A few years ago, I decided to try my hand at homemade laundry detergent. I was interested in saving money, but I was also tired of paying more for laundry soap designed for “sensitive skin.”
The recipe I started out with was a liquid laundry detergent using borax, grated soap, washing soda and hot water.
It worked well – my clothes came out clean, though my cloth diapers always needed an extra rinse and Bac-Out to come out smelling fresh.
However, I wasn’t fond of the way it clumped up and I’d have to shake it to evenly distribute everything again.
We shall not discuss the time I shook and the lid wasn’t properly secured …
After that batch ran out, I knew I wanted a powder. Over the years, liquid laundry detergents meant another mess for me to clean up and I was done with it.
I found this recipe from my friends at diyNatural and used it for quite a long time (using grated castile soap). It was very simple and used the exact same ingredients as the liquid laundry detergent had.
However, after a while, I noticed that I’d have to do an extra hot soak to get the smells out. Four kids, a crunchy mama and a husband who loves to run create some interesting smelling clothes.
I switched from a castile bar soap to Fels Naptha, which was much cheaper. I was hesitant at first because of the fragrance, but the smell doesn’t linger (or is maybe hidden by my essential oils) and it does not irritate my skin, which was my main concern. The new soap helped, but by that time I was itching to create something new.
It was time to experiment.
I needed something that would be tough enough on the smells we were dealing with and, ideally, something that wouldn’t require making new laundry detergent every month.
Fortunately, I found a recipe that sounded promising. It promised to last for a year, so I made the recipe and sold 1/3 to my mom and 1/3 to my sister-in-law (they like my homemade detergent but don’t want to make it, so I earn all the money for the ingredients and a little extra).
They loved it. But I didn’t.
The recipe called for a fabric softening product to be added that I didn’t like (they did) and I couldn’t stand the smell of it (which is why I like natural products – no noxious smells). Thankfully, I added the fabric softener after I took some laundry detergent out for myself, and that actually worked pretty well.
I ended up tweaking the recipe a little and have a powder laundry detergent that handles our tough smells (and stains) well. It also lasts me about 4 months.
Homemade Laundry Detergent
Here’s what you need (I get almost all of the ingredients in the laundry soap aisle of my local Kroger):
- 1 box Borax powder (yes, I’ve read the arguments for and against it and still use it – it has not caused us any problems)
- 1 box Washing Soda
- 3 bars coconut oil soap (or try it with this olive castile soap – use coupon code SM1 to get $2 off a pound of castile shreds)
- 1 32 oz. container oxygen bleach (I like this one)
- 40 drops essential oil (I like to switch up combinations and use lavender/lemon, lavender/wild orange, peppermint/orange, etc.)
Grate the soap and then run it through your food processor to break it down into smaller pieces. I usually do this in batches, using 1 cup of oxygen bleach and one grated bar of soap – my machine seems to like that more. I just do the essential oils in one of the batches.
My kids love making this stuff. And we all cover our mouths with our shirts when we’re pouring all of the powders.
I pour each batch into the bucket I store the laundry detergent in (I use one with a lid). After I’ve added the grated soap/oxygen bleach/essential oil mixture to the bucket, I pour in the box of borax, the box of washing soda and any remaining oxygen bleach.
I then secure the lid (tightly!) and start shaking it to get everything mixed up. I usually ask my husband for help, too. And, for good measure, the kids shake it up a little as well.
To use, I add 2 tbsp to each load of laundry.
Want more natural cleaning recipes? Check out this awesome post from Groom and Style for all sorts of non-toxic homemade cleaners.
Update 4/16/15: Reader Karen had a great recommendation:
I use almost the identical recipe but I add 1 lb box of baking soda. I also made my own softener to add with the detergent. I used epsom salts and put it in a large jar and added the essential oils to it, sealed it up for about a week before I made the detergent and then added it to the detergent. I had originally used the purex crystals but I didn’t like the the coloring added to it….and I wanted to have a greater choice scents that I liked. Anyway it has worked out beautifully and if I don’t want a scent then I just use the plain epsom salts and it really softens clothes well ! I so love this site !!!!
