Do you have 2 minutes? Then you have time to make this diy homemade laundry detergent recipe. About the same amount of time it takes to whip up this refreshing fabric and room spray. Most laundry detergent recipes involve a steamy pot of water and soap on the stove and arm-aching stirring. Not to mention it’s all congealed when it’s time to pour it out of the bottle.
Easy Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe
With this recipe there’s nothing to heat on the stove, no hassle, and less mess. Natural laundry detergent is also more eco-friendly since it doesn’t use unnecessary water. You’re throwing the homemade detergent into a huge drum of water anyway when you wash the clothes.
Many years ago my best friend scooped out a strange, neon yellow, congealed mixture from a five gallon bucket in their family garage. I was used to her mom’s herbal concoctions, but this yellow goo caught me off guard. Turns out she made homemade laundry detergent to save money doing laundry for her eleventy million kids. Ok, there were only nine, but some days I’m sure it felt like it.
How to Make Your Own Homemade Laundry Detergent
Homemade laundry detergent is only as good as it’s ingredients. Conventional soap bars, like those lining the bath aisle at Walmart, won’t work well. I use Dr. Bronners castile soap with success, but you can also use soap specifically for laundry.
The method here is simple and uses only 3 ingredients.
Fels Naptha vs Castile Soap
My first time around with this recipe I used old formula Fels Naptha because it’s what I had on hand. Purex now makes the soap and it has ingredients I like to skip out on, like titanium dioxide, acid yellow #73 and PEG-6. A natural soap, like Dr. Bronners, or a homemade laundry soap bar will work. Either plain or scented, if you don’t want to add essential oils. The Dr. Bronner’s tea tree or orange citrus are especially good for laundry.
A cheaper option is to make your own soap. Mommypotamus has a great coconut oil laundry bar recipe that makes about 9 large bars with 3 ingredients. This is enough laundry soap to last 180-360 loads of laundry, depending on how large/dirty the loads are.
The Secret Ingredient to DIY Laundry Detergent
Washing soda, not to be confused with baking soda, is sold in the cleaners aisle. Don’t go looking for it next to the brownie mix. Washing soda is made of sodium carbonate, not sodium bicarbonate, and helps soften water. It’s just as natural as baking soda, has a high pH, and is found at most stores.
How to Make Washing Soda
If for some reason you can’t find washing soda here’s an easy way to make it.
- Dump baking soda into a glass baking dish and spread so it’s 1/2 to 1 inch thick.
- Cook the baking soda for 1 hour at 400 (or longer if needed)
- Stir halfway through cooking
Borax: Ant Killer and Laundry Saver
Borax softens water and helps prevents damage to clothing to help them last longer. It’s a gentle, yet powerful cleaner when it comes to stain fighting. Borax creates a negative electrostatic charge between the fabric and dirt so they repel each other in the washing machine. This also helps prevent the dirt from attaching back to clothing fibers. (source)
Borax is controversial for some because it’s toxic to ingest. I actually mix it with peanut butter to kill ants in the house. However, it’s used in many natural skin care products and is a naturally occurring mineral. My toddler once ate some of my homemade ant killer solution and I freaked out. The lady at poison control calmly explained that he would need to down a whole lot for there to be any issues.
“Borax naturally occurs from the repeated evaporation of seasonal lakes. The largest deposits of this mineral may be found in California, the American southwest, Chile and Tibet.” (source)
Homemade Laundry Detergent Without Borax
I don’t have a problem using borax in my laundry, but if you have sensitive skin you may need to skip it. Almost everything gives me a rash, including most soap, markers, and old books, but… I do fine with borax. Unless your kids eat massive amounts of laundry detergent it’s shouldn’t be an issue. However, substitute more washing soda for the recipe if you don’t want to skip the borax.
Laundry Detergent with Essential Oils
These are optional but add extra disinfecting power and make the laundry smell nice and clean. essential oils are non-toxic when used properly, but clothes won’t leave the washer with a heavy scent like they do with artificial fragrances in conventional laundry detergent.
Tea tree and lemon essential oils are my favorite essential oils for laundry. They’re antibacterial and help control mold and mildew in clothing, especially cloth diapers.
