Why I Don't make Homemade Laundry Soap Anymore 

I recently made a follow up video to this one. It answers questions and comments and gives several options with the homemade version, many of them I've gotten from the comments here on this video. You can see the video here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ZCN5yn_Xy0U.html -Crystal

I've been using the homemade soap for over 10 years in the same front loading machine and have not noticed any problems. The difference might be that in every load I also use peroxide in the bleach cycle and vinegar in the rinse cycle. Both are also very cheap products and the peroxide acts as a mild 'bleach' to keep things bright, and the vinegar removes any build-up and softens the clothes. I have read articles telling you not to use vinegar in the front loading machines -- though this was years after I'd already been doing it -- saying it would damage the seals on the door. But, I'd been doing so for so many years already that I think the damage to the seals others had was because they didn't leave the door open between uses. Just my opinion. Still using the same soap and the same machine.

Oh my goodness! Hi Crystal!! I had no idea you had a RU-vid channel! Way back when my kids were 2-3 (they are 20-21 now :-)) I began following your blog and bought all of your cookbooks. Your frugal, healthy recipes got me into grinding my own wheat, and got our family through the very rough recession in 2005-2009. Thank you! You don't know how your tips and recipes fed my family when we only had $25/week for groceries. I Love you.

Usually these “here’s why I don’t…” videos are boring and uninteresting BUT you held my attention with your thorough explanation that anyone can understand.

I always use white vinegar as a softener. It is very effective for washing off the soap scum.

So in a nutshell, detergents are better for modern machines that soak clothes without friction scrubbing. But homemade soaps still have a place for people who might use a scrub boards or handwriting things, which could he quiet useful in emergency situations or places without electricity.

One woman who actually has wanted to research. Thank you fur all this unbiased info.😊

I hated my HE washer. Clothes still felt dirty and looked dingy. I now am back to a washer with a agitator and deep water. Love having it back again. My clothes and towels immediately felt normal again.

It matters enormously on how naturally soft your water is. For example, my sister lived in Tacoma, WA for 15 years. She never had soap scum or calcium build-up. She never needed a water softener. Then she moved to South Dakota, where the water is extremely hard. She tried to do without a softener, but after a month of the hard water problems, she installed one. It still isn't the same as having naturally soft water. When I would visit her in Tacoma, my skin cleared up and became super smooth, and my hair looked so shiny that it sparkled. There's just no comparison between naturally soft water and hard water.

Your video saved me from starting to make my own laundry soap because I was seriously about to get into it. Thank you so much!!

A few months into using my homemade laundry soap my husband told me his clean clothes smelled. That was about 6 yrs ago. I researched the soap-detergent issue but there wasn't a lot of info as to why homemade was not good, only that it wasn't good. Thank you for providing me the "rest of the story".

I’ve never felt comfortable adding grated soap in my laundry machine so I looked for a recipe that didn’t include bar soap and borax. I’m so glad my hunch was right! This has been my go to recipe. I can’t take the credit, but it’s been working very well. I have a front load HE machine. I fill the bleach compartment with distilled vinegar with every wash. DIY Laundry Powder: Ingredients * 1/2 cup Epsom Salt * 1 1/2 cups Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda) * 1 1/2 cups Sodium Carbonate (washing soda) * 1/4 cup Sea Salt * 20-25 drops Essential Oils (optional) Instructions: Use 1-2 tablespoons per load (depending how dirty your laundry is). Fill bleach or fabric softer compartment with vinegar

I've been making and using my own for over 12 years now (fels naptha, washing soda, borax). No problems in my machine, and I LOVE the cleanliness. I use white vinegar as a substitute for softener .... never had any issues. Like, ever.

this deserves some sort of science award

Well done Clear explanation, no judgement. Soaking, even in front loader, gives water time to remove most dirt

I almost bought a ton of stuff to start making my own soap. You surely saved my washer. Thank you dear!

Thank you for posting this video. This was super helpful. I was just about to deal with into making my own soap. Then I came across your video. Thank you for not being negative to those who have decided to make their own soaps but instead you simply shed light on a facts and information, this allows people to decide for themselves and beat well informed about their decision without being critical to one's choice.

Thank you so much for this video. I have been making my own laundry soap (Powder and liquid) for about 5 years now. I noticed in the last year my clothes after washing them would have a greasy or odd smell. We live on a farm and both work jobs we get dirty in. I have added and taken away so many things I think in the last year I have tried all I could but last week I bought my first liquid laundry detergent in 5 years. What a wonderful difference. I also make my own soap and cleaning supplies which I love but I thought I was not doing something right, thank you so much for clearing this up. I only wash with cold water so, I now know why and will bite the bullet and have brighter, and better smelling clothes once again. Your video explained everything.