I have been making my own laundry soap for over 6 months now. My recipe is pretty much the same as yours……1 cup baking soda, 1 cup washing soda, 1 cup borax, 1 bar of Kirk’s Castile Soap grated very fine, 20-30 drops of Sweet Orange and Lemon essential oils. My husband raves about it, and actually helps grate the soap. I found a wonderful grater with a container from Avon. Works perfectly!! I find I actually look forward to folding all the sweet smelling, and oh so soft, laundry now.
Thanks for all the good advice (and humor)!!
I have been making my own powdered laundry detergent for years and I love it! Saves us so much money. I used to use Fels Naptha bar soap in the recipe. Now I use Kiss My Face brand olive oil bar soap. It is natural and it works really well. Also- the mixture doesn’t separate as much with this type of soap. My husband is a machinist and his clothes are always really oily, dirty, and smelly and it always gets them clean. Check out how we make it:
http://thecowgills.blogspot.com/2013/04/homemade-powdered-laundry-detergent.html
Mine is very similar to yours but for fabric softener I add a tablespoon of Epsom salts per load. You can scent them just like the crystals that are so toxic, by using essential oils. Works great. I think mine is a bit different since I also use baking soda in addition to washing soda so smells get washed out well. And the clothes are super soft & it can be added to the laundry detergent if you want. It goes in at the start of the wash. Clothes are super soft and smell great without harsh chemicals.
Concerning the Fels Naptha – I prefer unscented detergent, but I find that the Fels naptha , when used in this recipe, rinses out with no residual odor. It has become my preferred bar soap for this recipe. Also, I will often grate or cut up the Fels Naptha and leave it overnight in a container of the other ingredients, or just in the open air. After it dries out a bit, it pulverizes in my Vitamix much better without sticking together or forming a hard brick in the bottom.
@Lori, how much do you use per load for your recipe?
I’ve just started using the DIY laundry soap. I use basically the same as yours but I do add the softner pellets as well as baking soda. I would have preferred using the essential oils but the recipe I followed was a condensed version of the “make it once a year.”
I have made my laundry soap for 5 years now, I started with the liquid and am now making the powder, I use a combination of one or two bars of fells naptha and one or two bars of zote, I have found that mixing two different soaps made for laundry purposes works better for me. So many people that I talk to are so surprised you can make your own products that they are shocked when ask them what their grandparents or great-grandparents used, people have forgotten that these store brought products haven’t been around forever.
Can anybody tell me how this does in HE washers? I wasn’t sure how well it would dissolve. (I usually only use cold water.)
My mom’s washer is HE and she just uses 1 tbsp.
Does anyone have experience using this, or a similar recipe, for cloth diapers? The natural store bought detergent I currently use leaves them smelling clean, but a visibly stained. It makes me wonder how clean they are actually getting.
I use this on cloth diapers, but have to rinse them first.
A stsin is just that, a stain, iy doesn’t mean yhat it isn’t clean. You can try adding oxy-clean or bleach if the stains are an issue for you.
Will this recipe work in a HE washer? I don’t want to ruin my machine but I’m wanting to try this!
Yes. My mom uses it in her HE washer with no problems.
where do you find all the ingredients. most of what I have never heard of before.
@Lori- which grater container from Avon did you find? I would love to start making this, but don’t want to use my food processor. Thanks Nina for this recipe!
I love this recipe for simple homemade laundry detergent – only 3 ingredients! Plus it is non-toxic and cheap to make 🙂 check it out…
http://www.organicbaby-yes.com/homemade-laundry-detergent.html
I use my own castile soap that I sell in bars or pre-grated. I never have any problems. However my kids are grown and I have not tried to use it on cloth diapers. I use the same recipe for my basic laundry soap.
For the food processor, do you have one that is used simply for making the soap or do you wash it out and use it for food the next time it is needed? Thanks
I just wash it out.
Can you share a link to your soap, Mary?
Does the laundry soap get white clothing white? That is my biggest problem with using natural laundry detergents. Thank you.
http://www.millanessentials.com/#!product/prd1/281825141/80%25-olive-castile-soap-(-bars-and-shreds) is the link directly to the castile soap
I breed Dogs and have all ways had a odder after washing bedding, blankets, ect. I used this and no odder after washing. THANK YOU.
