What is Non-Detergent Soap [Best Examples, Recipe, Works]

Cleaning is an integral part of the work around our homes. Cleaning tasks include bathing, washing clothes or mopping the house, etc. Especially detergent and soap are required for cleaning. Which requires cleaning agents like non-detergent soaps.

Our Laundry Detergent Ideas team found that non-detergent soap differs after evaluating several factors.

What Is Non-Detergent Soap

A non-detergent soap is a naturally made soap without any other artificially made or petroleum-based detergents with oils or fats. It does not contain any type of synthetic component. The soap which is made without any detergent or other harsh chemicals is called “Non-Detergent Soap.”

A non-detergent soap is a cleaning agent made by reacting alkalis with natural fats; These are typically made from oils, vegetable fats, oils, or animal fats.

Non-detergent soap is alkaline in origin. Lys, or sodium hydroxide, reacts with fat through saponification, a method of soap making, resulting in glycerol and fatty acids.

A detergent is a mixture of surfactants but non-detergent soap is made without any surfactant mixture.

Non-detergent soaps are less alkaline than other soaps, so this soap is great for sensitive skin and baby skin.

History

For all we know, history can trace soap production back to 2800 BC in the Babylonian Empire.

There, historians discovered evidence of soap’s use in ancient Roman literature. Soap has a long history.

Later, soap use was documented in medieval Europe. It is believed that soap was a luxury product for the rich.

Soap became a popular product due to the discovery of a connection between certain diseases and poor hygiene.

There was a change in the products and methods of making soap and humans also made non-detergent soap. Which proved to be a boon for people with skin problems.

The manufacture and use of soap have spread to other parts of the world, making it a staple of household cleaning.

What is Liquid Non-Detergent Soap

The liquid soap that is made without any type of detergent and chemicals is called “Liquid Non-Detergent Soap” Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Liquid Soap is a good example of liquid non-detergent soap.

Is Non-Detergent Soap Work

Yes, It really works. It performs best in hard water. You can use it for your daily cloth washing. It is a good soap for sensitive skin also. You can use it for your daily bathing and cloth washing.

Brands

Many non-detergent soap brand names such as Grandma’s, All, Persil, Arm & Hammer, Goat Soap, and Purex for used as laundry cleaners. These are the trusted non-detergent soap-making brands in the United States of America.

Many companies also make detergent-type cleaners that work well at low temperatures and in hard water, and won’t leave a residue on clothes, or leave soap scum in the washing machine.

Best Non-Detergent Soap 2023 List

Here is the list…

Rank	Product
1	Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Liquid Soap
2	Grandma’s Non-Detergent Laundry Soap
3	Goat Milk Soap Bars
4	Shikai Non-detergent soap

Is Dawn a Non-Detergent Soap

No, Dawn is not. Dawn is a detergent soap. It is made with all of the chemicals, used in other common detergents.

Woolite

No Woolite is not. This is totally detergent soap made with chemicals used in detergent.

Examples

Non-detergent soap contains no synthetic ingredients or petroleum detergents, comes first in solid form, and is made from only natural oils and fats.

1. Toilet soap

Toilet soaps are soaps that are used for personal hygiene. This class of soaps can also be subdivided based on Total Fat Matter, which is the soap’s cleaning material content.

2. Aleppo soap

Aleppo Soap is a good example of non-detergent soap. Aleppo soap is made with Olive Oil and Laurel Oil.

3. Flavored soap

The process of flavoring soaps involves the addition of ingredients that change their appearance, feel and smell. This is usually done by adding organic extracts to the formulation to achieve the desired result. You can find common flavors such as vanilla, coffee, chocolate, lemongrass, eucalyptus and seaweed.

4. Medicated soap

Specially formulated medicated soaps contain other ingredients to treat or prevent skin conditions.  This soap is good for sensitive skin.

These can include fungal or bacterial infections like blackheads, acne, and rashes. These soaps include additives like triclosan and triclocarban.

5. Castile soap

Castile soap is from Spain and is made with olive oil. Castile soap is named after the Castille region in Spain where it was first made from olive oils. Although the manufacturing process has not changed significantly, other oils have been added to the formula.

6. Transparent soap

Transparent soaps are named so because of their transparent appearance. Clear soaps are made by hot soap-making, which involves the use of sugar, water, and glycerin to dissolve the soap.

7. Laundry soap

Non-detergent soaps that are used to clean laundry clothes. They are made from natural oils, animal fats, and plants. Laundry soaps are low in cleaning power because they do not contain any surfactants or synthetic additives.

8. Marseille soap

Marseille soap is made from vegetable oil, water, and lye. It is good for sensitive skin.