I made my own powder detergent about 10 years ago. I loved it, smelled nice and really worked. Used it for a while. Then I noticed my fairly new Samsung front loader was leaking water from around the soap dispenser. Called a repair guy and he opened it up. The lines were clogged with the soap I grated. I grated it fine too btw. It was a total loss. He also said he has seen the rubber or silicone parts breakdown with the Borax from the homemade detergents. I had to get a new washer and I’m back to commercial detergent. He did say people use way more soap then needed. So I use less. Still miss the homemade detergent.

Great information! My wife and I were about to start making our own laundry soap and are so glad we found your video. Thank you!

I love your honesty, I hope you are happy for ever, you deserve it for been so nice!

As a biology major (who dabbles in chemistry) this video was amazing! This “soap knowledge” also applies to hand washing as well. Soap is caustic, which means it “needs friction” (as you have mentioned) that’s why it’s so effective in removing germs. Very appropriate for today’s climate (if you know what I mean). I was planning on making my own detergent (UGH I already made it) but decided to stop and question “hmm....maybe I shouldn’t put this in an HE washer” decided to stop by this video, and I have to say that I’m impressed and your voice is calming haha. Very knowledgeable! Thank you for spreading your experience!

Thank you for sharing! You did a great job explaining and I also appreciate your honesty!

Excellent video and bonus points for making it despite your most popular content saying the opposite. You have made me take a change of direction on how I clean my clothes

Holy cow!! I’m so glad I accidentally found this. Your channel is now on my favorites list. Yiu have helped so much. Girl thank you for all that work to figure out about the differences between soap and detergent.

This is why I'm raising my children to ask questions. Be curious. If you still don't get it ask again or someone else. Read. Feed your brain. Ask others if they have any questions. These are just a few of the "annoying" mom things they will probably say to their kids someday 😁 Thanks for this brain food, Homemaking on the Homestead... This makes so much sense now. 🦋

I had planned on making a years worth tomorrow. So glad to see this video before I made my first batch. Thank you so much!

Random, but I LOVE listening to your voice. It’s so rich and I love the natural way you annunciate certain letters.

I made your laundry soap when all my children were at home. I also noticed the dinginess after awhile. My husband still says its the best hand cleaner ever! Every time he worked on something greasy it got his hands perfectly clean! With just the two of us i no longer need big batches of laundry soap. Great memories!

Thank you so very much for explaining this and taking time out to really get down on whats up with Detergent and Soap.

Very well said, makes sense. Thank you for your vivid explaination. 🙏🥰

That has to be the BEST explanation & when one gets down to the logical science of it all, of the differences between soaps & detergents I've ever heard. I used homemade soap for like maybe a total of one month - had all kinds of pipe & plumbing problems back up from soap scum almost right away - not realizing my plumbing problems were caused by the scum accumulations. But when one thinks of it - its like pouring fats & grease down a drain almost! Great information!!

Thank you for being so informative and taking the time to explain the “hows & whys😊

When you make your own it is important to use washing soda and baking soda they are 2 minerals that do different things to break up the dirt composition it changes the alkalinity of the water to disperse stains and soil and it freshens the laundry I like making my own laundry soap my whites are very white and my laundry smells amazing

Thank you for this info. That makes total sense. I was thinking of making my own soap to use in my HE machine. You saved me money. Also note, dryer sheets coat towels and makes them less absorbent.

I'm so glad I found you before I made the home made " soap " for laundry detergent. You explained the difference between the two. Great information. I am now following you.🤗💕

I ask about how this homemade soap can affect washing machine, but nobody gives me an answer, I feel so great full for your honesty❣️👏

Wow. That was really helpful. Thank you for this information video. I was considering making my own laundry soap, but I'm reconsidering it now.

I loved my homemade at first and thought my clothes looked cleaner. After a couple years, my clothes didn't look as clean. I started using half the amount of homemade and half amount of commercial. Then I heard you need the detergent to keep your plumbing from clogging. So far I've been using half and half and haven't noticed a problem. But now with these water saving machines they have, I noticed powdered detergent wasn't completely dissolving in some loads like towels and blankets. So I use a gel detergent tablet only in those loads.

Excellent video!!!! This really answers a lot of issues about home made laundry soap. Thank you!

