Here is a nice stack of different recipes for making homemade laundry detergent that I’ve collected over the years. Do they work? Yes, I’ve had good luck with them. At the time I was using them, we had a relative who was in trade school living with us. Every day he was mechanic grease from head to toe–the clothes still cleaned up nice!
As with making all DIY household cleaning products for the home, this is a discipline when done on a regular basis and it’s not for everyone…but the loss of convenience definitely shaves money off the budget, sometimes just costing pennies a load!
Update 2023: Congratulations! You have found the original homemade laundry detergent tutorial and reference guide that’s been online since 2007. This page has been referred to millions of times by DIYers over the past 15+ years!
There are all kinds of tips, tricks and ingredient ratios to be found here, including a growing FAQ section packed with more helpful information. Enjoy!
Before getting started, here are a few tips:
- For the bar soaps required, you could try Fels-Naptha, Ivory, Sunlight, Kirk’s Hardwater Castile, and Zote.
- Avoid using heavily perfumed varieties.
- Washing Soda and Borax can normally be found locally in the laundry and cleaning aisles or bought online at places such as Amazon.
- Some people with really hard or well water may have to adjust the ingredients if the clothes look dingy.
- Although several of the detergent recipes have the same ingredients, the measurements are different–some contain a higher soap to water ratio.
- Test and see which works best for your needs.
- You can make huge pails of this at once, or smaller quantities.
- If you can get your hands on a few empty liquid detergent bottles, they work great for storing large batches. Just whip up a big batch and pour in bottles, cap then shake before each use.
- Some batches need large amounts of water. Check with a local restaurant to see if they have any empty large pails from deep fryer oil–that’s how many restaurants buy the oil.
- See if you can have one or two of the pails after they’ve emptied it–just wash them out really well before using. They’re big, heavy plastic and very sturdy when stirring.
How To Make Homemade Laundry Detergent
Here Are 10 Easy Recipes You Can Try
You’ll also find a very useful
Frequently Asked Questions section at the bottom of this page
Lots of info here to get you started, good luck!
Recipe #1
1 quart Water (boiling)
2 cups Bar soap (grated)
2 cups Borax
2 cups Washing Soda
- Add finely grated bar to the boiling water and stir until it is all melted. Keep on low heat until this happens.
- Pour the mixture into a large, clean pail and add the Borax and W.S. Stir well until all is dissolved.
- Add 2 gallons of water, blend until well combined.
- Cover pail and use 1/4 cup for each load of laundry. Stir each time you measure (will gel).
Recipe #2
1 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
1 Soap bar
- Grate the bar and add to a large saucepan with hot water to cover. Whisk over medium-low heat until it dissolves and is melted.
- Fill a 10 gallon pail half full of hot water. Add the mixture, Borax and W.S., stir well until all powder is dissolved. Top the pail up with more hot water.
- Use 1 cup per load, stirring first (will gel).
Recipe #3
1/2 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
1/3 bar Soap
- In a large pot, heat 3 pints of water. Add the grated bar and whisk until melted. Then add the W.S. and borax. Stir until powder is dissolved, then remove from heat.
- In a 2 gallon clean pail, pour 1 quart of hot water and add the heated mixture.
- Top pail with cold water and combine well.
- Use 1/2 cup per load, stirring first (will gel).
Powdered – Recipe #4
2 cups Fels Naptha Soap (finely grated – you could also try the other bars listed at the top)
1 cup Washing Soda
1 cup Borax
- Mix well and store in an airtight plastic container.
- 2 tablespoons powder per full load.
Recipe #5
1 bar (4.5 oz) Ivory – grated
1 cup Washing Soda
- In a large saucepan add grated soap and enough hot water to cover. Heat over medium-low and stir until dissolved.
- Fill a large pail with 2.5 gallons of hot water, add hot mixture. Stir until combined well.
- Then add the W.S., again stirring well.
- Set aside to cool.
- 1/2 cup per full load, stirring thoroughly first (will gel)
Recipe #6
2.5 gallons Water (hot)
1 Bar soap (grated)
3/4 cup Washing Soda
3/4 cup Borax
2 TBS Glycerin
- Melt soap over medium-low heat topped with water, stir until dissolved.
- In a large pail, pour 2.5 gallons of hot water, add hot mixture, W.S., borax and glycerin. Mix well.
