

You’ll Need:

1 Entire 5.05oz Bar of Fels Naptha Soap (Some of our Aussie Friends have used SARD Wonder Soap in place of the fels naptha)
3 c. water
1 cup 20 Mule Team Borax Powder
1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (not Baking Soda)
2 (1 qt) Mason Jars

Optional:
30 drops Essential Oil of your choice such as Lavender, Jasmine, etc

How to Make Super Laundry Sauce for Dummies Detergent: Method #1

Unwrap the Fels Naptha Soap and cut the bar in half. Take (1) half of the bar and slice it, cutting it into pea-sized chunks. Place all of those chunks into a 1 qt mason Jar. Cut up the other half and place those pieces in the second mason jar.

super-laundry-sauce-for-dummies

Add 1 1/2 cups of Boiling Hot Water to each jar, cover and leave it alone overnight. I literally just run a pot of water through my coffee pot and use that. This is what it will look like in the morning if you cut the pieces up first:

super-laundry-sauce-for-dummies

The next day (or several days down the road, depending on your schedule!), open the jar, use a butter knife to make a “criss-cross” pattern to loosen the gelled Fels Naptha off the bottom when you whip it. Add 1/2 cup borax and 1/2 cup washing soda to each jar.

At this point, if you’d like to add a scent to the sauce, directly add your essential oil(s). We’ve found lavender or jasmine to work quite well.

super-laundry-sauce-for-dummies

Add Enough Hot water to bring the level up to the “shoulder” of the Jar, (again, I actually just ran a pot of water through my coffee pot, because boiling water is a pain in the butt!) like so:

Note the Purple line to indicate the level your water should be at before you continue to the next step…
super-laundry-sauce-for-dummies

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.

super-laundry-sauce-for-dummies

Place the jar on the blender base and Whip until it is light and fluffy with the consistency of Creamy Mayonnaise.

super-laundry-sauce-for-dummies

How to Make Super Laundry Sauce for Dummies Detergent: Method #2

This was my “speed” method the first time around . . .

Unwrap the bar of Fels Naptha soap and cut it into chunks. Place those chunks in a Ziploc baggie and add 2 cups of water. It doesn’t have to be hot or cold, just your basic plain old tap water will do fine. Remove as much of the air as possible from the bag and seal it shut. (This takes all of 30 seconds).

Set it aside for 48 hours.

Once the fels naptha has set for 48 hours (or more- it’s fine if you forget it for a few days) Gently palpate the bag -squeezing any lumps to squish them. You want the contents of the baggie to be uniform without big chunks. (This takes about 20 seconds)

super-laundry-sauce-for-dummies

In a medium-size bowl combine borax and washing soda powder. Add 2 cups of boiling water and stir well to combine. We simply heated the water in the microwave in a pyrex measuring cup for 2 minutes.

super-laundry-sauce-for-dummies

Snip the corner of the baggie off and squeeze the fels naptha into the mixing bowl containing the dissolved borax/washing soda. Mix well with a spoon or spatula or a whisk- whatever you happen to have on hand will work just fine. (this takes about a minute)

super-laundry-sauce-for-dummies

Pour the mixture evenly into 2 ( One Quart) mason jars. Add enough water to bring the contents of each jar up to the “shoulder” of the jar, so that it looks like this:

super-laundry-sauce-for-dummies

Unscrew the blade and bottom from your blender and carefully seat the gasket and blade on the jar, then screw on the bottom piece. If you neglect to make sure your gasket is lined up properly, it will get chewed up by the blade when you whip the contents of the jar, consider yourself forewarned.

Put the jar onto the blender and whip until smooth and creamy throughout. Ours took about 25 seconds per jar.

The detergent is Smooth and creamy with the same Look and consistency of Mayonnaise. This is what it looks like after it’s whipped:

super-laundry-sauce-for-dummies

Unscrew the blender blade, attach a canning jar lid and cover and that’s all there is to it! You’ve just made enough Heavy Duty Laundry Detergent to wash 128 Loads of Laundry for about $1.76 and in less than 10 minutes flat.

By the way, it is smooth and creamy like mayonnaise after it is freshly whipped, but will thicken as it sets and must be stored with a cover on. A repurposed parmesan cheese lid works perfectly. (Thank you to Southern Belle for this great tip!)

How to Use the Homemade Super Laundry Sauce for Dummies: (View FAQ here)

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. (It WILL get stuck in the compartment, I can assure you!)

Be sure to label the jar to prevent accidental ingestion!! We have created these cute labels here if you’d like to Print them out to attach to your own Jars.

Here is EXACTLY how I use our detergent:

  • 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.

    Free Printable Laundry Sauce Labels

    Free Printable Super Laundry Sauce LabelsSuper Laundry Sauce Labels

    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
    • This can be stored indefinitely. It does become slightly firmer but still melts fine in the washing machine water, both hot or cold. Be sure to store it with a lid on though, once it dries out, it’s effectiveness is greatly reduced. Again, repurpose the lid from a container of parmesan cheese and you’ll be good to go!
    • 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.


    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

    We’re really hoping that you find these 2 different “speed” methods to be easier and less time consuming for you!

    See Also the Super Laundry Sauce Frequently Asked Questions FAQ

View More Frugal Living Ideas

More DIY Projects

608 thoughts on “Super Laundry Sauce for Dummies”

    • Thank you for sharing this, I’m going to try it!

      this was my first time making this and it is awesome!!!!!! my clothes are super clean, i swear they look brighter and my towels have never been so fluffy.

      a couple of things though make sure you use a blender you wouldn’t mind loosing the sauce is really thick, also dissolve, dissolve,dissolve or it won’t separate. other than that really easy and works very well.

      Reply
      • It works great I’m ready to make more but one thing I don’t understand why is it dating now for DUMMY’S I’M NOT DUM I LOVE THIS DETERGENT WORKS AMAZINGLY GREAT . I spoils appreciate if it didn’t say that. I put on my labeled home made detergent form mom not for DUMMY’S. I enjoy making this with my grandkids they have fun and get to take it home foot there mommy’s and daddy’s. THANKYOU Lisa.

        Reply
    • Thank you for sharing this, I’m going to try it!

      Me too! I have found that the price of laundry detergent is a little much! I am definitely going to try this method!

      :laundry:

      Reply
    • will this work with zote soap also

      No, it will not. I believe this was covered in the original “cooking” detergent.

      Reply
    • will this work with zote soap also

      I make mine with Fels Naptha after making my first batch with zote which left a bad ring in my washer. Anyone think that proves it gets the filth out of the dirty laundry & is a good thing??? I use the laundry sauce made with the zoat for hand washing knits, it gets them bright and clean.

      Maybe the ring in the washer will not continue to be a problem with continued use…

      Reply
    • Is this detergent safe for use on cloth diapers?

      I only use zote soap it melts faster and comes in different colors. also very easy to shred heating.

      Reply
    • Is this detergent safe for use on cloth diapers?

      The ingredients used to make this have been around for decades and have much less chemicals in them then store bought detergents/soaps.
      I safely venture to say yes, it is safe for cloth diapers but every baby is different when it comes to any soap. (as are some adults)
      All one can do in this case is to give it a try and see if you notice any changes on your baby’s skin in the diaper area.
      Most “natural” moms prefer using a homemade laundry soap over store bought.
      Good Luck!

      Reply
    • Is this detergent safe for use on cloth diapers?

      As my kids are all well past the diaper stage [my oldest granddaughter just got engaged!] I can tell you that, back in the dark, pre-Pamper days, I used to wash diapers with a bar of Fels Naptha on days when I couldn’t get down to the cellar, and was forced to use an old fashioned rub board in the sink. Also used to put either Washing Soda or Borax in the diaper pail to help get a skid marks out.

      So don’t worry about it, just make sure everything is well rinsed, as with any soap. If there is a question, add a bit of vinegar to the rinse.

      Reply
    • Is this detergent safe for use on cloth diapers?

      I’ve been using them on my cloth diapers for a year. I never thought to question that it would do anything bad to them and they’re still fine.

      Reply
    • Is this detergent safe for use on cloth diapers?

      I’ve the same components minus the water for several years on my cloth diapers, however now I want to premake the mix like this so it will dissolve better and be easier to use. There is nothing in this recipe that you shouldn’t use on cloth.

      Reply
    • Question–can you use this in he (high efficiency) washers?


      according to the instructions in the recipe listed above, yes:

      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. (it will get stuck in the compartment, i can assure you!)

      Reply
    • Question–can you use this in he (high efficiency) washers?

      i have an he and it works great, leaves the clothes smelling so fresh, just be sure to put the 1Tablespoon of detergent directly onto the clothing and not in the dispenser.

      Reply
    • Can you use this in HE washers? Do you put the spoonful of detergent in with the dirty clothes and then turn your dials to their preferences? Please advise.

      Reply
    • Question–can you use this in he (high efficiency) washers?

      yes. when i first made mine is was too thick, so i just put directly into the drum and it works great. but i added a little more water and mixed it up again so it has the consistency of mayo.

      i put it directly into the detergent drawer, no sticking.

      Reply
  1. just finished making a batch this morning. i used the first set of instructions. i have these things to add that might be helpful…

    1. When I mixed my “pea sized” Fels Naptha bar and boiling water, the two did not fully incorporate but began to separate into two layers. I noticed this was happening, so I got a long teaspoon and stirred them up together…

    that’s all it took…

    the layer finally solidified the way it was supposed to.

    2. The next day, after you add the remaining ingredients and the boiling water, be very careful to get the rubber gasket lined up before turning the jar over. i wasn’t careful with this and leaked scalding water on my hands.

    ouch!

    3. Be sure to keep your blender on the lowest speed until the fels naptha gel layer melts and falls down to the blender knives area. do not turn your blender up to whip until those two have had a chance to combine for a while.

    otherwise, you may bend your blender blades the way i did…

    arrgh! :p

    4. To store my supplies for the next batch, I cut the tops off of the two boxes, down close to where the powder was, and that made each box small enough to fit into a gallon zip-top bag.

    5. I used a piece of yarn to tie an old Tablespoon to my jar of laundry sauce for easy dispensing.

    Thanks for the great tips on this website! I’m going to put up some links on my personal blog to your article here and share my experiences with it.

    God bless,
    Anna “Banana” Jackson

    (By the way… sorry if I posted this comment twice… but I didn’t see it come up in the list after the first time I posted it.)

    Reply
    • How do you specifically line up the gasket? Is there a trick to it? I made one batch successfully but the gasket did get a little cracked.

      It wouldn’t allow a tight seal.

      So… I need to buy more.

      Someone did ask earlier if this could be made in a blender at once, then put in the jars. Makes sense that it could be..

      Reply
      • How do you specifically line up the gasket? Is there a trick to it? I made one batch successfully but the gasket did get a little cracked.

        It wouldn’t allow a tight seal. So… I need to buy more.

        Someone did ask earlier if this could be made in a blender at once, then put in the jars. Makes sense that it could be..

        If you just everything together in one quick step, the different soaps will seperate into layers.

        Reply
      • How do you specifically line up the gasket? Is there a trick to it? I made one batch successfully but the gasket did get a little cracked.

        It wouldn’t allow a tight seal. So… I need to buy more.

        Someone did ask earlier if this could be made in a blender at once, then put in the jars. Makes sense that it could be..

        Make sure everything is dry- gasket , blades & top of jar

        Reply
    • Just finished making a batch this morning. I used the FIRST set of instructions. I have these things to add that might be helpful…

      1. When I mixed my “pea sized” Fels Naptha bar and boiling water, the two did not fully incorporate but began to separate into two layers. I noticed this was happening, so I got a long teaspoon and stirred them up together…

      that’s all it took… the layer finally solidified the way it was supposed to.

      2. The next day, after you add the remaining ingredients and the boiling water, be very careful to get the rubber gasket lined up before turning the jar over. i wasn’t careful with this and leaked scalding water on my hands.

      ouch!

      3. Be sure to keep your blender on the lowest speed until the fels naptha gel layer melts and falls down to the blender knives area. do not turn your blender up to whip until those two have had a chance to combine for a while.

      otherwise, you may bend your blender blades the way i did… arrgh! :p

      4. To store my supplies for the next batch, I cut the tops off of the two boxes, down close to where the powder was, and that made each box small enough to fit into a gallon zip-top bag.

      5. I used a piece of yarn to tie an old Tablespoon to my jar of laundry sauce for easy dispensing.

      Thanks for the great tips on this website! I’m going to put up some links on my personal blog to your article here and share my experiences with it.

      God bless,
      Anna “Banana” Jackson

      (By the way… sorry if I posted this comment twice… but I didn’t see it come up in the list after the first time I posted it.)

      I turned the blender over and put it on the jar instead of the other way it works better that way..

      Reply
    • Can’t you just put it all in the blender then in the jars?

      I just made a triple batch using the above proportions in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixing wand/blender. All good. Just scoop it into whatever you will be storing it into.

      Thank all for the information here. Really nice brew!

      Reply
    • Can’t you just put it all in the blender then in the jars?

      That’s how I did it and it worked fine. it did great job on our clothes.

      Reply
    • Can’t you just put it all in the blender then in the jars?

      The only problem I can see with that, is that the laundry sauce is super thick, like mayonaise.

      Reply
  2. the whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” when my husband read the ingedient list on the fels soap, (after i had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. the chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it.

    i had intended to add essential oils to it.

    is there an alternative to this stuff?

    Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingedient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. The chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it.

      I had intended to add Essential Oils to it. Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      Several. You could use plain Ivory bar soap, Dr. Bronner’s Castile bar soaps, or Kirk’s Castile bar soap. Best of luck.

      Reply
      • Several. You could use plain Ivory bar soap, Dr. Bronner’s Castile bar soaps, or Kirk’s Castile bar soap. Best of luck.

        Thanks!

        I wanted to try this, but I’m allergic to most perfumes so I wasn’t sure if I could. I’ll definitely give it a go now!

        Reply
      • Several. You could use plain Ivory bar soap, Dr. Bronner’s Castile bar soaps, or Kirk’s Castile bar soap. Best of luck.

        I am just wondering if anyone has tried using these yet to see how it worked..

        Did you ever try adding the crystals? If so when did you do it, did it turn out? etc = )

        Reply
        • I am just wondering if anyone has tried using these yet to see how it worked..

          Did you ever try adding the crystals? If so when did you do it, did it turn out? etc = )

          The Dr Bronners works okay, fels works the best, Ivory does NOT get the laundry clean and leaves a residue on the clothes. You can add crystals at the same time as the other dry ingredients.

          Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingedient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. The chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it.

      I had intended to add Essential Oils to it. Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      I use white Dove soap. Works great.

      Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingedient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. The chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it.

      I had intended to add Essential Oils to it. Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      I use kirk’s coco castile soap, it comes regular or unscented, and is gentle but works well in laundry soaps. I also add essential oils to my detergent.

      Reply
      • I use kirk’s coco castile soap, it comes regular or unscented, and is gentle but works well in laundry soaps. I also add essential oils to my detergent.

        How much of the essential oils to you add?

        Reply
      • How much of the Kirk’s do you grate up to how much water? I tried it, left the soap overnight. It does not get thick at all like Fels Naptha. I don’t want to waste this. I did one quart jar, half bar of Kirk’s, 1 1/2cups of boiling water.

        Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingedient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. The chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it.

      I had intended to add Essential Oils to it. Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      You can use Ivory bar soap as well!

      Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingedient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. The chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it.

      I had intended to add Essential Oils to it. Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      Try making this with a bar of Dr. Bronner’s or another castille soap. That’s what I have used in the past when making detergent.

      We always made the same recipe but in the dilute 5 gallon size ( still using one bar of soap, and 1 cup each of washing soda and borax).

      Today, I plan on trying this more concentrated version ( with Dr. Bronner’s). Honestly, I don’t think I like the idea of the super concentrated detergent either. I read reviews where people had a hard time getting it to dissolve.

      The recipe makes 1/2 gallon. I used the same ingredient proportions to make 5 gallons in the past. They both wash about 128 loads. So, my plan is too make the sauce, then using my immersion blender, I plan to dilute it to about 2 gallons.

      Then, I will use 1/4 cup of detergent per load.

      Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingedient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. The chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it.

      I had intended to add Essential Oils to it. Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      Was there ever a response to this question? We use Mrs. Meyers (1 TBS.

      per load) because it is natural. I use Fels Naptha only to pre-treat stains. The label states that it is an eye and skin irritant and bar says not to allow prolonged skin contact and to seek medical attention if it causes irritation so I really wonder about using it as an laundry soap.

      Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingedient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. The chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it.

      I had intended to add Essential Oils to it. Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      I have always used a bar of Ivory soap since my husband and son have sensitive skin.

      Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingedient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. The chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it.

      I had intended to add Essential Oils to it. Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      I have made the dry laundry soap and used Ivory soap with great results. It’s easier to grate and has the clean fresh smell of Ivory. I have made it with Fels also and I wasn’t able to tell any difference in my laundry.

      Both cleaned very well. I prefer the Ivory over the Fels.

      Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingedient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. The chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it.

      I had intended to add Essential Oils to it. Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      i made it to use on my mom’s laundry-she had severe skin cancer and her skin was so sensitive even plain water burned and blistered her skin. it worked great for her.

      if you “translate” the chemical names on the fels naptha, here’s what you get:
      sodium tallowate [tallow=beef fat] and sodium cocoate [coconut oil] or sodium palmate kernelate [palm kernel oil] and sodium palmate [emulsifier derived from palm kernel oil].
      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.
      coconut acid, palm acid and tallow acid are fatty acids derived from plants and animals.

      they are emollients and surfactants, cleaning agents in other words. peg-6 methyl ether is an extract of juniper [thus the scent]. Fels-Naptha also contains glycerin, an emollient; sorbitol, a sugar alcohol derived from fruit and seaweed, a moisturizer; and sodium chloride= table salt.

      Pentasodium pentetate and/or tetrasodium etidronate are inorganic salts used as emulsifiers and dispersing agents-They’re used in lotions and cosmetics. they’re a type of mineral that binds to the calcium and magnesium in your water to make it softer so the soap works better. Titatium dioxide=a mineral [the white stuff in hypoallergenic sunscreen].
      Fels was originally developed as a medication for dermatitis and is still frequently used for poison oak exposure.
      Hope this eases your mind.

      Reply
      • This was a superb answer! I love that you broke it down ingredient by ingredient and put it into “normal” layman lingo :party1:

        I made it to use on my mom’s laundry-she had severe skin cancer and her skin was so sensitive even plain water burned and blistered her skin. It worked great for her.

        If you “translate” the chemical names on the Fels Naptha, here’s what you get:
        Sodium tallowate [tallow=beef fat] and sodium cocoate [coconut oil] or sodium palmate kernelate [palm kernel oil] and sodium palmate [emulsifier derived from palm kernel oil].
        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.
        Coconut acid, palm acid and tallow acid are fatty acids derived from plants and animals.

        They are emollients and surfactants, cleaning agents in other words. PEG-6 methyl ether is an extract of juniper [thus the scent]. Fels-Naptha also contains glycerin, an emollient; sorbitol, a sugar alcohol derived from fruit and seaweed, a moisturizer; and sodium chloride= table salt.

        Pentasodium pentetate and/or tetrasodium etidronate are inorganic salts used as emulsifiers and dispersing agents-They’re used in lotions and cosmetics. they’re a type of mineral that binds to the calcium and magnesium in your water to make it softer so the soap works better. Titatium dioxide=a mineral [the white stuff in hypoallergenic sunscreen].
        Fels was originally developed as a medication for dermatitis and is still frequently used for poison oak exposure.
        Hope this eases your mind.

        Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingedient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. The chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it.

      I had intended to add Essential Oils to it. Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      i have tried this recipe due to having a teenager with extremely sensitive skin due to eczema. even the “free and pure” laundry detergents broke her out, but this recipe has not caused the least bit of irritation for her.

      it is worth a shot 🙂

      Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingedient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. The chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it.

      I had intended to add Essential Oils to it. Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      yes – use a homemade castle soap with no preservatives or other chemical ingredients. many soapers out there make it.

      try local farmer’s markets too.

      Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingedient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. The chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it.

      I had intended to add Essential Oils to it. Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      i have made this with a bar of plain old all natural veg oil soap and it came out fine, aside from all the chemicals, the fels and zote are both made with animals fats, yuck, not vegan! and i have found the eo you add to make the soap smell doesnt really translate to your laundry at all!

      Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingedient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. The chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it.

      I had intended to add Essential Oils to it. Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      how do feel about replacing the fels with zote? i don’t think its too smelly and i use essential oils.
      main ingredients
      the main ingredients are beef tallow and coconut oil, which are neutralized with caustic soda for the saponification process.

      it contains salt (sodium chloride), glycerin, perfume, optical brightener and dye, in the case of pink zote and blue zote.
      optical brightener
      zote soap contains an optical brightener which bleaches clothes without fading their color. optical brighteners are the compounds providing clothes with brightness. their function is to absorb light with certain wave lengths in the washed garments and thus reflecting a visible blue; its work is most noticeable in white clothes.
      what to do in case of ingestion
      in case of ingestion (which is pretty unlikely since it is a solid) it may cause nausea and vomit.

      it has no toxicity problems.

      Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingedient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      castile soap is a natural soap you can use to make your own.

      as far as i can tell you can only get it in the us. walmart carries it. i am thinking of ordering it as well.

      you can make everything with it, from hand soap to shampoo’s to laundry soap. and you just add your own fragrance. you can also get some that already had different fragrances as well.

      good luck.

      Reply
      • Castile Soap is a natural soap you can use to make your own. As far as I can tell you can only get it in the us. walmart carries it.

        i am thinking of ordering it as well. you can make everything with it, from hand soap to shampoo’s to laundry soap. and you just add your own fragrance.

        you can also get some that already had different fragrances as well. good luck.

        i found castile soap at cracker barrel if that helps any….

        Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingedient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. The chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it.

      I had intended to add Essential Oils to it. Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      i have read a lot of similar recipes and they say you can use zoute, glycerine soap or whatever you like. i’m thinking that if you have sensitive skin that glycerine would be your best option.

      Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingredient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. The chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it.

      I had intended to add Essential Oils to it. Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      I am in the same boat as you. You should try Ivory. It is natural and it has a little smell to it but not much.

      It has definitely helped my family with their skin irritations. I hope this helps. 😀

      Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingedient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. The chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it.

      I had intended to add Essential Oils to it.

      Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      The chemicals in fels naptha are nothing like those in “regular” detergents, primarily because fels does not have the really nasty phosphates and petroleum by-products that find their way from your washer into you community’s ground water.
      Remember that even the most “pure” natural products have chemicals added into them, because everything is made up of chemicals.

      Even a potato or a head of lettuce could be presented not as a named item but as a list of all the chemicals that make them up.

      And then, of course, you would want to know about the intensive and sometimes quite rapid chemical reactions that these items are exposed to as part of there life cycle.
      Bottom line, just because the ingredient list has chemical names in it does not mean it is dangerous, or even that it’s not natural – you have to find out what those chemicals actually, where they come from, etc to really know if something is in your safety comfort zone.

      I’m not touting fels naphtha, just wanted to remind everyone that natural stuff is chemicals just like non-naturally stuff of chemicals (and so are you. and so am I.)
      Is fels naptha natural? A good part of it is from naturally occurring sources.

      Is it natural enough for me to use? Yes, it is within my comfort zone. But it may not be in yours so educate yourself about what is really in it, not just the scary sounding chemical name,es.

      A good article on this is at Ingredients of Fels Naptha | livestrong.com
      b

      Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingedient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. The chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it.

      I had intended to add Essential Oils to it. Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      I make my laundry soap with my new grands in mind so I use Ivory soap. I can’t imagine it would be any different with this recipe.

      Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingedient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. The chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it. I had intended to add Essential Oils to it. Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      Make your own soap! 🙂

      Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingedient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. The chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it.

      I had intended to add Essential Oils to it. Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      You’ll have to check. You can use Zote, Ivory, and even Pure & Natural soap bars instead.

      There’s also Dr. Bronner’s or other brands of castille soap. Otherwise, a handcrafted soap bar.

      Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingedient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. The chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it.

      I had intended to add Essential Oils to it. Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      i make my own naptha type soap. i use the “good” ingredients and make my own soap, then i chunk it up and do like the rest of the recipe.

      it is nice and you can add what eos you like.

      Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingedient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. The chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it.

      I had intended to add Essential Oils to it. Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      I have the most sensitive skin, ever! I tried this because of the fact that you only use 1 tablespoon per load, knowing that I would probably break out, but I wanted to try it. A year later, I’m still using this detergent with absolutely no problems of skin irritation at all.

      I love it and wouldn’t use anything else but this!:laundry:

      Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingedient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. The chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it.

      I had intended to add Essential Oils to it. Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      Try using a bar of Ivory soap. I used it for a dry laundry mix and have had no problems, itches, rashes, etc. I also gave some to a friend’s daughter in law, who just had a preemie.

      So far, so good. The baby’s clothes are soft and hasn’t caused any irritation.

      Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingedient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. The chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it.

      I had intended to add Essential Oils to it.

      Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      I used Ivory soap in mine & it worked just as well. We also need the for sensitive skin version. Plus I don’t like a lot of scent in my laundry soap.

      Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingedient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. The chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it.

      I had intended to add Essential Oils to it.

      Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      You can use Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castille Bar Soap because of its exceptional quality, and because it is available in several different natural scents like lavender, tea tree, peppermint, almond and others.

      Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingedient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. The chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it.

      I had intended to add Essential Oils to it. Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      I’ve seen Zote bar soap as an alternative, but personally haven’t tried it. Comes with and without scent (may vary by store locale).

      If you get unscented, you could add some lemon essential oil to the mix.
      Or really save time and your skin and give Soap Nuts a try.
      HTH

      Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingedient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. The chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it.

      I had intended to add Essential Oils to it. Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      You can use Zote soap as well although a person seems to be either a die hard fels fan or a die hard Zote fan lol

      Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingedient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. The chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it.

      I had intended to add Essential Oils to it. Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      yes! dr bronners bar soap. i’m making mine with lavender & rose (1/2 of each bar to make a whole bar).

      I dont do chemicals either.

      Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      Homemade coconut oil soap

      Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingedient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. The chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it.

      I had intended to add Essential Oils to it. Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      I have made the home-made soap using Ivory soap (had an infant at the time) and it worked…may not be strong enough for really dirty clothes…they made to soak overnight or something 🙂

      Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingedient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. The chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it.

      I had intended to add Essential Oils to it. Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      i have read you can substitute for ivory bar which is supposed to be a gentler soap. i would also look for a natural laundry bar in your local health food store

      Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.”

      You could try dr bronners soap. I hear they are more environmentally friendly but the cost goes up also.
      Or try ivory.

      Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingedient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. The chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it.

      I had intended to add Essential Oils to it. Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      I have used this recipe with my homemade bar soap, & it has worked wonderfully!

      Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.”

      Dr Bronners!
      Natural, and works almost as well.

      Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” When my husband read the ingedient list on the Fels soap, (after I had most of it grated of course :-), yuck. The chemicals sounded as bad as regular detergents, and there is fragrance in it.

      I had intended to add Essential Oils to it. Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      Fels Naptha is cheap, made by Dial and has palm oil in it plus the other yucky ingredients. You can buy a laundry bar from a soap maker such as myself or you could get really crazy and make you won laundry bar!

      Great recipe but Fels naptha is not a good soap. Look into the ingredients, yuck! Palm oil is terribly destructive.

      Make your own laundry bars or buy from a local soap maker, we’re everywhere!

      Reply
    • The whole point of me wanting to make my own laundry soap was to have a natural detergent because of skin irritation, even to “sensitive deemed detergents.” Is there an alternative to this stuff?

      try zote soap its just soap 🙂 or you can grate a bar of castile soap and use that as well instead of the Fels:)

      Reply
    • Labels can be misleading & confusing as they use the proper scientific or chemical names for everything, giving the impression that naturally occurring things are artificial. Chemicals are natural. Everything in existence is made from chemicals, e.g. Salt is Sodium Chloride, Vinegar is mostly Acetic Acid, Olive oil is mostly Oleic Acid with some Linoleic Acid, Palmitic Acid & a bunch of other stuff. Vitamins have thousands of different chemical names, each explaining a different property of the vitamin. Being chemical-free isn’t going to make life healthier, it will just exclude almost everything in nature that’s good for us. What’s important is to be knowledgeable about the chemicals & what they do & to get that info from a reputable scientific source e.g. Australia’s CSIRO, USA’s FDA or UK’s NHS. Search Google Scholar for genuinely researched publications containing the info you need, rather than Google.
      To your question, soap requires chemicals to exist, it’s the chemical reaction between the Lye Water (Caustic Soda & water) & the oils that turns the liquids into soap & which stops it from being caustic, once the lengthy drying & curing process is complete. Castile soap is still soap like all the others, even when it’s been made into a liquid; it’s animal-free & it’s gentler because of the olive oil, but it’s still soap. A naturally-growing alternative to soap is Soap Nuts (aka Soap Berries)they’re not actually soap, they just naturally saponify in water like soap does. You add to your wash – cold or hot, but need to be pre-softened in a jug of warm water when doing a cold wash. They’re great for people who re-use laundry water on the garden & just like the liquid castile, can be used for making all sorts of cleaning products for the home & personal toiletries, shampoo etc thus saving money. However, although they clean the wash, imho the commercial laundry products remove stains better. It just depends on what your needs are & what’s most important to you. I hope this helps. Best wishes.

      Reply
    • Oh yeah, thanks for the simplified directions. I wasn’t looking forward to all that stirring.

      I use ivory soap in place, because I have sensitive skin, and have been able to use it successfully.

      Reply
    • Is this the same as the moms super laundry sauce just done a different way? Which way is better? Thanks!

      This is the “No Effort, No Fail” Method.

      Reply
      • This is the “No Effort, No Fail” Method.

        suds are not required to clean the clothes, skin or hair
        losing the commercialized ‘mind set’ is required
        all i want is clean clothes that do not cause my skin to blister
        what i got was clean clothes with a slight clean scent
        and happy skin
        win-win-win
        btw i use an old cheap immersion blender right in the jars

        Reply
      • This is the “No Effort, No Fail” Method.

        If you look this up you will see that there won’t be as many “suds” but definitely will clean as well. I am looking forward to using this recipe – much nicer than the one I used last time!

        Reply
  3. thank you for posting these instructions. i’ve been making my own laundry soap for some time, but i was excited by the new method using the canning jar and blender.

    i have one comment i think should be added to the instructions. “use a regular mouth canning jar”.

    it may have been clear to everyone else, but all of my canning jars are wide mouth. luckily i save all kinds of jars to store dry mixes and such, so i had a classico pasta sauce jar that would fit with my blender.

    i have always grated my fels naptha soap, so i did the same with this recipe. i added the hot water and other ingredients with out any wait time and everything worked out find. took me about 2-3 minutes for the whole process after I realized my Wide Mouth jar wasn’t going to work.

    Thanks again. I enjoyed making this so much I gave my 2 jars away to co-workers.

    Reply
    • Thank you for posting these instructions. I’ve been making my own laundry soap for some time, but I was excited by the new method using the canning jar and blender.

      I have one comment I think should be added to the instructions. “Use a Regular Mouth Canning Jar”.

      So you don’t feel like I need to wait for it to gel? Mine is so watery, but it’s only been an hour.

      I’m just impatient and want to get some laundry done! = )

      Reply
    • Thank you for posting these instructions. I’ve been making my own laundry soap for some time, but I was excited by the new method using the canning jar and blender.

      I have one comment I think should be added to the instructions. “Use a Regular Mouth Canning Jar”.

      It may have been clear to everyone else, but all of my canning jars are Wide Mouth. Luckily I save all kinds of jars to store dry mixes and such, so I had a Classico Pasta Sauce jar that would fit with my blender.

      I have always grated my Fels Naptha soap, so I did the same with this recipe. I added the hot water and other ingredients with out any wait time and everything worked out find. Took me about 2-3 minutes for the whole process after I realized my Wide Mouth jar wasn’t going to work.

      Thanks again. I enjoyed making this so much I gave my 2 jars away to co-workers.

      oh no i just realized that my jars are wide mouth. is it hard to transfer out of the jars after it sets overnight?

      Reply
    • Is there a way to make this that does not involve the use of a blender?

      There is a recipe that calls for no cooking at all and no blender. Just grind up your bar soap or use a grater and mix it in with the other dry ingredients. Takes the same amount of detergent.

      Reply
    • Is there a way to make this that does not involve the use of a blender?

      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.

      Reply
    • Is there a way to make this that does not involve the use of a blender?

      I have use a stick blender instead of a blender and a half gallon jar.

      Reply
    • Is there a way to make this that does not involve the use of a blender?

      I did use a hand mixer one time and it worked quite well.

      Reply
  4. i just made my first batch of the laundry sauce and it turned out just like the pictures of the sauce. i washed one load of laundry using one tablespoon of laundry sauce and it seemed to clean the clothes however there wasn’t any suds which left me wondering if its cleaning properly. is it still cleaning without any soap suds?:overreaction:

    Reply
    • I just made my first batch of the laundry sauce and it turned out just like the pictures of the sauce. I washed one load of laundry using one tablespoon of laundry sauce and it seemed to clean the clothes however there wasn’t any suds which left me wondering if its cleaning properly. Is it still cleaning without any soap suds?:overreaction:

      this is supposed to be non sudsy, we have an obsession with suds in the us, but they are not required for cleaning. i’ve made my own laundry detergent (dry) for about 6 years now, and I love it, it takes me about 20 minutes to make a huge batch that lasts me about 4 months

      I didn’t see if someone had already asked this, but how is this detergent for sensitive skin. I have tried multitudes of detergents and almost every one has caused me irritation. I would love to find one that’s easy on my skin and my wallet.

      I make dry detergent with Zote for my Eczema ridden daughter, I use it for the whole family and it works fantastic for her skin. I imagine that Fels Naptha would work better, I can just get the Zout for $0.90 a bar an

      Reply
      • [QUOTE=sleepblack; I make dry detergent with Zote for my Eczema ridden daughter, I use it for the whole family and it works fantastic for her skin. I imagine that Fels Naptha would work better, I can just get the Zout for $0.90 a bar an

        I use the powdered, too. I use a pod container to keep mine in. It is wonderful, and cleans so much better than any other detergent that I have tried, and I have tried almost all of them.

        Reply
    • I just made my first batch of the laundry sauce and it turned out just like the pictures of the sauce. I washed one load of laundry using one tablespoon of laundry sauce and it seemed to clean the clothes however there wasn’t any suds which left me wondering if its cleaning properly. Is it still cleaning without any soap suds?:overreaction:

      If you ask anybody who works on repairing clothes washers, they will tell you that if it doesn’t suds it is much safer for the machine, & still effective, than if it does suds because if it does, it is a sign of using too much detergent.

      Too much is bad for the machine & leaves residues in the items being washed.

      Reply
    • I just made my first batch of the laundry sauce and it turned out just like the pictures of the sauce. I washed one load of laundry using one tablespoon of laundry sauce and it seemed to clean the clothes however there wasn’t any suds which left me wondering if its cleaning properly. Is it still cleaning without any soap suds?:overreaction:

      yes, it will clean very well.

      Suds are not essential to cleaning -we have “learned” to expect suds because that is what advertisers have led us to believe.

      Reply
    • I just made my first batch of the laundry sauce and it turned out just like the pictures of the sauce. I washed one load of laundry using one tablespoon of laundry sauce and it seemed to clean the clothes however there wasn’t any suds which left me wondering if its cleaning properly. Is it still cleaning without any soap suds?:overreaction:

      Most soaps and cleaner add an ingreant that has nothing to do with cleaning just to make it sud-up.

      Because, your not alone in assosating sudding with cleaning, however they are not at all related. This gose back to the orginal soaps which just happened to sud.

      Reply
    • I just made my first batch of the laundry sauce and it turned out just like the pictures of the sauce. I washed one load of laundry using one tablespoon of laundry sauce and it seemed to clean the clothes however there wasn’t any suds which left me wondering if its cleaning properly. Is it still cleaning without any soap suds?:overreaction:

      this is a low-sudsing detergent, so don’t worry about not seeing many suds.

      it is working! that’s why you can use the same amount in an he machine and a regular machine.

      Reply
    • I just made my first batch of the laundry sauce and it turned out just like the pictures of the sauce. I washed one load of laundry using one tablespoon of laundry sauce and it seemed to clean the clothes however there wasn’t any suds which left me wondering if its cleaning properly. Is it still cleaning without any soap suds?:overreaction:

      Suds do not do the cleaning…many folks seem to associate suds with clean.

      This is simply something the corporations have tried to brainwash us all into thinking. It is most definitely cleaning even without the suds

      Reply
    • I just made my first batch of the laundry sauce and it turned out just like the pictures of the sauce. I washed one load of laundry using one tablespoon of laundry sauce and it seemed to clean the clothes however there wasn’t any suds which left me wondering if its cleaning properly. Is it still cleaning without any soap suds?:overreaction:

      yes, it is cleaning your clothes.

      don’t be fooled by the lack of suds. i’ve used homemade laundry soap for years and it’s great stuff! :laundry:
      looking forward to trying this “recipe” as the soap is already dissolved.

      Reply
    • I just made my first batch of the laundry sauce and it turned out just like the pictures of the sauce. I washed one load of laundry using one tablespoon of laundry sauce and it seemed to clean the clothes however there wasn’t any suds which left me wondering if its cleaning properly. Is it still cleaning without any soap suds?:overreaction:

      i’m going to refer to something i was told by my beautician. yes, beautician. contrary to popular beleif, suds do not equal clean.

      suds are purely for show. i used this recipe in all of my laundry this week and even with my husbands grimy, deisel fuel encrusted, work clothes, they are coming out super clean. :approved:

      Reply
    • I just made my first batch of the laundry sauce and it turned out just like the pictures of the sauce. I washed one load of laundry using one tablespoon of laundry sauce and it seemed to clean the clothes however there wasn’t any suds which left me wondering if its cleaning properly. Is it still cleaning without any soap suds?:overreaction:

      There isn’t suppose to be any suds.

      Now you can relax
      and was with no stress..

      Reply
    • I just made my first batch of the laundry sauce and it turned out just like the pictures of the sauce. I washed one load of laundry using one tablespoon of laundry sauce and it seemed to clean the clothes however there wasn’t any suds which left me wondering if its cleaning properly. Is it still cleaning without any soap suds?:overreaction:

      this soap is not supposed to create suds, yes its working fine.

      for this reason it can also be used in an efficiency washer without any issues 🙂

      Reply
    • I just made my first batch of the laundry sauce and it turned out just like the pictures of the sauce. I washed one load of laundry using one tablespoon of laundry sauce and it seemed to clean the clothes however there wasn’t any suds which left me wondering if its cleaning properly. Is it still cleaning without any soap suds?:overreaction:

      you are correct.

      there will be no suds. this is the reason it is able to be used in he machines.

      Reply
    • I just made my first batch of the laundry sauce and it turned out just like the pictures of the sauce. I washed one load of laundry using one tablespoon of laundry sauce and it seemed to clean the clothes however there wasn’t any suds which left me wondering if its cleaning properly. Is it still cleaning without any soap suds?:overreaction:

      Suds isn’t what cleans laundry 😀 So, yea, it can get the clothes clean without foaming up a bunch.

      Reply
    • I just made my first batch of the laundry sauce and it turned out just like the pictures of the sauce. I washed one load of laundry using one tablespoon of laundry sauce and it seemed to clean the clothes however there wasn’t any suds which left me wondering if its cleaning properly. Is it still cleaning without any soap suds?:overreaction:

      Lots of suds will actually hinder cleaning and will leave residue in the fabric. Low suds is a good thing! Thank for letting us know!!!

      Reply
    • I just made my first batch of the laundry sauce and it turned out just like the pictures of the sauce. I washed one load of laundry using one tablespoon of laundry sauce and it seemed to clean the clothes however there wasn’t any suds which left me wondering if its cleaning properly. Is it still cleaning without any soap suds?:overreaction:

      Yes, most commercial detergents have additives that cause the soap to get sudsy.

      It’s still working even without the bubbles.

      Reply
    • I just made my first batch of the laundry sauce and it turned out just like the pictures of the sauce. I washed one load of laundry using one tablespoon of laundry sauce and it seemed to clean the clothes however there wasn’t any suds which left me wondering if its cleaning properly. Is it still cleaning without any soap suds?:overreaction:

      yes. i have a front loader he washer & all of the soaps are made low suds. no worries.

      they get clean.

      Reply
    • I just made my first batch of the laundry sauce and it turned out just like the pictures of the sauce. I washed one load of laundry using one tablespoon of laundry sauce and it seemed to clean the clothes however there wasn’t any suds which left me wondering if its cleaning properly. Is it still cleaning without any soap suds?:overreaction:

      Suds don’t do any cleaning, suds is just the soap and air mixed. the actual cleaning is done by what is in the water.

      Reply
  5. *bump*i haven’t seen any directions to turn the mason jar upside down after filling with bar soap and hot water, but have read a comment or two saying they turned the jar upside down. is that part of the proceedure for making the soap? i made my first batch without turning the jars upside down and it turned out good.

    Reply
    • *Bump*I haven’t seen any directions to turn the mason jar upside down after filling with bar soap and hot water, but have read a comment or two saying they turned the jar upside down. Is that part of the proceedure for making the soap? I made my first batch without turning the jars upside down and it turned out good.

      it’s just so you don’t have to scrape the goo off the bottom of the jar

      I just made my first batch of the laundry sauce and it turned out just like the pictures of the sauce. I washed one load of laundry using one tablespoon of laundry sauce and it seemed to clean the clothes however there wasn’t any suds which left me wondering if its cleaning properly. Is it still cleaning without any soap suds?:overreaction:

      Suds aren’t what cleans. The whole adding sud making chemicals to stuff was from a soap ad campaign from the ’40’s [or maybe before]. You don’t need suds to clean.

      Has anyone had success with an immersion blender? I would probably “whip” it in a bowl & then transfer to my airtight storage container/ jar of choice.

      Works great-that’s how I do it. I have a non-standard blender that doesn’t fit canning jars.

      Reply
  6. has anyone had success with an immersion blender? i would probably “whip” it in a bowl & then transfer to my airtight storage container/ jar of choice.

    Reply
    • Has anyone had success with an immersion blender? I would probably “whip” it in a bowl & then transfer to my airtight storage container/ jar of choice.

      I just used my immersion blender to whip this in my (oops) wide-mouth canning jars…. It was perfect!

      Reply
    • Has anyone had success with an immersion blender? I would probably “whip” it in a bowl & then transfer to my airtight storage container/ jar of choice.

      Just made a batch using my immersion blender and it came out great (Jars won’t fit on my blender, so had to improvise) Measured the dry ingredients and water into the canning jars, then transferred it to a plastic storage container and used the immersion blender. Whipped up nicely!

      Should be easier to get it out of the storage container too when nearing the bottom of the container.

      Reply
    • Has anyone had success with an immersion blender? I would probably “whip” it in a bowl & then transfer to my airtight storage container/ jar of choice.

      I think I am going to do the same. I am thinking if I use wide mouth jars I won’t have to transfer it, just do it in them.

      Reply
    • Has anyone had success with an immersion blender? I would probably “whip” it in a bowl & then transfer to my airtight storage container/ jar of choice.

      I made this today with a stick blender. The stick blender wouldn’t fit into the regular mason jar opening so I placed everything in a glass bowl. Then transfered back to the mason jar.

      It worked out well. I think next time I make this I will use a wide mouth mason jar so I don’t have to transfer back and forth. Hope this helps.

      Reply
    • Has anyone had success with an immersion blender? I would probably “whip” it in a bowl & then transfer to my airtight storage container/ jar of choice.

      I used my immersion blender because dummy me bought wide mouth jars! The good thing is that it worked very well, I got my mayonnaise-like laundry sauce!

      Now waiting for my 2 teen boys to come back from soccer practice…if it can clean THAT, I will be in heaven! Thank you Liss, I have learned a lot from your site, keep up the hard work!!!!!!

      Reply
    • Has anyone had success with an immersion blender? I would probably “whip” it in a bowl & then transfer to my airtight storage container/ jar of choice.

      I just completed making a batch of the Super Laundry Sauce for Dummies Method #2. After I combined the Fels Naptha to the diluted soda/borax mixture, along with about 1/2 cup of water in a large mixing bowl, I used the immersion blender to mix it all.

      It worked great! I then poured the batch in whatever size jars I could find. So YES, it does work if you don’t have a blender.

      Reply
    • Has anyone had success with an immersion blender? I would probably “whip” it in a bowl & then transfer to my airtight storage container/ jar of choice.

      Yes that would work. I used a stick blender with out a problem.

      Whipped it once. Let it cool and whipped it again. Then put it a large heavy plastic container that is airtight.

      Reply
    • Has anyone had success with an immersion blender? I would probably “whip” it in a bowl & then transfer to my airtight storage container/ jar of choice.

      I ended up with wide mouth jars and used and immersion blender. It worked great!

      Reply
    • Has anyone had success with an immersion blender? I would probably “whip” it in a bowl & then transfer to my airtight storage container/ jar of choice.

      I put my mixture in a 2.5 quart rubbermaid container (it is an oblong container 9.5 inches long, 4.5 inches wide and 5 inches deep), let it set for a few hours or overnight then get out my stick blender and whip it up for a few minutes to the right consistency. And ther you have it all in one container ready to go, no glass jar no mess.

      Reply
    • Has anyone had success with an immersion blender? I would probably “whip” it in a bowl & then transfer to my airtight storage container/ jar of choice.

      I have had success with my immersion blender. It works great.

      You won’t get the separation like you see in the pictures if you mix it right away. I also add 1/3 cup of the fragrance beads with my dry mixture for a better scent. Good luck!!!

      Reply
    • Has anyone had success with an immersion blender? I would probably “whip” it in a bowl & then transfer to my airtight storage container/ jar of choice.

      I was wondering the same thing. Would be soooo much easier!

      Reply
      • I always use my stick blender! I do suggest that you blend twice…1st when you’re initially mixing it and 2nd after you’ve let it sit overnight (or if you’ve made multiple batches, right before you use it). I have wide mouth jars and my stick blender fits perfectly.

        I usually do about 4 batches at a time since I use the 14 oz Zote soap. For those of you interested in Essential Oils – I used some of the ones I got at the Body Shop. I add them when I add the water to the Zote (prior to mixing).

        Reply
    • Has anyone had success with an immersion blender? I would probably “whip” it in a bowl & then transfer to my airtight storage container/ jar of choice.

      I just made this using my stick blender in a bowl, and it appears to be just fine. I used a bar of Sunlight laundry soap (Canada, no Fels Naptha) and method #2.

      I’m now washing my husband’s filthy barn coat with this laundry sauce–we’ll see how it turns out!

      Reply
      • The coat turned out great! I’m hooked on this laundry sauce now…washed several loads yesterday, and everything was cleaned well. Sunlight is lemon-scented, so my sauce has a slight lemon scent.

        It thickened up slightly in the jars, but is still very scoopable. Love it!

        Reply
      • I just made this using my stick blender in a bowl, and it appears to be just fine. I used a bar of Sunlight laundry soap (Canada, no Fels Naptha) and method #2.

        I’m now washing my husband’s filthy barn coat with this laundry sauce–we’ll see how it turns out!

        yes i live in the uk where it’s difficult to get blenders to fit the standard mason,( kilner) jars, but i do use an immersion blender in my sourced from online auction sites wideneck 83mm diameter neck jars, le parfait, or old kilner dual purpose ones.
        I just blitz in the jar, as the headroom with only filling to the neck gives the space needed, and it’s less mess than using a bowl and decanting.

        And yes I too use the UK borax substitute ,( green box 500g made by clean and natural, £1.72) and sunlight soap (£3.85 for two bars at 65g each), which make four 1 litre jars,and 99p shop washing soda in the plastic white bottle.
        It’s quick and easy and though dearer to source ingredients here the

        Reply
    • Has anyone had success with an immersion blender? I would probably “whip” it in a bowl & then transfer to my airtight storage container/ jar of choice.

      I have only used an immersion blender wide mouth canning jars so the head fits in slow speed as long as it is incorporating then high to whip
      I only use that old immersion blender for this job and those jars too.
      My 3rd batch in progress
      Our clothes are clean, smell fresh & my skin not itchy.
      That is all I want from a laundry soap.:party1::money1::laundry::laundry3:

      Reply
    • Has anyone had success with an immersion blender? I would probably “whip” it in a bowl & then transfer to my airtight storage container/ jar of choice.