I am so glad that you explained the issue with homemade laundry soap. I have the components for homemade, but no time yet to try it. I will give it more thought. Thank you

I am SOO glad that I stumbled upon this video. There's a video trending on TikTok about making homemade detergent using soaps and I initially was going to try it, but luckily the Target that I went to didn't carry the ingredients that I needed. Then somehow, part of me needed to research if it's a good idea to create homemade detergent using soaps and I am sooo glad that I've watched your video! It makes sense! Thank you so much for this video! ❤

Thank you for taking the time to teach us all the differences between soap vs. Detergent and why it is important to use detergents in an HE washer. :D

Wow, your explanation were lucid and brief! Thank you so much!

I used to make homemade laundry soap and was thinking about starting again until I saw your video. Thank you! It makes so much sense now!

Thank for making this video. I had feared that homemade soap would not work laundry machines. Laundry machines need detergent. I have had people ask me to make laundry soap and I refused. I was afraid it would break their machine. Your video help confirm my belief.

Wow! This was extremely helpful! I just started making my own soap powder this year. I always add a little name brand powder soap to my mix; maybe that's why I haven't noticed anything yet. Thanks for the heads up! ❤

Thank you for sharing this info with us. Just yesterday I wrote down a recipe for making my own laundry soap and I wondered about it's effectiveness and also would it be damaging to the machine. This is just what I needed to hear. This makes perfect sense to me. So thank you. ❤

Wow. So much great information. And such a wonderful person to share that with us. Thank you so much ❤️

I've been making my own laundry soap for over 10 years and I still love it. I use washing soda, borax and grated Ivory soap. I also add white vinegar to every load, at the start of the wash cycle with the soap. I added the vinegar for deodorizing and to kill germs.

Thanx so much for honestly sharing your experiences and wonderful insights. I've wanted to make my own laundry pods following the youtube recipes. I now realize that while I love😍 the concept of doing "homemade". It's not realistic for me. It's just myself at home now and with arthritic limitations, I need to work smart and not hard. This was very helpful. 🌻Blessings to you.

I came to RU-vid to figure out why Dreft detergent was so bad and was recommended this video. I stayed for this entire video. You answered a different question I didn't even know I had. 😂 I'll be subscribing. ♥️

Thanks for the breakdown between soaps and detergents... so helpful!

So glad I saw this! I was on the way to buy ingredients

OMG 😱. This is VERY good information! Thank you for giving us an intelligent answer why you stopped using home made laundry detergent! We certainly don’t want to void the warranty of those high tech washing machines that really don’t do a thorough job of cleaning anyway. The washing machine companies need any excuse not to honor their warranty. Thank you for sharing!

These are the type of videos that people actually need !!

Thank you for your informative discussion of homemade laundry soap vs detergent. I use Era for my laundry but I put in less than the directions call for and I am satisfied with the outcome.

Thank you very much for this information. I was noticing that my clothes were not as clean as I felt they should be. And yes, my towels were not absorbing. I've stopped making my own laundry soap now.

Thank you so much for explaining this. I also used to DIy. It ruined my clothes and my machine. The first “real” detergent wash my stuff looked like mud

Crystal, Thank You for this explanation! I used your homemade laundry soap for several years and then my husband started complaining so I stopped. I had not seen your You Tube channel until this video , which I am watching in 2022. Thanks again and I'll subscribe as I always loved your blog and web site!!

I need to know about soap or washing at all but you speak so well and i just found myself absorbed for the whole video! Great speaker😊

Thank you! I was having a soap scum issue in my washing machine AND dishwasher (was using various DIY recipes)... This makes so much sense and I truly appericate the science behind it.... Now CAN YOU DO A REVIEW OF THE VARIOUS "FREE AND CLEAR" DETERGENTS AND HOW EFFECTIVE YOU HAVE FOUND THEM TO BE???

Thank you for this video. I have stopped to do homenade laundry detergents with soap flakes, when I read in the instruction booklet of my washing machine that it's strongly not reccomended to add soap in flakes or pieces,otherwise the manufacturer declines all responsability for any breakdowns the machine may suffer.

Thank you so much. I was just getting ready to switch. You saved me from ruining things. I appreciate it so much.

I was gonna make DIY laundry soap and use it in my HE machine but I’m so glad that I watch your video before I do. This is so helpful

What I've done for years is make the laundry detergent as a "laundry booster." I would use a tablespoon or so of the homemade stuff and then half a lid of commercial detergent. I haven't had any trouble and it saves me money. I usually buy Tide from CVS using their ECB deals.

Thank you I was in Walmart buy all of the ingredients and then saw your video and put it all back lol ver informative!

Thank you. I was so close to purchasing soaps needed to make my own laundry detergent. I will be rethinking my decision. Great video. Very informative.

