Why I Don’t Make Laundry Detergent
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Homemade Laundry Detergent. It’s one of those things that almost every crunchy mama makes, right?
Well, not this one.
You know by now that I get a real kick out of MYO (Make Your Own) projects, right?
My husband says I get this little mischievous smile on my face when I figure out a way to make something that we’ve been buying (or not buying because it is just way too expensive :-)), or even when I just think I’ll be able to do so.
I really feel like I am beating the system or something.
Kind of like winning a mini lottery!
Making your own products can be a big help when you are trying to reduce toxins in your life.
Today I am going to tell you one thing that I do not make – and that is homemade laundry detergent.
Here’s why.
Years ago (too many. I’d really rather not think about it :-)) when we lived in the Chicago area, we were living on very little money (ummm..like $13,000 per year). Let’s just say that $13,000 a year doesn’t go very far in Chicago :-)!
My oldest was born and I was forced to leave my job.
Well, really I chose to. My boss reneged on a work-at-home offer and so I quit, not wanting to leave my son with anyone else.
So saving money was a really big deal to me. Really big.
I was buying the loss leaders at the grocery store (we got a lot of funny looks and stares with our grocery cart full of 10 cent oranges or 10 cent yogurts :-)), buying nothing new, and we even lived with my inlaws for 2 years.
Anyway, I had a friend who made her own homemade laundry detergent and for some reason, it really mystified me.
I have no idea why, but there are sometimes projects that stump me for awhile.
I feel like I just can’t get myself to do them for some reason.
Other things like that have been :
– making bread (I ended up with the most amazing whole wheat bread recipe – in our pre-gluten free days)
– making candy (I finally ended up learning how to make lollipops in our pre-sugar-free days)
– making lip balm or deodorant (this is coming soon!)
Laundry detergent was one of them. I would just buy an allergy-free brand at a local store and make it last as best I could.
Well, fast forward about 8 years to our home in Michigan.
I finally got up the gumption to make my own homemade laundry detergent.
I bought myself some Pure Kirk’s Castille Soap (because those recipes featuring Fels Naptha just wouldn’t cut it for this all natural gal. That soap has colors and chemicals and a pretty intense artificial fragrance that really throws me for a loop. Ick.
I grated that soap (I think my grater is permanently soap flavored now), heated it all up in my now soap-flavored calphalon pot (:-().
And used it.
And hubby wasn’t happy.
Maybe it was the lack of fragrance, but he really wasn’t happy with what was going on with his t-shirts.
And I didn’t like making the soap. I got pretty depressed when I saw the bucket was almost empty.
So I tried something new that I am going to introduce to you today – soap nuts!!
What? Nuts that make soap?
Yes. Really. And they work (i.e. no more complaints from hubby). Actually, it’s the hulls that make the soap. Pretty neat eh?
And it’s more than just interesting, it’s good for your wallet.
First, let’s talk about what soap nuts are and how to use soap nuts.
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What are Soap Nuts?
From Naturoli’s website:
soap nuts are the dried shells (or husks) from the soapberry (or soap berry nut). These berries are the fruit from a quite unique tree species. These shells contain a substance called saponin that produces a soaping effect. Saponin is a 100% natural alternative to chemical laundry detergent and cleansers. It can replace many chemical detergents such as those containing sodium laureth sulphate (SLS) that are becoming well known by consumers for being a skin irritant and health hazard.
NOTE: Soap nuts are not nuts – they are fruit. So even if you have an allergy to nuts, soap nuts should be just fine for you :).
Why I Love Soap Nuts
1. They are all natural – no chemicals going on my clothes, on my family’s skin, or into our environment.
2. They are very reasonable. Just pennies per load, especially if you buy the larger bulk sizes.
3. They are super easy to use! And my pots and graters don’t end up tasting like soap!
4. The resulting used-up soap nuts are compostable :-)!
5. Soap nuts leave no smell. I mean, I like nice smelling things, but this way, all you get is clean.
How to Use Soap Nuts
Yes, it’s pretty weird using nuts in your laundry. But they are really easy to use and no, you won’t end up with nut butter in your laundry :)!
1. Put 4-5 soap nuts in a small muslin bag (you buy some of these with your soap nuts).
2. Put a large clip on the bag (this is my handy dandy idea – keeps that soap nuts bag closed tight and keeps it from getting lost in the wash.) I LOVE the large Twixit Clips for this purpose. See below for more info on these great clips!
