liquid-gel laundry soap tutorial

[Carlyn3676]

This is a Great way to know what is in One's cleaning products. Thank-You for the lesson.

[MsLilacLover1]

I did the same and filled up to the top of the 5 gallon bucket and it was way to much water. Other tutorials have said 3 gallons of water, so I think I will need to only use that much.

[BR98133]

Try a small batch with ivory bar soap if you are allergic. Or keep trying with small experiements. I like how you did this video! My daughter and I just made a batch....can't wait to try it.

[fourbluesixpink]

Loved your video, but mine didn't gel AT ALL. I used Fels Naptha and found it very easy to grate. Did they change the formula? I was careful to use Arm & Hammer super washing soda and also borax.

[safaaali63]

can I used it for hand dish washing

Tank you

[safaaali63]

GREAT...GREAT ...GREAT

Tank you so much

[sexyladydee50]

Great video! I have seen this mentioned a few times but yours was so clear I am going to try to use it. I don't see that soap in my neighborhood store so I am going to try the octagon soap my grandmother used to use. And also the ivory as suggested. Again a great video, clear and informative. Dee

[bigeggs100]

Loved your video, thank you, you've just saved me a fortune and solved the residue problem that I had with regular soap powder.

If you lived in England I would take you out for a drink. Cheers!

[lemondropsforever]

In your picture you have baking soda instead of the washing soda. Just wondering if that was what you used.

[jsrcamp]

@lemondropsforever That is just the Brand of Washing soda I believe that they chose to use, you can see it says free of "stuff" to be used as a washing soda=)

[xxkleenexrockxx]

How many ounces is the soap bar??

[selfreliantboy]

good video .

[britbrighton]

I use this recipe all the time and also sent it to friends. We are all impressed! I will never buy laundry detergent again!!!! :)

[JBallentine68]

Why use a bar soap instead of using something like Dr Bronners Liquid Castille soap?

[supermanxevan]

how does it smell?

[NudFunCom]

can it be used as liquid soap for hands? or will it irritate skin?

[tappakeggaday1]

I just wanted to know have you broken down how much it cost to make a five gallon batch like this?I am starting a second batch now with the above/zote and it still looks like i have enough dry ingredients to make maybe another twenty gallons of soap or better. I couldn't pass up the zote in my area it was .89 cent a bar at the save a lot store.I've used this stuff in my old steam cleaner and my old couch looks brand new.it also took out a lot of stains out of my old carpet too.

[scoprios]

@tappakeggaday1 Do tell.. what and how did you use in the steam cleaner to get out tough stains?

[tappakeggaday1]

@scoprios well i took the risk as it was an old steam cleaner but i filled that little side bottle half full of the soap and the rest of it with water and then put the hot water in the tank and went to work.was a lot of scrubbing with the attachment and even the cushions came out cleaner than if I had taken off the covers and thrown them into the washing machine.was a lot of work but well worth it.as for the carpeti pre treated some of the spots with the soap and let it sit for awhile before

[scoprios]

@tappakeggaday1 Thank you very much for your detailed response..

[tappakeggaday1]

@scoprios ran out of room as this only gave me 500 characters to write.bottom line is if i hadn't tried it i wouldn't have ever known it would have worked for me.as for breaking down the cost of it,it cost me less than 2.00 to make five gallons of this,and still have plenty of dry ingredients to make many many more batches of the stuff.I am on disability so I have to cut every corner that I can and this really works for me.

[tappakeggaday1]

also I cheated and did not use a whisk, I went and bought a paint stirrer and put it in my drill and it mixed the ingredients really well!!!!

[knotinthestring]

@tappakeggaday1 you know, I thought about that, but I'm just too cheap! lol Great idea though! Thanks

[GumdropDaisy]

@tappakeggaday1 Are you still using it? Any pros or cons you would like to share?

[tappakeggaday1]

@GumdropDaisy I am still using it and have found a cheat,i will buy a little 3 dollar bottle of gain laundry soap and put a cup full of that while i am mixing it all together and then basically have five gallons of gain.i have already made 15 gallons off of that little bottle and probably still have enough to do four more with.the pros is for us doing it like this it is still really cheap to make and it works great.cons.since i bought an old food processor i dont do it by hand no more

[GumdropDaisy]

@tappakeggaday1 So did you add the GAIN because the clothes were not getting as clean as you wanted them?