Yay! That’s great, Cathy! Glad to hear it. 🙂
I’ve been using homemade laundry soap for many years and find walking down the detergent aisle at the supermarket actually makes me nauseous, the smell is overwhelming and offensive. The general population has been so used to that smell they think it’s normal. The farthest from normal you can get. Glad to see non toxic alternatives are gaining in popularity finally!! LOVE your website!
Thanks Margaret!
Is Oxyclean an oxygen bleach? It’s what I have on hand at the moment. I’ve not seen any BioKleen products in any stores in my area (Waco and Temple, Texas), though I know OF the brand as I used some of their products when we lived in Portland, OR and could easily find them at Fred Meyer’s.
It is and with will work.
I use Kiss My Face soap for mine too
I have made a similar laundry soap for over a year now, but am planning on trying yours. I love experimenting! I use vinegar in a downy ball for fabric softener and it helps with odors-especially urine. I have small ones too. I’ve never used an oxygen bleach before in my recipe, but for my whites that I do want to bleach I do it the old fashioned way-sunlight. After all, Clorox hasn’t been around forever and that is how the old timers did it. It really does help bleach out stains! Love your posts and blog!!
Is there a food processor you recommend? Or even a brand or size? I’ve been wanting to try making my own laundry detergent but do lot own a food processor!
I need one of those wooden scoops!! So adorable. Can you direct me to one? 🙂
I’ve made homemade powdered laundry detergent and liked it, but I’m interested in your recipe with the essential oils. I am “confused” though on the size container you use since your recipe is larger portions than the one I’ve used before. Also, you mentioned batches, how much of each ingredient is in one batch?
I use a 5 gallon bucket to do the mixing. I shred my soap bars one at a time and put one bar’s worth of soap in my food processor with about a cup of the oxygen bleach to process it into a powder. I do this in batches because my food processor isn’t very big. Then I pour each batch into my bucket, along with the other ingredients, put on the lid and mix it up.
How good is this for super super sensitive skin? I’m currently using a free & clear detergent. Anything with any sort of scent is no bueno. The only soap I can use is cetaphil. Any advice y’all have would be appreciated!!
Heather: The reason I started making my own soap and eventually started a business, is because I have asthma and very sensitive skin. I am allergic to most commercial soaps and fragrances. I tried this recipe with Fels naptha and it gave me an asthma attack, so I researched and made my own castile soap. I have not bought any commercial cleaning products in over 3 years and I have been doing much better. I sell pre-shredded unscented castile soap here: http://www.millanessentials.com/#!product/prd1/281825141/80%25-olive-castile-soap-(-bars-and-shreds) It can be scented with an essential oil blend of your choosing. I like Lavender lemon.
I just have to ask, where did you get a scoop like the one in the picture? I love it!
I made a batch of detergent using Ivory bar soap as my base, then added borax, baking soda, washing soda, and lemon kool-aid drink mix(citric acid). To remove stubborn stains I treat them them with a solution of hydrogen peroxide, dawn dish soap, salt, and water and a stiff brush., works great for every stain.
Does the powder dissolve in cold water?
Just found your blog….love it….thank you for your hard work. I started making my own laundry soap last February, I am down to the last cup or so, however I handed out a few samples to friends. So easily it lasts for a year. My recipe calls for washing and baking soda…we have three dirty boys, so I do add a extra bar of soap. When I make it I put all the ingredients in a garbage bag, tie it off and mix it up. Works well. I have my husband help when I put it in jars. I just trim the bottom corner and let gravity do it’s work….barely any mess. I add a half cup of white vinegar to the fabric softener dispenser, in addition, when I put the clothes in the dryer I dampen a small hand towel with vinegar and eo’s and throw it in with the wet clothes. I do use dryer balls wrapped in aluminum foil and wool sock wrap. Saved hundreds while making my family healthier…..yeah!
Hi Nina – this is great thank you. I’ve been making my own liquid detergent for some time but had to stop as the thick “gloop” didn’t dissolve well and it kept blocking my drains! I am going to try this powder. I’m a bit unsure as to quantities though. How much is a “box” of borax and washing soda. The borax boxes I buy are completely different sizes to the soda and I buy soda in a packet..I’m in the UK. Thanks!