- 1/2 cup per full load.
Recipe #7
2 cups Bar soap
2 cups Washing Soda
2 – 2.5 gallons hot water
- Melt grated bar in saucepan with water to cover. Heat over medium-low heat and stir until dissolved.
- Pour hot water in large pail, add hot mixture and W.S. Stir very well.
- 1 cup per full load.
Recipe # 8
2 gallons Water (hot)
1 bar Soap (grated)
2 cups Baking soda (yes, baking soda this time–not washing soda)
- Melt grated soap in a saucepan with enough hot water to cover. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring frequently until melted.
- In a large pail, pour 2 gallons hot water. Add mixture, stir well.
- Then add the baking soda, stir well again.
- 1/2 cup per full load, 1 cup if very soiled.
Powdered – Recipe #9
12 cups Borax
8 cups Baking Soda
8 cups Washing Soda
8 cups Bar soap (grated)
- Mix all ingredients thoroughly and store in a sealed tub.
- 1/8 cup of powder per full load.
#10 – (Powdered)
1 cup Vinegar (white)
1 cup Baking Soda
1 cup Washing Soda
1/4 cup liquid castile soap
- Mix well and store in sealed container.
- I find it easiest to pour the liquid castile into the bowl first, stirred in the W.S., then baking soda, then added the vinegar in small amounts at a time (the batch foams up at first).
- The mixture is a thick paste at first that will break down into a heavy powdered detergent, just keep stirring.
- There may be some hard lumps, try to break them down when stirring (it really helps to make sure the baking soda isn’t clumpy when first adding).
- I used 1/2 cup per full load with great results.
*Admin Update: clarified instructions for #10 and liquid detergent notes.
Quick Tips & Notes
*If you can’t find Fels-Naptha locally, you can buy it online (check Amazon).
Liquid Versions:
- This will be lumpy, goopy and gel-like which is normal. Just give it a good churn before using.
- Make sure to keep covered with a tight lid when not in use.
- Another good option is to pour the mixture in old (and cleaned) plastic detergent bottles, cap tightly and shake well before each use.
Optional Fragrance:
- You can add between 10 to 15 drops of essential oil (per 2 gallons) to give it a nice scent.
- Add once the batch has cooled to room temperature. Stir well and cover.
- Essential oil suggestions: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil
Frequently Asked Questions
Update: I first published the above recipes in 2007 and this post has been one of the most popular articles posted here on Tipnut.
I’m proud to say it’s one of the most informative resources available for learning how to make your own laundry detergent (but maybe I’m biased 😉 ), and it’s about to get even better with this compiled FAQ sheet.
With several hundred comments, many of them packed with helpful info, I’m finding that many of the questions posted in the comments area or sent to me through the contact form have been asked and answered several times, and that’s understandable since who can possibly keep track of all the information shared!
I’ve decided to gather together all the frequently asked questions into one handy information sheet so people can refer to it and find answers more easily.
Where Do You Buy Washing Soda?
- The brand I’m most familiar with is Arm & Hammer.
- Look in the laundry aisle of your grocery store or Walmart, that’s where I find it.
- You can order it online quite easily, just do a search for it on Amazon or Google.
- It’s apparently also known as Soda Ash and can be found at art supply stores, JoAnn Fabrics, and other places that sell textile products.
- Try asking your local grocer to order it for you if they don’t carry it. The UPC code is 33200-03020 or 033200-030201.
- You can try calling Church & Dwight the suppliers/makers for Arm & Hammer…1-800-524-1328…give them a UPC # 33200-03020 and they can direct you on where to find it locally or purchase it through them over the phone. You can also contact them via their website here: Church & Dwight – Arm & Hammer.
Where Can I Buy Fels Naptha?
- Check the laundry aisle in your local grocery store or Walmart.
- Fels Naptha is part of Summit Brands. You can check their website to locate the nearest store that carries it: Summit Brands – Store Location. Select “Zout” in the Brand pull down menu and then you can select Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar & Stain Remover.
- You can order it online at Amazon.
Help! It’s Too Thick, Too Loose, Too Chunky, It Separated, It’s A Solid Mass, It Doesn’t Look Like I Think It Should!
