March, 15th 2023 · Stephanie Mary

Homemade Dish Soap Bar

Name: Homemade Dish Soap Bars
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 14 d 15 min
Yield: 17
Ingredients: 29 ounces coconut oil; 5.41 ounces lye; 10 ounces ice cubes; 1 ounce castor oil; 15-20 drops peppermint essential oil

This dish soap bar recipe is a great way to bring eco-friendly dish soap into your life, in a simple and natural way. Bar dish soaps last a long time, and making them yourself ensures that the ingredients are healthy for the earth, and your family. This dish soap bar has just the perfect lather to clean dishes without any of the worries!

On a dark countertop with white and dark design tile in the background, sits a large tub of coconut oil, a bottle of castor oil, and 2 essential oils one with a red label and one with a blue label.

Lately, I’ve been fascinated with the art of making soap. I love hobbies where you can apply creativity and use the final product. I’ve created a variety of body soaps with different herbs, essential oils, and carrier oils. I’ve even made a shampoo bar!

However, I was recently inspired to make my own homemade dish soap bar. I have to say, it worked out so well, we made quite a few batches and use it every day!

Difference from Regular Soap

First of all, this isn’t a liquid dish soap like you might be used to. This is a dish soap bar.

The main difference between this dish soap bar and liquid dish soap is you want to prevent the rich creamy lather and make a more bubbly lather. A creamy, rich lather that comes from other soaps is wonderful during a shower but challenging to clean and do the dishes. It ends up with a more oily feeling.

To prevent unwanted rich lathering, I used a ratio of coconut oil and castor oil to tone down the bubbles. This absolutely works wonders for washing dishes! While you could use this soap for your body it’s not recommended. It’s not dangerous and is completely safe, it just wouldn’t moisturize and nourish your skin as another soap made with different oils would.

White moon face shaped dish soap bars with a scrub brush next to them, and a clear and white crystal, on a wooden cutting board.

The Tools & Precautions Needed To Make Your Own Dish Soap Bar

Making your own dish soap bar can be very empowering and rewarding. The process requires the right tools, care, and attention. In order to air on the side of caution I highly recommend having tools specifically to use for only soap making. Here are a few tips and recommendations:

Recommendations Tools for Soap Making:

Hand immersion blender
Silicone Molds, I used these Moon Silicone Molds
Gloves, safety glasses, and mask
Stainless steel bowl
Kitchen scale
Measuring pitcher large enough for safe measuring and blending

Ingredients

Coconut oil is a perfect addition to make this dish soap bar the perfect kind of lather and consistency for cleaning dishes.

This lye is food grade, so it is pure enough to make soap with. I recommend always using gloves, goggles, and a mask when using it.

Castor oil helps give this homemade dish soap a wonderful lather for washing up after any meal.

Several white moon face dish soap bars surrounding one in a soap holder with a scrub brush and crystals surrounding.

How to Make DIY Dish Soap Bars

The very first step is to weigh out the ingredients so they are ready to use, and you’re not weighing them mid-process.

In a double boiler, melt the coconut oil on medium heat. Then put the weighed ice cubes into a stainless steel bowl.

With windows open and/or with a mask, goggles, and gloves on, add the weighed lye into the bowl with the ice cubes, stirring the whole time until the ice melts and the lye is fully dissolved.

Pour the melted coconut oil into the vessel you have designated for soap making, and add the lye water. Blend with an immersion blender right before the soap gets to trace.

Add in the essential oils and blend for 30 more seconds. Then pour the soap into silicone molds to cool and harden.

Let the soap sit in the molds for 24 hours, then they should be ready to pop out easily. Store the dish soap bars in a cool dark place to cure for 2 weeks.

Once made and cured, these lovely dish soap bars are ready to use, enjoy!

Dish soap bars in the shape of 2 moons with faces surround one inside a soap dish on a wood cutting board with a hand held scrub brush sitting beside.

Benefits of Making Your Own Dish Soap

While it’s easy to run to the store and grab a liquid dish soap off of the shelf, there are some significant benefits to making your own.

Eco-Friendly Dish Soap

First, this is an eco-friendly dish soap. No packaging, plastic, or extra unwanted waste comes with this soap. Plus, making it in bulk at home saves money, and store trips.

Non Irritating

Second, and most importantly, you know exactly what’s in this homemade soap. No skin-irritating harsh chemicals and you can choose the scent that agrees with you. It is perfect for sensitive skin, you can feel safe having kids use it, plus pick your own scent!

Dish Soap Bars Last Longer

Finally, I’ve noticed that my homemade dish soap bar lasts longer per volume than liquid. With liquid dish soap, we tend to use slightly more than necessary when doing the dishes. With bar dish soaps, it’s easier to not overuse and stays better on the brush. Clean and lather away!

Using a Homemade Dish Soap Bar

As I mentioned, this is a solid dish soap. It looks just like a bar of soap you’d use in the shower. I recommend using this soap with a scrub brush.

Just wet the brush and rub it into the soap. From there, all you have to do is scrub your dishes. I find this works just as well as liquid soap and lasts even longer!

The length of use and all of the earth-friendly, skin-friendly, and dish-friendly benefits will be sure to make this a household staple. You are a simple process plus a little wait time away from package-free, natural dish soap!

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