This is really a GOD thing because the other day I was refilling the last of our pump soaps and I thought to myself..."I sure wish I had a recipe to make my own hand soap." Well, the LORD answered yet again.
This is w-a-y cheaper than buying it at the store. You get more and save a ton! This gallon of hand soap cost me a total of $0.04 cents total to make. The original recipe actually makes 2 gallons. Since I only had a 1 gallon container to make it in, it would be $0.02 cents to make had I had the larger container. There's no way I can beat that!
Homemade Liquid Hand Soap
1/2 bar soap (I used Coast)
4 cups of water
1/4 cup of Borax
a few drops of essential oil (optional)
1 or 2 gallon container
Using a hand grater or food processor grate soap. Place soap shavings into a medium size saucepan. Add in water. Heat over medium-low heat just to bring to temperature. The soap does not need to be melted completely. DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL!
1 or 2 gallon container
Using a hand grater or food processor grate soap. Place soap shavings into a medium size saucepan. Add in water. Heat over medium-low heat just to bring to temperature. The soap does not need to be melted completely. DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL!
Pour in the borax powder & stir until completely dissolved. Mixture will become thick and gel like.
Pour mixture into a 1 gallon milk jug.
Fill container the remaining way with more water. Cover with tight fitting lid. Mixture will thicken as it cools.
To use: pour into pump top soap containers as you normally would.
Click HERE for printable recipe
16 comments:
Excellent!! I too have thought I'd like to try homemade liquid hand soap ... thank you for posting.
Mrs.B
WOW! I have been looking for an "Homemade Liquid Hand Soap" recipe. Thanks for sharing this one.
I am definately going to get a copy of this one, if that is ok with you...please!
Thanks for sharing!
Love & Prayers,
Ronda
Ohhh, thanks. I just love the laundry soap recipe I got from you. Will have to try this.
Molly
I've just recently made my own laundry soap and love it. I can't wait to make this now. Thanks.
Just made the liguid hand soap with the 'Grands'. They had fun making it and are having fun using it! Also it turned out really nice. We used Dial soap and it smells good.
I fast question, I was wondering if you have a recipe for bar soap. I have been looking through your blog and also Carrie's blog and have not yet been able to find one. Can't wait to hear from ya.
Coming from the Stroupe home
Jamie,
I don't have a recipe for bar soap that I have tried. I am sorry about that, but...I am looking into it and as soon as I find one that is economical I will try it and let you know the results & recipe.
Thank you so much for asking though. I hope to be of more help on this in the very near future.
~Warm Cozy Blessings
There is no need to go out of your way, I don't want you to go out of your way. I googled it and from what I read, I am thinking that it is going to be a difficult task.
After reading through Carries and your blog I have been very interested in making my own house hold cleaners. Not only do I feel that it is frugal and healthier for my family and home, it is something for my and Chloe to do as a mother and daughter project.
I am so thankful for your blog..
Coming from the Stroupe home
One more question, now I have only looked at Walmart, and I could not find it there. Where did you buy you washing soda??
Coming from the Stroupe home
I tried this recipe just now and my mixture never did get to the gel like consistency...wondering what I might have done wrong???
Tammy ~
I'm sorry to hear that your mixture did not turn out as planned. What consistency did it finally come out to (all liquid or some gel pieces?)
My first batch turned out to be all liquid and no gel what so ever. Here's what I personally did wrong...
When it says "Heat over medium-low heat just to bring to temperature." I allowed it to not boil but continue to heat until it was hot and pretty much completely melted. I am taking a stab at this, so I may be wrong here...even though I did not let it boil, it was still over the heat too long. Long enough that it may have compensated in heat time to equate what would happen if it were allowed to boil.
So to correct it, the next day I took the unset soap out of the jug and placed it back into a sauce pot. I had half a bar of soap left so I grated that up and added in the same measurement of Borax. I then "re-cooked" the batch only until it was warm/hot. hot enough to start melting but not too hot to stick my finger in it and test the temp. (I hope that made sense.) then I poured it back into the jug and let it sit. The next morning it had some liquid consistency to it but for the most part it was thick and gel like.
I hope this helps.
~Warm Cozy Wishes
Thanks so much for the recipe. I do have one question though, you list ingredients and 1-2 gallon jug and then fill the jug with water after making the jel of soap, borax and EO. So does this make 1 gallon + about 4 cups or can you use a 2 gal jug and stretch it to make 2 gal.?
Carolyn in Tracy, CA
Carolyn ~ Yes, I don't see why you couldn't stretch it to make a full 2 gallons. In fact, when I pour it into my smaller pump containers to have at the sink I sometimes dilute it in that container. So if you start with a thinner product (2 gallons) I don't think it will lessen the cleaning power. if you try it, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
~Mrs. M
Interesting recipe! I can't wait to try it. But, I'm curious how you came up with it only costing you $0.04 total? Doesn't a bar of soap cost more than that?
Holly ~
it cost me that little because I had the soap on hand already. therefore my out of pocket expense to try this minimal at best. now had I bought the soap bar it would have pushed it between .75 cents to a dollar. I am referring to a single bar not a family pack size. The other ingredients are usually always on hand in my cupboard.
now breaking it down to the total out of pocket cost versus the usage cost it it way cheap! i have refilled our soap bottles in the kitchen and bathrooms several times already and still have plenty of refill left. So it really stretches.
~Mrs. M
Thank you for the explanation! I agree that even considering the total out of pocket cost this is still significantly cheaper than buying liquid hand soap at the store. :)
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