Ok, are you ready for another Molly confession? I’m a lover of all things soapy! I love making soap- laundry soap, bar soap, dishwasher soap, etc. I began over 5 years ago with making laundry soap because I couldn’t afford to buy it anymore and I also wanted to control the ingredients for my sensitive-skin family members. I began with a liquid recipe and have pretty much stuck with it ever since. There are many recipes out there (liquid and dry) using basically the same ingredients just in different amounts. Check out this list from Tipnut for 10 Homemade Laundry Soap Recipes. Do you already make your own? What’s your favorite recipe?

Making bar soap is my new favorite thing to do! The possibilities are endless and you can control the quality of your ingredients as well. There are different ways to make bar soap, one way is cold pressed using lye. Check out this video on the different steps involved in making this type of soap. If you’re uncomfortable using lye, you can do what’s known as “re-batching” and just grate already made soap, heat and use again with other ingredients to make new bars. This video is an example of that.

Dishwasher soap was another favorite find for me! This is an example of the recipe I use in our home:

• 1 cup borax
• 1 cup washing soda
• 1/2 cup citric acid
• 1/2 cup kosher salt

Fill rinse agent compartment with white vinegar. *NOTE* I quickly discovered white vinegar is a very important component to this recipe for shiny, sparkling dishes!

What are some of your favorite DIY recipes for soap? Are you a soap veteran or soap newbie? What are your sudsy thoughts?