Each of these is a lipid combined with an alkaline substance. Non-detergent soaps are naturally manufactured in solid form.

9. Novelty soap

Novelty soap is not only useful for cleaning but also has aesthetic appeal. They are often handcrafted to create rare forms, such as cars or birds or ducks, or fish. They are made for a niche market that is looking for these types of products.

10. Beauty soap

Beauty soaps, as the name implies, are made to smoothen and cleanse the skin. To increase their cleaning power, modern beauty soaps contain different ingredients. It includes, among others, shea butter, coconut oil, and chamomile.

11. Milk soap

Milk soaps were named after the fact that they use milk as an ingredient in their manufacturing. Milk is used during cold saponification to replace water.

12. Glycerin soap

Glycerin soaps make excellent skin-nourishing soaps because of their humectant qualities. They are capable of absorbing moisture while keeping skin hydrated. Glycerin soaps contain a majority of organic ingredients.

13. Luxury soap

These soaps are high-end soaps that require the addition of rare ingredients. Although the manufacturing process is identical to other soaps it includes ingredients like almonds, sandalwood, and chocolate. These soaps are highly priced and targeted at premium clients because of the high price of the ingredients.

14. Perfumed soap

A certain segment of the market prefers strong-scented soaps, and perfumed soaps are created to meet that need. These include spas, saunas, aromatherapy establishments and spas.

15. Fels-Naptha

This soap contains water, talc, sodium cocoate, sodium palate, and sodium tolerance.

Non-detergent soap is free of any synthetic material or petroleum detergent. It comes in the solid form first and is composed only of natural oils and fats.

Read More:- What is laundry detergent

For Tents

Yes, You can use it to clean your tent. Grandma’s is the best non-detergent soap for tents. This is the best solution to clean your tent properly. Be sure to use it or a special tent-cleaning solution.

Is Palmolive a Non-Detergent Soap

Yes, Palmolive is. You can use Palmolive to clean your dish or clothes.

Dr. Bronner

Yes, It is. Dr. Bronner is one of the best brands in the United States of America.

Melamagic

No, Melamagic is not. This is a detergent soap and made with detergent chemicals like others.

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Mrs. Meyers

Not, Mrs. Meyers is not. This is detergent soap. Because this is made with detergent ingredients like other detergents.

Detergent Vs Non-Detergent Soap Ingredients

Non-detergent soap is made from oils and fats from lye, and in case you didn’t know, lye is actually made from wood ash.

But, You can date soap-making to thousands of years ago by the Babylonians, Egyptians, Celts, and the early Romans. All of them made soap by mixing animal fat, plant or wood ash, and oils.

According to laundrydetergentideas.com, it was not until the Arabs made soap from oils and first used the sodium lye NaOH formula, which is used when making soap today.

Lye, water, and oils from plants or animals are usually the main ingredients of soap. When mixing these ingredients to make soap, a chemical reaction takes place called saponification.

The reaction is what actually makes the soap! A pair of hands covered in soap suds.
However, now soaps are made in much the same way. You make soap either by the cold process or by the hot process.

Read More:- Formulation of laundry detergent

Hot Process Soapmaking formula: The ingredients are heated from the outside and mixed quickly resulting in the saponification process.

Cold Process Soapmaking formula: Made completely from scratch as you heat/melt the material from the inside leading to a very slow saponification process.

Read More:- Can you boil laundry detergent

Dove

No, Dove is not a non-detergent soap. Dove is a detergent soap. Dove is a trusted brand in the United States of America and many other countries.

Dove synthetic detergent is not soap but full of degreasing properties that can dry out your skin.

This detergent is actually made of chemicals that are synthesized in a laboratory and do not contain any diluted natural ingredients.

So in short, Dove is advertised to be soapy but in truth, it is not.

Read More:- Can I use fragrance oil in laundry detergent

Non-Detergent Soap for Plants

Insecticidal soaps are effective in deterring soft-bodied pests on outdoor and indoor plants. This type of soap can also help with the problem of powdery mildew on the leaves of plants.

The potassium salt makes insecticidal soap, which is also a product of fatty acids.

These types of soaps can not only be made by hand but can also be purchased. A great buying option is Garden Safe Insecticidal Soap Insect Killer.

If you’re making insecticidal soap from home, it costs little or no money to use a soap like Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Soap (this link has peppermint which is also an excellent insect repellent).

How to Make Non-Detergent Soap at Home

Make your own non-detergent or DIY insecticidal soap with natural solutions to repel pests.

If you keep your insecticidal soap eco-friendly it will be safe enough to keep your good bugs on your plants too.

