Off the Urban Grid

Homemade Soap & Detergent

You use soap on a daily basis and detergent at least once a week for laundry, but did you know that instead of buying these products from the store, you can make them at home? Making a homemade soap and detergent gives you the power to choose the quality and type of ingredients that go into these creations. This is one way you can reduce the extra chemicals in your life and be a little more self-sufficient.

Soap Bricks

The main ingredients in soap include lye (NaOH or sodium hydroxide), essential oils, olive oil, coconut oil and grapeseed oil. Since lye is a caustic soda, you need to use caution and protect yourself with goggles and gloves. First, you need to warm the lye and oils (olive, coconut and grapeseed) to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Once they reach the same temperature, you can slowly mix them together with a whisk.

Now is the time to add an essential oil such as lavender, tea tree or cinnamon. Then you can pour the mixture into a mold of your choice and wrap it with blankets for at least 24 hours to set. The soap should be used within one month.

Making Detergent

An easy recipe for laundry detergent requires two gallons of hot water, one bar of soap (use your homemade bars) and two cups of baking soda. Melt the soap in hot water then add the baking soda. You will need to use a ½ cup of this homemade detergent per load and one full cup if the clothes are heavily soiled.

When Soap Can’t Be Made

If you’re in the wilderness, it’s unlikely that you’re going to make lye from scratch or be able to run the store and pick it up. In these cases, you can wash your dishes with wood ashes. All you need to do is put wood ashes in the cooking pot and add water to make a thin paste. Scrub away and rinse clean with water. Just be sure not to dump your dirty water in a nearby water source. Tip: Wood ashes clean dishes best when there is some grease or oil from the food left behind in the pot.

As you become more efficient at making soap, you might want to try other recipes. There are so many different ways to make soap and detergent, and it’s best to use one that fits your lifestyle or challenges you.

Tags: homemade detergent, homemade soap