[tappakeggaday1]

@GumdropDaisy no I added the gain because i like the smell of gain,the clothes came cleaner than any laundry detergent i ever bought out of a store , but i like the smell of gain so i added a little to it because we enjoy the smell not because it made them cleaner

[tappakeggaday1]

@GumdropDaisy besides adding that cap full of gain wasnt enough into making five gallons of that stuff to make it any cleaner it the fragrance i was after

[tappakeggaday1]

I Just wanted to thank you so much!!it did every thing the video showed it would do.Also "if" you can not find arm and hammer washing soda don't worry,I used this too and it did the same thing.. if you have a save a lot store near you look for sun brand oxyclean as the two ingredients in it are poly sodium carbonate and sodium carbonate. I made a batch one this way with the arm&hammer and another with ivory soap and the oxyclean and both jelled firm!!!

[knotinthestring]

@tappakeggaday1 Awesome suggestion! thanks!

[LottieSue]

I've only found two kinds of bar washing soap: Fels-Naptha and Zote. I've made this recipe with both of them and got severe reactions (sneezing, irrigated eyes and nasal passages and throat f. Naptha has citronella and many folks are allergic to it on their skin or get a reaction from just the scent. sneeze when we use it and our eyes, nasal passage and throat are irritated.

If anyone knows what bar soaps to use, let me know. I think if it has moisturizers it not recommended.

[knotinthestring]

@LottieSue, oof sorry this isn't working out for you. : ( We have allergies at our house too, however we haven't had trouble. If you *do* have a reaction all I can say is stop using it and go back to whatever is safe for your family. Thanks.

[rollinsjen]

@LottieSue We have allergies as well... Fels Naptha and Zote are not good choices for your situation. Try an all-natural Castille soap with little to no fragrance in it. If the soap smells strong before you grate it, it will be strong after you make the laundry soap. Check Krogers or another local grocery store, and search in the bath soap area, rather than in the laundry soap area. HTH!

[TooLongSoIChooseThis]

@LottieSue - I hear Ivory soap works too. Have you tried this instead of the other bar soaps??

[elcoor]

thank you

[knotinthestring]

@elcoor , You're welcome!

[rollinsjen]

Great video... clear and simple. I will be making my soap in a minute and can't wait to see how it comes out!!!

[knotinthestring]

@rollinsjen thanks! Hopefully you'll love it as much as I do!

[rollinsjen]

@knotinthestring This is an awesome recipe- I love it! I am using it all the time and teaching others how do to it. I tried Fels Naptha with my second batch, but really prefer the Castille soap I used with the first batch. My laundry has never been cleaner!

[MsNotforsale]

i dont know what i,m doing wrong. Mine is slimey, but not that slimey. Was that washing soda in the picture or hypo-allergenic washing powder? I cant find washing soda where i live, so i use either baking soda or regular purex powder( 1 cup).

[knotinthestring]

NOt to worry Msnotforsale! One person's slime can differ from another's! : ) The recipe calls for washing soda, so if you can't buy it in your area, check on line for a source that can send it to you! Good luck! Thanks.

[Pippilly]

I'm not sure I can get that soap bar here. Do you have other suggestions or can I pick any one? Thank you = )

[knotinthestring]

Where are you at Pippilly? Perhaps I can find a source or replacement soap for you.

[Pippilly]

That's odd my reply didn't show up. thank you for the prompt response. I'm in Canada. Just wondering what is in that soap that I can look out for here maybe. I'll be making half a batch as I don't have enough storage for a full bucket. Exciting stuff! Thank you!

[knotinthestring]

ugh i am having a tough time replying today!

[knotinthestring]

it wont let me post link info. i will try again soon

[kennyt1230]

Thank you for adding what to measure for HE/Front Load machines--also, I did not know about adding water to the bottle before filling with the gel.

[knotinthestring]

No worries Kenny, glad to help!

[problyontheredlist]

this is how i make my nickel laundry soap!

[knotinthestring]

Yay! Way to go! Saving money is GREAT!

[rosuabsc]

Loved the video.. the music was awesome.. Will try the recipe tomorrow! Thanks!

[knotinthestring]

Thanks Rosuabsc! You're going to love it!

[MarbledPanda]

Doesn't it get foamy in the washing machine and get blocked?

[knotinthestring]

Marbled, This soap is bi-polar! While you are making it it foams up like crazy. While it's in the machine cleaning your clothes, it hardly foams at all! (choir of cherubic angels singing!) It's fabulous for HE machines and regular machines because of the low foam. Enjoy!

[cwaj]

At the start, You should mention this is for front loading Machines.

I found a recipe for top loading....

1 1/2 cup Washing Soda

1 1/g cup borox

2 bars Ivory soap bars

4 caps consintrated oil of choice for smell good.....

Make 5 gallons........Works great!

Thanks for your video.

[cwaj]

1 1/2 cups Borox........lol

[knotinthestring]

cwaj, thanks, however, I use a top loader and the video recipe is working great! But it's always nice to have more recipes, so thanks again!