- Making your own laundry detergent is not an exact science. If it turns out differently than expected, still give it a try since the ingredients are all there. I can’t tell you what you did wrong or why a batch turned out differently than expected.
- If you followed directions to a “T” (combined really well, used hot water, measured correctly, etc.), then the likely culprit is the brand of soap.
- If the mixture gelled into a solid mass, try mixing in more hot water. If it’s too thin, try adding more soap or Borax or Washing Soda.
It Doesn’t Look Like Commercial Brands, It Looks Like Goopy Glop!
- Congrats! That’s how it’s supposed to look.
Will My Favorite Brand Of Soap Work?
- You’ll have to experiment by making a batch first to know for sure. I would cut batches in half (or even less) when first experimenting. This way there won’t be as much waste if it turns out poorly.
- You don’t want anything heavy with perfumes or oils since this may transfer to your clothing (stains). They may also cause a chemical reaction with the other ingredients.
- From the comments area: Any brand is okay that lists sodium palmate, sodium cocoate, sodium tallowate, etc.
- Just be sure you are using real soap and not beauty bars with added free oils. (i.e. dove, etc).
- I wouldn’t incorporate beauty bars or shower gels or body wash.
Are There Alternatives For People Who Have Allergies Or Sensitive Skin?
- Try brands that you know you’re not allergic to, but watch the ingredients in the bar to make sure it won’t react with the rest of ingredients. The only way to know for sure is to try it.
How Do You Grate The Bars?
- I do this on a handheld cheese grater but you can also use a food processor (just make sure you clean it well afterwards). Grate the bar first before tossing into a food processor then chop until fine.
Is Liquid OK Instead Of Grating A Bar?
- Again, this is not an exact science–there’s lots of room for experimentation. For liquid varieties, I myself have not tried using liquid soap instead of a bar. I think Liquid Castile would be ok, you might want to dilute it with water first (no, I don’t have a dilution ratio to suggest). If you do try it, let us know how you made out in the comments area below.
What Is The Difference Between Washing Soda And Baking Soda?
- Washing soda is Sodium Carbonate Decahydrate. Baking Soda is Sodium Bicarbonate. No they are not interchangeable and results will vary if substituting one for the other.
How Long Can It Be Stored For?
- The powdered version seems to last forever, but I have no exact expiry date to advise. The liquid varieties also last quite awhile, but will thicken up over time. It was also suggested in the comments area that bacteria may grow in the detergent if it’s stored too long–what too long actually is, I can’t answer.
Is This Safe For A High Efficiency Washer (HE Machine)?
- I have no experience with this but there are lots of comments that say it’s fine. Be aware that using anything other than what your machine manufacturer recommends may void your warranty.
- Go through the comments and you will find several suggestions for HE machines.
- Homemade detergent is low sudsing which is important for HE machines.
Can You Use It In a Front Loading Machine?
- I have no experience with this but there are lots of comments that say it’s fine to use. Be aware that using anything other than what your machine manufacturer recommends may void your warranty.
I Have Hard Water & My Clothes Don’t Come Out That Clean, Suggestions?
- Try incorporating baking soda or oxyclean or vinegar as laundry boosters, suggestions for baking soda are to start with 1/2 cup per load.
Aren’t These Ingredients Caustic? Poisonous? Are They Safe To Handle?
- As with all cleaners, common sense is needed when handling cleaning agents and products. Going against dire, dire warnings about how dangerous Borax and Washing Soda are to the skin, I handled all ingredients with bare hands and experienced no burns and all flesh is still intact. If I had small cuts or scrapes on my skin, my experience may have been different. To be safe you may wish to wear rubber gloves.
- Avoid breathing in any of the powders and ingredients. I imagine breathing in a mouthful of commercial laundry products, or getting it in my eyes or up my nose, would be very uncomfortable and unwise for health reasons, the same goes for homemade detergent ingredients.
- It goes without saying: Don’t eat it to find out if it’s poisonous or not. And of course: Keep this out of reach of kiddos just like you would for any other household cleaning product.
Can It Be Used With Cold Water Instead Of Hot?
- Sure it can. If you notice clothes don’t come out as clean as you’d like, try a laundry booster such as vinegar or oxyclean.
Can It Be Used For Laundering Baby Clothes & Diapers?
