How to Make Inexpensive Natural Washing Detergent That Works

How to Make Inexpensive Natural Washing Detergent That Works

In France, when we think Savon de Marseille, we think immediately of laundry and image of grandmothers cleaning the household linen. There is a perfect reason why they used Savon de Marseille - it's inexpensive, and it works! Savon de Marseille is effective both when used cold or hot.

Here I will share with you two ancient recipes for making your own efficient and inexpensive washing liquid.

Savon de Marseille Laundry Detergent With Soda Crystals

For 2 litres of laundry detergent, you need :

• 2 litres of water
• 50g of white Savon de Marseille, grated or in shavings
• 1 teacup of crystals of soda
• 1 teaspoon of essential oil (lavender, orange, tea tree, etc.) optional

Six easy steps:

1. Melt the soap shavings in a large pan with 1 litre of hot water (not boiling). Mix on a low heat until completely dissolved.
2. When there are no lumps, incorporate the soda crystals. Take off the heat and leave it to cool down.
3. If you wish, add essential oil at this point and leave it to rest overnight.
4. The soap will be thick at this point, so add a litre of warm water and mix through until you have an even consistency.
5. Pour it in an old washing detergent bottle, thoroughly rinsed to avoid the risk of mixing with the industrial detergent. 
6. Shake the bottle well. Use around 100ml for each laundry in the washing machine.

Did you know? The soda crystals raise the water pH, so the more calcium in your water, the more you need to increase the dose of crystals.

Tip

When going cold, the soap gets thicker. So, before every use, you need to shake the bottle and even add 3 to 4 tablespoons of hot water to help it liquefy again.

The Savon de Marseille Laundry Detergent With Bicarbonate Of Soda

For a litre and a half of laundry detergent, you need :

• 35 to 40g of white Savon de Marseille, grated or in flakes
• 3 tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tablespoons of white vinegar
• 2 litres of water
• 10 drops of essential oil (lemon, lavender, tea tree...)

Five Easy Steps:

1. Mix the soap flakes, bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar into a litre of hot water in a large pan.
2. When there are no lumps, take off the heat and leave it to cool for 2 hours. 
3. As above, the soap will be very thick, so mix in an additional litre of warm water. 
4. With the help of a funnel, pour everything into an old washing detergent bottle that you have rinsed before use. 
5. Perfume with the drops of essential oil (optional).

Bicarbonate of soda helps preserve the colours of your laundry. Your washing machine will also be descaled thanks to the white vinegar, and your laundry will be clean thanks to Savon de Marseille.

Tip

For a quick wash, pour 100ml of washing detergent into a ball at the centre of your laundry. To whiten the laundry, add 2 tablespoons of bicarbonate soda, and you can add half a glass of white vinegar in the softener tray for extra softness.

Et Vous?

Do you use natural washing detergent? Tell us your recipe and what works for you in the comments below. If you enjoyed the above and find it useful, why not encourage your friends and family to go Au Naturel by liking and sharing this article. We always appreciate it when you do :)