There are a variety of recipes for this type of solution, but the most common is a mixture:

1-gallon water
1 tbsp Pure-Castile Liquid Soap
or 2 teaspoons fragrance-free Dawn (not as natural as Castile soap)

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Use Non-Detergent Soap for Your Plants

So here are some tips to keep in mind if you decide to use insecticidal soap.

For the first use, just spray a few leaves to test it. If it is harmful, your entire plant will not be affected.
Don’t forget to pay attention to the undersides of the leaves, and when you have a mixture that works, spray all areas.

Using a portable garden pump sprayer helps to thoroughly spray insecticidal soap.
Insecticidal soap washes off easily, the best time to apply is by spraying when the weather is cool.

If using dish soap, be aware that it contains additives so try to get the most natural product possible or dilute it correctly.

Spray your soap at least once a week for maintenance, but if your problem is persistent, apply at least every 3 days until your problem goes away.

Best Non-Detergent Soap for Plants

Dr. Bronner’s is the best non-detergent soap for plants. Dr. Bronner is trusted in the United States of America. You can use this for plants.

Non-Detergent Soap for Acrylic

GOAT SOAP Goat Milk Soap Bars are great for acrylic. This is good for acrylic.

Read More:- Can you mix laundry detergent with bleach

Is Borax a Non-Detergent Soap

Yes, Borax is a non-detergent soap. Because borax is not a detergent. But it is not recommended to use borax as a body wash or soap. Because it can create skin problems. It is not a safe product for direct use. It has many hazardous effects on the body. It uses as a laundry detergent booster.

Borax is not a detergent, but a soap made from disodium tetraborate.

It is a natural soap, but it has many dangerous effects on the body and is not considered a green product.

EWG.org, states that they “recommend that you do not use recipes that contain borax, as it may pose a health risk.”

Overall, you may want to omit the borax when making any cleaning product.

Read More:- How to use fabric softener in washing machine

Is Bar Soap Non-Detergent?

No, All of the bar soaps are not non-detergent soaps. Most bar soap has detergent chemicals in it for producing bubbles.

Difference Between Detergent and Non-Detergent Soap

The biggest difference between detergent and soap is that detergent is made from man-made products/chemicals and soap is made from natural ingredients (well most are).

Another difference is that detergent will not produce soap scum-like soap. This is because they both perform different functions in hard water (water with lots of minerals).

The great difficulty in using soap for laundry appears when it is used in hard water – water that is rich in natural minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, and manganese.

Unlike detergents, using soap leaves a visible residue on clothing and makes the fabric stiff as well as difficult to rinse.

Pictures of Non-Detergent Soap

Here is a clear picture of non-detergent soap bars.

Camp

Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Soap is the best non-detergent soap for camping. This is environment-friendly soap and is trusted in the United States of America.

Non-Detergent Soap Leather

Mild non-detergent soap is best for leather cleaning. Do not clean your leather with detergent. Use it for clean leather always.

Read More:- Hives from laundry detergent

Sleeping Bag

Non-detergent soap for sleeping bags is used for cleaning sleeping bags. Do not use a direct cleaning process with detergent for cleaning sleeping bags.

How to Wash Sleeping Bag with Non-Detergent Soap

Zip up your sleeping bag and turn it inside out so that the inner lining is facing up. Because the outer shell of a sleeping bag is often waterproof, it can prevent trapped water from escaping during the spin cycle.

The ultra-permeable inner lining will encourage water to drain out during the spin cycle, accelerating drying times.

Load the sleeping bag, without any other laundry, into the drum of the washer and pour half a cup of any liquid, non-detergent soap into the detergent basin.

Read More:- Can you use laundry detergent in a carpet cleaner

If you prefer to use a specially formulated cleaner, in the amount recommended by the manufacturer, opt for Down Soap for a down sleeping bag or Tech Wash for a synthetic sleeping bag.

Run the machine on a gentle cycle using the hot or cold water setting. After the cycle is complete, if the sleeping bag is still getting wet, run an additional spin cycle to flush out the excess water.

Remove the wet sleeping bag from the washing machine and turn it inside out again. Transfer the bag to the drum of a large dryer (preferably front-loading), then run the dryer on low heat.

Low temperatures are especially important for synthetic sleeping bags, whose synthetic insulation can melt under high heat.

If you’re drying a sleeping bag, toss two tennis balls into the dryer drum near the end of the cycle to get rid of clumps and distribute them evenly. When completely dry, put the sleeping bag indoors before its next use.

Read More:- What kills ringworm in laundry

Final Words

We recommend you always use the best quality non-detergent soap. Do not use detergent soap for cleaning sleeping bags, leather, and many soft surfaces.

Read More:- Best smelling laundry detergent

Thanks for reading.

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