3. Toss in the washing machine before your clothes go in.
4. Remove from laundry after washing (Naturoli tells me it’s really OK to dry them if you miss this step!)
5. Re-use 3-5 times. Well, truth is I use mine about 6. Cheapskate frugal mama! Told you I like to save money.
6. The above directions are for a warm or hot water wash. If you are going to wash in cold water, soak the soapnuts in a cup of hot water (from the tap is OK – thanks for the tip, Katie of Kitchen Stewardship…Silly me – I’ve been heating water in a pan. But then, especially in the winter it can take awhile for our water to heat up) for about 3-8 minutes prior to use to activate the saponin.
Below is a handy dandy photo of my tiny bag of soap nuts secured with the Handy Twixit Clip and my “heavy duty” plastic container that I use:
More Tips on How to Use Soap Nuts:
1. The biggest tip in my mind is using the Twixit Clip on the bag. Otherwise, I can only imagine how many lost soap nuts bags I’d still be looking for (they’re not very big!) You can use the Twixit Clips for so many other things around the house that it’s great to buy the whole set even if you’re only using one for your Soap Nuts bag. You can see more ways I use them in my posts on How to Store Nuts and Seeds, The Easiest Way to Freeze and Store Berries, and Easiest Sun-Dried Tomatoes. No more pesky twist ties!!
2. I use about 6 soap nuts because I have a front loader and it washes a bigger load.
3. Use a heavy duty container for pre-soaking your soap nuts if you are using cold water for washing. I once decimated a plastic container since it couldn’t stand up to the hot water :-(.
4. After loading the soap nuts into the washing machine, I set the plastic container on top of the washer. Then when the load is done I just find the little bag (with the help of that big clip) and drop it in the container, all ready for the next wash.
5. When it’s time to pre-soak the nuts, I just fill up the container with water, drop it in a saucepan, heat it up and pour it back into the container. Wait a few minutes and run it down to the laundry machine.
6. You can tell the soap nuts are done when they look grayish and are falling apart. Sometimes this frugal mom tries to get just one more load out of them though :-)!
7. Thanks to a reader asking….soap nuts can be used in HE machines.
Why I Use Naturoli’s Soap Nuts
There are a bunch of soap nuts companies out there. I spent a bunch of time researching them (what else is new???) and found that though other brands are cheaper, they may not be real soap nuts. They may not clean as well and they are sometimes not deseeded, meaning that they weigh more.
That means you are paying for the seeds as well which do not do the cleaning. For me, I chose to purchase these since they appeared to be of great value and I have been pleased with them.
Another Homemade Laundry Detergent Alternative
If you are giving up on making your own homemade laundry detergent (like me) and you would like another option besides soap nuts, then here are some other options.
We are using Ava Anderson’s Laundry Pods and are very pleased with them. They are super convenient (just toss one in the back of your front loader) and do a great job.
Update 1/16: I left Ava Anderson due to many labeling issues and wrong / missing ingredients in products. I’ve been on the hunt for a new laundry product and I LOVE this laundry ball!
Super easy to use and it lasts for 365 washes!
Other DIY Household Products
So….I don’t make homemade laundry detergent, but I do make…….
Homemade Foaming Soap
Amazing No Streak Glass Cleaner
Simple Natural Dishwasher Rinse Aid
Plastic Wrap Substitute (well, not really :))
Update on Soap Nuts–aka Can You Have a Soap Nut Allergy?
So, I feel kind of funny adding this BUT–years after writing this post, 2 of us in the family had reactions to soap nuts.
Online it seems that a soap nut allergy is really rare and even some soap nut companies seem to say that it’s not possible, but we definitely had reactions. It might have been something on the soap nuts, but I could never figure out what that was, so we just chose to avoid them after that.
So I went on a hunt for a good natural homemade laundry detergent formula again and found it. I also also developed this DIY Baby Laundry Detergent that’s great for sensitive skin needs too.
Whatever you prefer–Homemade Detergent or Soap Nuts or store-bought, please just do your best to avoid the toxins!
Have you ever used Soap Nuts?
I want to clarify: ALL soap will be cleansing, but HOW cleansing will determine each soap’s properties. A gentle facial soap will not have the cleansing power you’d need to get stains out of clothes.
Sure! I make soap and every oil/fat will have it’s own properties it will bring to your soap. Olive oil while having 0 for cleansing property, offers very mild and conditioning elements to soap. Soapcalc.net can give you an explanation of properties of soaps and their calculator will give you the ranges for every oil/fat. I’m just sayin, don’t write off the homemade laundry soaps. Zote soap uses coconut oil, you can get it un-dyed, and has a light citronella scent for a suggestion, or better yet, try making your own-it’s kinda fun.