- This question is asked for two reasons: Will it irritate baby’s skin and will it be strong enough to clean nasty diapers. Although I’ve never tried homemade detergents for this purpose myself, I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Martha Stewart recommends both Washing Soda and Borax as boosters when laundering diapers.
- The instructions on the box for Arm & Hammer suggest as a diaper soak.
- Many have affirmed that baby items clean up nicely with no ill effects.
How Fine Do You Have To Grate The Bar?
- Grating the bar first is done so that it melts faster when heated or dissolves better in the wash. The finer it is, the quicker it melts.
Will It Fade Dark Colored Clothing?
- I have noticed no fading or damage to clothing. I’ve laundered work clothes, everyday clothes and office attire.
Freshly Laundered Clothes Smell Like Nothing! Can You Add Essential Oils For Fragrance? If So, How Much?
- You bet! Essential oils are a nice touch (freshly laundered clothes really don’t have any nice or noticeable scent with homemade detergent). How much you add depends on how strong the fragrance is that you’ve chosen and what recipe you are using. Experiment for yourself to see what you like best.
- For starters you can try these two suggestions as guidelines: Recipe #4 (Powdered) I’d start with 5 drops, mixed in very well. For #9 (Powdered) I’d start with 20 to 25 drops, mixed in very well. Also noted in the original post: Try between 10 to 15 drops of essential oil (per 2 gallons).
Can Bleach Be Added?
- Bleach has been used by myself successfully with no harmful effects. You will want to watch the ingredients in your laundry soap items though (make sure the bar you use can be mixed with bleach safely), bleach will react negatively with vinegar for example.
Is There A Residue On Clothes After Laundering?
- I haven’t noticed it but if you do, here are a couple things you can try: Increase the water amount, decrease the load size or decrease the detergent used per wash. You can also try a vinegar rinse by using a Downy ball or during the rinse cycle.
Can I Safely Use the Gray Water In My Garden?
- I have no idea, sorry.
Are These Safe For Septic Tanks?
- I have no idea, sorry.
Why Aren’t There Any Suds Forming?
- Homemade detergents are low sudsing, you won’t see many suds in the wash. No worries, this is normal and your clothes will still come out clean.
After Mixing Ingredients Together, The Mixture Smells Really Strong & Foul–What’s Wrong?
- The brand of soap is likely causing a chemical reaction with the other ingredients. Throw out the batch (don’t get it on your skin or breathe it in) and try a different brand.
It Isn’t Completely Dissolving, Why?
- If you’re having problems with chunks of detergent not dissolving, try mixing it in some hot water before adding to the load.
- If you are using the powdered version, try grating soap into finer pieces.
Any Ideas Of What I Can Use For Storing The Liquid Version In?
- Pails made from heavy plastic, make sure there’s a lid or cap to keep it sealed. I found some big heavy pails through a restaurant, if you know someone working in a restaurant, see if they can help you out.
- Comments have suggested empty plastic vinegar jugs.
- Comments have suggested large plastic kitty litter containers.
Is This Stuff Safe For The Environment? I’m Trying To Find An Eco-Friendly Solution!
- According to the Environmental Working Group, Arm & Hammer’s washing soda is rated “low concern” for environment impact: ewg.org.
- Borax is an ingredient included in many natural “Green” recipes.
- I would guess that it’s better than most regular commercial products.
How Much Is Needed Per Load?
- Read the instructions for the particular recipe you’re working with, each of them have suggested amounts to use. Feel free to adjust as needed.
Ugh! This Stuff Didn’t Clean My Clothes At All!
- It could be one of two things: because not enough detergent was added to loads or the brand of bar soap utilized. Experiment with the amounts, you should discover the necessary amount.
- The suggested amounts may not be right in your case since the brand of bar soap incorporated might not be as effective a cleaner as others.
Is It Really Worthwhile Making Your Own?
- The powdered varieties are the easiest to manage in my opinion (for both mixing and storing). It doesn’t cost that much to give it a shot and see how you like it. If you do find it works well for you–imagine the money you’ll save over time!
Increasing Some Antiseptic Quality
This is a great tip sent in by Susan and I think it should be added to this main section so it doesn’t get missed (thank you Susan!)…
- For readers who were worried about bacteria surviving in the wash using cold water they could try using Dr. Bronner’s teatree soap or adding teatree oil to their detergent for it’s antiseptic properties. I’ve had some success with this. I used this on my son when his winter eczyma became irritated and resulted in a bad skin infection. It cleared up in about half the amount of time his pediatrician predicted. Also, adding vinegar to the fabric softener cup on the washer will help to keep things more sanitary by breaking up leftover residues.
