Make 4 Litres of
Laundry Gloop
for about
60p
• Cheap
• Easy to make
• Effective
The majority of household cleaning products contain a huge list of toxic chemicals, laundry products are often the worst in health terms as they are in constant contact with your skin. I have been making and using Laundry Gloop for years as I am allergic to all forms of fragrance, it is considerably cheaper than fragrance free detergent and just as effective.
I know Laundry Gloop does not sound very inspiring but this is a tried and tested alternative to laundry liquid or washing powder – to find out more
To make Laundry Gloop all you need is:
4 litres water
1 cup grated white un-perfumed soap or soap flakes
1 cup of washing soda crystals
Essential oils (optional)
There are two methods you can use to make it depending on the size of pan you have available.
Method One: If you have a large pan that will hold at least 5 litres of water.
Put the water in the pan and bring to the boil.
Grate the soap and once the water has boiled, put it in and turn the heat down. Stir until the soap is completely dissolved.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the soda crystals stirring until completely dissolved.
Leave to cool down then you can stir in a few drops of essential oils if using.
Method Two: If you don’t have a large pan.
Bring about 1 pint of water to the boil and add grated soap. Stir until the soap is completely dissolved.
Fill a washing up bowl with 3.5 litres of VERY hot water.
Once soap has dissolved pour into the hot water and stir.
Add soda crystals and then carry on as above.
Once the mixture is cool enough store in something like an old family sized ice cream container. I have stored mine in old laundry liquid bottles which is a bit of a pain as the gloop will solidify when cold. I have solved the problem by keeping the bottle I am using on top of the fridge, over the vent at the back.
I use about ½ a cup for each load of washing. I always put it directly into the drum of the machine NOT in the dispenser as it can clog it up.
_______________________________
If you feel the above is too messy you can make your own Laundry Powder instead:
Mix together:
1 Cup Grated White Soap
½ Cup Washing Soda
½ Cup Borax
Keep in an airtight container.
For a normal load, use 1 tablespoon or if clothes are really grubby use 2 tablespoons. I always put it directly into the drum as I hate having to clean the dispenser.
_______________________________
For a cheap non-toxic alternative to fabric conditioner use a couple of tablespoons of white vinegar – no you won’t smell like a chip shop! Once your clothes are dry there is no smell of vinegar. You will also be doing your washing machine a favour and making it last longer as the vinegar dissolves lime scale. If you want your clothes to smell you can always add a couple of drops of essential oils to the vinegar.
_______________________________
Why bother?
It is cheap and does not contain a lot of the toxic chemicals contained in conventional laundry liquids and powders.
You know what is in the product you are using.
It is more environmentally friendly than store bought laundry detergents
Store bought laundry products usually contain perfume –
Your average fabric conditioner contains perfume which is a cocktail of over 200 chemicals, many of which are toxic. The Canadian Lung Association states:
Chemicals from perfume and cologne, fabric softener, air fresheners (and many other products) can make asthma worse.
Avoid using perfumes, and ask the people you work with and live with to avoid them as well.
Make sure your soap, body lotion, shampoo, detergent, etc. are scent free.
Canadian Lung Association – Scents
Chemicals in household cleaning products
The Independent – Home is where the chemical nasties are
Low-Impact Living Initiative – Natural Cleaners
Channel 4 – Eco Cleaning
You can buy Ecover products and refills from The Ventnorian, Spring Hill, Ventnor
[…] the UK’s Isle of Wight comes this Ventnor Permaculture post about making your own Laundry Gloop. The author, Angie, explains why in this excerpt: “. . .laundry products are often the worst in […]
Great idea, Angie. Info on LILI site is very good too.
Couple of questions:
What is ‘white soap’? Do you mean ordinary soap, or something different?
Where is the cheapest place to buy the soap, washing soda and borax?
What size cup, 1/2 pint, or smaller?
You say you use 1/2 cup for washing, and also a tablespoon. Is this the same ammount?
Sorry if this sounds OTT, but it may help others too.
Thanks for putting such useful, basic stuff on here
Ken
Hi Ken
Good questions that others may have.
White soap – I buy white unfragranced soap from Morrison’s in Newport (they don’t sell it in Lake) 2 bars for about 59p. If you get the unfragranced soap you are missing out on a couple of hundred chemicals that is in the added fragrance. You can use simple soap but it is far more expensive or any other soap you want.
You can buy borax from Boots or Hursts or in larger quantities online.
Most supermarkets sell washing soda crystals, the price ranges from about 60p – 95p for a 1KG bag which lasts for ages.
You can use any size cup you like, I tend to use a 1 cup measuring cup from a set that I have which is probably about the same size as an average teacup.
I use half a cup when I am using the liquid laungry gloop per load.
I use a tablespoon when I am using the dry powdered home made washing powder per load.
Angie
Hi Angie
was just reading about the laundry gloop sounds great is it good for poeple with sensitive skin as the only one i can use is Fairy. to which if i can use this method would be so much better !
Thanks
Hi David
The reason I started using laundry gloop was because I have very sensitive skin and am also allergic to all forms of fragrance, so you should not have any problems with it. You could try making up a half size batch to test it. I used to buy Surcare or Boots Sensitive Laundry Liquid but they are quite expensive, although you can get the Boots one half price if you join their health club and register that you have hay fever or allergies, saying that that home made laundry gloop is still cheaper than the half price bottle and you get 4 times as much.
Angie
[…] had a go at making laundry gloop, and I think it’s going pretty well. The batch I’ve just made has cost 24p (about 50c) […]
Hi
It certainly does help keep your laundry costs down.
Angie
I am new to making home made laundry detergent. I have made some recipes using american laundry soap with excellent results. I have worked out it is cheaper to buy 8 x bars of Fels Naptha, and ship here than to buy 2 bottles of commercial brands, and this includes using all other ingredients.
My family and I don’t have any skin sensitivity issues, but I wish to use the Soap Flakes, and your recipe seems the most concise, and simple. I will need to add more Soda Crystals and Borax, as we have hard water here in East Anglia. My next batch of laundry soap has your name on it – Thanks.