Hi Jodie. I checked the boxes I use and the washing soda is a 3 lb. box and the borax is 4 lbs 12 oz. Hope that helps!
any suggestions for getting dingy whites white again? I use this same recipe, but my white undies- mostly synthetics- are now gray!
Sometimes I have to soak my whites in hot water with just the oxygen bleach. It helps.
I find that the powdered versions don’t dissolve very well unless I’m using hot water, but at the same time the homemade liquid recipes are so much more work…
Hi Amy
Funnily enough I found that the liquid recipes didn’t dissolve well for me. It was very gloopy and in fact clogged up my drains. I actually found them pretty easy to make though. I’ve just got all the ingreds for this powder recipe and am looking forward to trying it. I am hoping that it dissolves better than the liquid!
I use borax for natural detergent, all petrolium and phospate detergent more danger than borax. Borax is natural mineraland ı dont know any disease about borax. Some people say borax is toxic it is not really..
I am absolutely loving this powder! I’m a bit nervous about using it on my colours though because of the oxygen bleach. Does anyone have experience of colours fading with it?
I make a batch with and without the oxiclean. I use the one without it for dark colors just in case, but I have never noticed a problem.
I’ve made my own laundry detergent similar to yours but w/o the bleach. I had mixed feelings about it, maybe because I was cleaning cloth diapers using a front loader and wasn’t crazy about how they were coming out. Now we have a top loader again and I feel this gets things cleaner.
I’m always looking for new recipes and appreciate when someone explains the science behind them. I recently came across this recipe (http://www.mommypotamus.com/homemade-natural-laundry-detergent-made-easy/) for laundry detergent with JUST washing soda (no borax, but not because it’s harmful) and coconut oil soap, essential oils optional. I plan to make that and use a Downy ball with white vinegar rinse, maybe some epsom salt fabric softener.
How does this work on cloth diapers? Is it safe with the bleach in it?
I love this recipe. It does last about 4 months. I followed the advice of one of the replies. To mix it up in a trash bag. it was a lot easier. I also store it in glass mason jars. That way I’m not prying the lid off of my 5 gallon pail. I have tried other recipes. This one works on my sons filthy, smelly work clothes. I will always use this recipe! Thanks for sharing it!
Yay! So glad you like it!
Your recipe is almost exactly like mine except I also add a box of Arm & Hammer baking soda and omit the essential oils from the detergent but add the oils straight to the water when filling the washer. I love it because it costs me less than $20 and lasts up 4-6 months!
I’ve been making my own laundry and I line dry them. I always ready about line dried clothes smelling so great but mine always come out stiff and don’t smell ‘fresh’! I am really excited to give your detergent a try! I struggle the most with my kitchen towels and rags and getting them to not have that soured smell after being used! Do you have a fabric softener recipe you recommend? I just hate having all of our clothes so stiff once they are dry.
Has anyone tried magnets for washing clothes?
Nina! Where did you get your wooden scoop for the laundry detergent?
Love that your kids are involved. I was reading through the comments and am glad this can be used on cloth diapers! With baby #2, we are spending far too much on laundry detergent with the increase in laundry!
What is the measurement of a box of washing soda? i make my own….
The box says 55 oz. 🙂
How much did you save by buying all that stuff for the mixtures plus mixing them and experimenting with the new ones?Does this mixture play well with the laundry machine? I know that I tried a few things with mine but the quality of the manufacturer was extremely low and something wasn’t right with the filters and stuff. I didn’t really bother to know what but I tried not to play with it anymore.
What size container do you store your powder detergent in? This doesn’t seem to need the 5 gallon bucket that the liquid detergent needs, but what works for you?
Hi Rachel,
It makes a bit over a gallon if I remember correctly (I haven’t put it in a gallon jar in years.) I usually divide it up into a few decorative containers and pull out a new one as I use it up.
Hello Nina, I have sensitive skin, too. My daughter has more sensitive than mine. In my family we always use homemade soaps and cleaners. It is really big fun when we are making them. My daughter loves to help me , too. Greetings!
What is the weight of the washing soda & borax please?