Why Homemade Laundry Soap is Bad
I know you’re thinking, “you just sold me on this stuff and now you tell me not to use it??” Homemade laundry detergent recipes have gotten a bad rap for several reasons, but it depends on a few factors. Soap is not the same thing as detergent and it works a little differently. Most recipes (including this one) use soap instead of a synthetic detergent formulated for clothing.
While soap is natural and easy to use, residue can build up on clothing over time. This can depend on how hard your water is, if you have an HE machine which uses little water, and the ratio of soap in the recipe. We have a water softener and house filter so I’ve never had issues with the homemade stuff. If your clothes start smelling funky or feeling weird though, you need a laundry detergent intervention.
The options are:
- Strip your clothes and revert to a store- bought natural laundry detergent. Seventh Generation and Ecos laundry detergents are my top choices.
- Increase the borax and washing soda in the recipe and/or dissolve the mixture in hot water first.
This homemade laundry detergent recipe has worked well for us and I like it infinitely better than neon yellow goo.
Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 bars of pure soap - get it here
- 2 cups washing soda
- 1 cup borax
- 1 and 1/2 tsp lemon essential oil (tea tree, orange, or lavender are also good options)
- Food processor or grater
- Clean container (I used an old protein powder jar)
Instructions
- If you're adding essential oils to your soap (which I highly recommend) then you'll mash that into the washing soda first. You can skip this step if your soap already has essential oils, or add more for extra cleaning power.
- Pour about 1/2 cup of the washing soda into a small bowl, add the essential oil(s) and mash it in with a fork. Don't go crazy, this should only take about 30 seconds.
- Cut the soap into large chunks.
- Pulse all of the ingredients in the food processor until it's a smooth powder. I had to do mine in 2 batches.
- Place the mixture into a container and use 1-2 tablespoons per load of laundry. Use 2 for large or very soiled loads.
Notes
Don't have a food processor? Grate the bar of soap instead and mix it into the other ingredients.
Natural Laundry Stain Removers
My favorite laundry stain remover for most messes is hydrogen peroxide. Supposedly it can fade certain colors, but I’ve never had that problem. You can test it out on a small patch first to make sure. This stuff has gotten rid of set in blueberry stains, baby drool and coffee.
For grease stains I use straight up dish soap. I cook a lot with coconut oil and sometimes it gets away from me and onto my shirt. So far peroxide and dish soap have yet to fail me as natural laundry stain removers.
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I make my own detergent with this same recipe. I had noticed that my latest purchase of Fels Naptha soap felt different, but I thought is was because of the humidity. I will try the Dr. Bonners soap bar next time. This really is the best recipe for soap. Thanks for sharing!
You are welcome 🙂 The Bronner’s soaps really are great and the scented ones make this recipe even faster!
I put those silica get (do not eat packets) you get in shoes, in mine it helps..
Same here perennial-mommy. When I run the soap through the food processor it usually grinds real fine but the last time it rolled into little balls. I thought maybe my kitchen was too warm.
I use Dr B’s for my laundry. one of the many uses of the castile liquid soap. 1/4 cup in regular machines, half that for HE machines. Instead of fabric softener I use vinager with essential oils (1 quart w/ 15 drops tea tree or lemon). very cheap easy to do laundry & better for the environment.
I’ve used this same regimen before! I just found the powder version to be cheaper, equally effective and natural. Borax is a natural softener too. Even with our hard water I stopped using the vinegar rinse after starting with this powder because the clothes were soooo soft! It works especially well for our cloth diapers too 🙂
From experience, the washing soda won’t dissolve in cold water. I tried this same/similar recipe and found that my clothes weren’t getting clean and finally figured out it was because the powder version of homemade detergent won’t completely dissolve if you wash your clothes on cold.
I’ve found this recipe gets my clothes cleaner than any other that I’ve tried. I do however start filling the washer with warm/hot water, put the powder in and then switch it to cold water. There isn’t enough warm water after it fills for colors to bleed/shrink, but it should help the washing soda to dissolve. Thanks for your insight! Because I wash this way I’d never noticed the washing soda not dissolving, but it’s good to know 🙂
I have that issue just with using baking soda and washing soda. I do exactly that or what I’ve found to be just as good is to get hot water in a separate bowl and pour the amount of the homemade laundry detergent or other powdered additives like baking soda/washing soda – and dissolve it separately and then pour it in the washer as its filling with water. I’ve also tried to do the powdered homemade laundry and I guess my processor wasn’t processing the bar soap fine enough and it wasn’t dissolving in the washer and that’s when i started to dissolve the mixture in a separate container.