That is a very interesting site. So how do I find out the value for castille? Thanks again! Do you have a favorite laundry soap recipe?
You realize the reason he castile soap didn’t work well is because castile is olive oil soap with a cleansing propery of 0. Most people make laundry soap with coconut oil which has cleansing property of 67.
Could you please share where you got this information? I just searched a bunch on the internet and didn’t turn up anything. Thanks!
I ran across your blog as i was researching essential oils. Thanks, by the way, for your research. As i was browsing other topics on your site, i came across this post. I had to stop and leave a comment. I grew up in India and remember my mother using soap nuts to shampoo our hair. The way she did this – the hulls were separated from the nuts (you can crack them open using a mortar and pestle and peel the hull off), soaked in hot water for a half hour and the juice was extracted by squeezing it out through her fingers. She used this in our hair like shampoo. If the juice got in our eyes, it stung, so I remember keeping my eyes shut tight. The juice also tastes bitter, but our hair was clean and shiny after, so worth it. I didn’t know I could find soap nuts here in the US, so thank you for posting!
You are so welcome! Thanks for the tip – I will have to try it! Welcome!!
I now use a liquid made from soapberries (am I allowed to say the brand name?) it’s $16 when on sale at Abe’s Market online and about 80 loads. So 20c./load – nuts make more sense, but I’m preparing for a life of sailing, and need everything as small and concentrated as it can be. Too bad I can’t concentrate vinegar :). I made DIY laundry detergent ONCE. Hated it. Similar ingredients to my MYO dishwasher soap, which I LOVE. BTW – saw your vinegar rinse aid post – I don’t think you even need the cup, I just splash some in. Thanks for sharing what you learn. I research so much and love when someone else has done the work for me and blogged it – I’m hesitant to take time away from parenting and researching in order to do something like this, and I really appreciate you doing it!
Thanks so much for your oh so kind words! I don’t mind your sharing the brand names – links get on my nerves depending on the purpose – if it’s folks trying to get links to their site, etc, then that’s not OK :).
It is hard to balance the time – trying to make it work! My boys do help w/ it so that way they are learning too.
I know this post is old, but I found it on Pinterest and various links from your blog led me here. This sounds like a great idea, but I wonder about fabric softener. Not just for it’s intended purpose, but I’ve noticed that it’s where most of the scent in our laundry comes from. I was wondering about making my own using essential oils or something, because I really like the scent of our current brand of detergent and softener.
Are you looking for softening or scent?
I don’t know where your water heater is in relation to your washing machine, but mine is right next to it. There should be a valve on it so that you can pull straight not water from it. I keep a glass pyrex measuring cup by the washer and fill it with water from the water heater and let the soap nuts soak while I load the washer. Then I put the soap nuts in and pour the hot water into the washer. It takes less time than standing there waiting for water to heat or for the hot water to get to the faucet.
That’s a great idea – thanks!!!
I like ur soap nuts as an alternative however I just came across this laundry all they were selling at the recent greenfest in Los Angeles this weekend., they claim one ball at a cost of $45.00 will handle over 300 loads. T What are your thoughts on this as a viable alternative to detergent
I don’t think your link worked. Sorry about that and sorry I am getting back to you so late. I was swamped!
These did not work for us for our cloth diapers. But, they work ok for our clothing. Just my experience.
Hmmmm…I wonder why. I do think I saw tips for using them on cloth diapers….
I just want to know what the whole wheat bread recipe is.
I have tried Soap Nuts in the past and really couldn’t tell any difference in my laundry. Couldn’t tell it was any softer or cleaner. Maybe because we wash in cold water and I didn’t heat the nuts up first.
Oh my – I have to dig it up – you could email me in awhile if I haven’t gotten back to you. You really really have to heat up the nuts first or they won’t work so I would try them again :)!
this is interesting but I’m concerned about how clean it would get things. We use cloth diapers you see and even with specialty “baby”detergent I have to run them in a rinse cycle, than two wash cycles and a vinegar bath once a month. do you think it would stand up to ammonia build up?
I never used them for cloth b/c I have heard of many who do. I do think I had one complaint about them not cleaning well enough but another blogger told me she didn’t care for how the DIY detergent did her diapers either.
