Ultimate Natural Laundy Soap!

I know I said I would be writing about my dishwasher soap first, but I just did a load of laundry and remembered how excited I am about my new laundry soap recipe creation.

One of my favorite products is Sal Suds from Dr. Bronner's Magical Soaps. As advertised, this stuff is MAGICAL! Don't worry, they are not paying me to say so. I got my first gallon a few weeks ago and I don't think I'll ever go back. I have had nothing but success with this stuff! I have also heard people say they use it for everything and it lasts them a good 6-9 months. So, take that into account when you see the price.

On the bottle there are a few suggestions for how to use Sal Suds. These suggestions are nothing special, just sort of advised dilutions I guess. I think they want you to be creative :) One of the suggestions was to use it as a laundry soap (1/4c. per load). I did this the day I got it and I was simply amazed. I did a load of dirty diapers that had been a little on the poop-stained side (okay, really poop-stained) for over a year now. They came out perfectly white. As white as they day I got them. It was pleasantly shocking.

The only problem I had with all of this is that at around $30+ for a gallon (that would do 64 loads of laundry) it is super expensive. Sal Suds will last months and months...but not if you use it at 1/4c. per load for laundry. :) So, I did some experimenting. Here is what I came up with.

Turtle's Ultimate Natural Laundry Soap Recipe

approx. 1/4-1/2 c. water for easy mixing
approx. 1/8 c. Sal Suds
approx. 1/4 c. Borax
2-5 drops essential oil (lavender, tea tree, eucalyptus, whatever) -optional
approx. 1/4 c. white vinegar

In a cup I put some water. I then add the Sal Suds and Borax and stir. Last, I add the vinegar and the essential oil (I use lavender because I like the smell). Give it another stir and dump it in the wash. If you like, add some vinegar in a softener ball for added softness and a residue-free rinse.

Notes - Add the vinegar last. I personally have never had Sal Suds "gum up" when vinegar is added, but I know vinegar will mess with other soaps (like castile soap). Adding it last seems to lessen the effect. Next, pick an essential oil based on your needs. Different oils are good for different things. Lavender is an anti-bacterial, but it smells nice. Tea tree is also a well known antiseptic and antifungal. I will try to get a link for essential oil info soon. Last, for tough stuff (like my daughter's poop-tinted diapers) I will use a little more Sal Suds. I only do this on rare occasions though because of the cost.

So, there you go. Cutting the amount of Sal Suds you use down will get you about 128 loads out of a gallon. If you do the math it is around $7-8 per 32 loads, which is competitive with the name brand chemical crap from the store. Borax and vinegar are both cheap and last forever. The essential oil I have was about $7, but I have had it for 8 months now and use it in everything from my daughter's bath every night to homemade all-purpose cleaner. I still have over half a bottle left.

Super simple and chemical free! Your family's skin will thank you. No more allergies, no more chemicals throwing off your septic tank's ecology, no more carcinogens creeping off your undies and into your pores! I am not sure that last one actually happens, but if you knew what was in your regular detergent, you might wonder...

Happy green cleaning!