I’ll add to this list as questions arise. If you have any advice to offer, feel free to do so in the comments area below, and thanks again to everyone who shared their knowledge!
I have been making my own laundry soap for many years. I love that people like you have posted it to the web. I was looking to add fragrance to some of it which I found on here; thank you.
I noted you had questions that you answered that you had no idea or you were unsure in regards to septic tanks and gray water for gardens. This soap is safe for both.
For heavier stains like grease and heavy dirt. I use a small amount of dawn dish soap for grease mixed dawn and water in a spray bottle rubbed it in with a wet cloth or old toothbrush and lava soap for everything else just rub the bar around on it and rub with cloth or old toothbrush and let it soak in water then wash as usual
Am so glad i found this site, thanks for ur tips. ‘cos i’ve been looking forward to making my own powdered soap. The problem i’ve now is that i live in africa and ‘ve not heard or seen Fels-Naptha, liquid castile soap or Borex. So i was wondering if some other soaps can replace these ones. I want to try #10. Thanks.
Recipes #5 #7 and #8 do not use Borax
There are instruction here to make your own Washing Soda using ordinary baking soda. Look for the purest soap you can find with no perfumes or additives and you will probably be fine.
Tom says:You can make washing soda by baking baking soda. Baking the baking soda burns the carbon and water outta it, leaving you with washing soda….
look on the net for a recipy
I was wondering where to purchase Castile Liquid soap? I could not find it at Walmart. I found several brands online but wanted to ask which brand you use?
Thank You.
I live in Tx and we have a Herbmart so look for something like that in your area….
I have been making #3 and it works great. I plan to get fragrance for it (so my granddaughter) won’t complain-she doesn’t like detergents with mo fragrance. I also plan to sell to my friends. I’m enjoying this new adventure.
When do i add vineger? Last rinse or in the soap?
In the Rinse cycle!
Is this safe to use on dishes that you use for eating? I am not sure how poisonous this is for that purpose. Can any of the liquid formulas be used for washing dishes? Or does anyone know of a recipe that can be used for dishes?
Can I add teatree oil to the powdered version? I would like to use it for the antiseptic properties on my cloth diapers, but am not sure if I can add it to the powdered stuff. If not, I could just add it in a downey ball, right?
Wal-Mart now sells Zote flakes which is way easier than grating the soap….About 2.74 per box 17.5 ozs I used 2 cups along with the rest and turned out fine 🙂
Also if you are looking for a better smell then add 1 cup of Purex Crystals your flavor I do the fresh one and I added it when I was melting the soap and no problem and man do this stuff smell good but I am crazy like that! And I make my own fabric softener too!! Thank mam!
Fabric Softener I use is
3 cups White Vinegar
1 bottle of Suave Conditioner (I use ocean water flavor)
Can use but not needed
(Any essential oil your flavor 2-4 drops)
Mix all together and I use my mixer to blend perfect and your done!
Use as you normally do 🙂
I love my home made detergent.But my husband says that when he sweats the odor is bad.what can I do to keep his cloths from smeeling when he sweats.?
My son has this problem, but it’s even with store bought detergent. Use a 1/2 c. of regular baking soda with your detergent. That works wonders.
Hi Tipnut,
Thanks for the tips! I do have one question. We made our own laundry detergent based on your recipe using Fels Naptha soap. I have noticed since I have been using the homemade detergent that my white clothes have a yellow stain on them. It has to be coming from the detergent because it is in all different spots, different clothes, different people; but they were never there until I started using the detergent a few weeks ago. Any ideas on what is causing this? It is only on my white clothes.
I’ve been making my own powdered detergent for two years (1 bar of grated soap, 1 c Borax, 1 c Washing Soda) and I use whatever is the cheapest bar of soap I can find. I’ve even used Dove and never noticed any staining or oils. I’ve also used Fels Naptha and Dr. Bronner’s and feel they’re all the same. It’s so awesome making your own…I love it! Hope other people love it, too 🙂
To answer the questions–borax is not safe for gray water systems. It’s a naturally occurring substance, but it is not safe for children, pets, plants, or any beneficial insects you want to have in your yard.