      Yes, I have had success with an immersion blender; lots of it. I don’t have a regular blender (I have a bullet) so I can’t use the suggested method.

      I use my immersion blender right in the jars, but i do have to be careful. The soap foams some so I have to slowly add water to make sure I don’t have it pouring over my hands as the blender displaces the liquid.

      You will need wide-mouth mason jars. I start with just enough water to cover the soap and put in the immersion blender and start. It’ll get sucked down to the bottom so you’ll discover how much displacement will happen.

      Then I’ll add in the borax and soda and put the blender in again. The foam will reduce at this point. I slowly move the blender up and down in the jars to mix it well then with the blender all the way in, and stopped, I’ll slowly add in more water from the coffee pot.

      Mix again and repeat until I’m satisfied with the amount (or no more will fit in due to foaming). I use a spatula to scrape off any clinging soap. I also use a long handled spoon at the end to stir in the last bit of water that would otherwise be displaced by the blender.

      Reply
    • Has anyone had success with an immersion blender? I would probably “whip” it in a bowl & then transfer to my airtight storage container/ jar of choice.

      I did! Worked great…

      Just don’t fill the jar too full before whipping with your immersion blender. I made this mistake, so i ended up pouring some into another jar and whipping then adding all together.

      Reply
    • Has anyone had success with an immersion blender? I would probably “whip” it in a bowl & then transfer to my airtight storage container/ jar of choice.

      I’m planning on making mine in the quart jars then divide into whatever container I immediately after blending while it’s still pourable.

      Reply
    • Has anyone had success with an immersion blender? I would probably “whip” it in a bowl & then transfer to my airtight storage container/ jar of choice.

      I have not tried an immersion blender but I use a hand mixer so I imagine it would work fine

      Reply
    • has anyone had success with an immersion blender? i would probably “whip” it in a bowl & then transfer to my airtight storage container/ jar of choice.

      I have used an immersion blender with my wide mouth jars. It’s a bit messy as sticking the immersion blender in the jar tends to overflow the jar, so if you can get the liquid amounts right, blending it in a bowl would work better. Also, it is pretty hard on the motor which is designed to work with more liquid consistency and for relatively short periods of time or it will overheat. Still, it does work with some care.

      Reply
  7. i made the lavender laundry sauce for my first adventure in making laundry detergent. i worked great, but i thought i’d try this method. can i add the purex crystals with the borax & washing soda?

    Reply
    • I made the Lavender Laundry Sauce for my first adventure in making laundry detergent. I worked great, but I thought I’d try this method. Can I add the Purex crystals with the borax & washing soda?

      I wouldn’t add any purchased scent like Pyrex crystals.

      The scent is left in the clothing but the cost is a residue. Any residue in your clothing will cause static buildup and will attract dirt. Dryer sheets do the same thing, leaving behind a residue that attracts and holds on to gunk.

      Detergent is then tasked with not only getting dirt out, but the residues left behind by scents and dryer sheets and the cycle continues. After a while, you’ll get over the missing scent and just enjoy how clean your clothes are. If you are dying for a scent, get some of those wool dryer balls and after the clothes are dry, put a few drops of essential oil on the wool and tumble on cool for 5 or 10 minutes.

      Don’t use heat at this stage because I think it evaporates the scent before it has a chance to get cozy with your clothes.

      Reply
    • I made the Lavender Laundry Sauce for my first adventure in making laundry detergent. I worked great, but I thought I’d try this method. Can I add the Purex crystals with the borax & washing soda?

      Good question!!! I’m thinking either after it’s been whipped and mixed together before you mix in the purex or downy.

      Reply
  8. wonderful, works great … having been using in my he washer for almost 2 months and don’t miss buying those $$$HE$$$ detergents…

    Reply
  9. i didn’t see if someone had already asked this, but how is this detergent for sensitive skin. i have tried multitudes of detergents and almost every one has caused me irritation. i would love to find one that’s easy on my skin and my wallet.

    Reply
  10. :jar: i am so going to try this tomorrow..the only difference would be using the immersion blender. thanks for the information!

    Reply
  11. can you please tell me what size your bars of fels is? i see that it comes in 2 sizes. Plus, I am using a HUGE bar of (14.1 oz) of Lirio because they are cheaper and smell better than Fels..

    si I need to adjust the recipe

    Reply
    • Can you please tell me what size your bars of Fels is? I see that it comes in 2 sizes. Plus, I am using a HUGE bar of (14.1 oz) of Lirio because they are cheaper and smell better than Fels..

      si I need to adjust the recipe

      My fels bar is 5.5 oz so about a third of yours.

      I just made this recipe using the no cooking version and don’t own any blenders. Took me about 8 minutes with my mixer to get something resembling mayonnaise as it was likely too hot to start out … my powders weren’t dissolving so I kept nuking it in the microwave.

      lol Now I am off to find some dirty laundry to test this out on!!!

      Reply
      • My fels bar is 5.5 oz so about a third of yours.

        The fels naptha bar used in our Original Super Laundry Sauce for Dummies recipe is also 5.5oz .

        Reply
    • Can you please tell me what size your bars of Fels is? I see that it comes in 2 sizes. Plus, I am using a HUGE bar of (14.1 oz) of Lirio because they are cheaper and smell better than Fels..

      si I need to adjust the recipe

      I believe the recipe calls for a 5.05 oz bar of the soap.

      Reply
  12. just made this today and it turned out perfect. for those who are concerned about the splash back when you open the jars after they have set for the recommended time, i used a two tine cooking fork to puncture the thick layer, allowing the liquid to drain into the empty space. you can use the fork to break up the solids, too.

    i did not have any splash, although i did place the jar in a large bowl, just in case. was so easy to make. :balloon:

    Reply
  13. i was so excited to try this recipe out, i didn’t have any washing soda, so i was going to bake the baking soda to make washing soda, but totally forgot! so i made it all the way before i remembered!!!! should i put on a cloth lid so it doesn’t explode???

    or will the air ruin the rest of the ingredients? i did use my immersion blender which worked awesome!

    Reply
  14. i tried making this and ended up with a consistency more like shortening. what did i do wrong? could it have gotten like that from having the blender on too long?

    Reply
    • I tried making this and ended up with a consistency more like shortening. What did I do wrong? Could it have gotten like that from having the blender on too long?

      Make sure you use Boiling water next time when you add it to the jar and fill it up a little bit higher in the neck. Shortening consistency is fine, it will still work just as well.

      Reply
  15. now that my hubby is disabled and i’m trying to save money, i just might have to give this one a try….looks easy enough. thanks!!

    Reply
  16. i am one of those people who want to be prepared for some tough days ahead. i expect we will need to know how to make these things due to unavailability of store products. however, there is always the added benefit of saving money today, and having control of what exactly goes into your product.

    it is interesting to me, that all of the detergent style diy recipes that i have tried, are not only much cheaper, but work much better than their store-bought counterparts!!! great recipe and great article!!:23_30_109[1]:

    Reply
    • I am one of those people who want to be prepared for some tough days ahead. I expect we will need to know how to make these things due to unavailability of store products. however, there is always the added benefit of saving money today, and having control of what exactly goes into your product.

      it is interesting to me, that all of the detergent style diy recipes that i have tried, are not only much cheaper, but work much better than their store-bought counterparts!!! great recipe and great article!!:23_30_109[1]:

      Unless you are also learning to make the Fells soap, Borax, and washing powder, all of these things still come from a store.

      Reply
      • Unless you are also learning to make the Fells soap, Borax, and washing powder, all of these things still come from a store.

        I bought 10 bars of Fels ($10) 3 Boxes of Borax $7.25 and 3 Boxes of Washing Soda $6.80- for a total of $24.05 The same price as 1 1/2 bottles of Tide- I have enough supplies to make detergent for literally 10 years. I don’t need the store any more, I AM the store. hahahahaha

        Reply
        • I bought 10 bars of Fels ($10) 3 Boxes of Borax $7.25 and 3 Boxes of Washing Soda $6.80- for a total of $24.05 The same price as 1 1/2 bottles of Tide- I have enough supplies to make detergent for literally 10 years. I don’t need the store any more, I am the store. hahahahaha

          you go girl!!

          (or guy lol) :goodone:

          Reply
  17. does anyone know how well this gets out bad smells? my husband works in a weld shop and all his work shirts reek of sweat. i was them and they smell ok at first but after a day or two of sitting or if he wears them and they get damp at all they smell horrible quickly (even if its not damp from sweat again)…

    looking for something cheap that might help with smell..

    Reply
    • Does anyone know how well this gets out bad smells? my husband works in a weld shop and all his work shirts reek of sweat. I was them and they smell ok at first but after a day or two of sitting or if he wears them and they get damp at all they smell horrible quickly (even if its not damp from sweat again)…

      looking for something cheap that might help with smell..

      this is a direct quote from the first paragraph of cooking version of this laundry detergent:

      “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?
      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!”

      hope it helps.

      Reply
    • Does anyone know how well this gets out bad smells? my husband works in a weld shop and all his work shirts reek of sweat. I was them and they smell ok at first but after a day or two of sitting or if he wears them and they get damp at all they smell horrible quickly (even if its not damp from sweat again)…

      looking for something cheap that might help with smell..

      white vinegar in rinse water works really well

      Reply
  18. i started making this tonight and i may have bought the wide mouth jars. can i use my kitchenaide mixer and whipping whisk to blend it all together tomorrow? also, i put the boiling water into the jars with the fels naptha and then wasn’t sure if i should let it cool before sealing them.

    i placed the lids on but left them loose in case they need to release air (i don’t can either so wasn’t sure about whether the jars would crack). i know not to add oxyclean to the mix but was wondering if you can add oxyclean or bleach to this mix once you go to put it in the washer. one more, if i want to add fragrance to this what is the best to use and where do i get them?

    i’m not afraid of chemicals just wanted to try this to see if i could cut down on cost of detergents but now i’m thinking if this works would be a great gift.*bump*:drama::big-noob:

    Reply
  19. laundry sauce made and first load of white yard clothes in my he washer. :celebrate1: Anxious to see how they turn out and have a few words of oops on me.

    I was in such a hurry today to finish the “Sauce for Dummies” I forgot to add the water before adding to the blender. Took me a minute to figure out why the Flels washing falling and why my blender was groaning: shame:

    Looking through site for more wonderful ideas.

    Reply
  20. i made and tried out my first batch. it works great. i bought the wide mouth jars by accident but all i did was dump everything into my kitchenaid mixer with my wire whisk attachment and started slow then sped up a little (that didn’t work well) so i dumped it all into my blender and it came out perfectly.

    it’s all back in the jar now. the second batch i just dumped everything into the blender and it almost doubled in size. somehow the mixer method didn’t do that.

    it was also more loose skipping the mixer part but then formed better once it cooled. i’m guessing that mixing it first cooled it enough to become the correct consistency. i should also mention that i tried the first method but this morning i measured out the dry ingredients and then added boiling water to the wide mouth jar that had been sitting overnight prior to mixing it.

    either way this stuff works great. i take care of my grandfather and he had some poopy laundry which smelled really bad, it got rid of the stains and the smell. when i put in the washing machine i added 1 small scoop of a generic oxyclean (I bought LA’s version from the dollar store just for a little added boost) It worked!

    Thank you so much for this, great idea.:party1:

    Reply
  21. i made a batch of this and gave some to my daughter because her little one is so allergic to commercial brands of detergent. she is so impressed she has been telling everyone she knows about this soap. thank you so much and my grandaughter thanks you also !!

    :party1:

    Reply
  22. has anyone made a scented speed version? i have yet to make any of these recipes and i’d like to get it right the first time! i do not have a working stove so i like the idea of using a coffee pot to boil the water and adding it to the jars.

    i don’t have a blender either but it sounds like an immersion blender in the jar is the way to go. i’m looking forward to getting the ingredients and making a scented speed version. and then, i’m actually excited about doing some laundry!

    Reply
  23. i just used the original recipe last night. next time, i’m using one of these methods!! thank you for making it easier for those of us who are domestically challenged.

    it’s good to know there are multiple ways to reach the same result. using the original recipe, my process didn’t go as well as the instructions described, but it turned out well in the end.

    Reply
  24. if you happen to buy mayo at the store…..ave the bottles and store your laundry soap in them saving your mason jars fo canning. upcycling

    Reply
    • My husband works with chemicals, store your naptha outside, is can be very flammable

      I am a chemist. Fels Naptha does not contain the chemical Naptha and is safe to store in the laundry room.

      Reply
    • My husband works with chemicals, store your naptha outside, is can be very flammable

      wrong wrong wrong…
      naptha the chemical is a petroleum byproduct. it should be stored and handled like gasoline.

      fels naptha is a brand/marketing name. the naptha connotation is related to the palm, tallow and coconut acids used in the soap.

      ingredients from their website.
      soap (sodium tallowate*, sodium cocoate* (or) sodium palmate kernelate*, and sodium palmate*), water, talc, cocnut acid*, palm acid*, tallow acid*, peg-6 methyl ether, glycerin, sorbitol, sodium chloride, pentasodium pentetate and/or tetrasodium etidronate, titatium dioxide, fragrance, Acid Orange (CI 20170), Acid yellow 73 (ci43350)

      Reply
    • My husband works with chemicals, store your naptha outside, is can be very flammable

      Fels-Naptha, the laundry bar, is not the same as the liquid chemical Naptha which is petroleum based and highly flammable. The laundry bar soap is safe to keep in the house.

      Reply
  25. i would love to try this! saw the zote – naptha challenge and noted the zote did not clean very well. what about ivory, dove or even lye soaps?

    i have a number of allergies to contend with.
    thanks!

    Reply
    • I would love to try this! Saw the Zote – Naptha challenge and noted the Zote did not clean very well. What about Ivory, Dove or even Lye soaps?

      I have a number of allergies to contend with.
      Thanks!

      i make my own “lye soaps”. . .(actually all soaps are made with lye.)
      i make my own *laundry bars* by using 100% coconut oil or have another version using 50/50 mix of coconut oil and lard.

      SO in answer to your question— Yes, you can use handmade lye soaps in place of the Fels or Zote ( I happen to like the scent of the Zote better than Fels).

      My hubby has excema (sp?) and doesn’t do well with the Fels… so I started using unscented laundry bars instead, and hasn’t had a problem since. .

      . I would Not recommend using Fels for people with sensitivities.

      Kirk’s Castle soap, I believe is 100% coconut oil based, and is unscented, so you could use this or any unscented (handmade) lye soap, if you want to add your own scents.

      Reply
  26. gahhh!!! so frustrated. tried this method and while the consistency i got is the same, it is slightly grainy and it doesn’t dissolve in cold water washes.

    i read the directions again, for the 15th time, and I did everything correctly. However, in the FAQ section it said that the powdered ingredients didn’t dissolve correctly . ..

    so should I have waited for it to dissolve or stirred it? It didn’t say that in the directions, so I dumped in the water until it was just past the shoulders of the jar (quart size mason jar) and put it on the blender. Now what?

    I do mostly cold water washes so what can I do with the 2 jars I have now? Don’t even ask me about the powdered dishwasher detergent . .

    Reply
  27. what else can u store it in if udn have mason jars??

    my hubby’s clothes disgust me w/grease from work, automobiles, dirt, mudd etc. & my sons clothes also. my question is can u use this recipe for a stain treater for all types of stains (inc food & drinks) before u launder.

    thnx, tammy

    [note]multiple questions from same member combined into single comment by mods[/note]

    Reply
  28. so i made this laundry detergent using the directions for dummie detergent #2. I was super excited because 1. I love to be frugal and 2 my husband works in a kitchen and his clothes are filthy so I was excited about being able to get his clothes truly clean.

    So I followed the steps accordingly however my end product does not have the consistency of mayonnaise. it is not smooth at all at least not on the top, it is kind of frothy. plus there was enough left over that i was able to half way fill another court jar.

    so i am assuming on the last step of filling to the shoulders i put too much. can anyone help me “fix” my batch or give me any ideas?

    Reply
  29. i made it and today was the first time i used it. what a surprise to find my clothes cleaner than ever with no heavy perfumey smell. i love this and will never go back to commercially produced detergent.

    thanks, liss for posting this, especially the “dummies” version.

    Reply
  30. i have tried the powdered version ( for about 3-4 months now ), the cooked version and now the uncooked version. the powdered version very easy the cooked version worked well but was mess i also think i need the wide mouth mason jars which i ordered recently but was a little messier, and i had to reheat to get the grit from the powdered borax and the washing soda smooth and the no cook version also worked well but i had some issues. The soap was kind of lumpy still next time i will cut into smaller peices or shave it down and it did go solid like the picture but only for 1 day after tht it was more like a wet paste but hard at the very bottom like in the picture and i know i only added 1 1/2 cup boiling water once i got it out of the jar to mix it was fine but made a little more then the jar could hold.

    I did laundry with the whipped version for the first time this weeked and they all worked wonderful.

    Reply
  31. does it have to be fels naptha or will a bar of castile soap work as well?? not adverse to finding the fels naptha, just curious..

    Reply
  32. thanks for this recipe!! i’ve been using it for two weeks and it does a great job on our laundry. i made extra and gave some to my daughter and to my daughter-in-law.

    Reply
  33. i just finished making my first batch of moms super laundry sauce. i followed all the directions and it turned out just like the the pictures. i cant wait untill tomorow when i do my laundry!

    Reply
  34. the super laundry sance is fabulous!!! i have been using it for about a month now and my laundry has come out beautiful. and it has saved me alot of money:money1:

    Reply
  35. in my homemade powdered soap i add water softener powder as we have very hard water, and a tiny amount of tsp (tri-sodium phosphate) can these be added to this recipe? thanks!

    Reply
  36. :laundry: i’m one happy canadian! just made my first batch of super laundry sauce for dummies method #2. One issue I had, perhaps other Canuks will have, is that our mason jars are metric sizes, not the imperial , ie, 500 ml, 1L , as opposed to 1 Qt.

    I made an executive decision to combine all my ingredients in a large bowl, adding about 1/2 cup of water and blend using an immersion mixer. I thought it looked pretty darn good. I then scooped the sauce into my 1L sized jars and tadda…

    Finished my first load of laundry and it’s clean and has a light scent. Will try the lavender version once this batch is done.

    Side note: Fels Naptha is impossible to find in Southern Ontario – I had drive to Buffalo, NY and found the bars at Walmart for $.99!

    Reply
    • :laundry: I’m one happy Canadian! Just made my first batch of Super Laundry Sauce for Dummies Method #2. One issue I had, perhaps other Canuks will have, is that our mason jars are metric sizes, not the imperial , ie, 500 ml, 1L , as opposed to 1 Qt.

      I made an executive decision to combine all my ingredients in a large bowl, adding about 1/2 cup of water and blend using an immersion mixer. I thought it looked pretty darn good. I then scooped the sauce into my 1L sized jars and tadda…

      Finished my first load of laundry and it’s clean and has a light scent. Will try the lavender version once this batch is done.

      Side note: Fels Naptha is impossible to find in Southern Ontario – I had drive to Buffalo, NY and found the bars at Walmart for $.99!

      I am also canadian and couldn’t find Fels Naptha so I used Sunlight laundry bar soap I found at Superstore. I have yet to whip it up (I did the cooked version) but it seems to look like the pictures so far and can’t wait to try it out! Hrmmmm what to wash, I guess with 7 people in the house, I don’t have to look too far for something to wash!

      Reply
    • :laundry: I’m one happy Canadian! Just made my first batch of Super Laundry Sauce for Dummies Method #2. One issue I had, perhaps other Canuks will have, is that our mason jars are metric sizes, not the imperial , ie, 500 ml, 1L , as opposed to 1 Qt.

      i am also located in canada and made it with linda soap. took me a second batch to figure out they are different size bars, grrrrrrrr. anyway it seems to be working better, have you tried this with any other soaps available in canada?

      the cleaning ability is good, but not great.

      Reply
  37. i made the dummies version #1. And I love it! :cloud9 I have also shared either the finished product, or the recipe, and site link to almost everyone I know.

    Well, not EVERYONE, but you know what I mean. 🙂 anyway, I have two “issues” come up that I haven’t noticed anyone seeming to have. 1.

    The second day after I made it, the consistency turned from “mayonnaise” to”Shea butter”. It still works fine, but is now a little stiffer than the first day. And 2.

    After a few days it began to separate, and I had to stir it up with my dipping spoon. Which, by the way, I just toss into the wash with my laundry to clean. We have a top loader, with no dasher, model.

    It’s a breeze! 🙂 But getting back to my issues… I didn’t have a seal for my blender at the time of making my sauce, so I used a hand mixer instead.

    Could that be the issue of my “issues”…? Lol But anyway, it is great stuff, and I’m sticking to it like glue!

    Reply
  38. i noticed that it says to add when water is running into washer. i have a front loader and the water will not run until the door is shut and locked and it will not open unless you turn the washer off. will hurt to put the soap directly onto the clothes before i start the washer?
    thank you for your help.

    Reply
  39. i made. this laundry sauce today and it came out fantastic, seems more like whipped cream than mayo though and made more than two quarts. can you store the sauce in plastic coffee containers, so much easier to dip out than in jars?

    Reply
  40. i used a stick mixer and it worked great. i put the bar of soap in the food processer and grated it. added it to the hot water and mixed it.

    then added the borax and washing soda and mixed. it thickened right up. i let it cool and whipped it again.

    put in it an air tight heavy plastic container and it works great. it does not suds up but it works great.
    i have a question about the “new” front end washing machines…do you think they work better then the regular top loaders and why? do they save time?

    Reply
  41. i found an easier way to “grate” my soap. i simply cut the bar in half and placed both halves on a paper plate…popped into the microwave and nuked in 30 second bursts(on high)..took just under 2 minutes total. It will puff up like a sponge, then let it cool off completely.

    Once it’s cooled off it just crumbles…takes less time than grating that stuff(especially when you have arthritic hands)…personally I love this laundry soap :jar: and will never go back to the typical store bought ever again!! i love that it’s saving me $$ :piggy:

    Reply
  42. hi, growing up in the us, in the country and on a very low income, my mother would make her own laundry detergent. i’ve grown up, moved out of the us and, of course, can’t find borax or even purex crystals…i’m wondering if you know of the generic name for these items so i can look for them in the uk? any assistance would be gratefully appreciated.
    thanks!
    ssmith 🙂

    Reply
  43. okay, so i made a double batch of this recipe today. or the other one on this site and now i can’t get back to that page. anyway, i followed it to a t.

    but instead of taking 10-15 minutes for the soap to melt, it took almost 25. My brother helped out with the constant whisking. Then it took almost 10 minutes for it to completely incorporate the dry stuff.

    Spaghetti arms. 😉

    Instead of 4 quart mason jars it took 8. I filled 2 jars at a time to the 12 ounce mark, which is half full by the markings, then mixed a bit in between to keep consistent mixture. Then I added 12 ounces of water to each jar.

    Some began separating right away. Now at the 4 hour mark and only 3 look like they separated correctly. The others look like they are 3/4 or more full of the solid part with little to no liquid.

    What did I do wrong? I will now have to attempt another heat, mix and separate journey. This recipe sounded so good and easy, but I have found it to be a bit more work than expected.

    4 1/2 hours now are turning into 8-10. Not so simple after all. Blahhhhhh!

    Reply
    • This recipe sounded so good and easy, but I have found it to be a bit more work than expected. 4 1/2 hours now are turning into 8-10. Not so simple after all.

      Blahhhhhh!

      Since I am an instant gratification kinda girl I opted for an easier and quicker route. After reading tons of comments and different recipes I came up with this. I grated the Fels Naptha, divided it into 4 jars and added boiling water (3/4 cup per jar) and stirred it until it was mostly dissolved, not even a few minutes total for all four jars.

      Then added the other ingredients (1/4 cup of each), stirring just to mix the power in after each addition, add more boiling water to fill the jar to just below where the jar starts to narrow and then blended each jar (I used 4 spaghetti sauce jars that fit my blender). The first two jars separated but I just mixed them again and they were fine. One jar had too much water and overflowed when I opened it.

      That mess was thankfully contained in the sink due to an earlier comment about them overflowing when you open them. I opened mine slowly with a towel and saved myself from being burned. Next time I will let them cool a bit (maybe 10 or 15 mins.) before blending with the blender.