Very interesting and good to know ! Thank you for talking about this and sharing it ! 🧡 🙏

I came across your video by trying to search for a “homemade soap” for dark clothes. I think the same thing that causes the build up from bar soap on the shower is the same thing that causes all the issues that you mentioned. That’s why, in my country, even though we use bar soap with detergent for white clothing. No one washes dark colors with it because it leaves a whiteish film/top on the clothing.

Thank you so much for sharing. This was SUPER helpful

Thank you so much for all the info & research! I've been using that homemade recipe for probably 15 years. My towels are pretty good, but not as soft as at first. My whites do get a little dingy & I always wondered why. Bleaching helps when they get too bad but I'm glad to know this info &, though I probably won't completely stop using my homemade stuff, I'll probably either wash with regular detergent every so often or add a little to each load. Thanks!

Yes…. Thank you… i appreciate the research and dedication that you have and thank you for sharing it with us

Thank you so much. I was researching making my own and this video has been very helpful

Thank you so much for the detailed information. I understand so much better.

Thank you very much!!! I was just about to start making my own!!! What you say makes perfect sense! I don't WANT to scrub my laundry!!! And I can't afford to mess it up!!! There's no savings in THAT!!! Thank you again very much!!!!

Thank you, for your honesty. I thought that would be the case, that is why I haven't tried all these years. I was waiting for validation.

Thank you for this video! I have heard so much good and bad about homemade laundry soap. I am all about saving money. But when we bought a new washer my husband was adamant about using he specific detergents. He did not want to void the warranty. So I would not have used homemade laundry soap anytime soon because we havent had the washer that long and have a 3 year warranty. But I have a cousin who at one point was making her own laundry soap and seemed to like it a lot. And I have an aunt who has been making it for years and swears by it. I didnt want to use boron so I didn't like her recipe. But I've heard many people say the complaints you had about clothes and things and I did not want those issues. But listening to your video helped me realize that unless I want to move near a creek and get out the washing board then I need to just use the proper laundry soap. Thank you for that.

I saw the homemade recipe online and thought it was so weird people were using bar soap. Listening to your breakdown is exactly why I thought it was such a bad idea.

Thank you ! That makes sense why a soap works better with a scrub board and detergent in the wash machine. I made the homemade recipe and noticed the change in clothes texture . I will keep using it for my hand washables . Thank you for sharing that information.

I have wondered about this for long time. Thank you for researching this. Subscribed to channel.

Thanks for great info! Try using 1 cup of white vinegar only in your towels or clothes once in awhile. You are going to see the difference especially on the towels. White vinegar is antibacterial, deep cleaning and is a brightened. Also absorbent.

Thank you for sharing this. I was on the fence

This is the first time I've seen your channel and I found it very interesting, thank you!

OMG!!!! Will be watching the updated video...

Thank you for the information and it couldn't have come at a better time. I was thinking of making my own laundry soap but had my doubts. What you are saying makes total sense. I use the Downey scents and I always wondered how something so solid then melt...how would that solidify onto my clothes??!! Makes you wonder. Thanks for putting this video out there.

(Disclaimer: your mileage might vary...) Hi Crystal, If you find an old box of Instant Fels or Ivory Snow laundry soap, the instructions will tell you to use 1 1/2 - 2 cups in a top load washer, or 3/4 - 1 cup in a front loader, and you need "to maintain 1-3 inches of suds". Yes, that is A LOT of soap! By those instructions, everyone today is not using enough soap in their laundry. (1 - 2 tablespoons would barely wash a pair of socks.) The reason for the high amount of soap and the high amount of suds is due to minerals in the water, which cause the water to be hard. Soap reacts with the minerals to form gray compound that precipitates "out of solution". A sure sign this is happening is when you have no suds. So you have to use enough soap to compensate for the amount of soap that will react with the water minerals. When the soap and mineral compound "fall out of the solution", it gets caught in the fibers of the clothes, causing what was known as "tattle-tail gray" or "tell tale gray" dingy whites and dull colors. The precipitate caught in fibers causes them to become unabsorbent. And the precipitate can build up in the water level tubes and cause the washer to malfunction. So if you use enough soap to offset the precipitate, it won't build up and cause tattle-tale gray or build up in the water level tubes. So you might say, "Well, borax softens water, and washing soda softens water." Yes, they do, but they are a precipitating water softeners. When you mix these with water, they combine with the minerals and turn the water milky. They need water to be still to float to the bottom due to gravity, hence the phrase "falling out of solution". The agitation in the washer keeps them suspended, and they still get caught in the clothes. Adding soap to the equation can make it worse. By contrast, the phosphate water softeners that were used in detergents for years are "non-precipitating"; they react with the minerals and stay suspended in the water, and the water stays clear. When phosphates were banned from detergents, it took several years for manufacturers to get the formulas correct, and many detergent brands disappeared because they couldn't get clothes clean anymore and the makers failed with their formulas. Soft water does not have the calcium and the magnesium that causes the water to be hard. With soft water, you can get by with soap, but you still need enough to get the suds level needed to indicated there is enough soap to suspend everything that is in the water (minerals) and everything that will be in the water (dirt from clothes). The harder the water, the more soap needed. 1 - 2 tablespoons of a soap/soda/borax concoction will not work. Melt all that in water, and a 1/2 cup of soap goop will not work. Get the suds up and maintained throughout the entire wash portion of the cycles, use hot water, rinse thoroughly, and washing with soap can be successful. All the best to you and everyone here!