JJeanahoskins–To get armpit odors out–if you have lingering odor that means you have bacteria in your clothes.
-spray an enzyme based cleaner on the affected areas of clothes and let sit for 1/2 hour or so before washing.
-wash in the hottest water possible for the fabric
-extra rinse with vinegar in the rinse cycle.
-for old odor stains, this may take 2-3 times to get it out completely.
Which recipe would you suggest to get out greasy stains the best. I have made the first one already and love it for most of our clothes, but my husband is a mechanic and they don’t seem to be getting quite as clean. I do however LOVE the way it works on the other clothes, but his are just down right tough!
Please help! I want to make liquid clothes detergent but cannot find Borax or washing soda, or castille soap here (and of course, no Fels Naptha). I am in Saudi Arabia so even having things shipped here is not an option. Any suggestions? A Small Tide bottle costs $18. I need to save money and the powdered Tide is not working effectively either. Any help-I would appreciate-thanks so much! -Andrea
Washing soda is used in a lot of other ways. If there is a dye supply or ceramics supply or swimming pool business in your area you might find it there under the name soda ash. (or whatever that translates to). Castille soap isn’t hard to make (I’ll bet there are online instructions) but you would need to be able to find lye and olive oil. I don’t have a clue on the borax.
Are there natural health food places there? Thats where I bought Castile soap
In the Rinse cycle!
I have not made homemade soap for years and the recipe I used was for a soft soap using rendered lard and lye. I have a friend who makes her own and I am going to try doing so when my current supply is used up. I live in Florida in the winter and use only cool or cold water. I also line dry my clothes, not dryer. Is it safe to use a fabric softener in the rinse load if the clothes don’t feel soft?
I just made a batch of recipe #8 and was very impressed! To test it I washed a towel the cat peed on, a white tshirt with spaghetti stains that was dried in, and whit tshirt that was covered in red Kool-Aid for a whole day. Everything came out perfectly clean. No stains and no cat pee smell! I will be buying a scent additive tho and I think I’m gonna do that vinegar in a downy ball too. I will never buy laundry detergent again!
I am currently using a modified #4 recipe on some work pants of my husband’s that our cat peed on. I am so glad to know my cat isn’t the only strange one on earth!! I am very encouraged to hear that your towel came out of the wash with no stains or pee smell, that smell in particular has been VERY hard for me to get out of clothing in the past!! Thank you for posting this!
Hello to all and I’m grateful I found this site!!! Please tell me, I have an HE washer and dryer I rather use the recipes that are the powder. Which one is best for HE and how much should I use for each load like 1/4, 1/8 cup, teaspoons?? We live in Texas the water I guess is kinda hard ? Can’t wait to make this detergent!!!
Where do you get the essential oil and what kind do u use?
Sorry but what is ( Glycerin ) And where can I get it?
I use the dry detergent mixture, Borax, Washing Soda and grated bar soap. I have to put the mixture in the machine first and agitate for a minute, before adding clothes. 2 new shirts of mine have been ruined by bleached out spots. The mix on top of damp spots on the shirts have caused this.
I tried the powdered recipe #10, mixing the ingredients exactly as the reciped called for. The recipe stated that it would foam as the vinegar was added as it did. As stated, at first the mixture would be like a heavy paste that would break down into a heavy powder, to just keep stirring. I just kept stirring for almost an hour and it never broke down to a heavy powder as I would have imagined it to be. What is the consistency of a “heavy powder?” My mixture stayed at the consistncy of very heavy grainy Playdough.
i used bath salts in the very first batch i have made i used them for the smell is this ok? it is a body soak the jar says it is a soak with dead sea salt, vitamins and minerals jusy wondering if i made a big maistake.
the powder works great,I add oxy clean powder.
I have looked around the internet for sites that discuss homemade laundry soap. I make mine also because of allergies. You mentioned that this was the most informative but you are probably biased… no, you are not biased! This is the most informative article I have found yet! In fact, I am bookmarking it! Thank you!
I’ve been using recipe #9 for a month and I LOVE IT! Thank you so much for publishing these recipes.
I bought liquid castile soap to make homemade dishwasher soap and have so much of it I want to use it for laundry. How would much would I use and is there anything else that would need to be changed when using the liquid castile?
