I have a couple of all-time favorite finds from all of the Pinterest Tests I’ve done in the past. Homemade laundry soap is one of those. You can read the original post HERE. It is so much cheaper, lasts forever, is easy to make and works great.
After a year and a couple months, I finally ran out of the original batch. Yeah… I told you it lasted FOREVER! So I went to WalMart, grabbed all the ingredients (that were conveniently next to each other in the laundry aisle), and made up another batch. This time I opted to leave out the Oxyclean and used Zote soap instead of Fels Naptha. Why? Just because I wanted to try it. And besides, the Zote smelled good and it was pink.
This time I followed two tips I received from readers that made the process even easier.
1. I microwaved the Zote soap for about 30 seconds. Not long enough to melt it, just long enough for it to soften a bit. This made grating go a zillion times faster. It was like butter.
2. I dumped everything in my old laundry container, closed the lid tight, and shook it to stir. No horrible clouds of soap to choke me this time.
One of the reasons this laundry soap lasts so long is that for a normal load of laundry, this is the scoop I use:
It doesn’t take much because there are no fillers or additives that I suspect they add to commercial detergent. If I have a particularly large or dirty load, sometimes I add more. But usually one scoop does the trick.
I love it when a Pinterest Test works out and changes my life (or at least my cleaning habits) for the better.
*** UPDATE: I have been using this second batch of soap for nearly a year and I don’t like it as well. When I make the next batch in a few months, I will definitely switch back to the Fels Naptha. I think it dissolves better and has more cleaning power than Zote. I will also add the generic store brand Oxyclean back into the mix too. It just works better with the original recipe!
Comments & Reviews
I use zote too, cuz its pink 🙂 I run my grated soap through my old food processor to make it finer. I toss a little of the baking soda so it doesn't get clumpy.
I do the whole grating process in the food processor with the grating disc.
Is it safe for HE washers?
@mrswang07 I am not a Maytag man. That said, from what I've heard, the answer is YES, but you don't add it to the soap dispenser. Instead, you sprinkle it directly on the clothes.
Always wondered how to use Zote. Can you tell us what size scoop you're using? Thanks.
It's the scoop that came in the Oxyclean container. It's just under 2 tablespoons.
I'm on round 2 of my homemade detergent, and I use the same recipe. LOVE IT!! I looked for Zote the last time I made it, but no one had it. I was a little disappointed. Thanks for the tip on using the microwave – grating is the worst part of the whole process.
@Jennifer {The Craft Patch}
Thanks, i appreciate the info!
Just found your blog and love it!! I made my own detergent and threw my Fels Naptha in the food processor! It worked perfectly!
I went to Walmart today to get all the items ($18.97 including Oxy). Everything was right next to each other on the same shelf so it was super easy. I used the Naptha but I did see the Zote across the aisle – not next to everything else. Not sure why Zote was someplace else but at least in Vegas, they do have it you just have to search a bit.
So the grated soap disappears!? I always use a cooked method of this soap, but I think this would be easier. I just have always been afraid our darks washed in cold water would come out with bits of soap still all over them, lol.
Yep! The soap totally disappears, even in cold water! I have seen the cooked method, but I chose this one because it is so much easier. Give it a try!
I have seen the cooked method, but would like to try the 'dry' recipe (don't have enough space to store 5 gallon bucket of liquid for a year). What is the actual recipe for this laundry detergent? Thank you!
If you check out the first post I wrote about this soap, I took a picture of all the ingredients needed and they are listed in the caption of that picture.
http://thecraftpatch.blogspot.com/2012/01/pinterest-tested-12311.html#.UtIW2J5dUvw
I am intrigued by your tests of homemade laundry soap. Question: when you wash darks, do your really dark clothes get the white-ish marks all over them that I get when using powdered detergent? They drive me crazy and are making me want to switch back to liquid detergent. But maybe your homemade detergents work better? Would LOVE to save some money. Thanks.
Now that you mention it, I HAVE seen some of those whitish marks on my dark, dark clothing. I used Zote soap this time around and figured it was from that. I never noticed them when I used the Fels Naptha.