      The one I did last worked the best. It whipped up in seconds, didn’t separate, and didn’t overflow when I took the blender attachment off. Patience, I have very little…They are all pretty thick now that they have cooled completely but another commenter said they throw the entire soap spoon in with their laundry…All in all, I am very happy with my results and best of all my arm doesn’t hurt a bit!

      Reply
    • Okay, so I made a double batch of this recipe today. Or the other one on this site and now I can’t get back to that page. Anyway, I followed it to a T.

      But instead of taking 10-15 minutes for the soap to melt, it took almost 25. My brother helped out with the constant whisking. Then it took almost 10 minutes for it to completely incorporate the dry stuff.

      Spaghetti arms. 😉

      Instead of 4 quart mason jars it took 8. I filled 2 jars at a time to the 12 ounce mark, which is half full by the markings, then mixed a bit in between to keep consistent mixture. Then I added 12 ounces of water to each jar.

      Some began separating right away. Now at the 4 hour mark and only 3 look like they separated correctly. The others look like they are 3/4 or more full of the solid part with little to no liquid.

      What did I do wrong? I will now have to attempt another heat, mix and separate journey. This recipe sounded so good and easy, but I have found it to be a bit more work than expected.

      4 1/2 hours now are turning into 8-10. Not so simple after all. Blahhhhhh!

      18 Aug 2018

      I am not an expert by any means at all, but…..if the 12 oz mark is half-way on your jars than you are NOT using a 32 oz quart size jar which is what both the original cook and the refined no cook method call for. If you are re-using Classico or any other spaghetti jars those are only 24 oz jars generally. Reading is fundamental and oh so important, but these days most people are unaware of the cooking terms and abbreviations because schools quit teaching home economics.

      Reply
  44. could someone give me an estimate on how much water they added to their quart jars to get it up to the shoulder? i don’t have quart mason jars. i am planning on doing speed recipe #2 and mixing everything up in my blender and then storing in pint jars I already have.

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Could someone give me an estimate on how much water they added to their quart jars to get it up to the shoulder? I don’t have quart mason jars. I am planning on doing speed recipe #2 and mixing everything up in my blender and then storing in pint jars I already have.

      Thank you!

      I did the same thing. The first jar took about 1 cup,I also used 1 cup for the second quart. The consistencies were a little different from one jar to the next but worked.

      Reply
    • Hello Liss,
      I’m just wanting your opinion on what do think about
      adding vinegar to the recipe for softner?

      I wouldn’t add it directly to the recipe- it would dilute the recipe, change the acidity/ph, etc, if you feel you need an additional softener you could add 1/4- 1/3 of a cup per load of laundry.

      Reply
  45. just recently, i started selling the essential oils. yesterday i hosted a class on making this super laundry sauce, and using the essential oils. it was a huge success!

    before i the class i printed out the complete instructions just as they appear on your webpage, and handed them out to each guest, so you got full credit. it worked out wonderfully!! everyone was so impressed!

    with the experimenting before the class, and using the oils, i figured out the best way to add the oils is:
    after adding the powder ingredients and the boiling water, stir gently and delay the whipping for almost 10 minutes. The laundry sauce doesn’t fill the jar, completely, and it stays more mayo like after cooling, then the E.O.’s can be added the next day and just stirred with a tall spoon.

    Hope this answers the question of how to add Essential oils 😀
    P.S. there is always the option of adding the E.O’s a drop or two at a time to the wash rather than to the sauce 😀

    Reply
  46. can you add the 1/3 c. Lavender Purex Laundry Crystals to the Super Laundry Sauce for Dummies Method 1? If so, do I need to adjust the measurements of any other ingredients or the water?

    Reply
  47. ok, so my mom started this for me, the second method, in the bag. it has now sat for about two weeks (things keep coming up and i don’t ever get it done). it’s not as liquidy as it was the first few days or like it is in the pictures on here.

    is it still ok or should i add more water? thanks!

    Reply
  48. hi liss- i’m a newb, but i used to use the same ingredients for laundry soap years ago. this is such an improvement. i used to grate the fels naptha with an electric salad shooter, dump it in a bucket and cover it with boiling water.

    the next day i would have a fels naptha chunk in the bucket, to which i would add the borax, etc and stir (up to my elbows in the mixture) for quite a while. then i had to jam the bucket full of the resulting mucusy laundry soap between my washer and dryer. your method is so much neater and easier to use and store!

    the mason jar/mixer idea is so innovative that it made me join your site just to comment!!! 🙂

    i was wondering if the purex crystals from the lavender version could be melted separately in boiling water and added with the borax, etc. before blending? i would love to not have to cook the mixture and deal with the gloppiness.

    thanks!

    Reply
  49. this is very easy to make! i am very domestic, but why do all the boiling and stirring if there’s an easier way that gives the same results? i bought the ingredients last night, did the first step with the water and fels when i got home, let it sit overnight.

    this morning i finished the recipe. now my clothes are in the washer and it’s doing a great job!

    Reply
  50. i have two suggestions.

    1) When the sauce is still warm and very soft, I scooped it out of one quart jar into a large clean peanut butter jar. I will give this to my daughter because I KNOW I won’t get my canning jar back! I think this is a good idea to give away as a gift.

    2) I’m going to put some into a clean, plastic ketchup bottle that has a squirt top for traveling.

    3) When I scooped out the quart jar, there was still some in the jar that I couldn’t get with my rubber scraper. No point in wasting this, so I added 1/4 c. warm water, capped it, and gave it a shake.

    I’ll use it to wash a few dishes. Not sure how this is on the hands, but I’ll use lotion afterwards like I always do.

    Reply
  51. i love this laundry soap. i used method #1. I like to make the regular recipe & then use Purex Laundry Crystals for a “small load” (even if I have a large load of clothes) directly to my clothes when I wash.

    I did add 1 tsp of Glycerin to each jar when I added the Borax & Washing Soda. The clothes come out so soft & smell great! no additional fabric softner was needed.

    the only problem i had was with the gasket on my blender getting chewed up. this is how i solved it.

    note on blender gasket: no matter how careful i was with the cleaning & placement of the gasket when making multiple jars of soap, mine still chewed up the original gasket. you can buy additional gaskets online for your blender, but for the soap making only, i went to home depot & took along my blade/screw on cap. i found a tub drain gasket.

    the fit over the blades was perfect, but it was a little thicker & just about 1/8″ bigger around than the base on the blades. The blades still turned perfectly without touching the gasket. It was also less pliable than the original gasket…this I think works to your advantage.

    I decided to take this & trim it back to fit. I centered the blade base on the gasket & traced around it carefully with an ink pen. Then I took a pair of scissors & cut carefully just barely inside the ink line.

    I gave my new gasket a try & it worked perfectly! i still clean & dry the blade base & gasket carefully in between jars & hand tighten the blades to the jars as tightly as i can…but no more chewed up gaskets & mess!

    Reply
  52. i made the original recipe in quart jars but i found it hard to use a spoon to get it out. i didn’t really want to order special spoons or spend time and money looking for something suitable. so, then i tried the no-cook method (super laundry sauce for dummies) and used wide-mouth pint jars.

    i just adjusted the amount in half for everything and it worked absolutely perfect. it will be so much more convenient to use. awesome!

    thanks again. 🙂

    Reply
  53. i have made the laundry sauce and love how my clothes feel when i take them out of the dryer. however, i find that sometimes the laundry sauce does not dissolve in the wash and there will be little clumps of it on the clothes when i take them out of the washer. thoughts here??

    Reply
    • I have made the laundry sauce and love how my clothes feel when I take them out of the dryer. However, I find that sometimes the laundry sauce does not dissolve in the wash and there will be little clumps of it on the clothes when I take them out of the washer. Thoughts here??

      i have a he washer and clumps of the detergent will get in between the rubber gaskets.

      my “sauce” isn’t the consistency of mayonnaise either. it’s too thick.

      Reply
  54. my “sauce” turned out way too thick. i followed the directions when making the detergent, but it didn’t say how long to whip it with the blender. can you whip it too long?

    when i use a tablespoon, there are suds on the washer door when i open it. with the sauce being almost solid, is it more concentrated? also, does anyone else have a problem with clothes looking dingy?

    Reply
  55. one thing that speeds this up is this:
    1) melt your soap in the hot water the same as this recipe says
    2) mix all your ingredients (powder detergents and melted soap in the hot water)
    3) stir it all up really good to where it is a smooth mixture
    4) IMMEDIATELY (while it is hot) dump in at least 2-3 trays of ice cubes and get it chilled to a cold temp.

    It is done then. It will be a smooth laundry sauce without blending and without waiting hours/days.

    Reply
  56. i love this. can i say my first batch that i followed the directions did not come out as well as the second….the 2nd time i took the Fels Naptha Soap and shaved it. the water i just heated in microwave for a few minutes.

    put it all in a blender….i could not find a jar to fit. let it sit for a few and blended. i added the rest of the soaps and blended again.

    it came out smooth and perfect just how they said it was supose to. i also added the purex crystals.

    Reply
  57. making our second recipe this no cooking way.
    the first recipe same ingredients just a different process.
    1. We notice a $$$$ relax in our budget
    2. We like the fresh clean scent it does not bother my allergies.
    3.

    Clothes are clean.
    This is a win win win !!!
    thank you for sharing..

    Reply
  58. i finally made the laundry sauce. i had dissolve the naptha overnight and measured everything out placed the gasket on the jar…and the ring didn’t fit. i was determined i put the blender back together poured the jarful into the blender and whipped away.

    i kept an eye on the oz marking to make sure it didn’t “over fluff” it came out great i re-jarred it and washed my 1st Load of laundry…FANTASTIC!

    Reply
  59. just to let you know if you are in the uk that sunlight soap, or basic green laundry/ household soap works superbly with this method. we do not have felnapha, zote or ivory soap here at all, or purex granules unfortunately.
    i get my green household soap in morrisons, two bars for £1.25 or Wilkinsons do their own green household soap, also sold in a two pack. Sizes of these are the same as the 5oz fels bars.

    I use distilled white vinegar as my laundry softener it keeps colours bright and gets residual soap out. My family all have excema but we all use this with no reactions at all.
    The 99p store has washing soda granules, in plastic bottles, but I have to go to the local hardware store to get borax powder. I have made it with proper borax, and dri- pack borax substitute and it works just as well with this.
    uk blenders do not fit mason jars but i just dollop it out into the blender.

    it whips up to more than a litre, but use a spare pint kilner jar for the left overs.
    hope this helps any other uk readers.

    Reply
  60. i decided to give this a try, my fiance was a little irritated that i wanted to try this, expecting it to fail, well my first batch was so so, i did not have a blender, so i used a mixer, also did not have quart jars, but i had a 2 quart juice picture, I improvised, it worked ok. I did like the results enough to go buy a blender, jars and made a 2nd batch. I now am getting paid by a friend to make it for her, due to her disabilities even the easy method is difficult.

    We both love how this works. My fiance has sensitive skin and before this only detergent he could use was Tide. This has pulled a lot of grease stains out that were set in.

    My clothes feel cleaner and softer. I do not use fabric softeners due to them being perfumed, this even softened up an old wool blanket. I use a ball of aluminum foil in the dryer works to remove static like dryer sheets do.

    Any ways I am loving this, and I admit to chewing up a gasket for my blender, how ever I did find a site that has them for sale for $0.22 each for a high quality one (ordered 6).

    Reply
  61. :2cents:
    Just my two cents, I have made several batches of this laundry soap and I have to say I love it!!!! i have not been brave enough to do the easier way with the no cook version just simply because i have been doing it the other way for awhile and i have had many batches turn out so different for several reasons and it took me awhile to figure out exactly what i had done differently from the batches that turned out right sooooo…..i fear i’d have to go through that again. lol can the easy recipe be done with the purex crystals as well??

    Reply
  62. i just made this laundry sauce the other day and can’t wait to try it. i had been making the kind on the stove then letting it sit for 24 hours then adding more water and then filling empty jugs. This will be much better.

    Faster to make and takes up less room in the laundry room.
    I did notice on my first jar that it blended up fine but the second jar I didn’t cut up the soap well enough and had to take it off the blender and stick a knife down there to get it unstuck off the bottom. That was fun cleaning everything up (not !) In the end it worked out but now I know to make sure it is cut up well….Maybe next time I will make the batch in the microwave……
    I am hoping this works well for cleaning as the other did and I really don’t like a lot of stuff (perfumes, etc) in my laundry soap. :laundry:

    Reply
  63. i’ve made this recipe three times now and it has turned out just as pictured. i love the fresh, clean, non-perfumy smell of my laundry after using it. my question is this: according the package directions, you should use 1 bar of Fels-Naptha for 16 loads of laundry, 1 cup of Borax for 2 loads, and 1 cup of washing soda for 2 loads.

    Why does combining these ingredients clean 128 loads? Some of my laundry does not look clean after using the sauce and I’ve read in the comments that hard water can have an effect. Can I double or even triple the amount of Borax in the recipe to combat the hard water issue or will that change the outcome of the sauce?

    Or should I just use more than the recommended 1 tablespoonful per load? Any other suggestions? Thanks.

    Reply
  64. i’ve made my laundry liquid soap for a while now with soap de marseille (castile soap). it is simple: 60gr in 5l of hot water. It becomes thick when it is cold, but also ‘snotty’.

    No smell, no stains, perfect. I would like to try this way to get a mayonnaise texture. I’ll use marseille and will skip borax and soda.

    Could you tell me how much water you add the second time? thanks!

    Reply
  65. for anyone near smyrna ga…soapgoods.com has bulk light soda ash (exact same as washing soda) for a reasonable price roughly 38.00 for 50 lbs, along with bulk Borax – Decahydrate (again, same) roughly 48.00 for 55 lbs. its worth knowing if you live close to here to pick it up (shipping is horrendous) as it seems to me that the borax and washing soda are getting harder to find at decently inexpensive prices. I just store it in ice cream containers…Im set for quite some time 🙂

    Reply
  66. i am preparing to make the “super laundry sauce for dummies” and i have a few questions. while reading comments i saw where you said glycerin could be added. what would be the purpose of glycerin in the sauce?

    the next question is when would one add glycerin? and my final question has to do with adding the sauce to the wash. i like to use spray and wash to spot stains with and was wondering if i could mix the tablespoon of laundry sauce with warm water, say a cup, and then put that mix on stains and put in the wash?

    thank you, sam

    Reply
  67. i just found this site and bought all the items yesterday to make this. i did not spot the softener one till late so will try that one later. i was wondering though, have you ever tried adding essential oils?

    i have so many and am trying to think of ways to use them.

    Reply
  68. thanks so much for this how to! we did this new year’s day and it works great! laundry detergent good-bye!

    hello super laundry sauce!

    Reply
  69. my mom uses this and suggested i try it. thanks for the simple instructions! definitely planning to attempt this very soon!

    thank you and keep up the good work.

    Reply
  70. i have very hard water, and no softener. i saw in the dishwasher sauce recipe where you increased the amount of the castile soap when using in hard water.
    do you increase the amount of any ingredient when making the laundry sauce to use in hard water????

    Reply
  71. i had a question about what type of blender to use but i found the answer and don’t need to buy a new one. however, i will be trying this recipe out when i get paid again. it would be so nice not to have to spend a lot of money on these things.

    thank you for these fantastic recipes and this great site!:worthy:

    Reply
  72. i am going to buy the needed items next payday. then i will make my supply. i’m new here but so far i like what i see.

    i saw this item posted on facebook (sister) so i decided to sign up.

    Reply
  73. so i read the all the directions for each method several times, then i had to figure out how to adapt this for my vitamix. i now realize that i could have just whipped this by hand. oh, well.

    the up side is that my adaptation worked great. the laundry sauce is working its magic great, and i didn’t ruin my precious vitamix. also, i use mason jars for everything, so i picked up some ball lids on amazon that are plastic screw on lids.

    i have regular, and wide mouth. they were a little bit of an investment, but because i use them so much, it was totally worth it. thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • So I read the all the directions for each method several times, then I had to figure out how to adapt this for my Vitamix. I now realize that I could have just whipped this by hand. Oh, well.

      The up side is that my adaptation worked great. The laundry sauce is working its magic great, and I didn’t ruin my precious Vitamix. Also, I use mason jars for everything, so i picked up some ball lids on amazon that are plastic screw on lids.

      i have regular, and wide mouth. they were a little bit of an investment, but because i use them so much, it was totally worth it. thanks for the recipe!

      hi jen.

      do you have any advice for using a vitamix with the recipe? i also have some of the plastic lids for mason jars…some from amazon and some from walmart, near the canning supplies. i liked the name brand ones from amazon a little better than the walmart brand of plastic jar lids….

      Reply
  74. i am about ready to make more homemade laundry detergent and i am definitely trying this! this takes up less space than the 5 gallon bucket I was using! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  75. i just finishing making 8 quarts of the “No cook” method #1. That was about the easiest thing I’ve ever done. I made some of them with the Fels Naptha soap and I picked up some castile soap (all vegetable) for the others.

    I’m going to run a load tonight and see how it works. But so far the instructions were spot on!!! I added some EO but like others have said, it probably won’t translate to the clothes, but it smells good when you open the jar!

    Reply
  76. i tried method 1 and it is so easy! I love the fact that all the work is done in the jar. Much less mess!

    I just used it on a load of laundry and just now put it in the dryer. Smelled good and all seemed clean. The cost might me a tad higher because of where I live, but not much-maybe $2.00, maybe……

    Well worth it though!

    Reply
  77. i tried both of the the recipes, for dummies (no cook) & cook method. i found the no cook method to work best for me. when i added the hot water, i also added 3 tbsp of Gain laundry crystals for scent.

    It worked AWESOME! I made 4 jars in one day, and gave one away. It melts great, and works wonderfully.

    thank you!!

    Reply
  78. i just got done making this using the no cook method #1. It was super easy!! I was really nervous about trying this just because I am VERY domestically challenged, lol.

    I am so excited that it came out and can’t wait to try it out in the washing machine. Thank you so much for sharing!!

    Reply
  79. ok sooo…who has used this homemade laundry soap? how does work for you? i have a husband who works in a dry coat paint factory i was wondering if you have to add more for heavier soiled clothes?

    :impatient:

    Reply
  80. i have tried the cook version and it turned out gritty, so now i am trying the no cook version. i’m to the point where i dissolve the dry soaps in the water. but no matter how long i have stirred, or how hot the water is (i placed in back in the microwave to try getting it hotter – it has scalded me at least once!), the soaps simply will not dissolve!

    help!

    Reply
  81. this is similar but different from the more watered down version i have been making. i am about ready for a new batch and look forward to trying a new recipe. i use zote in mine instead of fels naptha.

    it is already scented (the pink much more so than the white). it is the same price at walmart.

    Reply
  82. Received my ‘supplies’ from Budget 101 today and just wanted to say thank you!!!! What a nice surprise, going to make some over the weekend. (hope I posted this in the correct place)

    Reply
  83. i have made 6 quarts of this so far and I love it!!! Love showerit works better than anything i have tried in the stores and my clothes come out soft without adding any additional fabric softener! i have given this no cook recipe to family.

    i never tried the cook recipe because this one is so easy and comes out perfect every time!
    i paid $4.35 for the 20 Mule Team Borax (76oz), $3.49 for the Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (55oz) and $1.33 for the Fels Naphtha. Each quart cleans about 64 loads or less depending on how rounded a tablespoon you use and each jar costs $1.15 to make (not including coat of jar if you have to purchase one). Talk about SAVINGS!!����������
    Thank you so much for sharing this awesome laundry soap!:approved1:

    Reply
  84. I made this and it was super simple! I love it! With the cost of goods rising, the total cost is a bit more, but still a lot cheaper than over the counter detergent.

    This took me at the most 20 minutes. I love breaking it up into two steps. So so easy!

    I advise any and all to try it!

    Reply
  85. omg!!! first, hellooooo!…. second, i just bought all of my supplies and made this today!

    i didn’t wait overnight either.

    after the fels melted and gelled, i added the other dry goods (so to speak) and used my stick blender!!!!! i also used the wide mouth jars…. (since i was using the stick blender).

    this smells soooooooooooooooooooo yummy!!!!

    i’m eager to see how long it takes to use the entire box of borax and a&h.

    niki west
    ~texas

    Reply
  86. can not wait to make mine, bought everything yesterday. will post picture when i get my first batch completed. busy so may be a few days.

    Reply
  87. i was just reading this, and some of the comments. i thought i’d add that i have been making my own soap for over a year now. and really all i do is grate the soap and mix the 3 dry and use them that way.

    I’ve used Fels Naptha for the soap. My cousin has done this also and has used Zote soap. Currently I’m using Kirks Castile soap.

    That one is my favorite. But all of them clean beautifully and smell great. My kids have severe chemical sensitivities and this has solved all of those problems in the laundry area.

    I also make a dry fabric softener. It’s just epsom salt and baking soda. Some essential oil for sent if you like.

    Works great. Hope everyone enjoys their liberation from the chemical aisle at the grocery store. :jar:

    Reply
  88. just “whipped” up a batch of this today! previously, i made the cooked one, and although i’m a decent cook, i really struggled. it came out the consistency of crisco, but it worked fine.

    this no-cook version is so much easier! i have only wide-mouthed jars, but that’s fine, because i don’t have a blender anyway. i used my immersion blender; i was a bit nervous about sticking it in the jar with boiling water, but it whipped up in no time at all and didn’t splatter at all (i stuck the blender fairly far down before turning it on.) as a bonus, it’s easier to get the remnants out of a wide-mouthed jar.

    and the consistency looks perfect this time. thanks!

    Reply
  89. i’m sorry, i haven’t read through the comments, but just finished making this. in case anyone has an immersion/stick blender, use it, it works great!!

    Reply
  90. i’ll never use any other laundry detergent! what a money saver! and my clothes come out super clean!

    so happy i discovered this site!:party1::party1:

    Reply
  91. :hand-icon:
    i love this recipe and if i may suggest, i also add baking soda with the dry ingredients for an extra cleaning agent. seems to help stains as well as whitening.

    Reply
  92. to those looking for something more natural, there is castile soap. dr. bonner’s seems to be the best brand. you can make laundry soap, hand soap, shampoo, etc.

    with this soap. you can get it with no fragrance or they have some with. it is an olive oil based soap.

    i am thinking of trying it due to the fact that my family has skin issues. castile soaps with 100% olive oil will not produce fluffy lather or big bubbles. These soaps are super gentle and wonderful for baby soap.
    Castile Soap
    October 8, 2013 by admin Leave a Comment
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    Image Credit: Swanksalot @ Flickr

    How To Replace 10 Household Products With Castile Soap

    Castile soap, which originates from the Castile region of Spain, is a type of soap made from plant oils. It is a “true soap” and not simply a chemical detergent. It’s sensitive on skin, it’s bio-degradable and Earth-friendly making it a wonderful product to use when making your own household products.

    Castile soap is incredibly versatile and can be used as a major ingredient to make all kinds of products from natural beauty items to natural cleaning supplies.

    In this blog post, we will reveal how you can ditch many of the most toxic products in your home and replace with Castile soap, plus a few other natural ingredients, for a cheaper, more natural alternative.

    Most of these homemade recipes call for the use of Unscented Baby Mild Liquid Castile Soap which is available to buy from this page on Amazon. However there are also a number of different scents available, such as peppermint, lavender, citrus and more which are all available from this page on Amazon. which you can try out in place of the unscented soap.

    Homemade Dish Soap
    Simply replace your regular store bought dish soap with a squirt of Castile soap. It works better than any store bought alternative and it’s all natural!

    Homemade Laundry Detergent
    Ingredients:

    1 cup liquid Castile soap
    1 cup baking soda
    2 cups water
    1/3 cup salt
    Dissolve the baking soda and salt in the two cups of warm water. Pour into a gallon container, add the liquid Castile soap and fill to the top with water. Use 1/4 of a cup per load so this recipe is good for about 64 loads!

    Homemade Dishwasher Soap
    Mix 8 oz of Citrus Castile Soap with one cup of water and two teaspoons of lemon juice and shake gently.

