How to Make Natural Liquid Laundry Soap - Recipe, Instructions. Replace Detergent!

[ThreeSistersSoap]

Bonnie, what other oils can be subsituted for laundry soap. Lets say if you don't have the grapeseed oil does it matter to use another oil? I thought I would just ask and see what you had to say.  Thanks so much.

[EdentiaFarms]

@ThreeSistersSoap You can sub another soft oil and recalculate the KOH. If using an online soap calculator use the figure for 0% and them multiply it by 1.1 to get a 10% excess. This is to adjust for the 90% impurity of the KOH and be sure the oils are fully saponified. If changing the recipe, dilute slowly, you may require more or less water depending on the solubility of your new recipe. I will soon be formulating a new version w/o grapeseed. I stopped buying grapeseed.

[ThreeSistersSoap]

@EdentiaFarms Thank for the answer! I appreciate your time. Will you also talk about your new recipe? Thanks again.

[Grimmnir65]

Hi Bonnie,

I made this recipe for the first time, starting yesterday, did everything just like you said to do and now I have a thick creamy foam floating on top and it will not dissolve. Any suggestions?

I rather wonder if it is unsopponafied fats, and would a solution of 2 oz of potassium help to finish it?

[EdentiaFarms]

@Grimmnir65 Is your soap clear or cloudy? If clear, try adding more diluting water, if it's cloudy, it did not finish saponification or has excess fats. Next time cook longer and check meaurements. If it's only bubbles on top then try spraying it with alcohol. That will get rid of bubbles.

[Grimmnir65]

@EdentiaFarms

Ok, I made it again and all the oils are saponified. The only issue I have now is; I had to add 60 oz extra of water to get it all to break down, and even now it is thick as molasses in January. It lathers well and smells great. But, as I said, it's really thick.

[EdentiaFarms]

@Grimmnir65 wow, definitely not normal. It's hard to tell what went wrong without being there. Dilute it down some more until it's the consistency you prefer. You may just have to use more per load since yours has a higher water content. The soap should still be just fine.

[Grimmnir65]

@EdentiaFarms

I'd like to say thank you, so...Thank You, for all the guidance on this. Your video and responses to my questions are much appreciated. I watered down my second batch to the point it's about the same consistence as Tide liquid soap. I tried it on a load of whites and it works great. All tolled I came out with about 2 gals of laundry soap.

[Kythcat]

I wanted to say thank you for this recipe. I made it and started using it over a week ago and can't be happier with the results in my laundry. Now my kids are complaining that everything is too bright for them to sleep on (tried it with the blankets and sheets in the house). This family will never go back to using that store crap again!!

[EdentiaFarms]

@Kythcat Thank you for your reply! I'm glad this recipe has worked out for you =)

[Mrssoappeddler]

You are too funny....LOVE the bloopers!!! I found this video by accident...it just popped on...for real. I love it and I have been wanting a recipe for liquid laundry soap and here it is! Thank you Bonnie! Now I have to go find the actual recipe. I know I will have questions on when and what temp the pot is on. I can't find a sandlewood EO that I really like...got any suggestions?

[EdentiaFarms]

@Mrssoappeddler I got an awesome Laundry Gain Dupe from Nature's Garden. It's called Island Fresh. That's what I've been using for the past few months. I love it. The clothes smell great!

[Mrssoappeddler]

@EdentiaFarms

Thanks..sounds even better! Ya know Bonnie..if I could back up time and get a "do over" I would be more like you. 

[EdentiaFarms]

@Mrssoappeddler Thank you. That is very nice. Sometimes I ponder the "do over" myself. But we can only go forward and never back... I had a dream once and I was on a bridge and I asked the toll-man where I was and he says "This is the bridge where Wednesday and Thursday meet. You can only go forward; you can never go back." LOL sounds like something from Alice in Wonderland LOL =)

[loriann1212]

Thanks for sharing! The first time I made hot process soap, I was only following instructions in a book and it made me feel like I wasn't doing something right even though it worked out in the end. It's wonderful to be able to see what is happening. Do you think this recipe will create too much suds for an HE machine? Have you heard of anyone having trouble in this regard? Does the borax do anything to neutralize the excess lye?