I want to make a liquid laundry detergent.
HI, I was just wondering how I could add a fragrance to the recipe or can I?
I didn’t know about vinegar and bleach reacting badly together. Can I use bleach in my load with my homemade soap and then use the vinegar in the rinse cycle?
Thanks for your most informative blog.Its definitely the most comprehensive I’ve come accross 😉
I really want to make my own detergent for a number of reasons –
1.cost! My son has eczema so I’ve had to try all the brands here and the only one he’s not alergic to the the most expensive! At about €20 per 30 washes ;-/
2. My sons eczema. I’ve read that this tends to be skin kind due to the few ingredients and no perfume.
2. Its eco friendly. We are no connected to main sewers so we have to be careful what detergents end up going into the bio tank and disrupting the natural breakdown.
BUT there are a few problems for me 🙁
I am in Ireland and washing soda and Borax are NOT readily available here I have found washing soda but in a much smaller quantity than your supermarket available brands above. Only 500g (17oz) but only costs $1
I have the borax ordered from a pharmacy but not sure of the quantity or cost yet. I can only assume that it will still be more cost effective!
I also have no clue about the soaps listed above. There arent very mand laundry soaps here – except vanish which is REALLY expensive. Could you use a carbolic soap or regular skin soap?
What would the oz /gram weights of the measurements given above be so that I can halve or quarter the quantity to suit the size of the ingredients available to me?
Thanks for your help!
use Ivory soap or any soap if your son has a skin condition use castile soap and baking soda instead this works very well for skin care natural and cleaning and is good for the skin I hope this helps
Okay, I just finished making my first batch of the liquid .. and lets just say i love suds in my watch .. i don’t feel my clothing are clean.. so instead of using the 2 bars of soaps that a normal person uses .. i wanted to use four .. and lets just say i gotta a GLOP … of whiteness i am going to let is settle and in hopes that i will be able to use it tomorrow .. because i have four loads to wash .. lets pray it works !!
I have made the powdered detergent using the formula of 1 c. borax, 1 c.washing soda & 1 bar soap plus I added 1/2 c of biz which is an enzyme booster & it brightens the clothes just great. I add 1/4 c of vinegar to rinse cycle when I feel the clothes will need an extra rinse boost. (large load or dirtier clothes) I also add Downy unstoppables for scent- a capful when I double the batch but that can be adjusted according to your desire.
I use a NO GRATE method as follows:
For 1 gallon:
3 TBSP Borax
4 TBSP Washing soda
3 TBSP Dawn dish soap non-concentrate (original blue)
Add the washing soda and borax to container with 4 cups hot hot water, put on cap and give a good shake. Undo cap fill to about 2″ from top and add the Dawn. Put lid back on and give a couple good shakes. I shake before use and use about 1/2 cup.
This is so convenient and doesn’t require the storage of a large pail or the possibility of bacteria growth from prolonged storage.
** that is fill with water to about 2″ from top before adding dish soap 😉
Kathleen,
Are you sure you only use 3 tablespoons of dawn to 1 gallon of water?
When you say to fill with water within 2 inches from the top, do you use more hot water or cold water?
I am going to try this Kathleen. So, the first part is mixed with very hot water. Then when I fill with the remainder of the water is that also hot water or cold water? Thanks. 🙂
Thanks for posting all your homemade recipes. I love them. They not only save you money but they are environmentally friendly and we all need to think of that these days.
Has anyone noticed if you use a soap like lever 2000 you get a fresh smell to clothes. I love my homeade detergent but the hubby thinks if he can’t smell the freshness it’s not as clean. I’m saving almost $35 dollars a month on detergent and can’t go back to store bought now, I’m hooked.
use just a little of the downy unstopables – they leave an incredible scent!! You do not need to use the recomended amount per load, a little goes a long way!
Can you use Zest bar soap in these recipes??? Thinking about making my own but was unsure about the best soap. I want one that will make my clothes smell good and clean!
You can make washing soda by baking baking soda. Baking the baking soda burns the carbon and water outta it, leaving you with washing soda….
look on the net for a recipy
hi! my daughter in law makes home made laundrey soap ive decided to give it a try. will let you know how it turns out.