    To use add one tablespoon of the above mixture into the open compartment of your dishwasher and add a cup of white vinegar to the closed compartment. add more vinegar if your water is hard.

    homemade all purpose cleaner
    in a spray bottle, fill a quarter of the way up with white vinegar, add water to the top and then add a squirt of liquid castile soap plus a few drops of tea tree essential oil.

    homemade glass cleaner
    mix half a cup of white vinegar, two teaspoons of liquid castile soap and two cups of distilled warm water. optionally, add a few drops of tea tree essential oil to the mixture. pour the mixture into a spray bottle, shake and spray onto your windows and clean with newspaper for a streak free finish.

    homemade tub scrub
    fill a spray bottle with one third castile soap and two thirds water. spread baking soda liberally around the bath and spray the castile soap mixture on. scrub with a scouring pad or scrub brush.

    homemade face wash
    in a foaming dispenser, add one quarter cup of liquid castile soap, fill to the top with distilled water (approx one cup) and add five drops of tea tree oil. the tea tree oil is a great antibacterial and is particularly useful for acne prone skin.

    homemade shampoo
    making your own shampoo with castile soap is incredibly easy, it uses only one extra natural ingredient and it lathers unlike many other homemade shampoo recipes.

    simply mix together 1 Tbsp Castile soap with one tsp coconut milk for a single serving of shampoo. You can make this in larger batches by storing in the fridge. It will keep for at least a week.

    Homemade Hand Soap
    Fill a foaming hand soap dispenser with three quarters water (boiled or distilled) and one quarter unscented liquid Castile soap.

    Optional: Add 1/8 of a teaspoon of essential oil – such as tea tree for its antibacterial properties, lemon for its odor killing properties or lavender for its fragrant scent.

    Homemade Dog Shampoo
    Make sure your dog is wet and then squeeze a couple of squirts of Peppermint Castile Soap and rub into your dogs fur until you have a nice lather. Then simply rinse off with warm water. Be sure to keep the soap out of their eyes and water out of their ears.

    Reply
  93. i have been looking at this for quite sometime and finally decided i was going to do it. i purchased a good used hamilton 10 speed blender for $5 off our local online garage sale site. i didn’t want to use my good one so i will label this for non food items. before leaving this morning i cut up the soap, as directed in method 1, added the water and left it for the day.

    about 20 minutes ago i completed it. i now have my first load of towels in washing as i am typing this. my hubby is a long haul driver so, the actual test will be when he brings his laundry in, lol.

    thank you very much for sharing this super easy recipe with all of us. 🙂

    Reply
  94. mixed up my 2nd jar of this on Saturday and the results were MUCH better than the first! First jar came out like the consistency of butter. 2nd was much closer to that of mayonnaise, thought it has firmed up a bit since then.

    I used this no-cook recipe, and minced up the Fels soap, and dissolved up half into each jar along with boiling water. I mixed up the first jar the next day, but then the 2nd jar sat most of last week until Saturday.

    On Saturday I mixed the borax, washing soda, and added about 1/6 cup of Purex lavender crystals (half of the 1/3 cup called for in the other recipe). I dumped the mixture in on top of the sliced up gelled Fels. There actually wasn’t much room left to the shoulder of the jar.

    I poured boiling water in on top up to the shoulder (key here I think, first batch I just used hot water from the microwave). This time I also shook the jar to mix the wet and dry ingredients somewhat before sticking it on my blender.

    I’ve washed probably 6 or 7 loads of laundry since I made that 2nd jar on Saturday and it’s working great so far. I also found the cookie scoop with the rubber center section at Bed Bath & Beyond for $4. Although it’s not really necessary as I just plop the soap into my front load washer tub, and then throw the whole spoon in there along with the laundry, or rinse it off in the sink.

    I’ve also been drying the laundry with just an aluminum foil ball in the dryer to take out the static. The clean clothes have an extremely light fragrance, nothing strong or heavy at all. Loving it so far.

    Reply
  95. because i have mobility issues and am on a fixed income, i have learned many shortcuts that get the same final results. i use my 1 qt pyrex measuring bowl, cut 1/2 bar into 1/16ths, add the three cups water, and microwave 3 minutes. I mix the 1 c each dry ingredients together, and add , 1/2 dry at a time, using my immersion blender.

    I also store in plastic 15 oz containers, instead of heavy glass canning jars. Happy Laundry!

    Reply
  96. made this for the first time and it turned out just like the pictures. now i’m wondering has anyone found a squeeze bottle or pump that this can be put into so you don’t have to dip down into the jar and end up with it all over your hand?

    Reply
  97. i do not have a blender. how important is the blender portion to this recipe? is it possible to bypass this part of the recipe and still maintain its integrity?

    thanks, cindy

    Reply
  98. has anyone ever tried to store this in a pump bottle, like a lotion bottle or such. i was thinking of just pumping equivalent to a teaspoon onto a washcloth or scrap cloth and tossing it into the front loader.

    Reply
  99. well, i have been using homemade laundry soap for some time now and have the same problem that has been voiced from others..the darned bucket is a pain to store!! so, i found this recipe and finally made it, we did our first laundry with it yesterday. my husband works outdoors, in the dirt and in grease his work shirts were awful, i was resolve to the fact that they were stained beyond cleaning.

    i washed them with the super laundry sauce, and although i will not say that they are spotless, they are much cleaner than they have been in a long time!! really like the storage factor with this concentrated version, but we did have to improvise when it came to mixing it; mixing in the quart jar just didn’t cut it..after measuring everything into the jar, we transferred it to the blender jar and did just fine!! although, i am not a big fan of the smell of the sauce, i survive it!!

    will definitely use this one for a long time!! :moneystack:

    Reply
  100. i made my first batch a few weeks ago, and have now done about three weeks’ worth of laundry, including my husband’s work clothes (he’s a welder), his paintball clothes, a double sleeping bag, and my delicate work clothes. the laundry sauce worked great on his dirty work clothes and my nice ones! i’m very happy with this.

    i did have to improvise a bit because my washer is an he washer that fills from the bottom, so i couldn’t just let the water wash the sauce off the spoon. i did notice that a few small clumps remained on clothing if i just put a spoonful in the bin with the clothes, so now i put a tablespoonful in an empty peanut butter jar with a little hot water and use the spoon to mush it up real well. then i fill the rest of the jar with hot water, put the lid on, and shake it up.

    i just pour that into the bin before i load the dirty clothes and wash as usual. this stuff is great, and i really like how inexpensive it is. i’ve already shared this page with several friends, and i’m looking forward to trying many more of these great ideas.

    thanks!!!

    Reply
  101. going to try this as soon as my previous batch of homemade detergent is done. i can’t seem to get the other to stop separating!

    Reply
  102. today is feb. 10th 2014, I just joined Budget101 this mo. and I have just compleated making homemade laundry Sauce !!!!!

    Thanks to such great directions …. Im sharing the sauce and this site …………. I did take pictures but Im not to sure how to upload it for you to see……….

    Reply
  103. i found that if you add the hot water to both jars before you blend one jar will be super smooth and the other a bit gritty. i don’t know if the time spent blending the first jar caused some issues or not. so now i do each jar individually and get a smooth texture on both

    Reply
  104. Hello! Started my first batch tonight (we’ll see how it turns out!) I didn’t realize that Fels Naptha uses animal fat in it. I’m a Pescatarian and while I realize it’s almost impossible to avoid animal biproducts completely, I do like to try to.

    Anyone have any ideas of what I can substitute for the Fels Naptha that is more vegetarian friendly?

    Thanks!

    Reply
  105. i’m so excited to find this quick and easy version that won’t take up so much room to store. and, no 5 gallon bucket!! Thank you so much, Liss!:balloon:

    Reply
  106. i live in england and cannot get the ingredients. :worthy: i can get bar soap but the 20 mull borax and the arm and hammer washing soda is a non starter.
    Can anyone suggest an alternative for us over the pond please?

    Reply
    • I live in England and cannot get the ingredients. :worthy: I can get bar soap but the 20 mull borax and the arm and hammer washing soda is a non starter.
      Can anyone suggest an alternative for us over the pond please?

      Morrisons or Wilkinsons sell Sunlight or green household soaps – you need 5.5 oz or 156 grams for one batch
      Your 99p store sells Washing Soda in granules in plastic bottles
      Go to any Hardware store to get Borax
      I live in South Africa but I saw this info on another post …
      If you live in SA then Buffalo or PnP sell Borax in small sizes; use Sunlight bar laundry soap – see size needed above; and PnP also sells 500g Tridan Washing Soda

      Reply
      • Morrisons or Wilkinsons sell Sunlight or green household soaps – you need 5.5 oz or 156 grams for one batch
        Your 99p store sells Washing Soda in granules in plastic bottles
        Go to any Hardware store to get Borax
        I live in South Africa but I saw this info on another post …
        If you live in SA then Buffalo or PnP sell Borax in small sizes; use Sunlight bar laundry soap – see size needed above; and PnP also sells 500g Tridan Washing Soda

        Hello I use,borax substitute powder from the hardware shop, and contrary to the reports from others who have not tried it, it works just as well in the mix as original banned borax. I posted earlier that the sunlight soap, Morrisons laundry bar and wilkinsons green household soap work well. The 99p store sell washing soda in plastic bottles, just make sure you get the washing soda and not the caustic soda.
        i’m in the uk and make 6 1litre jars of this each week for family and friends who all use it in our front loaders.

        Reply
  107. i made a batch of this laundry sauce yesterday. unfortunately my mason jar didn’t fit my blender and my old blender couldn’t handle the job so decided to use my vitamix. my vitamix made quick work of the job but a bit (more than a tablespoon) of the laundry sauce was left behind in the blender container *bump*.

    the way i clean the container is to fill the container with water and run the blender to dislodge anything left behind. guess what? i figured the cleaning water must be good for something if it had laundry sauce in it.

    after i ran the water in the container to clean it, i put the water in a 2 liter pop bottle to save for later for little cleaning jobs. I used the leftover water to clean out two greasy containers. The water worked wonders in getting the containers clean.

    Love shower

    Reply
  108. i’m using the no-cook/ dummies #2 recipe and want to add a light scent. I’ve seen several references to using Essential Oils (EO), but cannot find a reference to the correct amount or at what step to add them. Does anyone have any guidance?

    Thanks!

    Reply
  109. if you have sensitive skin and the fels is too harsh try using a bar soap you know doesn’t bother your skin, i have made many batches using basics by dial which is labeled hypoallergenic. i works very well.

    Reply
  110. thank you for the tip about putting the laundry sauce in the machine with the water and the clothes.
    i add a couple of drops of lavender essential oil with the water when making up the mixture, works well and smells nice.

    Reply
  111. i just made this last week and have seen an amazing difference in the softness of my clothes and especially the towels. it is very easy to make … i purchased quart jars from walmart for a little less than our normal name brand.

    may i suggest buy the brand name simply because the seal fits more securely on the name brand jars. thank you for this recipe.

    Reply
  112. hello. i was just wondering if i could store the laundry sauce in a plastic tupperware container. i am a clutz and i will eventually break the awesome jar i found.

    :dunno: i am pretty sure there is a perfectly good reason for the glass jars, perhaps a chemical reaction, but i just wanted to be sure before i tried the recipe instead of trial and error.

    Reply
  113. omg!!! when i told friends and family that i was going to make laundry soap everyone wanted to try it. i ended up making 1 batch of lavender and 1 batch of no cook variety.

    I prefer the no cook and everyone loves the cost and the results. i’ll be make more soon because i’ve shared so much… i’m getting everyone hooked.

    lol! ��

    Reply
  114. what happens if your blender blades don’t fit into the head of the jar? i have two blenders and neither head fits? how do i blend the soap?

    thanks
    joan

    Reply
  115. i’m new here so i haven’t looked at all the comments on the detergent. but i was wondering if anyone knows if the laundry sauce cloth diaper safe? i use diaper covers made of pul and cotton batting/cloth liners.

    also, has anyone made powdered detergent using borax, washing soda and (unscented or colored) oxiclean? that’s what i’ve been using. it works for the diapers but i’m not sure if it’s really working on stained clothes like my husband’s work clothes.

    does the sauce work on stains without a lot of scrubbing?

    Reply
  116. what is in fels naptha? i too am concerned about skin sensitivity and smell. do i have to go back to chemistry 101 to study soaps?

    :061:
    Thanks!

    Reply
  117. i’m new to the forum & really excited to try this. can you add essential oils to the mixture? i’d love a custom fragranced detergent.

    thanks!

    Reply
  118. i made this recipe and will have to say i love it. i have a machine that uses very little water. i found out i have to put the laundry sauce in the bottom of the machine before putting the laundry in.

    if i didn’t, i would have chunks of laundry sauce on my clothes. with putting it in first, what little water goes into the bucket, dissolves the laundry sauce just fine.

    Reply
  119. not sure if this wss answered but can you use the purex things or whatever to scent this one as well? and if so when do i add it in?

    Reply
  120. wow! what a great blessing this laundry sauce is! i’m so excited!i can’t wait to try this, found all ingredients except the 20 Mule Team Borax, I will complain to 1-800-WalMart for not stocking it, and search for it at the Farmers Mercantile here in SE Texas.

    Hope they will have it. This was wonderfully presented,easy to follow instructions,step by step pictures, carefully thought out, even what Not to do. Couldn’t have been done any better.

    Can’t thank you enough for this money saving tip ,cannot wait to tell my family and friends. I am so glad I got on this site!

    Reply
  121. i made this this past week and just love it!

    i want to add some fragrance to it and make some laundry scent booster using epsom salts. i have been looking at fragrance oils…when should i add the oils to the sauce? when i am whipping it up?

    where does everyone get their fragrances from?

    i have been looking in the internet but i am not sure what a reliable place it to buy from.
    thanks!
    tammy

    Reply
  122. ok. just made this this morning. am super excited to try it out.

    i didnt buy mason jars so i just used 32 oz spaghetti sauce jars I just happened to keep “just in case.” Glad I did. They smelled like garlic still so I cleaned them out again.

    I put wax paper on the jar before I put the lid on too just in case. Hopefully it works. I also dont have a blender with a detachable blade so I just used my food processor.

    Worked great. I wanted a smell so I used the purex crystals. Put in 1/3 cup.

    Its plenty smelly!! (Was choking my hubby from the smell) Just mixed them in with the soda and borax. (I used method 2) I also didnt let the soap sit in the bag for 48 hrs.

    I was too excited, so I would just break up the chunks in the bag every once in a while throughout the day. So only sat for 24 hrs. Oh and since I didnt blend it in the jar I just added 3 1/2 cups of water before I blended it.

    Someone said its about 3/4 cup of water to get it to the shoulder so I just doubled it to 1 1/2. (Hope thats not confusing) turned out to look just like the pictures. Mine actually made 2 1/2 jars worth.

    Not sure if I just blended it for too long. But came out fine. Anyway just wanted to let you know just in case others had questions.

    Reply
  123. we made this a week ago. so far so good! it feels strange only using a tablespoon, but the clothes are coming out of the laundry clean.

    thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  124. i love this recipe with one adjustment… i use kirks castile bar soap instead (1 1/3 bars). The Fels eventually made my laundry stink a bit (loke dirty socks, not sure why) so I switched to Castile and I love love love it!

    Definitely use normal mouth jars if you’re going to use the blender, it makes this whole process so much easier.

    Reply
  125. does anyone know if this is safe for septic systems? i’m sure it is, but would like to make sure before using it for a while. thank you

    Reply
  126. been making this recipe for a couple of months now. works great and do i ever get a kick out of passing up the twenty dollars per jug laundry detergent section at sam’s or the super market. i get my fels, borax and washing soda at wal-mart.

    evidently there are plenty of folks around these parts (rocky mount, va) making their own because in my local wal-mart, they have placed all three ingredients side-by-side on the same shelf.

    one tip from me: if you happen to have one of those “salad-shooters” from years past, you can put it to good use here. i use the “shredder” cone that i use to shred carrots, etc. just cut your bar of fels in two pieces lengthwise.

    putting them through the shooter one-at-a-time will save a lot of chopping and the fels will dissolve much more readily. clean-up is a snap. just pop the shooter parts in the dishwasher.

    and it will not make your carrots taste like kerosene either! :lets-eat:

    i’m going to take one of those like gallon sized pickle jars i have around here and shred a bunch of fels into it at one time. that way i will get a bunch of shredding done on one pass of the shooter then seal it up and use it as needed. i have a kitchen scale that allows me to accurately weigh ingredients in pounds, ounces or grams. it will be super easy to just ladle out the 77grams (half the 155gram bar) of Fels needed for a quart of detergent and proceed.

    I don’t think that the shredded Fels will pose any problem in storage. That way, I can have all three ingredients readily at hand to make a single or multiple batches of detergent any time I have the need or urge.

    Thanks f or the recipe. I really get-off sticking it to the detergent conglomerates. Now, if we could only figure out a way to do homemade, honest politicians.

    But then, “honest” and, “politician” don’t belong together in the same sentence! Grrrrr

    Reply
    • Hi, I live in the United Kingdom :celebrate1:
      Dying to make this! However, it is an absolute nightmare to find some of the ingredients. I can get them all on Amazon.com but not on Amazon.co.uk.

      Apparently there is a Euro ban on Borax… and washing soda…. Flipping Euro numpties poking their schnozz in – therefore no shipping available if I ordered it!

      :overreaction:
      Is there anyone on here that can tell me where to find it on an English website?

      Reply
      • Sorry, I checked my sources here & they will only ship to Canadian customers, no addresses outside of Canada. That’s really too bad they have banned it in the UK.

        Lori

        Reply
    • Thanks f or the recipe. I really get-off sticking it to the detergent conglomerates. Now, if we could only figure out a way to do homemade, honest politicians.

      But then, “honest” and, “politician” don’t belong together in the same sentence! Grrrrr

      update on using the “salad shooter” to grate the fels napththa: don’t divide the grated soap by weight! divide it by volume.

      evidently the fels i used had dried out a bit (thus losing weight). when i used it by weight (77 grams per quart by weight) the product turned out far too thick! I intend to grate a couple of bars and measure out the resulting grated soap by volume to determine how much to use per quart.

      I’ll post that information here at a later date.

      The “Salad Shooter” is still a wonderful way to grate the soap. If grated this way, there’s no need to wait over night. The soap will dissolve into a liquid in an hour or so.

      I love using my scales for cooking and other things, but making this laundry detergent just isn’t one of them. I’ll still grate a good supply at one time and keep it in an airtight jar. That way I won’t have to drag the “Salad Shooter” out to grate just one bar.

      We love this laundry detergent. It’s a great way to save money.

      Reply
      • I know I promised to post what I learned about portioning-out the grated Fels Naptha, but I made so much launder sauce back in May that I haven’t used it up yet. This stuff really goes a long way! I’ve even given out sample quarts of my “Mayonnaise” to friends, but haven’t grated new bars of Fels since my last post. I’m thinking long-and-hard about how to go about dealing with the problem and have just about decided to immediately divide the grated Fels instead of keeping it in one container.

        My original goal was to be able to do something like a years worth of grating at one time so as to avoid the clean-up of my “Salad-Shooter” multiple times. After my first attempt, it appears that the grated Fels loses weight in storage after being grated. This precludes dividing a big container by weight.

        I’m probably going to divide the Fels into quart sized batches as I grate it. There are a couple of ways to do this.

        In any event, when necessity dictates, I’ll report my findings here. The Super Laundry Sauce is a wonderful way to save money and to make friends and influence people. I’ve said it before and I’ll repeat it here: I just love sticking it to the over-priced laundry detergent manufacturers!

        Reply
  127. i made this morning my first batch of super laundry sauce and it came out creamy and smooth in about 45 minutes. I took the suggestion (after reading just about every post) to grate the Fels Naptha Soap. I put this into my blender (the bottom does not disassemble so I could not just attach it to the Mason jar), added the boiling hot water and pulsed for a couple of minutes to blend – it did gelled up just fine.

    Then added the remaining ingredients and blended well pulsating the batch. It came out to the consistency of butter. I measured equal parts into wide mouthed Mason jars and added another 1/2 cup of boiling water to each jar and mixed well with a wire whisk until it was the consistency of mayonnaise.

    Perfect! I realize different parts of the country some items to make this recipe are more or less expensive, but after averaging out the cost, it came out to $3.15 (including taxes) to fill two Mason jars. Overall it was still less than Corporate Americas Brands of various laundry soaps.

    I am very pleased! Thank You! :cloud9:

    Reply
  128. making a batch now and i have the fels in the ziplock bag …. almost all melted i added a sample of downey unstoppable in with the fels anxious to complete but need 2 quart jars! Has anyone done this before?

    Reply
    • It’s my understanding that you can go ahead to the next step once everything is dissolved & no lumps in the bag any more.

      Lori

      Reply
  129. i made this last week and i love it! this is incredibly easy to make, store and use. i just washed my kids’ snow clothes, i have to admit that i don’t wash these very often so they get really dirty from the mix of salt and mud, everything came out so bright and clean, much better that the expensive store bought stuff!

    Reply
  130. i will be using various recycled jars for this recipe. i do not have 32oz/1qt jars. Could you give me a more specific measurement on the amount of water it takes to “fill to the shoulders” after the initial amounts of other ingredients?

    This way I can calculate how much to add to my batch before distributing among multiple jars. I will be using an immersion blender with the second method of your no cook version. Thanks so much!!

    Reply
    • When I made mine using my immersion blender and a bowl, I actually forgot about adding the extra water, and it turned out great! It has stiffened up to the consistency of shortening, but works fine. I use it as a paste on stubborn stains, too.

      I love this laundry sauce!

      Reply
  131. here i am again, miss disappointed from the united kingdom…..
    i have found a box of ‘borax substitute’ on amazon uk – it lists ingredients as:

    soda crystals
    soap flakes
    white vinegar

    can i use this? i do not know the quantities, but maybe someone could take a look for me? dying to make my own laundry sauce.

    i have pasted a link below:
    http://www.amazon.co.uk/dripak-borax-substitute-500g-packaging/dp/B00F8A7X0M/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1396783337&sr=8-3&keywords=borax

    Reply
    • Here I am again, Miss Disappointed from The United Kingdom…..
      I have found a box of ‘borax substitute’ on Amazon UK – it lists ingredients as:

      soda crystals
      soap flakes
      white vinegar

      Can I use this? I do not know the quantities, but maybe someone could take a look for me? Dying to make my own Laundry Sauce.

      I have pasted a link below:
      Dripak Borax substitute 500g – 002116 – packaging may vary: Amazon.co.uk: Kitchen & Home

      hello lady caroline,
      i am in the uk too, and use a boxed borax substitute in a green box made by dri pack, dp, clean and natural which works fantastically well in this laundry sauce.
      on the side edge of the box it lists other items made by them as soda crystals, soap flakes, and white vinegar………..

      are you sure you did not miss read the box and rule this find out by mistake, on the other narrow side opposite it says this product contains sodium sequicarbonate.
      this works for me very well, and i make 6 1litre jars a week for family/friends/colleagues.
      There is an address on the box of Dri-Pak | household cleaning and laundry products, traditional products
      Hope this helps any UK laundry sauce makers.

      Reply
      • Hello Lady Caroline,
        I am in the uk too, and use a boxed borax substitute in a green box made by dri pack, dp, clean and natural which works fantastically well in this laundry sauce.

        hi allison, many thanks fr your post, i have a box of the borax substitute still sat in my cupboard – so pleased i may make use of it – thank you, :worthy: i had troubble the first time finding the soap too but on another site (shhh!) i tripped over another recipe that used dr bonners liquid soap.

        a few different scents and really concentrated. i used almond, which smells yummy! the crystals were available in asda.

        i have just finished my first batch, so will make the changes. again, many thanks.

        Reply
  132. many many thanks freebiequeen, one wonders why that was not in the search result when i typed in borax! still no matter, i am most grateful for your help.
    may i ask, is there an alternative for washing soda? we have something called soda crystals but as i made a faux pas last time…

    well you see. the ingredient of soda crystals is sodium carbonate decahydrate?

    Reply
  133. many many thanks freebiequeen, one wonders why that was not in the search result when i typed in borax! still no matter, i am most grateful for your help.
    may i ask, is there an alternative for washing soda? we have something called soda crystals but as i made a faux pas last time…

    well you see. the ingredient of soda crystals is sodium carbonate decahydrate?

    Reply
    • Many many thanks FreebieQueen, one wonders why that was not in the search result when I typed in Borax! Still no matter, I am most grateful for your help.
      May I ask, is there an alternative for washing soda? We have something called soda crystals but as I made a faux pas last time… well you see. The ingredient of soda crystals is Sodium carbonate decahydrate?