Thanks for the Info! Ive wondered the same things but never figured it out!!

Excellent presentation! Just the info I didn't even know i needed. I would've totalled my machines, so thank you very much, from me, and my husband, too.

Thanks for the info...It explains why my whites looked dingy when I used the homemade detergent that I made. I had decided to stop using it because of that.......

Oh wow! Thanks for sharing. I couldn't understand why water just rolls off the towels and takes forever to absorb water🤦🏿‍♀️

I randomly stumbled on this video and I found it to be extremely insightful and interesting and this knowledge I'm sure is going to be useful for me at some point in the future. Thank you for sharing and taking to the time to thoroughly explain it in such a way that it was very easy to understand. Thanks again!

Thank you for explaining this in detail. It was very helpful!!

I use detergent at only 25% the listed quantity. Then I add baking soda to soften and boost the detergent. Can also add washing soda for whitening if desired. Cheap, easy and effective.

Makes perfect sense! I used homemade liquid soap with fels naphtha for years, but never noticed problems because our water was terrible at that house so I just assumed it was the water. I did however try making my own powder laundry soap several years later with 100% homemade coconut oil soap (0% super fat). The washer was the same, but it was a different house/ different water. The laundry soap clogged the pipe terribly! We tried and tried to unclog the pipe. After a few days, my husband thought he was going to have to dig up the pipes to clear them. He tried one last time to snake the drain pipe and he finally got it cleared. I have never used homemade after that!

Thankyou so much. I appreciate your video. My clothes have been getting terribly dingy and I thought it was because we moved into an apartment and I wasn't hanging my laundry out in the sunshine anymore . After watching your video I began to think about the "natural" laundry strips I started using after we moved in here, which are suppose to be detergent-free and good for the environment. I guess when you get right down to it it's a trade off... save money and the environment and have grubby looking clothes or vice versa. Cathy from Canada.!

Glad I found your channel...almost went and started making my own ..

Mechanical action in any laundry machine is created by adding the correct amount of linen. Too much linen and it has no room to agitate against the sides of machine or against the other linen. It also doesn’t allow the cleaning products to evenly distribute. Too little and you get the opposite effect. There are other factors as well, such as water quality, temperature, products used and the amount of time per cycle. In the end, if you changed products and things are better, then it seems like you solved your problem. Thanks for the video!

Knowing all this, what I chose was to reduce the zoat soap by half and add oxy-powder. I do add scented crystals but they are pure magnesium based, not just any bottle of "laundry booster" crystals on the shelf. FYI: these crystals are getting harder to find. Oils in general should not be used in laundry. That's why I never use Castille soap in machines and even kitchen due to the disposer. It's asking for clogging issues, even in a bathtub. You'll find you need Drano more often, like the old days when we had to use Drano alot to cut the residue build up in pipes. The hair would get caught in the residue, where hair wouldn't normally clog up a drain. So it's kind of common sense really. I have no chemistry background and abhore the thought of having to try to figure such things out. It really did just make me think about residue build up with all these homemade recipes. I do put a few drops of teatree oil in my bath, but the soap we use to wash ourselves with breaks it down, going down the drain. Oils are great for personal body cleansing, but you must think about your drains and pipes when using them. Remember back in "the day" baths were the form of bathing and usually in a metal tub you emptied by dumping out - outside, not down a drain. With each thing comes a new factor of use. If I use homemade laundry soap, I prefer the liquid version and use half the recommended zoat... technically you could wash your clothes with just baking soda but they will be stiff... or just oxyclean. Either way, it's up to each person to be responsible about learning the technology they work with and the products they want to produce for themselves. You can't throw wood into a water heater for fuel to make it work. It uses gas. Same concept. Don't throw Great grandma's tech at today's... you'll end up paying for it. Great video, thank you.

Thanks so much for your video! I have been thinking about starting to make my own laundry soap and now I can make an informed decision. I appreciate it so much!