Wow, I need to investigate these! I don’t mind making my laundry soap because I do a no-grate, no-cook version that only takes a few minutes to throw together. But I like the easy factor of these even more 🙂
just have to say i love the soapnuts i get from naturoli!!
i use them a bit different than most people as i hate dealing with the nut bag and i want to make sure any saponin residue is out of my clothes because of my extreme sensitivities. so, i grind up a big batch of nuts into chunks that range from about 1/4″ to dust in my ninja. i make about a quart of these chunks at a time. then i use 1T of the chunks per 12oz of water and boil it very gently (they tend to love to boil over). i always do a triple batch so that i end up with 1 quart of finished “tea.” so, 3T of chunks and 36oz of purified water, simmer for about 20-40 minutes and let cool to room temp. strain into a canning jar and store in the frig. i use 2-3T of the tea for all but the biggest, dirtiest loads of laundry in my large front loader. with my last batch of nuts on the sale i got them, my loads cost less than $.03 each. gotta love that. and with soapnuts, there is no need for dryer sheets or fabric softener.
naturoli also makes a tea that is 18x the strength of what i make. each load only needs 1/2t of the Extreme. i use this product to make my spray and mop floor cleaner and all my counter top cleaner. that cleaner also works great in the shower.
I have the same soap nuts in my store – I love them too! Great tip – thanks.
We love Soap nuts and we also get them from Green Virgin Products. We do recommend that you used cut hosiery, put the prepared soap nuts in and knot each end. That way they don’t get out and works better, you can see them. My husband was reluctant to try them, but he loves them – especially since they are so economical. I have sensitive skin and regular detergents (including hair detergents) make my skin raw.
Would a zippered mesh bag work as well as the muslim?
Yes, that should be fine unless you have pieces of soap nuts :).
Just a quick note. You all can also make a soap nut laundry detergent with the soap nuts (no more pre soaking the nuts. Simply take about 16 nuts and steep them in 4 cups of boiling water. You can add up to a cup of borax to this if you like, 1/4cup epsom salt or 1/2 cup vinegar (as a natural preserver), and if you like a fragrance you can add food grade dried lavendar (or some essential oil would probably work too). Once steeped for about 2 hours, then strain into what ever container you want to keep it in. Use about a 1/4 cup of liquid per full load.
Need to edit this slightly. Been a little while since I made it, but just pulled up my exact recipe.
12 -15 whole soap nuts
8 cups (2 quarts) water
1 Tbsp salt (to preserve liquid)
1/4 cup Borax or washing soda (optional)
essential oil of your choice (optional) (I use the dried lavendar puds instead and have it with the boiling step, except that I steep rather than boil everything together).
In a large pot, add the soap nuts and the water. Over medium high heat, let it boil for 30 minutes. When it has cooled a bit, add the salt and Borax or washing soda if using. Stir to dissolve. When it has cooled completely, add the essential oils. Store in a recycled laundry detergent bottle or glass mason jar.
You can use only 2 Tablespoons per load, but I usually use a little more.
Has anyone ever tried using these in High Efficiency Washers? I ask because I live in an apartment building and I have to either use their laundry room or the laundromat down the way.
I use mine in an HE top loader.
I am new to your site……just today!! 🙂 I truly appreciate all the time and hard work you do to research what you write about. I want to try the soap nuts, they sound intriguing!! On another note, I really was taken back by the people who commented negatively!! I guess some people feel that they have to put others down to make themselves feel better??!!! This is your blog and you have the right to write what you want. These people who are being mean can just simply not read your blog instead of being insulting!! Anyway, let me get of my soapbox!! LOL!!
Thanks much!!!! Hope to see you around again!
On the site it says no need for fabric softener can you use this with white vinegar? I use the vinegar to get the musty smell out of my towels and sometimes me kiddos’ stinky socks *Phewy*.
I think you for sure can – thanks!
This might be a silly question..but my husband, well he is a smelly man. Socks are soo stinky! I have to wash them with ex everything! Will these get the smell out also?
Hmm…maybe not. Have you tried soaking in baking soda in water?
I would take his stinky sox and do what I do with my cloth diapers. Pre soak in a bucket of water with about 1/4 c of detergent, for at least a day. What I do with the diapers, is put them in the bucket when I take them off, they stay there till I am ready to wash, so for a few days. Good luck with the stinky sox.
I am currently living and working in Honduras and soap nuts (Jaboncillo) grow wild here. I collect them and use them for laundry and several other household uses. We have a child rescue ranch (currently have 2 kids as we just opened 11/13). We are looking for ways to sell the soap nuts to raise funds to grow the work. Any help with contacts for importing soap nuts would be great.