Also I don’t use Borax anymore bc it does have some dangers when using it – it can cause issues with fertility so just to be safe i personally don’t use it.
Borax will also sterilize soil, so if you are using grey water in your garden be aware.
I haven’t ever found a problem with it not fully dissolving, but I put the soap in while the machine fills, go get the laundry and throw it in. Maybe that head start helps, but I don’t have residual washing soda, ever.
I use the microwave to heat the soap .I cut it in small hunks and microwave for a few mins , It will puff up, then when cool you can crumble it up.
I use my Salad Shooter to grate my bar directly into the food processor.
good tip!
I used to use this as well – just got lazy (I didn’t have a food processor & had to grate by hand)… But I used to dissolve in boiling water as I would generally make a cuppa at the same time as I would do the washing.
I find its nice to make a bunch at once, then I don’t have to worry about doing all that work each time I wash !
Is this recipe HE safe?
It’s low sudsing so it is safe for HE machines 🙂
Yes it is. Just put it directly on top of your clothes in the drum. It does not suds up, but does a great job cleaning. The recipe I use is slightly different, but all the same ingrediants. I made enough for a year with about $30 worth of ingrediants!! Totally worth the time!!
I live in South Africa and would like to know if you would share your recipe for a year ingredients
Thank you
Trudy
Washing soda is not sold in Canada. Found how to make washing soda on the interenet. Spread the baking soda evenly on baking sheet and bake for 1 hour at 400 degrees. Since washing soda is baking, then why we can’t just use baking soda instead of washing soda?
They are different. When baking soda is heated it’s converted through a chemical process that changes it from sodium bicarbonate into sodium carbonate. They serve different purposes and functions. You wouldn’t want to use washing soda to bake with because the food wouldn’t rise properly. And washing with baking soda isn’t nearly as effective.
@ Rosemary: Washing soda IS sold in Canada. I buy it at Food Basics of No Frills (I’m in Toronto). The brand I buy is “Arm & Hammer” Washing Soda and it is found in the laundry detergent aisle. I have been making my own liquid laundry detergent for years, and have been buying this brand of Washing Soda for years.
I am interested in trying the powdered version…just for the sake of trying it!
Washing soda and Borax is in the stores in CANADA!!!
No Frills, Walmart, Food Basics and Metro…. Just look on the lowest shelf :)))
safeway too!
I live in Toronto as well and have checked the stores in my area. even the dollar store and cant find the washing soda. Not sure what area to look in next.
You can buy it from Amazon for the same price if not cheaper than the stores here in the US.
I’m in eastern ontario too. I couldn’t find it at grocery stores either (superstore, walmart, valu mart) but it is sold at most hardware stores. Got mine at home hardware.
I found washing soda at no frills on main street in brampton. Near the Giant Tiger
Yes it is available in Canada. superstore and home hardware have it here.
It undergoes a chemical change when you bake it,, it goes from a bicarbonate to a carbonate. so the end result is a different compound entirely.
Washing Soda is sold in Canada, BC anyway. It is in the grocery store in the laundry detergent aisle.
I just mix a box of washing soda, a box of borax and grate in 2 big bars of soap. Fast and easy. I put about 2 Tablespoons in my large front loading machine and it works great.
May I substitute using a blender instead of a food processor?
I used a ninja blender for mine and it worked great, but I think it would probably clog a regular blender. You could try it though and let me know if it worked for you!
I’ll grate the soap first, instead of cutting it into blocks. Thanks!
We grate by hand then mix in batches then process in a dedicated blender. (The soap smell remained in the plastic of the blender.) It comes out fine and cold water is never an issue. I highly suggest wearing a mask though.
I was wondering if it is cheaper than buying store brand soap? Also can you make this detergent in liquid too?
You can make it liquid, but I’ve found that it congeals, takes a lot more time and uses unnecessary water and space. If you use enough store brand detergent to clean your clothes, it’s usually typically a lot more than their recommended amount. This costs about $5 for up to 80 loads.
Wow! Easy Peasy! Thanks so much! I’m totally going to make this!
Can kirk’s castile soap be used instead of dr bronners?
