I’ve been making and using my own laundry soap for about 3 months now- and I have to say that I love it! It is a much cheaper alternative to buying it from the store. I think I save about $20 dollars a month this way!

After some trial and error- I found a recipe that works for me. Here it is:


2 bars of Ivory soap


1 cup of Borax


1 cup of Washing Soda


Grate the Ivory (preferably with the finest grater you have or use a food processor) and mix with the Borax and Washing Soda. Funnel into a cute little container (I used a canning jar) and find a 2 tablespoon scooper (a coffee can or lemonade mix might have just the thing)! Use 1/2 a scoop for light loads and a full scoop for heavy ones. I also like to add vinegar to the rinse cycle as a fabric softener (don’t worry-the scent rinses right out).

I originally used a recipe that called for “Fels-Naptha” but found that it was difficult to locate and for me the scent was far to strong! The package advises not to have prolonged contact with skin so I wasn’t really comfortable grating it, and every time I opened my jar to get a scoop I held my breath to keep from inhaling the overwhelming scent! My clothes never smelled strongly though, so if you want to try it it won’t be overpowering in the end. I just like how easy Ivory is to find and how pleasantly mild it is when I open my jar of laundry soap.