[rusda2]

question: so the 1/4 cup per load recommendation is for ALL washer types...even standard top loaders? ...thanks for your response :)

[knotinthestring]

Well, I'm just a mom here, however I have given this recipe out to people who have all washer types and we all have pretty much stuck to the 1/4 cup for a standard load, top or front loading. Machines are larger/smaller in capacity depending on the country/manufacture/type... so try 1/4 and see if it does well for you. If not feel free to adjust the amount up or down according to your needs! There are no laundry police! : )

(If only there were laundry elves!)

[rusda2]

thanks for the info :)

[knotinthestring]

: )

No worries rusda!

[cwaj]

Doing this Today. Right now, as I leave the keyboard!

 Thank You.

[knotinthestring]

Thank *you* cwaj! We've been using this one batch for 8 months, given away samples, and still have a about a third left in the bottom of the bucket! It does a great job, so have fun making your own soap and saving money!

[butterflyspirit07]

Have you noticed your clothes fading any faster with this homemade laundry soap recipe? I would like to try it, that's just my only concern.

[knotinthestring]

Butterfly, actually no, I haven't noticed any fading. This soap is pretty basic, less additives than regular detergent, so I presume it would be gentler. I haven't heard any complaints about fading in the comments either. If you're concerned, test the fabric a few times. With seriously dark fabrics you might want to stick with a regular "for darks" brand. At $5.00 for about 6 months of laundry, it's worth the try. Good luck.

[knotinthestring]

Good to know tr! Thanks for the added info and the endorsement!

[tr255788]

I have made this 2 times now, I don't additional water to my jug, Filling the jugs straight from the bucket, and using the cap from the detergent jug (1/2 cup). The cost savings is awesome, even this way, I make detergent for 3 families (6 people (5 adults and a baby) and it lasted 3 months. I know adding water would make it last longer, but "my opinion" was my clothes to me, did not seem as clean. I still cut the laundry detergent bill by 75-80% doing it this way.

[knotinthestring]

Lilielizzie, Well Hubby and I are the only ones using the bucket we have here at the house (kids have all moved on); so our bucket is emptying slower than when we had 5 kids at home. So far so good, it's liquid soap, so I'm thinking it should last a fairly long time, like a couple of yrs. Although I'm sure we'll use it all up before it has a chance to get that old!

[lilielizzie96]

I love your laundry recipe. It works very well.thank you. My question is long will the soap last without going bad in the 5 gallon backet?

[tammielea]

put the bar of soap in a hevy plastic freezer type bag and pound it to dust with a hammer..........easier than grating it up

[knotinthestring]

Holy Batman Tammielea! What a brilliant idea! Thanks! : )

[knotinthestring]

Ricangal, I purchased everything at my local supermarket. Most large chain stores and/or larger Mom and Pop Stores will have everything you need. Thanks!

[Ricangal]

Where can we get the bar soap?

[mikegidds]

How does that smell?

[knotinthestring]

The gel has a clean soapy smell that almost disappears after rinsing, leaving the clothes fresh without perfume. Your clothes will come out of the dryer without any scent or that from your dryer sheet or fabric softener. If you prefer, you can add your own scent to the soap via essential oils of your choice. Add the oils in the final container begin with a few drops and add more if desired.

[bpereztab]

Use gloves - if I touch the final soap mixture w/o gloves, it irritates my skin and it turns red and will peel.

[knotinthestring]

Good to know! We haven't had any trouble, but hey, if you do, wear gloves!

[mamaliciousx480]

my soap didn't gel???

[knotinthestring]

Wow Mama... not sure why that happened. But hey, if the stuff still works -yeah for you! : )

[lumina02144]

This is actually really cool!!! I am def. going to try it..the prices of everything are going and this looks like it would save a ton of money!! how long have you been using this to clean your laundry? does it fade clothes and can you use more than 1/4 of a cup for extra dirty laundry? ...my boyfriend works on cars and his clothes get REALLY dirty...thanks again

[knotinthestring]

1. Several months. 2. no more than other regular detergents. 3. that is up to your discretion. 4. for grease/stains I'd use a pre-treatment grease/spot remover like Spray-n-Wash.

Note: This soap doesn't get sudsy in the tub. Check your garments for cleanliness after using and adjust the amount after that if needed.

[billjkahn]

the "music" gave me a headache. The correct spelling of the word is CONCENTRATE. Nice directions though. thanks

[knotinthestring]

oops, sorry about that. 8 O

[knotinthestring]

Thanks tmgrobyn! glad this helps. It takes about an hour total, works great, and man, at 320 loads...it's worth the hassle!

[tmgrobyn]

This is awesome! I have been wanting to try this, but had only read through the direction. Great video for first timers! Thank you for saving me money!