Dr. woods soap is a knock off of Dr. Bronners. I’ve used their liquid castile soap before and it works great. It’s half the price of Bronner’s if you buy from Vitacost. http://www.vitacost.com/dr-woods-naturally-castile-bar-soap-lavender
The Bonners soap is that available in Walmart or the like? Im on the west coast.
Dr, Bronner’s can be found fairly inexpensively at Bed, Bath & Beyond.
I buy mine from Vitacost.com because it’s discounted. I don’t think you could use Kirk’s as effectively because it’s a high lathering soap, which is good for skin, but not so much for laundry. I’m not sure about it though and you could try it, but I can’t guarantee any results.
I use Kirk’s bar soap to make my powered laundry soap and am happy with it. I found that recipe on momsaware.org.
How well does this soap dissolve in the new water efficient front loaders?
It’s low sudsing and safe for HE machines. I don’t have a new water efficient one, however, so I don’t know how they work. If you put the powder in then start filling the machine with warm/hot water before switching it to cold ( if you’re using cold water) it should dissolve fine. Or if you’re worried fill a small bowl with hot water and put the powder in it. Let this dissolve for a few minutes and then pour that into the washer.
I use a similar version of this recipe (without using Borax, because I’ve read it’s really only effective in hot water washes – I just sprinkle some in while the water is filling for my hot-wash loads like towels). Anyway, I have a Maytag front-load washer and I’ve never had any trouble with soap not dissolving. Even with cold-water washes (what I mostly use anyway), I’ve never dissolved the powder first or switched warm to cold during the wash. I suppose if you use too much detergent, that could pose a problem, but I typically use no more than 1/4 cup. And my husband is a welder and gets completely filthy at work, so it works well on really dirty clothes, too!
I’ve made my own soap for about 3 years. I’ve used Pink Zote soap, Fels Naphta & Kirk’s Original Coco Castile Soap. They each have their own smell & little different quality. Like all equally.
good to know!
Hi Jamie, thanks for the recipe! I was just wondering. I’ve tried making just the powdered but didn’t really pay attention to how many loads I got out of it. Would it stretch more if I made the liquid or does it work out to pretty much the same amount of loads?
The only difference is that you’re adding extra water. So you end up with more product in the end, but you’re also using more of the liquid. I just find this to be easier, faster, and you save space by not adding the extra water. For example, you may use 1 Tbsp of the powder but 1/4 cup of the liquid, with the same cleaning power.
Hi Jamie I live in the West Indies (Trinidad & Tobago) to be precise. We don’t get borax here so I am glad that it is optional. I really want to try this laundry detergent do I still have to do the hot water bit for the washing soda to dissolve? Thanks for sharing!
I’ve never noticed a problem with it, so you can try this without using the hot water. It really depends on what materials you have available. If you don’t have a food processor or blender, then the soap won’t be fine enough to dissolve without putting it in hot water first.
Here in New Zealand : Borax is $11.95 for 1kg . http://naturesnurtureblog.com/ has instructions for turning baking soda into washing soda, it is also on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFKP3VvCU_0‎
Washing soda is $ 4.15 for 1kg. Dr Bonners soap is $9.50 a bar, plus freight, all in all quite an expensive alternative, but nice reading all your comments.
I’m sure there would be bar soap in your area that’s laundry safe and much cheaper than shipping the Bronner’s. I’ve included a link to a laundry bar recipe,above that you may have the ingredients for too. The borax could also be omitted. And if you have baking soda for cheap in NZ, it would be easy to convert it to washing soda. All that being said, it may just be cheaper for you to find an eco-friendly local detergent. Thanks for the comment!
great idea.i think this is better than normal detergent powder..i am gonna to try this.thanks for sharing..
Does anyone know where I can get washing soda in Cape Town, South Africa?
You can bake bicarbonate, baking soda to convert it. Google it. I’ve also seen it on YouTube
If you use bar soaps, you will have to deal with soap scum and residue,
Regular soap you wash your hands with will leave soap scum, this is why you use a laundry safe soap like Bronner’s, Fels Naptha, Zotes, or Coconut oil soap. I’ve never had a problem with soap scum using this recipe.