      You can actually just bake Baking Soda at 400F for about 20 minutes to convert it chemically into Washing Soda. It’s not quite as potent but will still work.

      Reply
  134. did this break anyone else’s seal? if so what did i do wrong? there wasn’t anything on the jar where the seal and the jar met, after the first jar i did clean off the blades and the seal got wet and i dried it with a towel could this have been where i went wrong?

    Reply
  135. wow this is great. as the mother of a child that is autistic and adhd. i really don’t have alot of time left over to make my own soaps and thing’s even though i’ve been wanting to for months.

    i look and look at ways to save money but just haven’t got the extra time. this how to recipe is right up my alley right now. so thank you so much….:springsmile:

    Reply
  136. is it very time consuming to make and where would you rate it to the other detergents on the market i am so excited i went out today a got everything i need to make it

    Reply
    • I used the no-cook recipe and it took only a few hours. I ran the Fels Naptha through the shredding blade on my food processor, used hot water, and it took maybe an hour to melt.

      Reply
  137. hi, i just wanted to say how easy it was to make the laundry sauce for dummies. i used the first easy recipe. i ended up grating (instead of using a knife) the fels naptha soap added the boiling water and a couple of days later when i had time i finished the recipe.

    i had no problem with the mixer and the soap came out just like mayonnaise. it was fun to make. i’ll give some away as gifts.Love shower

    Reply
  138. I have now used this laundry soap for one year, and would like to give it a review! I have not tried the non cooked recipes as yet, but I will tell you what I think of the long version. First of all, it is very time consuming, and leaves a big mess in the kitchen!

    The second thing that happened, is that the Fels Naptha shredding in my food processor has really taken a toll on it, even though it is only two years old, and just off warranty. Having to replace one of those every few years, can certainly add on to the price of the soap! Next we come to something that is very irritating to me.

    Why does it have to go into a quart jar? They are not very user friendly when it comes to getting the tablespoon of soap out of the jar and into the washer, especially when one gets down about half way! It gets all over my hands.

    It is also hard to get it out of the jar and into a blender! I’m sure many of you who have done this, can testify that once you try to open the jar after it has been upside down, at least one of the jars is going to spill all over! I have purchased two blenders now, and neither one of them is the right size on the bottom to “just screw the canning jar on the blade and blend”!

    That is also adding to the price of the homemade soap! (Yes, I have tried both regular and wide mouth jars.) Can anyone tell me what brand of blender to get? On a side note, the cheap blender I bought two months ago not only was the wrong size for the jar mouth, but when I scrapped the soap out of the jars to blend, the substance was so thick that it burned out the motor on one batch of soap!

    Even with adding extra water to help it!
    Lastly I come to the topic of rating the soap itself. It is the very best laundry soap I have ever used!!!!! If you have the problem of stinky towels, this takes care of it very well!

    Although it may take a few washes to totally eliminate that problem, as it did in our household, as our water is so bad. It does well on dirt, and baby laundry. I don’t know if it would work by itself on grease, as I always have a bottle of Greased Lightening in the laundry room for that purpose.

    The stain that it seems to have a hard time with in our household, with our type of water, is tomato, like pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce. So I just have a bottle of Shout on hand too, and after a year, have only used about two inches of the bottle! I also keep a bar of the Fels Naptha by the washer to rub on stains, does great with ring around the collar!

    It gets out farm smells, and teen-age boys socks smells! What I am saying is, because I have the time, it is worth it for me to make this soap because your clothes smell like clothes, and come out clean! Next time I need soap, I will definitely try the fast method.

    Reply
    • I have never done the stovetop method, but I do use the fast method. I highly suggest getting wide mouth Mason jars and a stick blender. I didn’t have much luck with the blender method, but once I remembered I had the stick blender, it made things sooooo much easier.

      I usually do 4 jars at a time and I don’t store them upside down. I haven’t really had trouble reaching the bottom of the jar – I use an actual tablespoon, not the measuring spoon. And I totally agree with you about the Shout – I have the same result.

      Also, I just found the scent crystals. I already had my soap made so I didn’t add them directly to the batch, but I just sprinkle some of the crystals in the wash when I want to use them.

      Reply
    • I have now used this laundry soap for one year, and would like to give it a review! I have not tried the non cooked recipes as yet, but I will tell you what I think of the long version. First of all, it is very time consuming, and leaves a big mess in the kitchen!

      The second thing that happened, is that the Fels Naptha shredding in my food processor has really taken a toll on it, even though it is only two years old, and just off warranty. Having to replace one of those every few years, can certainly add on to the price of the soap! Next we come to something that is very irritating to me.

      Why does it have to go into a quart jar? They are not very user friendly when it comes to getting the tablespoon of soap out of the jar and into the washer, especially when one gets down about half way! It gets all over my hands.

      It is also hard to get it out of the jar and into a blender! I’m sure many of you who have done this, can testify that once you try to open the jar after it has been upside down, at least one of the jars is going to spill all over! I have purchased two blenders now, and neither one of them is the right size on the bottom to “just screw the canning jar on the blade and blend”!

      That is also adding to the price of the homemade soap! (Yes, I have tried both regular and wide mouth jars.) Can anyone tell me what brand of blender to get? On a side note, the cheap blender I bought two months ago not only was the wrong size for the jar mouth, but when I scrapped the soap out of the jars to blend, the substance was so thick that it burned out the motor on one batch of soap!

      Even with adding extra water to help it!
      Lastly I come to the topic of rating the soap itself. It is the very best laundry soap I have ever used!!!!! If you have the problem of stinky towels, this takes care of it very well!

      Although it may take a few washes to totally eliminate that problem, as it did in our household, as our water is so bad. It does well on dirt, and baby laundry. I don’t know if it would work by itself on grease, as I always have a bottle of Greased Lightening in the laundry room for that purpose.

      The stain that it seems to have a hard time with in our household, with our type of water, is tomato, like pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce. So I just have a bottle of Shout on hand too, and after a year, have only used about two inches of the bottle! I also keep a bar of the Fels Naptha by the washer to rub on stains, does great with ring around the collar!

      It gets out farm smells, and teen-age boys socks smells! What I am saying is, because I have the time, it is worth it for me to make this soap because your clothes smell like clothes, and come out clean! Next time I need soap, I will definitely try the fast method.

      18 Aug 2018

      I am sorry you are having so many troubles actually making this recipe as it is stated because it should be rather easy as Liss is like “America’s Test Kitchen” in that she troubleshoots her recipes before posting them. Please from one mother to another, do the no cook short version of this recipe. After putting the hot water over the soap in the jar, put the cover on, turn the jar upside down to cool.

      When gelled, turn right side up and use the evil plastic straw to make several air holes for it to fall to the bottom before proceeding to the mix phase on the blender (after you have added the dry ingredients). I have no had any jars spill over, however, there is always a bit of the soap still dripping off of the blades and gasket when I take it off the jar so I do that at the sink and use that to wash whatever nasty greasy stuff is in my sink then (there is always something that fits that description in my kitchen by the way). I have had no issues with my food processor up to this point, but like many things in this world, they are not all created alike, so that being said, try the microwave method to crumble your Fels Naptha bars.

      As to which blender to buy, I have an old Sunbeam (+20 yrs old) and a new Oster (+4 yrs old) and both fit all regular mouth canning jars and even a pickle jar from slab pickles I got at Dollar Tree. My fix for not getting the substance out of the jar for use is the Betty Crocker covered bowls from Dollar Tree…just need to make sure that I don’t mix it past the 64 oz mark on the bowl.

      Reply
  139. i have been using this for a few months and it works great and smells good too. so much cheaper and easier than buying laundry soap all the time

    Reply
  140. first, i highly recommend the “for dummies” version. it saves so much time, cleaning, and comes out just as good. instead of shredding your fels nappa in your food processor, i’d suggest just cutting it.

    it crumbles very easily, so cutting it in thin pieces (think cheese slices) and then cross cutting is fast and won’t burn out your nice equipment. i use regular mouth, walmart brand or ball, quart jars and this oster blender (Amazon.com: Oster 4096-009 Designer Series Beehive Blender, Chrome: Kitchen & Dining). It is a basic attachment, so some of the fancy new blenders with odd shaped blades/jars will not work.

    It sounds silly, but take a quart jar (or grab one at the store) and try fitting it to display models at the store. Wide mouth jars will definitely not work, unless you use an immersion blender instead.

    Reply
  141. i may have skipped over someone asking this but… instead of cutting up the bar, can we make it into a powder then add it in? if we do it this way, do we have to let it sit overnight still or can we just wait a few hours to finish?

    i have been doing method one but wondering if i can make it even easier and quicker this way. thanks! 🙂

    Reply
  142. i m so excited to start using diy products. i’m joining the grandma’s club with the arrival of our first grand baby in july. her parents are ridding their home of toxins, as i will be watching her through out the day i’m going to try to use as natural as possible.

    i need help with household cleaners, bug spray for the house and plants.
    thanks for your help

    Reply
    • I m so excited to start using diy products. i’m joining the grandma’s club with the arrival of our first grand baby in july. her parents are ridding their home of toxins, as i will be watching her through out the day i’m going to try to use as natural as possible.

      i need help with household cleaners, bug spray for the house and plants.
      thanks for your help

      food grade diatomaceous earth is the best pesticide. it is safe for people and pets and kills all kinds of nasties, from bedbugs to roaches. it can be a bit messy, but since it kills bugs physically instead of with chemicals, you don’t need to worry about changing brands/types.

      do not use pool grade de, it has to be the food grade. please pm me if you have other questions.

      Reply
  143. fels naptha, while laundry soap, is for stain treating. it does not rinse out well when used as “detergetn”. a better bar would be a natural castille soap like dr. bronners.

    i make a great laundry soap with a bar of dr. bronners.

    Reply
  144. this is the first thing i made since finding your website. the recipe sure is fool-proof, as it came out so much better than i thought it would. i swear by this laundry sauce.

    i hang my clothes outside to dry and this keeps my towels soft (which is usually impossible when line drying them). my denim jeans are much softer than they use to be when using “store bought” detergent. this has made me an advocate for your website.

    thanks.

    Reply
  145. i love this laundry soap. we are currently building a house and our clothes are getting quite dirty. this has worked beautifully getting them clean.Love shower

    Reply
  146. i love this stuff. it smells so good. my laundry comes out clean.

    i do still use fabric softener because of static cling but i am going to start buying unscented fabric softener.

    Reply
  147. Love shower i am in total awe!!!! i am so glad to have found this site!! i have been making my laundry detergent for almost a year now.

    i was searching for answers to fn vs. zote when i discovered this place. i am delighted!!

    now, my only questions are: 1) what am going to do with these 5 large laundry bottles and 2) what am I gonna store on this emptied shelf now?

    Reply
  148. i used the same recipe and just used kirks original coco castile soap. it turns out much thicker like cool lard and spells like soap rather than using the fels naptha that smells like chemicals. also its more natural and the coconut oil in the kirks would be good because coconut oil is antibacterial, antifungal, antimicrobial, and more i am sure.

    Reply
    • I used the same recipe and just used Kirks Original Coco Castile Soap. It turns out much thicker like cool lard and spells like soap rather than using the Fels Naptha that smells like chemicals. Also its more natural and the coconut oil in the Kirks would be good because coconut oil is antibacterial, antifungal, antimicrobial, and more I am sure.

      Thanks for your post. I’ve made a few batches of this now, and my next will have Kirks in it.

      Reply
  149. i travelled over to the mainland only to find our wilkinsons dont do household soap and our 99p shop doesnt do washing soda! Online only purchases here :bored:

    Reply
  150. this recipe is fool proof! i’ve made a few batches now, and i “messed up” the first one, but it still worked just fine. it came out real grainy instead of being smooth.

    i gave one batch to a mother-to-be who asked for the recipe! a tip that was posted a few months ago about using this sauce in the detergent dispenser was so true; add the soap with your laundry, not in the dispenser at all. i recently had to go to a laundramat before i read this post, and most of my laundry soap was still in the dispenser when the machine stopped.

    Reply
  151. hi i am new here and just snooping around,

    really interested in this laundry sauce recipe, but what is this “blender blade”?

    does the mason jar go into my blender upside down? or are you talking about a different blender machine?

    can i use my food processor?

    it’s just soap right? it will wash off the blades right?

    thank you for any help

    scarlettfeather

    Reply
  152. i know it has been asked but i can not find the reply. is this homemade laundry sauce ok to be used for cleaning cloth diapers? i asked my friend who knows a lot about cd and she freaked out on me about using this stuff.

    said it will build up on your clothes and washing machine , i have been using it since jan and love it! she also said it is just soap and water softner and does not work. i love it my clothes have never been cleaner!

    Reply
    • I know it has been asked but I can not find the reply. Is this homemade laundry sauce ok to be used for cleaning cloth diapers? I asked my friend who knows a lot about cd and she freaked out on me about using this stuff.

      said it will build up on your clothes and washing machine , i have been using it since jan and love it! she also said it is just soap and water softner and does not work. i love it my clothes have never been cleaner!

      yes!!

      this is just fine for cloth diapers! however in my opinion… kirk’s castle, handmade lye soap, or zote would be a better choice than fels.

      . .

      just a quick note about build-up. . .

      this is a soap, all soaps will have a build up– over time.
      — the remedy for this-is to use 1/2 cup Vinegar in the rinse
      — instead of fabric softener.

      — Using fabric softener on towels or cloth diapers is redundant. . .
      Fabric softener coats the fabric, and makes it so the fabric can Not hold water.
      — who wants a towel that wont dry?

      Or a diaper that wont hold.. er, um water?

      Reply
  153. i know it has been asked but i can not find the reply. is this homemade laundry sauce ok to be used for cleaning cloth diapers? i asked my friend who knows a lot about cd and she freaked out on me about using this stuff.

    said it will build up on your clothes and washing machine , i have been using it since jan and love it! she also said it is just soap and water softner and does not work. i love it my clothes have never been cleaner!

    Reply
  154. two questions.
    1. If I made this with only the dry ingredients and no wet ingredients, would there be any real consequences to that? Would I just use a teaspoon in the wash instead of a tablespoon?

    Would there be any major consequences of doing this and adding it directly to the receptacle?

    2. If I dissolved it into some water first, could I make weekly less-concentrated recipes and pour maybe 1/8th cup into the laundry detergent receptacle? My washer is a front loader, there is no way I can add this to the water directly while it is filling.

    My washing machine uses water to flush detergent into the machine, so I figured it’d be fine by the time it got to the clothes?

    Reply
    • I’ve read in the faq that it can. if you have a front-loader, do not put it in the detergent dispenser – put on top of clothes before you start washer. 🙂

      Reply
  155. i love this idea and will be giving it a try. i found a tip the other day that you can also make your own washing soda instead of buying it. just spread baking soda on a cookie sheet and bake it in the oven for an hour.

    Reply
  156. i really love this been using it for over a year now, but this week it passed the true test…. between prescription medications and not feeling well, i did not wake up when “aunt flow” came to town, needless to say i had a rather bloody mess some of it was dried and we ladies know how hard that can be to clean out, expecting to have to throw stuff out, i used my super laundry sauce and no traces of “aunt flow” any where it all came out. if that is not a testament to how well this stuff works i do not know what will be.

    Reply
  157. I am defanitley going to try this soap sauce when I get to the store to get the supplies, but the items seem like it will cost more than the $2.00 to make that much soap. Has anybody figured it out? Thank you

    Reply
    • I am defanitley going to try this soap sauce when I get to the store to get the supplies, but the items seem like it will cost more than the $2.00 to make that much soap. Has anybody figured it out? Thank you

      Yes, it’s figured out for you in the post:

      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

      Reply
  158. this looks like a great recipe. is there anyway to use castile or vegetable-based soap in place of the animal-based soap fels naptha or zote? thank you.

    Reply
  159. added a few drops of lavender essential oil in one jar before blending. smells heavenly! second jar i put in doterra’s on guard for a boost. this blend addresses: bacteria, immune system support, mold, topical disinfectant and virus killer.

    smells awesome too! 🙂

    Reply
    • Added a few drops of lavender essential oil in one jar before blending. Smells heavenly! Second jar I put in Doterra’s On Guard for a boost. This Blend Addresses: Bacteria, Immune system support, Mold, Topical disinfectant and Virus killer.

      Smells Awesome too! 🙂

      Did the Doterra’s On Guard work and if so could you tell me where you bought it and how much you used or your measurements for this option. Also I am wanting to put essential oils in the mixtures how much did you use to be able to get a smell to stay in clothes.

      Thank you so much in advance. Much appreciated. 🙂

      Reply
  160. i am having a hard time finding “washing soda”. it seems the grocery stores just put a giant box of “baking soda” in their laundry aisle and call it good. i am looking for a box that specifically says “washing soda” on the box.

    any suggestions??

    Reply
    • I am having a hard time finding “washing soda”. It seems the grocery stores just put a giant box of “baking soda” in their laundry aisle and call it good. I am looking for a box that specifically says “washing soda” on the box.

      Any suggestions??

      At risk of being redundant, if not plagiaristic, Wal-Mart be ‘da place.

      Reply
    • At our Walmart, it is on the bottom shelf in the laundry aisle, across from Clorox 2 and the like. The box looks a lot like baking soda, same color scheme, etc.

      Reply
  161. this is way easier than the homemade laundry soap i have tried before, and makes a much more manageable amount (the other one made 2.5 gallons!). I think I’ll get a blender from the thrift store to use, just in case.

    Does anyone have any tips on where to get mason jars cheap?

    Reply
    • This is way easier than the homemade laundry soap I have tried before, and makes a much more manageable amount (the other one made 2.5 gallons!). I think I’ll get a blender from the thrift store to use, just in case.

      Does anyone have any tips on where to get mason jars cheap?

      I didn’ have quart Ball jars, so I used glass 32 ounce mayonaisse jars and they work perfectly!

      Reply
  162. anyone know where to get essential oils the right kind to put in the mixture? and how much goes into it, so i dont cause a divide between the mixtures. thank you so much in advance.

    much appreciated. :)grrrrr

    Reply
    • Anyone know where to get essential oils the right kind to put in the mixture? And how much goes into it, so I dont cause a divide between the mixtures. Thank you so much in advance.

      Much appreciated. :)Grrrrr

      gnc has essential oils in many fragrances. a few drops in each quart.

      Reply
  163. i’ve just made my first batch and am very excited about doing my next load of laundry! crazy, right? anyway, one hint i would add is to make sure your blender fits your jar before you begin.

    i used a standard jar to begin with, because of a recommendation above (which i very much appreciated). but as it turned out, my blade attachment wouldn’t go into the jar and the base of my blender was too big to seal on the jar. so a wide mouth jar works for me.

    it was a fairly easy fix. i guess not all blenders are created with the same dimensions. so please determine which jar fits your blender before you begin!

    Reply
  164. This sounds easy enough, however, I will make it in the blender and store it in a sealed container of some sort. I am not a fan of using Mason jars on a blender, it hurts and makes a huge mess when it explodes.

    Reply
  165. oh shucks!! my first bottle turned out perfect 🙂 , but then i washed the gasket and blender blades to do the 2nd jar, you guessed it!! My jar started to leak as soon as the blender started blending!!

    I had screwed it down really tight, so I could not imagine what was going on!!
    Well, you guessed it, the gasket was completely gone!! Fished chunks of it out of the super sauce, and will try the hand mixer method to finish the job:morechores3::morechores3::morechores3:

    Reply
  166. i am sorry if i am asking a repeat question, there are a ton of comments here! hard to go trough them all… but i just did my first “no-cook, no fail” version and had a few bumps in the making

    first my blender gasket does not fit my jars for some reason. it fits the pint size but not the quarter size!
    so what i did was to dump all the contents in the blender and blend away! the problem is that it must have not dissolved correctly because it does feel grainy and i dont know how can i fix it!

    thanks for your time and interest!

    patti

    Reply
  167. hi all, i am a neewbie here but very exited to be here! as i live in the netherlands, i can not get the above mentioned ingredients (exept the water of course) at my local store. sure, i could get it from amazon, witch will cost me $30 + shipping etc.

    But that way i better buy my regular detergent. Does anyone know of european/dutch supstitutes?
    Thank you for this great post anyway!

    Reply
    • Hi all, i am a neewbie here but very exited to be here! As i live in the netherlands, i can not get the above mentioned ingredients (exept the water of course) at my local store. Sure, i could get it from amazon, witch will cost me $30 + shipping etc.

      But that way i better buy my regular detergent. Does anyone know of european/dutch supstitutes?
      Thank you for this great post anyway!

      Hi,i am also new here. You can not get Borax here (Europe),only in very small amounts 20g or so at a pharmacy because it is an acid.

      Also it is linked to cancer in Germany. So maybe we are better off just using very little (!!!) of the store bought stuff.Europe is miles ahead in ecological good for the world stuff.Recycleing is a big one over in europe and so is enviromentaly safe Soaps.Hope that helped.

      Reply
      • Hi,i am also new here. You can not get Borax here (Europe),only in very small amounts 20g or so at a pharmacy because it is an acid. Also it is linked to cancer in Germany.

        So maybe we are better off just using very little (!!!) of the store bought stuff

        Before everyone starts freaking out here: Boric Acid and Borax are often confused for each other. Boric Acid is sold in small amounts in pharmacies, does contain sulfuric acid, and is used for topical skin treatment under a doctor’s suggestion. Borax is a naturally occurring mineral used for cleaning and in laundry.

        Reply
      • Kraut,
        You are confusing Borax with Boric acid, also called hydrogen borate, boracic acid, orthoboric acid and acidum boricum. “Europe is miles ahead in ecological good for the world stuff” – we call that BS in America.

        Reply
  168. one year and one month after making my first batch, i made my second this way: i grated half a bar of pink zote, put it in a 5-cup Rubbermaid container and added 1 & 1/2 cups of boiling water, stirred it a bit, and put the lid on. Two hours later, I mixed that with 1 cup of washing soda and 1 cup of borax and another 1 & 1/2 cups of boiling water. In two batches, I blended it on the puree setting in my regular blender jar until it resembled pink mousse.

    I placed it into two 1-quart Rubbermaid containers and labeled them. I prefer the short, wide containers to glass quart canning jars because when you’ve used half or more from the quart jars it becomes difficult to reach to the bottom of the jar with a measuring spoon. My husband does his own laundry and his hands are too large.

    I have also had a jar break, and had to rescue the soap among the sharp shards.

    I prefer the Zote to Fels Naptha because it smells so much nicer than Fels. If I want extra scent in something (especially sheets or anything that’s stored for a while) I will add some Purex scent crystals.

    Reply
  169. :jar: thanks for this. i plan to make it as soon as we get everything moved into the new digs. i have been reading all the questions and answers and i hope mine turns out well!:smile1:

    Reply
  170. this stuff is amazing!! no commercial laundry soap can clean like this stuff. here in canada i didn’t find fels naptha, so i used a sunlight laundry bar & it worked out great except for the uber strong lemon scent.

    i think i’m going to try mix in downy unstoppable beads since i use those as well.

    Reply
  171. i just made my first batch last night and this stuff is wonderful.
    however after about 24 hrs it really got thick almost to a paste.
    What should I do in this situation and for future batch what do I need to do or is this normal. I want to give these are Xmas presents. Can I make these now or do I have to wait up till Christmas time?

    Reply
  172. I made this a few days ago with my mixer. It didn’t come out right. It whipped up like whipped cream with the same consistency.

    Instead of 2 quarts I have about 4 1/2 quarts.

    Reply
  173. help!! i made the super laundry sauce yest. i put the jar on my blender. it was all smooth.

    a little gritty. today i went to use it as a pretreat & the top of the jar is smooth. & 1/2 way thru to bottom it’s clumpy.

    Do I need to reheat & then reblend all my jars. I do not have a whip button so I used frappe. I will b doing laundry tomorrow.

    Can’t wait to use this. Plz respond to me ASAP. Thnx.

    I turn to ur site a lot for recipes on different things��

    Reply
  174. i don’t have a blender.. so i used an immersion (or “stick”) blender and it worked perfectly! my only disclaimer is that you’ll want to leave a little extra empty space toward the top while whipping since the jar isn’t sealed while using the immersion blender.
    also, i used a goat milk soap laundry bar (they are twice the size of the fels, so i used half), and it worked the same as expected after reading these instructions.
    i want to experiment with adding essential oils next!