[EdentiaFarms]

@loriann1212 No, this one bubbles too much for HE machines. This formulation is designed for top loading machines. Yes the borax neutralizes the lye. To make HE, do everything the same but change your oils to 30oz liquid soybean oil (I recommend organic) with 6.3oz KOH. Everything else is the same. This will produce a soap with very low suds. Cleans well. I'd also add in the washing soda with the borax.

[wolf360090]

hi sorry to bother you again lol,, can u make soap with sodium hydroxide the dilute it down to the same consistincy of your liquid soap,,i can only find sodium hydroxide and not potasium hydroxide, i live in a small canadian town where there is not much here...

and thanks again and hope to see some more of you vids

[EdentiaFarms]

@wolf360090 No, the liquid soap requires KOH or else it will not dilute correctly. In your case, make a fully saponified bar soap, grate it down into fine shreds, combine equal amounts of your cured soap, borax and washing soda. Use 1-2 tablespoons per load.

[ddsisson]

@EdentiaFarms when you say equal amounts do you mean weight measure? or like 1 cup shredded cured soap, etc

[EdentiaFarms]

@ddsisson Everything in this recipe is by weight except borax and washing soda (optional). Thanks!

[marthakrusty]

@wolf360090 Google search "Kathy's Canadian Soapmaking Links" it gives you plenty of Canadian suppliers. I live in Ontario and ordered my KOH from Saffire Blue out of Courtland (Tillsonburg area).

[WickedScentuals]

Hi Bonnie! I just happened across this video on a search and I Love it! I usually just do the shredded soap/washing soda mix, but I would love to try this someday. Awesome video! Thanks For Sharing! :0)

[wolf360090]

thanks for your quick response,,,another question if you dont mind,,can the base soap before other stuff is added be used for other types of soaps like shampoo, dish soap.hand soap,, etc, and would their be a different type of oils used but the same process in making the base

thank you again

[wolf360090]

does this recipe stay in liquid form or will it jell up over time,,,and how does this compare to the other ones where they melt a bar of soap and add borax and washing soda,,we want to make this ourselfs and are looking at the best soap to make,, i have worked with lye before in making biodiesol looks similar,,, and how much soap do you act get out of a batch

thank you and gread vid you have,,,,

[EdentiaFarms]

@wolf360090 Mine stays liquid. Makes almost a gallon, lasts me about 3 months on average for a family of 5. I think it works about the same as the shave the bar method. The main advantage is it dissolves quicker so you don't have to wait for solid chunks to dissolve. Both methods are great, cheap and effective. Thanks!

[oceanstar09]

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!! I Finally made some Liquid laundry detergent. I found I had to keep coming back to check the different steps. What a satisfaction it is to know that I can now do this too..Thank you so very much for teaching me how, It really helps to actually see what each step is supposed to look like, you did a nice job of walking a person thur the process, yes it does help if you are already familiar with the process of cold process soaping. now need a conditioning recipe for a shower gel

[miagirl]

This is cool!!!

[YapahTaharSoaps]

Thanks for sharing that recipe.! I wonder if some of these negative commentators are marketing agents or trolls for corporations who don't want ppl to start making their own all natural products. Your soaps are beautiful.

[EdentiaFarms]

@YapahTaharSoaps

Thank you. There always seems to be someone out there with something negative to say. When looking at my natural laundry soap compared to commercial brands there is really no comparison when it comes to what is toxic and what is natural. Still, I can't please everyone. I still get dislikes and negative comments, even though I am sharing freely with no monetary gain :)

[Elissa1185]

where do you get KOH at?

[EdentiaFarms]

@Elissa1185 I get mine from a local chemical supply store. I will add a link in the info where you can order online. Can't post links here :)

[Juniordryglo]

I will be making this for sure. I wish I could do the bee thing, that is the coolist, and I have wanted my own chickens for a year. Found a lady down the road who has milk goats, good for my soap and I get my eggs from her also. Have a great day!!!!

[elohelreh]

great outtakes!! :) am looking to take cheap bar soap (palm oil) and make liquid soap...seen some bad sludge online so I'm hesitant. Any recommendations? Am going to search your vids now...

[EdentiaFarms]

@elohelreh

Some people use bars to melt down, dilute and add borax and washing soda. It can be done; however, do not recommend palm based to make into liquid and here's why. Palm makes an incredibly hard soap, it would take a LOT of water to dilute it, and that is just bulky and hard to deal with. Instead try a coconut-soft oil blend or olive and soft oil blend. It will be MUCH easier for you.