Little tip for powder detergent makes like me. Microwave your soap for 1-2 minutes on a paper plate. It puffs up really big. The moisture is being cooked out of it and leaves the soap behind. Let it cool for several minutes. It will feel like dry foam after completely cooling. Cut into chunks with a butter knife and throw into a food processor. Makes a very nice fine powder.
Do you have to wait over night before you can use the detergent or can you use it right away?
The following is an excerpt from the Wikipedia article on Borax, under the heading of Toxicity. My daughter, who is pregnant, just started mixing with Borax last week. I just sent Hera text telling her to STOP until we do more research. Apparently, the US regulations are not recognizing the dangers like the EU is. PLEASE read the following and do the research for yourselves and your loved ones …
“Borax was added to the Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC) candidate list on 16 December 2010. The SVHC candidate list is part of the EU Regulations on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals 2006 (REACH), and the addition was based on the revised classification of Borax as toxic for reproduction category 1B under the CLP Regulations. Substances and mixtures imported into the EU which contain Borax are now required to be labelled with the warnings “May damage fertility” and “May damage the unborn child”. [23]”
I want to make my own laundry soap. I’ve been told that it usually has no scent to it. Can you use the Downy Unstopables Scent Boosters in it? If so, how much?
If you add 1 box of powdered pectin to the grated soap when you are melting it, it helps to keep your soap from globbing up as much.
I would like to try this, which recipe are you using and how much pectic in a “box”?
I love this, but would love to scent it with something. I thought about essential oil, but each oil I looked at said not to get it on fabric! I know that mixing it with the detergent will delute the oil, so will it still be harmful to fabric? I love love love this detergent and it saves so much money!
I made the liquid solution using
1 c Borax
1 c Washing Soda
1 Bar Ivory Soap
Mixed all the ingredients as directed, BUT mine never Set correctly, was still like water. Any suggestions?
I’ve looked through all the tips and comments and found nothing about the problem I’m having: I’ve been making my own detergent, using recipe #1, for about two years. I like it a lot (obviously, since I’ve kept using it), but my detergent ends up with tons of crystals in it. I know this is from the borax, but I need to know 1) is this bad to put in with my laundry? The crystals are not large, but there are a bunch of them and they are pretty rough and sharp-ish. 2) if they are not good to put in with the laundry, how do I avoid these crystals from forming when I make my detergent? So far I’ve just been putting he detergent through and strainer to get the crystals out (yes, all 5 or so gallons of it–annoying!!!).
Any help would be appreciated.
I have been making recipe #3 for 3 years now. The first thing I noticed is that our laundry was softer after using this new detergent as opposed to our old standby Tide. After some calculations I realized that by making our own detergent we were saving ourselves $500/year. I can only imagine how much it is saving us now (3 years later) considering how much prices have gone up at the grocery store. I will never go back to buying laundry detergent.
I want to make the liquid soap and wanted to know if I can replace the bar soap with liquid castile soap?
Hello my name is Kendall and I would like to start making my own laundry soap and I was wondering if the powdered soap would grow mold or bacteria of any sort and on the soap could I use dove soap or would that be to heavy perfumed
Powdered soap won’t spoil as long as it’s kept dry. However, it may be hard for you to make a dry powder in quantity using dry process and have the mixture stay uniform. I do notice above one of the recipes uses wet process to make dry product; that would more reliably stay uniform.
Dove by itself might tend to leave too much stearic acid on fabrics, giving them a waxy coat. However, the recipes here contain large amounts of alkali that would turn that stearic acid into soap, so it should be OK.
I sometimes find that not all stainscome out 🙁
Do u think that maybe adding some dishsoap? like dawn? a grease fighter may help?
I use 1 C arm&hamme washingsoda
1 C Borax
1 bar ivory grated , mlted with 6 cups hot water n pan onstove,add washing soda an borax and a box of baking soda and some fabreeze for a clean smell,i use approx 1/2 cup (lid from liqid bottle)
i use the fab softner (hair conditioner/white vinegar/water blend) approx 1/2 cup and double rinse,
I use dawn dishwashing detergent in my homemade detergent. I found the bar soap too time consuming. I add 1/4 cup to one of the giant laundry bottles after it is filled, this way it doesn’t suds over as I fill the container. Clothes come out clean and smell great. Dawn comes in many different fragrances, so pick your scent.