    Reply
  175. ok. i’m new to making my own detergent.

    someone please explain why this is necessary? we’ve been doing the powdered versions grating the soap and mixing it with the borax and washing soda. simple and quick.

    why would i want to put more work into product?

    Reply
    • Ok. I’m new to making my own detergent.

      Someone please explain why this is necessary? We’ve been doing the powdered versions grating the soap and mixing it with the borax and washing soda. Simple and quick.

      Why would I want to put more work into product?

      lots of reasons..

      it’s super concentrated
      gets stains out better
      easy to store
      easy to use
      dissolves in warm or cold water whereas powdered detergents don’t
      takes literally minutes to make
      uses less ingredients than the powdered version, thereby cheaper
      more loads for less money

      i think the better question is, why wouldn’t you? lol

      Reply
  176. I happened to have made this recipe with the exact ingredients. Difference being that I filled 3/4 laundry detergent container with the mix and the other part water.It made 10gallons. I had gotten it from the Duggars Family Recipes.

    I happen to like yours better . I am going to be makin this one also. 🙂

    Reply
  177. i am making it right now. i used an immersion blender after dumping the content of the first jar in a mixing bowl, the result was perfect. then when i did the same thing to the second jar, it won’t emulsify no matter how long i blend it!

    can someone please tell me why that is? i did exactly the thing as the 1st jar…

    Reply
  178. i just finished making this, i only had wide mouth jars so i used my hand held mixer with one beater on it. seemed to work fine, sauce looks good just seems a little gritty. maybe because i used a mixer.

    i am going to try it out as soon as my husband gets home with his dirty clothes. haha thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
  179. i just made a new batch of laundry soap in the 5 gal. bucket. I’ve been using this for sometime.

    I did switch from the Fels Naptha to Zote. As in many 100yr plus houses, the laundry room and bathroom were an afterthought, so a 5 gal. bucket takes up a lot of room.

    My next batch will be this concentrated recipe and I will try it with the Zote.

    Reply
  180. i was looking at this recipe the other day and i thought i saw that you can add an essential oil to it, but i don’t see it now. is it possible to add an essential oil to it and have it still work properly?

    Reply
    • I added 5 drops of Lavender essential oil per batch. It works and smells great. I found a nice selection of essential oils at GNC stores, here in Texas.

      Reply
      • I added 5 drops of Lavender essential oil per batch. It works and smells great. I found a nice selection of essential oils at gnc stores, here in texas.

        at what point did you add the oil?

        same time as the borax and soda?

        Reply
        • At what point did you add the oil? Same time as the borax and soda?

          I add it in the final stage when mixing all of ingredients together.

          Reply
  181. i really want to try this recipe but was curious after reading some comments on using the kirk’s castille soap. the one sold in our store is a 4 oz. bar where as the fels is 5.5 oz.

    My question is do I just do bar for bar or do I need to use 5.5oz of the Kirks. If anyone can answer this I’d be very thankful.

    Reply
  182. hi! i’m a little more than “a bit domestically challenged” lol can someone tell me where i can find the items necessary to make this? are these products i can find at a grocery store or do i need to go to a craft/ specialty store?

    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

    Thanks in advance!!

    Reply
    • Fels, Borax and Washing Soda are all available in the detergent aisle at your local WalMart and are often grouped together. However, I prefer to use ZOTE instead of Fels, you get twice as much for the same price.

      Reply
  183. i’m looking for something that will help with sheets and towels. i recently took over a hotel. i was left with dinged and stained sheets and towels.

    i have tried everything i can think of to get them white. any suggestions?

    Reply
    • I’m looking for something that will help with sheets and towels. I recently took over a hotel. I was left with dinged and stained sheets and towels.

      I have tried everything I can think of to get them white. Any suggestions?

      i gave some to a nursing home and they get dirty stuff. again they cannot believe how clean it does do things.

      if they have something they are really worried about, odors and stuff they throw in some vinegar. this is all natural other than you do not go down to the creek to wash your clothes. whites will be whiter and it brings out the colors, believe me.

      Reply
  184. i used method #2 and it came out great!. I did use Castille Soap instead of the fels nappa due to skin allergies. I used 1 and a 1/3 bars of the Kirk’s Castille soap.

    When I got to whipping the recipe mine did come out more liked Cool Whip, however I had seen in the posts where most people had it thicken over night so I didn’t worry too much at that point. By the next morning it had became thicker, more like mayo, and by the next day close to crisco to then stay at that consistency so I feel it was a success. My clothes are coming out clean and I am seriously thinking of making these for Christmas Gifts :piggy:

    Reply
  185. i’m almost through my first jar of laundry sauce and i love it. surprisingly, my husband uses it too! (he’s usually not in to my experiments)!

    our clothes are clean and fresh and soft. i’ve stopped using fabric softener. i can’t wait to make this for christmas gifts.

    homemade and from the heart.

    Reply
  186. just wanted to say that i first tried the laundry recipe two months ago, and have been using it since. i’ve given away several jars, and have just discovered that if you put the detergent directly on stains, then throw it in the wash, it gets out pretty much everything i’ve thrown at it, including set-in stains.

    thanks for providing this recipe, i love knowing exactly what is in my detergent, and i really love saving money. thank you again.

    Reply
    • I’ve found that in a pinch you can even put this in an empty 5 qt ice cream bucket and use an electric mixer!

      I simply put 1 tbsp into my hand and then hold it under the running water in the machine. kind of mush it up in my hand while the water is running. works great!

      Reply
  187. has anyone figured out how to make these into pods, i prefer these for when my kids do laundry its “1 pod per load” they never over soap, even when we use liquid soap 1 cup (the lid) always seemed to turn into a cup in a half with a lot wasted , but since using pods laundy detergent costs are down clothes still so so clean

    Reply
  188. nathealthctr
    i made this recipe and followed it closely. the detergent is thick and does not dissolve in water. i scooped it back up and put it in a sm jar with water…put in micro for 20 seconds to dissolve.

    I also tried running hot water into my washing machine to dissolve but the water is not hot enough. Suggestions?

    Reply
    • You say that you scooped it back up…if you did it before the washer agitated, you did it too soon. I have been making this for a long time and sometimes it’s thicker than mayo (but it’s still easy to get out of the jar), but even when that happens, the agitation of the washer dissolves it. Also, I wash in COLD water.

      You do not have to use hot water, but you do need to let the washer fill up and agitate. Try that first. If you do end up having detergent on your clothes when the washer finishes, run again without adding more soap. Then take your detergent, add more water and blend again to thin it out.

      I use a stick blender and haven’t had any trouble at all. Good luck.

      Reply
  189. has anyone switched to this full time? it sounds great but i’m not sure i have the time to “make detergent” and commit myself to this. i’d like to hear what others have to say.

    Reply
    • Has anyone switched to this full time? It sounds great but I’m not sure I have the time to “make detergent” and commit myself to this. I’d like to hear what others have to say.

      i’m not sure what you mean by commitment on this one, it’s literally faster to myo than it is to go to the store to buy more of the expensive store bought stuff. i make 4 jars at a time, takes 5 minutes and have laundry soap for MONTHS. It’s all I’ve used for years.

      Reply
      • Commit…What got me doing it was the $$$ I saved. It takes little to no time. My family was doubting it a bit and then we figured out that it costs less that the gas to drive to the store and more than that my time.

        To go to the store, get the detergent off the shelf, drive home. Time adds up. I do this once every 3 months and yes, I have boys and I do around 15 loads of clothes a week.

        So this is very effective and worth it. Trust me…

        Reply
  190. Can you put it in the blender the next day with the same directions and do it this way, my blender is a ninja and the blade does not come apart

    Reply
  191. I tried this some time ago and i think I might need something more potent. Followed the instructions to the letter and it didn’t seen to have much of an effect. Had to have done something wrong but I’m not sure what.

    Reply
    • I tried this some time ago and i think I might need something more potent. Followed the instructions to the letter and it didn’t seen to have much of an effect. Had to have done something wrong but I’m not sure what.

      I’ve been making this stuff for the all of the neighbors and they are enthralled with it.

      One family with 6 kids I test everything out with them. Grass stains just rub a little in the stain, normal dirt and oils it works on. Daughter’s husband is into heavy dirt and oil and she has to rub a little in the baaaaad spots.

      She just called yesterday and said a 2 day old grape juice stain on a couple of bibs came out with no extra work.

      Reply
  192. I have industrial blender that does not come apart. Can I use it as is and perhaps dilute it until it become more of a liquid? Hmmm..

    I am thinking yes, going to have to experiment I guess. lol

    Reply
  193. Searched on the walmart.com and you can buy the felt naptha soap in a case of 24 bars which would make them less than $2.00 each.

    Reply
    • My WalMart store carries the Fels Naptha bars for $.98 each. They’re in the laundry aisle, with the fabric softener (for whatever reason) – and they’re not beside the other bar soaps in the laundry aisle. Other stores in my area charge $1.98 for them.

      Maybe ask someone from the store; they might be able to order some in for you for less than $2 each.

      Reply
  194. I have made the “cook” version before & I love it! Think I will try this one now that I am about of the other one. Thanks so much!

    Reply
  195. This sounds great! I would also like to know if it can be made directly in the blender then transferred to a different container…


    has there been a response to the question can it be made in a blender? :confused1:

    Reply
  196. I’m thinking about trying this, but the last time I made laundry detergent (same ingredients, same amount), my husband banned it in our home because it clogged the filter in our HE front loader. Also, after hearing that this doesn’t really get clothes clean, I stripped a load of our laundry after washing and it was just nasty what came out of them. Has anyone actually stripped their laundry to see if their clothes are truly getting clean?

    I’m not entirely sure I could convince my husband to give it another try. I’d hate to ruin our good Kenmore Elite washer.

    Reply
    • I’m thinking about trying this, but the last time I made laundry detergent (same ingredients, same amount), my husband banned it in our home because it clogged the filter in our he front loader.

      same ingredients don’t really matter, it’s the method. for example you can take an egg and fry it, or you can poach it, or you can scramble it, completely different outcome, flavor and texture.

      also, after hearing that this doesn’t really get clothes clean, i stripped a load of our laundry after washing and it was just nasty what came out of them.

      that’s similar to those vacuum cleaner commercials, you can actually strip a load after any detergent for the same effect. it all depends on how you load your machine, if you overload it, etc.

      i’m not entirely sure i could convince my husband to give it another try. i’d hate to ruin our good kenmore elite washer.

      i think i’d hate having a washing machine so expensive that couldn’t handle regular laundry detergent ingredients that’s been on the market for 100 years. I don’t understand people who buy these mold machines and then baby them. Chances are, it’s not the detergent that’s not working, it’s the machine adding mold from previous cycles.

      You can google it to see.

      we’ve been using this laundry sauce recipe for well over a year, my clothes have never been cleaner and neither has my $250 Top loading washing machine.

      Reply
  197. My machine has never had mold, and I never said it did. I keep my machine clean. Calling all front-loaders “mold machines” is a snap judgment that shows a good bit of immaturity.

    I was hoping too get support here, not self-righteous judgment. Thanks for the un-welcome.

    Reply
    • My machine has never had mold, and I never said it did. I keep my machine clean. Calling all front-loaders “mold machines” is a snap judgment that shows a good bit of immaturity.

      I was hoping too get support here, not self-righteous judgment. Thanks for the un-welcome.

      s

      :bigdramaq: oh boy, drama queen alert. i shared a link because front loaders are notorious for mold, particular the “kenmore elite”. in fact, that one has the most lawsuits over that precise issue.

      it’s not a matter of you keeping the machine “clean”; it doesn’t matter what you do, they mold. it’s a fact, deal with it.

      https://www.google.com/search?q=kenmore+elite+front+loader+mold+problem&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

      If you don’t want to hear the truth, don’t ask questions. Pretty simple.

      Reply
    • My machine has never had mold, and I never said it did. I keep my machine clean. Calling all front-loaders “mold machines” is a snap judgment

      wtf dirtcheapdad has a point, the kenmore elite front loaders are really well known for having mold inside that people can’t see. have you tried stripping your laundry in a machine other than your front loader to see if the issue is actually your machine and not your detergent?

      we’ve also been using the laundry sauce for at least a year and our clothes come out great too.

      :moneystack: i used to spend $20 or so a month on Tide, this single recipe saves me over $200 a year. No Complaints here!

      Reply
  198. I’m severely allergic to mold. I would know if we had it, and I know for certain that nothing in our house has mold in it. I’ve had friends try the detergent too, and they didn’t think their clothes were coming clean, either.

    And I will admit to originally thinking this site was for doing things naturally to be healthy, but it’s not. Upon looking into it again, this stuff had more chemicals in it than what is in my current detergent (which works just fine and costs a fraction of what Tide does). Again, that was my mistake.

    Being cheap isn’t worth dumping chemicals into my family.

    Reply
    • this stuff had more chemicals in it than what is in my current detergent (which works just fine and costs a fraction of what Tide does). Again, that was my mistake. Being cheap isn’t worth dumping chemicals into my family.

      :dramathrive:that’s great that your store bought detergent works well for you but please don’t spread the misinformation that this recipe contains more chemicals that than watered down crap you buy in the store. it’s just plain false. this recipe (& fels) has a fraction of the chemicals that other detergents have and works twice as well as most of that commercial junk.
      my daughter is highly allergic to tide, all, snuggle, ultra, fresh start, arm & hammer, cheer, wisk, gain, ecos, method, surf, sunlight, ajax etc.

      she breaks out in hives instantly and has to be rushed to the hospital. this is the only detergent we can use safely in our home. before it came out, i had to wash all of her clothes in an extremely expensive specialized soap seperately from the rest of the family.

      all commercial laundry detergents contain surfactants, builders, bleaches, colorants, optical brightners, solvents, etc. so if you think yours is chemical free, you’re only fooling yourself.

      Reply
      • all commercial laundry detergents contain surfactants, builders, bleaches, colorants, optical brightners, solvents, etc. so if you think yours is chemical free, you’re only fooling yourself.

        well said. i agree completely, we make (almost) all of our groceries from scratch, i don’t buy condiments or boxed anything thanks to this site, our family also uses this recipe and has for close to 2 years. It works amazingly well and quite frankly, I think Liss is a genious for creating it and if she had a donation button on her page, you can bet your butt that I would be sending her a little something to show my appreciation.

        Since she doesn’t I visit the ads and I don’t do that for anyone else, lolz.

        This site has been a lifesafer for my family. :worthy:

        Reply
    • I’m severely allergic to mold. I would know if we had it, and I know for certain that nothing in our house has mold in it. I’ve had friends try the detergent too, and they didn’t think their clothes were coming clean, either.

      And I will admit to originally thinking this site was for doing things naturally to be healthy, but it’s not. Upon looking into it again, this stuff had more chemicals in it than what is in my current detergent (which works just fine and costs a fraction of what Tide does). Again, that was my mistake.

      Being cheap isn’t worth dumping chemicals into my family.

      we have an expensive front loading (he) washing machine and my family has sensitive skin. i used to use 7th Generation laundry detergent but switched to Super Laundry Sauce two years ago. I do 15-20 loads of laundry per week of varying “dirtiness” and this laundry soap works GREAT with no dingy clothes.

      If you have soft water you may want to use only half the amount per load. Also, once a week I run vinegar through my machine’s soap, bleach and softener dispensers to make sure my washing machine stays squeaky clean with no germs. All washing machines can have bacteria build up if they aren’t disinfected, and vinegar is a natural and safe disinfectant.

      Reply
  199. I’m so excited to try to make my first batch of laundry detergent. My only question is, can this recipe be used as a dry ingredient only laundry detergent? instead of using boiling water, can you just grate and blend all the dry ingredients and use it that way?

    Reply
    • I really wouldn’t try just grating the ingredients…I think you’ll find that you have an undissolved mess to clean up. I think there is a dry recipe on the site – you might have better luck with it. I personally do not like dry detergent, but since you do, give it a try!

      Reply
  200. Suds are a gimmick created by commercials that changed the way generations of people think.
    Lose the stinkin thinkin we do no need bubbles

    Reply
  201. I love this soap! I use the “for dummies” recipe cuz you don’t have to cook! I love the way this soap makes my laundry smell cuz it reminds me of growing up.

    The ingredients are pretty much what my mom used all those years ago! I still have to add the softener because of static cling. I have an HE washer and dryer.

    Reply
  202. I made this and I’m in love with it. SO easy to make! Thank you!

    Thank you!!!! I will continue making this. Also you know, I will try making this with infuse water, instead of regular hot water, I will heat the water with lavender or rose petals and see what happens.

    This recipe is easy to make, little storage, and very simple. God bless you!

    Reply
  203. I have been wondering about making this recipe for laundry since I make my own. I don’t have a blender where the bottom comes off. My Ninja bender blades and paddles come thou the top and I don’t have any wide mouth jars or a stick blender, so I changed it up a bit.

    (I use the second method, will try the first at another time). Now, I have 2 old tomatoes sauce jars that on the side went up to 28 oz, and since there is 32 oz in a quart, I figure that I would just use less water. So, I did the ziplock baggie for about 3 days, break up chucks everyday.

    I did everything the same. I filled up my jars with equal amounts (came up to about 20 oz each) Now my blender has oz, cups, and liters on it. I put in my blade and dumped one jar in it.

    I took that jar and filled it with a little bit of water and shook it and use it to filled the blender up to 32oz, then put the lid and attached it to the based and presses the lid (this model only has one button and that’s by pushing it down). After that, I poured it back in the jar. At this point, I didn’t knock the first jar turning the pouring and I should have.

    There were some space, so it didn’t fit perfectly, but it still work. I did knock the second jar and it came out just fine.

    I should mention that you will need a canning funnel or a funnel in general while pouring or it could make a big mess which will waster all your work.

    Reply
  204. Walmart seems to have stopped selling Fels Naptha Soap in their stores for $0.99. On Walmart.com they go for around $2.50 a bar. On Amazon.com they are selling for $2.00 each.

    The closest I have found to $1.00 is to buy in bulk (36 bars) on Ebay.

    Reply
    • Walmart seems to have stopped selling Fels Naptha Soap in their stores for $0.99. On Walmart.com they go for around $2.50 a bar. On Amazon.com they are selling for $2.00 each.

      The closest I have found to $1.00 is to buy in bulk (36 bars) on Ebay.

      I just bought some at Walmart, today @ 97 cents a bar. Being a man I walked right in and found it. Then I started to look for Zote, same price, but scented, I had to ask a lady where it was.

      LOL I checked on line and all of the Michigan Walmarts have the Fels Naptha.

      Reply
  205. I really like this and have made several batches. The first time through I tracked the number of loads I got out of it. The recipe claims 128 loads at 1 Tablespoon.

    I found in reality it was about half that — 64 loads at 1 Tablespoon. This still lasts me 2-months and is a good deal, but I had to readjust my expectations.

    Reply
  206. I wasn’t really looking for a recipe like this when I can to the site but I am surely going to try it now. Sounds like it is a great deal.

    Reply
  207. This was a nightmare with a blender! I carefully washed and dried washer, blade and cap each time I tried. Also wiped off jar top.

    In 20 tries it leaked all but two. I had a brand new washer.
    I gave up and put each batch in a 4 cup measuring cup, and used an immersion blender. Next time I will use wide mouth mason jars and put immersion blender directly in.

    Has anyone had success with an immersion blender? I would probably “whip” it in a bowl & then transfer to my airtight storage container/ jar of choice.

    I used immersion blender. It does not whip to quite the amount the blender did, but still solidified after I put it in the jar. Next time I am using wide mouth jar so immersion blender fits directly in.

    Reply
    • I always use the immersion blender!!! I make 4 jars at a time and the trick is to let them sit overnight after you blend them up the first time. Once I’ve blended them all, I put them on the shelf – when I’m ready to open a new jar, I add a little water and blend again.

      I do that every time I open a new jar. When I’m ready for the last jar, I get my stuff together, add water to the last jar of the previous batch and since I have the blender out, I blend and make another 4 jars. 🙂

      Reply
  208. I made my first batch of this soap about two weeks ago and I love it. It does a wonderful job on my laundry. I used Method #2 and it couldn’t have been easier.

    Reply
    • Ask for it. And if that doesn’t work, check into buying any homemade soap. It can sometimes be found at a hardware store.

      Or check online.

      Reply
  209. 2015 begins our year 2 ‘On the Sauce’
    till pleased with the results
    we are old and don’t get he stains like we did n the younger days.

    Reply
  210. Made this today! Always have the ingredients on hand and found this recipe running around on FB! Awesome recipe and will make for Holiday Gifts next year!

    Reply
  211. This is the greatest discovery of my housekeeping life. I no longer have the sewer smell in my laundry room which I have had since purchasing my new he washer. gave a quart to my bff and she loves is.

    she does not have the awful smell coming from her washer any more. gave to my daughter in law who was also having a terrible smell in her laundry area. waiting for her experience.

    will let you know. my husband loves the fresh smell we now have in our clothes. thanks so much for this wonderful do it yourself laundry sauce.
    :suey:

    Reply
  212. Can I whip this in a stand mixer? I don’t have the equipment that is shown in the pictures to whip inside a mason jar. Would the stand mixer whipping be efficient enough?

    Thank you in advance!

    Reply
    • Yes, a stand mixer would work just fine. It whips together easily. When I made some, mine was a little on the dry side so I added just a little more water and it whipped up nicely and looked similar to mayo.

      Reply
  213. I have been wanting to make a homemade laundry detergent for quite some time and was totally psyched when I found this Laundry Sauce! I ran right out to Walmart and bought the ingredients….I followed the recipe exactly as instructed and had absolutely zero problems….my laundry sauce is sitting in my laundry room with that adorably cute label on it (that I downloaded from the pdf file…thank you so much for that!) and i am on my second load of laundry. absolutely love this recipe!!!!!:springsmile:

    Reply
  214. I just used up my first batch of laundry soap, decided to make it the “dummy” way this time for lack of time. Worked great and I added some lavender oil this time around. Love this stuff!

    Reply
    • Fork or plastic bag and smash? 🙂 I’ve only had it happen once, so I put one of those silicon packets that come in new purses in it. Personally, I like smashing!

      Reply
  215. After I open my boxes, I put my powders into a zip-top bag. Separated and marked, as I used them for different things. I live in Florida and the humidity tends to clump stuff up.

    Reply
  216. Not like accidentally making a triple batch. After I melted down the bar soap I thought I added the mixed Borax and laundry soap. As I poured it in I soon realized that I had more powder than I need.

    I then realized my mistake. I poured about 2 1/2 cups of the laundry soap that I had left over versus my mix. So I quickly shredded down some more bar soap and melted it down.

    My next adventure was my blender. The rubber ring broke in the middle of me mixing my detergent. Now I need to wait to get a replacement.

    LOL what a time. I do love this detergent though. I have washed several loads from my previous batch.

    It works like a charm. Good riddance to buying liquid detergent every again. Also to fabric softener sheets.

    Reply
  217. Hey folks so I’ve made several batches of this in the past year or so. Today I just made another batch and my B&D 550W blender just burned out while trying to blend it up. The stuff is so thick!

    There was barely a small amount of gelled Fels on the bottom of the jar so it’s not that big of a deal, but still, it’s a bummer that I now have to spend another $20-$30 in order to keep making this.

    I’m not sure if it’s because I add in some of those Purex crystals or what, maybe that’s taking up too much room in the jar so that I can’t add as much water in on top to bring it up to the “shoulder” of the jar. I might need to reduce the amount of soap flakes and borax before adding the Purex crystals, so I can get a little more water in there.

    Btw, My box of washing soda is all clumped up. Any suggestions how to get the clumps to separate again?

    I measure the stuff and put it in a mixing bowl, then run a fork through the dry stuff to get all the clumps out.

    Reply
    • It does need to be whipped, but I use an el-cheapo stick blender that I got at WalMart or Walgreens. I put the ingredients into a wide mouth Mason jar and use the stick blender…much easier than cleaning a regular blender.

      Reply
    • I don’t have a blender but want to male it. Can I use something else? Does it have to be blended?

      You can use a stick blender or a regular hand mixer.

      Reply
  218. I will definitely be trying this recipe! I made the powdered ones & about coughed myself to death while mixing them. I did notice that the ingredients for the powdered ones basically consists of 3 or 4 different kinds of stand alone laundry soaps.