I’ve been wanting to make my own laundry soap for awhile but have never tried….this recipe looks great….I make my own soap from scratch so will use that…..I live in the country and have a septic system….does anyone know if homemade laundry soap is harmful to septic systems….thanks for the great recipe
I don’t have a septic system, but I’ve read that powder detergents aren’t good for septic tanks. There is a ton of similar versions of this recipe available online that makes this same type of detergent in a liquid-y gel form (I’m pretty sure the Duggar family uses the liquid version, as well). I’ve used the gel type before, but prefer the powder because it really is super easy and fast to make. Why go through the extra processes if the powder works just as well? But, in your case, I would consider that. Also, as a side note, the liquid form of this detergent takes more volume in use (although obviously, it has more water content in it anyway) than the powder version. It works just about the same, effectively, although I’ve read the ingredients can lose their potency in liquid form over longer periods of time. From what I’ve read, Borax and Washing Soda (and obviously, soap) are safe for septic systems.
I just use Green Shield organic laundry detergent and add a TBS each of washing soda, baking soda and borax with a 1/2 C of oxygen bleach. EVERYTHING comes out no matter how smelly , stained or dirty. I take the really nasty stuff and soak in the tub first w/the BS/WS/BRX ( I have animals…lots of “accidents”..pee, vomit, you name it ) Then I rinse and throw in the wash with the above ingredients on short wash. VOILA… nice, clean , fresh laundry.
Oh… I pre-treat on the spot w/ZOTE white or sometimes Fels Naptha ( I really don’t feel comfortable using it ) and I keep non-chlorine oxygen bleach in a spray bottle. Scrub w/the soap on a soft brush / toothbrush and then spray and toss in the wash. Works great.
Love the homemade powder. Used both zote and feels naphtha. My washing machine is so much cleaner…. not scum. Therefore my clothes must be cleaner
I use a similar recipe only liquid with Phelps Naphtha…I wonder if I could sub the Dr. Bronners instead…
Has anyone tried this in the high efficiency washers?
I’ve been making variations of this laundry soap forever now. Felz Naptha was the first soap I used, but I’ve used all that have been mentioned here at some point in perfecting my “recipe”. I just found out last week that Fela Naptha is NOT all natural, not only that but it contains a biological hazard pesticide called triclocarban. Horrible chemical that the FDA wants to ban. Please, read the ingredients on the bar, type “triclocarban” into a search engine to see for yourself. Then PLEASE, spread this to everyone you know, quit using Felz Naptha forever, and visit the EPA’s website for how to properly dispose of any Felz Naptha you have on hand. This is not a joke or a prank, I swear to you. This is a sincere warning. Best wisher to you all.
i have found with it that it deteriorates the clothes… especially my socks get little balls all over them. I assume this is either from the Borax. Any thoughts???
Is this laundry soap as free from perfumes and other additives that make a lot of detergents itchy, allergic?
I have to start using Dreft and was wondering if this could be as good or better?
If you use the Bronner’s soap this is waaaaay better for you than Dreft. This detergent recipe above uses only essential oils for scent, which come straight from plants.
Dreft rates an F for safety (the lowest rating there is) because of developmental and reproductive toxicity, among other things. See the link for a breakdown on the ingredients
http://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners/2943-DreftUltraLiquidLaundryDetergentforBabies018months
Adding epsom salt softens water and you use less soap….white vinegar is great in rinse water ( w/o any smell) I have found washing soda and borax to be hard on clothes…the epsom salt eliminates both
Ive been making mine about 3 years, never had a problem. Grate 1 lg bar of pink zote. Let it sit on a newspaper or paper plate a few days. It will get dry and crumbly. Add 2 cup each borax and washing soda. Take small amounts at a time and put into a food processor, blender, or for mine, mymagic bullet. It pulverizes it into a very fine powder. Be careful opening it because the powder will puff out. Dont breathe it. Let it settle first. I do mine outside. I use 2 tab, or 4 tab for extra dirty stinky loads. I use white vinegar in a downy ball, and clean the washer once a month with affresh tablets. I love the clean citrisy smell of pink zote. Ive put this into pretty containers with a 2 tab coffee scoop, ribbon or bow on top, and given it for Christmas gifts. Its wonderful. Very good stuff, very cheap too. I wont go back to bought detergents again.
I have a bottle of Liquid Pure Castile Soap. How much would I use in the above formula to replace the bar soap?
I’m really not sure. Since the rest of the ingredients are dry, I’m not sure if they would mix well with a liquid soap.