Simple Gifts: DIY Laundry Soap | From Overwhelmed to Organized: Simple Gifts: DIY Laundry Soap

Monday, December 2, 2013

Simple Gifts: DIY Laundry Soap




Need to do Christmas on a budget?  Want to give a clutter-free gift to people on your list?

Last Christmas I really wanted to give practical gifts to some of our family members and I needed to do it on a limited budget.  Since I started making homemade laundry detergent a few months earlier and I loved how it cleaned our clothes, I thought I'd make an extra batch at Christmas to give to some family members to try.

They'd heard me talk about it already, but they weren't sure if they'd like it enough to make it.  So it was a win-win all around!  They got the opportunity to try out DIY laundry detergent and I got to give practical, clutter-free, budget-friendly gifts.

Here's how I made it.




I'd seen lots of different recipes online, but most of them used these basic ingredients:

  • 1 cup baking soda
  • 1 cup Borax
  • 1 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
  • 6-8 oz Fels Naptha or other soap (I couldn't find it here in Canada so I used 1 cup finely grated Sunlight soap instead - about 1/2 a bar)
  • Optional:  you can add Oxiclean (I did 1 cup)

{Many recipes made bigger batches, which use up the boxes.  I reduced the recipe to this size so I could test it out initially and then now I make a double or triple batch when I need to.  You can adjust the recipe to suit your own preferences.}


I just used a hand grater this time, but I've also used a food processor for a larger batch.   

I mixed all the ingredients together in a large measuring cup.


Here's a close-up of what it looks like.


The little bits of grated lemon soap look pretty don't they?

I keep our DIY laundry detergent in a big jar on top of my dryer.  I have a small scoop to make it easy to add it to the water in the washing machine.  I just need to add about a tablespoon per load.  It doesn't make suds the way other detergents do but it works really well.


I love how this detergent cleans my clothes, and they smell lemony fresh because I use the lemon scented Sunlight.  {If you want unscented detergent you can just use unscented soap.}

I especially like that it's less harsh than the chemicals in regular detergents, and that it is better for the environment.  It's also so much cheaper than store-bought soap!  I made several batches of detergent out of the initial ingredients above and each batch lasted me months.  And I've given it away several times since Christmas too.

For Christmas last year, I gave small jars to several family members so they could give it a try.


I used small sized mason jars and the Christmas lids I got for free on Freecycle.  Aren't they cute?!  







The response was great from each of the recipients and some even started making their own laundry detergent afterwards! 

So if you're looking for budget-friendly, practical, clutter-free gift to give, mix up a batch of this DIY laundry detergent!  {If you don't make your own detergent currently, you may want to try it out yourself first, so you can feel confident giving it away.}

Here are some other Christmas posts you may be interested in.



You can also find more Christmas organizing ideas on my Christmas Organizing board on Pinterest. 





And of course you can always find decluttering ideas on my Decluttering / Purging Tips & Ideas board on Pinterest.






Do you make your own laundry detergent?  What do you like about it?  What simple gifts do you give? 

Happy organizing!



I link up at these great parties - Check them out!