    Not really getting the point in using that many different ones in the same recipe.
    I like this one because it’s simple & the ingredients make sense.

    I will be using Ivory soap because we are sensitive to the ingredients in the Fels-Naptha.
    Thanks so much for a great recipe! Love shower

    Reply
  219. this is great on pet bed covers!! We have huge stinky dogs and I have washed their bed covers many times, but they always still had a “smell”.
    I opened the washer lid to look at this as it washed and was shocked to see the water was almost black!! It was getting out much more dirt than any previous detergent.

    And they smell so CLEAN!!!

    Absolutely love it.
    Now, I know for sure it works on the tough stuff, but what about hand washable, wool, down comforters? Anyone have experience here?

    Reply
      • I use it for everything…sheets, towels, delicates, clothes!

        Thx marvella. I will use for hand washables. But has anyone washed a Down comforter or pillows or coats?

        Does it replace Woolite for wool?

        Reply
  220. I made this today and it is great on pet bed covers!! We have huge stinky dogs and I have washed their bed covers many times, but they always still had a “smell”.
    I opened the washer lid to look at this as it washed and was shocked to see the water was almost black!! It was getting out much more dirt than any previous detergent.

    And they smell so CLEAN!!!

    Absolutely love it.
    Now, I know for sure it works on the tough stuff, but what about hand washable, wool, down comforters? Anyone have experience here?

    Reply
  221. I just realized another perk I will love is I won’t be filling up the landfill with giant plastic containers!!! The ingredients for this all come in cardboard or paper!! Yay!!!

    Reply
  222. hi liss, is there any special permissions i need to get if i want to make this or other recipes from this site and sell them at the local farmers market? also, for he washers, do you just add the tablespoon of sauce directly in with clothes and then close it up and start the machine? or could you dilute it down and add to soap spot on washer?

    Reply
    • HI Liss, Is there any special permissions I need to get if I want to make this or other recipes from this site and sell them at the local farmers market?

      Yes, We ask that you credit Budget101.com on the item you’re selling (for example on the bottom of the directions tag)

      Also, for HE washers, do you just add the tablespoon of sauce directly in with clothes and then close it up and start the machine? Or could you dilute it down and add to soap spot on washer?

      Directly with the clothes, but you could dilute it if you prefer. Just dont use the detergent compartment as this can be sticky depending on how thick your whip is.

      Reply
  223. I was wondering if some one can help me. I have made this several times. Once I first take it off the blender the consistency is like it should be.

    However, in just a few short hours it starts getting hard.

    Does anyone have any suggestions?

    Reply
    • I was wondering if some one can help me. I have made this several times. Once I first take it off the blender the consistency is like it should be.

      However, in just a few short hours it starts getting hard.

      Does anyone have any suggestions?

      I had a problem with mine becoming too firm as well. All I did was add more water and stir until it was completely blended in and the consistency was softer and smoother.

      Reply
  224. I love it but it does leave dark spots on my whites…..anyone else have this problem ?? If so how did you fix it ?

    Reply
    • I love it but it does leave dark spots on my whites…..anyone else have this problem ?? If so how did you fix it ?

      I don’t know, I’ve used this for YEARS and Never encountered that issue, not once. Are you sure there wasn’t something else in the machine that is causing it? Is it redepositing oil that it’s removing from the clothing? Not sure how to help with this one, I’ve never heard of it happening before.

      Reply
    • What dose glycerin do to the laundry sauce

      The Recipe does not call for glycerin. Usually glycerin is used to keep ingredients from separating. This is not an issue as these ingredients do not separate.

      You can use Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castille Bar Soap because of its exceptional quality, and because it is available in several different natural scents like lavender, tea tree, peppermint, almond and others.

      It does not remove stains like fels naptha, but it will semi-work in a pinch.

      Reply
    • My husband and I are learning to become more self sufficient. Homesteading on a small scale.
      I love this recipe and will be making it very soon.
      I like to use a product called, “Odo Ban”. It’s sold at Sam’s Club.
      Is there a way to incorporate some of the Odo Ban to the recipe?
      Thanks much!

      Reply
      • My husband and I are learning to become more self sufficient. Homesteading on a small scale.
        I love this recipe and will be making it very soon.
        I like to use a product called, “Odo Ban”. It’s sold at Sam’s Club.
        Is there a way to incorporate some of the Odo Ban to the recipe?
        Thanks much!

        I use Odo-Ban,too. Don’t you luv that stuff? I put it in my rinse when I’m doing rugs and linen.

        It would be great if it could be incorporated in this recipe. Wonder if you could use Odo-Ban in place of the water?

        Reply
  225. This is wonderful! Since I’m a noob, both here and at making my own “stuff,” a “for dummies” recipe is exactly what I needed!I pinned this on Pinterest so that I can easily find it, which in turn caused many strangers to pin my pin, so I’m guessing I won’t be the only noob around here soon. 😉

    Reply
  226. I have made 2 batches of this soap, love it except it does not all dissolve in the wash. I am now dissolving it in hot water before adding it to the laundry. Any one else have this problem?

    Any solution?

    Reply
    • I have made 2 batches of this soap, love it except it does not all dissolve in the wash. I am now dissolving it in hot water before adding it to the laundry. Any one else have this problem? Any solution?

      it sounds like your fels might not be fully dissolved in the first step, also, are you keeping it covered in between uses so that it’s still a whipped cream consistency?

      Reply
      • it sounds like your fels might not be fully dissolved in the first step, also, are you keeping it covered in between uses so that it’s still a whipped cream consistency?

        Yes, I keep it covered. the consistency is like thick whipped cream. I thought that everything was dissolved.

        Next batch I will make sure of that.

        Reply
    • I have made 2 batches of this soap, love it except it does not all dissolve in the wash. I am now dissolving it in hot water before adding it to the laundry. Any one else have this problem?

      Any solution?

      If you have a top loader, try adding water and soap first, then add the clothes after it has agitated for a moment.

      Reply
  227. I found this over a year ago and I have made it from that day on. This works wonders on our clothes. My husband had dingy looking t-shirts that are 15+ years old.

    They lost their colors and faded. I started using this and my husband and I will not go back to store bought crap. His t-shirts look new again.

    This brightened the colors of his shirts. He is also a mechanic and we have no problem getting stains and oil out of his clothes.

    Reply
  228. Ok, so I have been making the laundry sauce for a long time now. We use it in every load of clothes. We absolutely love it.

    I made a huge batch of the cooked version (12 qts) and after it separated, I put it out on our storage shelf. I did not whip it until I was ready to use it. that batch lasted 2 years in storage, i just whipped up the last 2 quarts today.

    As a note, some small clear crystals formed in the liquid after sitting for so long, but when i whipped it up they went away. ( we use 1 tsp essential oil to scent the soap after we blend it (lavender or sandalwood work the best))

    Reply
  229. HELP…. is anyone else having problems?i have used this recipe for years. never had any problems. lately my whites are dingy, stains not coming out.

    my husbands new white t shirts look like they are 20 years old. i use same ingredients, same recipe. i dont want to go back to buying laundry soap.

    Reply
    • HELP…. is anyone else having problems?i have used this recipe for years. never had any problems. lately my whites are dingy, stains not coming out. my husbands new white t shirts look like they are 20 years old. i use same ingredients, same recipe. i dont want to go back to buying laundry soap.

      Have you increased the amount of soap that you’ve been using?

      Do you regularly clean your washing machine? There may be a buildup.

      Do you have hard water?

      Do you strip your clothing every once in awhile?

      Reply
  230. I had a clear heavy duty bag that bedding comes in. I left the bar soap in it’s paper wrapper, then wrapped it loosely in the plastic bag. Don’t wrap too tightly, you have to leave room for the soap to flatten without busting the bag.

    Put the bag length wise in front of your car tire. Once forward, once reverse. Turned pretty much all of it into a fine powder.

    Now all I have to do is wait for that coffee pot of hot water. Love shower

    Reply
    • Put the bag length wise in front of your car tire. Once forward, once reverse. Turned pretty much all of it into a fine powder.

      ROFLMAO, Now that’s creative. :fqlights:

      Reply
  231. I’m super sad and disappointed with this laundry soap. I washed 3 different batches with it, and none of them came out really clean looking. I did a load of whites, towels and my white house coat.

    I did put bleach in with the whites, but they look tattle tale grey to me, and the towels came out very dull and dingy looking and the house coat was only slightly dirty (dirt/dust off the outside chairs beside the hot tub was the only real issue on it) and even it came out of the wash with the same dirt marks on the front.
    Has anyone else had this experience? Or any suggestions. I followed the recipe exactly, and it looks great, just like in the picture but it sure doesn’t perform well.

    Reply
    • Try it again, this time cut back on the soap. I also like to add approximately 1/2 cup of white vinegar. I let my clothes sit overnight with this in the water filled tub.

      I could not be more pleased. This is honestly better results than store bought. Don’t give up on it.

      I do all my laundry in cold water

      Reply
  232. I’ve used this for about two years now. Love it. I credit with the fabulous shape our septic system is in.

    Inspectors say there is minimal build-up. Like new! Do not foresee needing to have it pumped out for a long time and it has already been five years (used other DIY solutions previously but like this one much more).

    Reply
  233. If one wanted to add essential oils to this recipe, when would you suggest they be added? Would you have any idea how much would be necessary? I absolutely love an oil blend called Purification (it takes out all bad odors from my laundry like teenagers’ bo, men’s stinky feet, mildew, and urine from environmentally friendly puppy pads).

    i’d love to add it to the laundry soap itself instead of adding it to each load. then maybe i could add a couple additional drops only to especially stinky loads (lol). any thoughts?

    Reply
    • If one wanted to add essential oils to this recipe, when would you suggest they be added? Would you have any idea how much would be necessary? I absolutely love an oil blend called Purification (it takes out all bad odors from my laundry like teenagers’ bo, men’s stinky feet, mildew, and urine from environmentally friendly puppy pads).

      i’d love to add it to the laundry soap itself instead of adding it to each load. then maybe i could add a couple additional drops only to especially stinky loads (lol). any thoughts?

      i’ve added eo before. i did it half way through blending it. made sure it would cream up then add the eo and continue creaming.

      as for how much, not sure. start with 10 drops and go from there. I think my next batch with include some purification too!

      Thanks for the idea. Good luck!

      Reply
  234. I am about to embark on my first adventure of making home made soap (bar soap) using lye and oils. I am also about to do the same with laundry soap, and I am trying to wrap my brain around some of these numbers. I am also trying to see which recipe is going to be best to use.

    A bad experience came from comparing Fels Naptha and Zote from the posters of this recipe. From some other sites, there were other recipes where both products yielded good results in regards to cleanliness and deodorizing, but the Zote bar yielded better results overall.

    Your Fels Naptha recipe yields 2 Quarts of Laundry Detergent.
    The other sites yield 5 or 10 gallons of Laundry Detergent. (either Zote or Fels Naptha are applicable.) These detergents use about 4-8 oz of detergent per load depending on the dilution of the products.

    Have you taken and tried other recipes to compare the outcomes of Fels Naptha vs Zote? Also playing devils advocate the Zote Bars I believe can only be found in 14 oz. Was your recipe adjusted to accommodate the amount difference?

    It would seem that the Zote bar may have had 7 oz of zote per quart, and the Fels Naptha only had 2.5 oz. which may have lead to the Sauce not dissolving when put into the washer.

    I only pose all these thing because I want to make sure I use a recipe that will yield the best results and save me the most money.

    Reply
    • Your Fels Naptha recipe yields 2 Quarts of Laundry Detergent.
      The other sites yield 5 or 10 gallons of Laundry Detergent. (either Zote or Fels Naptha are applicable.) These detergents use about 4-8 oz of detergent per load depending on the dilution of the products.

      Correct, This recipe makes 2 quarts, which washes 128 Loads of laundry. 2 Small, discreet, easy to store jars with massive cleaning power.

      You can do the math needing to use 8 oz of liquid if you like, but quite frankly, I don’t have storage room for 10 Gallons of liquid detergent (which needs to be whipped/stirred thoroughly before each use as it separates, unless you add glycerin, which increases the cost, etc.

      You’ll just need to do your own math/figuring to see what works for you, much like we did when we shared the recipes. There are over 30 MYO Detergent recipes here on the site, I’m sure you’ll find an economical one that fits your family. Have a great weekend

      Reply
    • is there a recipe for a dry version of this laundry soap?

      yes, i have the same question.

      i make a dry version of laundry soap. i’ve used homemade soap, zote, and fels naptha soaps. the last i made, i used ivory soap.

      grate your soap on the smallest you can. be sure to use a glass or metal container to grate your soap in, and let this sit overnight to dry out.
      add 1 cup of Borax, and 1 cup of Washing soda.
      Mix well. And store in an airtight container.
      if you want, you can add essential oils to the soap before sitting it out to dry.
      I use about a quarter of a cup, more or less per full load.
      Be sure to use plain white vinegar in the rinse cycle.

      You can add your essential oil to the vinegar instead of the soap if desired.

      I hope this helps.

      Reply
  235. hi all. thank you liss for this wonderful recipe for cheap laundry soap that works so great!! i apologize in advance for the lengthy post, but here goes:

  236. i have a top loading he washer—with no agitator by the way & i love it—but how do i add the laundry sauce to my load of clothes if i am unable to put it in the soap dispenser?

    it does not do the traditional ‘adding water with the lid open so i can rinse off a spoon or soap cups’ thing. in the past when i have just added stuff on top of the loaded clothing, it did not work well at all for me, so liss or anyone else out there that uses this sauce with this type of a washer, please please please chime in with an answer. thanks in advance for the help!!

  237. Anyone out there that transferred this sauce to another container for ease of use: 1) What container did you use?

    2) Has anyone ever tried to use this thick sauce with a pump like you can find at Sally Beauty for use in shampoo/conditioner for a 1 gallon or a 32oz bottle? I modified a canning jar lid with a hole {I am a mechanic by trade, so I am used to using tools & this SUCKED to try & drill a hole in!!} and the pump as well as the top neck threaded portion of the hand soap bottle it came from for use in a 24oz recycled spaghetti canning jar. It was a complicated & difficult process—mainly because of the hole drilling—but it works extremely well for thinned out Fels Naptha to use as a stain pretreat.

    I think this laundry sauce is going to be way too thick for a lightweight pump. any suggestions? i have access to both the pump sizes from sally beauty but think if i do this hole drilling thing again, i need to know it works first!!

    thanks in advance!!

  238. not a question but a tip: i buy the paint markers for labeling all the kiddo school supplies & this works great for writing on the glass of canning jars {sharpie comes off easy but stains plastic & metal lids forever} or on the plastic spray bottles for cleaning sprays around the house that remove most any other labeling i have tried.

    make sure it is very dry before using or touching—usually takes an hour max. hope this helps others. i have bought the sharpie brand as well as another i found in craft section at walmart, but choose to use the fat felt tip ones as the super fine sharpie brand paint markers tend to puke the paint all over & still not write well.

    to remove paint from glass use pure acetone—the nail polish remover.

  239. also a tip: when you have the gelled fels naptha at the mouth of your jar—because you flipped it upside down with a tight lid—if it doesn’t slide down on its own to bottom of jar when you get ready to add your borax & washing soda, use a straw to poke a hole. then squeeze out the plug of gelled soap back into jar. works like a charm!!
  240. Reply
  241. Just made the laundry sauce and used it. I love this stuff. It gets the clothes clean and smelling fresh.

    Keep up the good work

    Reply
  242. I’ve been using this for years, now. When I make it, I make 12 jars so I don’t have to make it for a good while. I’ve saved SO much money using this, and my clothes come out just as clean as they do when I used a high-priced detergent.

    I love it!

    Reply
  243. Personally, I quarter the Fels Naptha bar and make 4 mason jars. This makes the detergent way creamier. I also like to add essential oils so that it smells good.

    Reply
  244. I just made this using a castile soap bar instead of the fels, Blending was a bit messy, not sure if I added too much water, but it was kind of overflowing when I took off the blade to put the cap on. Also, after cooling, the consistency is more like coconut oil, than mayonnaise. It’s more of a solid, but a soft solid.

    Haven’t tried using it yet.

    Reply
  245. I made changes to suit my taste and situation. I wanted a natural soap so I used Dr. Bronners (baby mild unscented.) I only had wide mouth mason jars and a regular mason jar wouldn’t fit my blender (borrowed to check) so I used my immersion blender for the second part, worked fine. You add about a cup (maybe a little less) for the second addition of water if anyone needs to know.

    Just tried it on some clothes, used less than a tbsp because I have a tiny apt washer, works great! Thanks so much for posting the recipe!

    -Meredith

    Reply
  246. About how much water are you adding to the Mason jar to bring it up to the neck of the jar? I do not have this size jar or a blender so I was just going to make it in a bowl with a hand mixer and then pour it into a different container.

    Reply
    • About how much water are you adding to the Mason jar to bring it up to the neck of the jar? I do not have this size jar or a blender so I was just going to make it in a bowl with a hand mixer and then pour it into a different container.

      2/3-3/4 cup of water. I like the wide mouth jars better because I can use my immersion blender, less mess.

      Reply
  247. I’ve been making this recipe for years and never once have I had it separate to the point that I need to whip it. It’s always been smooth, never grainy and I’ve never had to whip it. Why bother doing the extra steps?

    Reply
    • Is there a laundry recipe for front loading machines?

      Yes, this one, the super laundry sauce for dummies recipe works great in front loaders as long as the directions are followed. The sauce should be added to the machine drum rather than the detergent compartment.

      Reply
  248. I have a quick question. I know that if tap water is left for sometime it goes bad. So does it matter if you use tap or filtered water

    Reply
  249. Can’t tell from the pictures — are the quart jars wide-mouthed, or regular? My blender would use the regular size. Thank you for the help and the wonderful recipe and labels 🙂

    Reply
  250. That YouTube video posted says that you only need to let the soap dissolved in the water in the bottom of the jar for one hour but this post says over night, will it work for 1 hour?

    Reply
  251. I am 7 months pregnant and have been using this recipe for about 2 years, and I LOVE it! Will it be safe to use this for my newborn’s things when she arrives?

    Reply
  252. I’ve been making this through about 4 recipe evolutions; my system is to shed the Fels Naphtha with my blender,place in pot add water and as it heat, use immersion blender; when smooth add borax and washing soda. divide into the two jars add water cover and invert.
    About two hours later connect blender cover and process until smooth; seal, label, and use.
    Has always worked well.
    thanks for all your effort.

    Reply
  253. Thanks for this amazing recipe. I have a few tips I have started using that make this easier and I think better.

    1. I use a WIDE mouth mason jar, then use an immersion blender to mix it. I switched to this method after the fourth time cleaning my kitchen counter, bottom cabinets and floor with hot soapy water.

    I could not get the seal lined up correctly and several batches leaked out.

    2. I made my own soap instead of the Fels Naptha. I made six 3.5 oz bars of 100% coconut oil soap with no super fat (extra oil added for skin conditioning benefits) It works great and I know what is in the soap.

    Reply
  254. I have the HE washer and the water does not start until door is closed..now what do I do? I want the old fashioned washers back.

    Reply
  255. Homemade detergent sauce.
    They sell all the ingredients on Amazon together. Enough to make 4 batches. I’m assuming this because there’s 4 bars of soap for around $25.

    Roughly about 4.5 cents per load. The tide pods that I really like are $20 for 80 loads. I’m going to try Amazon.
    Also can I use The Downy scent boosters in the wash?

    Reply
  256. Would this work with Kirk’s original cocoa Castile soap bars? I have to use pure natural soaps (no harsh chemicals or fragrances). Feels naptha triggers headaches with me.

    Reply
  257. Just made my first batch of this and it is leaving a residue in the washer afterward. Washer is set on swarm. Anyone else having this problem?

    Reply
  258. The original dry version has always been good enough for me.
    1 bar soap grated
    1 cup washing soda powder(sodium carbonate)
    1 cup borax powder

    2 tblsp per large load, 1 tblsp small.

    I researched the 2 powders. What they have in common…activated by water and effective in water for only a few hours before they become ineffective. I can only conclude that people making and storing DIY liquid versions are just adding liquid soap and more water to their laundry. Thus resulting in less cleaning performance than the powder versions and a waste of money spent on the powder ingredients.

    Also as a result of research I now have a new and much improved dry version.
    1 bar soap grated
    2 cups Biz Powder
    (Biz contains: borax, sodium carbonate, color safe chlorine free bleach (oxy), enzymes (attacks protein stains) and detergent). Biodegradable and HE washer friendly if that matters to

    Reply
  259. My blender jar and blade are one unit. Can I make the recipe and put everything into blender and then back into jars?

    Reply
    • I don’t know, I haven’t tried using that and I don’t know what’s in it. You might find it has the same problem as the Oxiclean. If you try it, let us know!

      Reply
  260. 06 Jul 2019

    Hi all. I have been using this quick no fail recipe for a really long time now. I was ever so lucky enough to have found the holy grail of canning jars at a thrift store one day–a 1/2 gallon regular mouth!! WOOHOO!! ;0) So now I just do everything in that 1 jar & that has made a big difference!

    One of the things I had issues with this recipe over was trying to get it out of the quart jars when it got to roughly half way down, even using a long handled measuring spoon. So I got a cheap bowl with a cover from a $1 store–the real one where it’s all $1. After I mix up the full batch I just empty that into the bowl. I had this awesome spoon from rose food that had a 1 T on one side and a 1/4 tsp. on the other side that I would just leave in with the clothes. My husband lost it transferring clothes…enough said about that….

    To all those that want to know about zote…it leaves fat deposits on all my clothes that take 4-6 washes with NO SOAP but lots of vinegar to get rid of. There is a little bit of a smell with this recipe when I open the bowl but there is only a clean smell on the clothes when they are done. I might add peppermint EO to my next batch as we can’t get enough candy cane smells in this house. it causes ZERO skin issues–hub is allergic to everything–so I recommend this to EVERYONE I know!! Used on kids clothing & if I had a kid in cloth diapers, I would not ever hesitate.

    For those of you worried about fels naptha or borax, go whine somewhere else about the world being out to get you….

    For those that want borax but cannot find it, try this site: ‘bulkapothecary dot com’ they have reasonable prices on borax & food grade citric acid too!

    For a pre-treat option or a load that might need a little bit more but not a full or partial scoop of this recipe, I take 1/3 to 1/2 bar of fels naptha and 8-10 oz of hot water whizzed up in a mason jar with a pump. When I was going to the laundry mat (ish, glad that is done!), I added some dawn soap to it & put it all in a dawn bottle. Worked well.

    The ONLY negative thing I have to say about this laundry recipe that I cannot seem to fix, is my towels & dishcloths don’t seem to be quite as absorbent these days. Yes I ran them ALL through the vinegar wash, with several cups of vinegar. Yes I use only vinegar as a fabric softener for my towels and rags. I even bought Arm & Hammer free & clear soap for just my towels with vinegar as a rinse–no help. I cut back to 1/3 to 1/2 the amount & then they came out dirty so that was not the answer.

    Have a great day & thanks for listening to my rant!!

    Reply
  261. Hello! I tried this recipe recently and like it so far. My only worry is that it is a bit gritty and seems to be crystallizing a little in the jars. Should I do anything to it? I do use an immersion blender for the recipe since I can’t remove the bottom on my Vitamix.

    Reply
  262. Hey, i dont have a blender, (or food processor etc) is there anything else I could use? I have a whisk and an old fashoned manual egg beater?

    Reply
  263. I am a mom who has had to juggle all sorts of things. Every day I find myself doing my best to take care of my family, working on my career, and staying in shape. And laundry? Let’s not even talk about all the laundry I do! Chalk full of detergent residue and stains galore, it’s practically an art form just getting clothes clean. When I found that there was actually something called Super Laundry Sauce, my interest was piqued. What is it? How does it work? Why is it so good for soap-free laundry?

    Thank you so much for answering all of my questions, this recipe really has been a godsend for my family.

    Reply
  264. 5 stars
    Hi Liss, Can you recommend a different soap to use, I can’t find it here in local stores and the ones sold on Amazon are so expensive? Are you just paying the higher price? I love this soap and have been making it for close to 15 years and the thought of having to use store bought laundry detergent 🙁 makes me sick.

    Reply

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