[elohelreh]

@EdentiaFarms thank you so much for the fast reply! yea, i worried about that! oh well. i'll make solid laundry detergent instead of hand soap with it. thx again

[saritamackitaful]

I got excited until I looked up Borax--toxic. Check it out on cosmetics database .com

I'm still searching for a non-toxic detergent. I'll let you know if I come up with anything...

[EdentiaFarms]

@saritamackitaful

Borax is a natural mineral salt. They mine it from the earth, natural as can be and grind up the crystals and sell it that way. It is toxic if ingested. If you are eating the laundry soap then you definitely don't want to add KOH or Borax. But if you are washing clothing with it, perfectly fine. And it is only toxic in large quantity. Some people take Borax tablets as medicine.

[EdentiaFarms]

@saritamackitaful

I did go to that site but it had too many pop-ups and ads. The splash ads would not allow me to use the site. I never trust any site like that.

[MsNotforsale]

what makes your lather. Usually when i do mine it has no suds at all. What ingredient causes yours to lather.

[EdentiaFarms]

@MsNotforsale

The coconut is causing the bubbly lather. Olive also causes lather.

It took me a couple tries at formulating the recipe and I've made it several times now with the same result so its tested and works. Try my recipe & let me know how it goes. Video respond! I want to SEE :)

[Seedcovers]

Great video

[oceanstar09]

thanks for posting how you did it, would love to try it. have to wait till i make a trip out of state to utah, to get the liquid lye, no hurry, still using the powdered one i made up, with my homemade bar of soap.

[oceanstar09]

ok, thanks, have you tried making your own liquid hand soap?

[EdentiaFarms]

@oceanstar09

Yes. I have made liquid shampoos, hand soap, dish soap, body wash soap, etc... I just happen to be making laundry soap when I decided to make the video.

[oceanstar09]

was the lye you added, regular granules of lye?

[EdentiaFarms]

@oceanstar09

The lye I use is not ordinary soapmaking lye. Regular soap making lye is called Sodium Hydroxide NaOH or caustic soda. What you use for a liquid soap is a different kind of lye. It comes in flakes and it is called Potassium Hydroxide, KOH or caustic potash. They are chemically similar but you will notice that KOH is a little more active when mixing. You get more fumes and it hisses at you, which you can hear in the video.

[chipsgoodsgirlfriend]

you should place the pump in the crockpot and pump the soap into the container... if you havent tried that before haha

[EdentiaFarms]

@chipsgoodsgirlfriend

That might take forever but I suppose you could do that.

While on the topic of bottling the soap, its best to pour while its still warm because it gets thicker when its cool.

[EdentiaFarms]

Just to Give you all an idea how how long this lasts. I made this batch and video in Mid October 2010 . It is now Mid January 2011 and I have just a little bit left so I am half-way through on my refill right now. I do laundry for a family of 5 and have not used ANY commercial laundry products in this time (except one load when I had to have my dryer serviced and needed to use someone else's machine andI used their detergent)

So, basically I pay (not even) $20 in laundry soap per YEAR.

[strawalker]

Also, how much detergent does your recipe make and ist it more effective than those recipes that call for melting bar soap and mixing in borax and washing soda?

[EdentiaFarms]

@strawalker

It makes almost a gallon. That is a gallon jug you see so its almost full. Thats about or almost 128 loads. I do laundry everyday and since I uploaded this video on Oct 20th I still have not run out of laundry soap. It is now January 9th. I only need to make this a few times a year. As far as the shredding a bar method, that is also a good one. Its cheap. Both methods are. I prefer to make my laundry soap from scratch and it is a stronger soap since its fully saponified.

[strawalker]

Great video, very helpful and fun! Where did you get the sandalwood essential oil? I love that smell also.

[EdentiaFarms]

@strawalker

Actually, it was Sandalwood Fragrance Oil, not essential oil. Sandalwood EO costs a LOT of money and contributes to deforestation. Its not eco-friendly or affordable so I make due with fragrance oils. You can get them online. Brambleberry has some very good sandalwood FO and I'm sure you can find it at amazon.com. Even walmart has some cheapies that you can get in the reed diffuser/ incense section and those will work for THIS recipe but not cold process soaps.

[VetArmyGirl]

Very NICE job. Looks great