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!
vinegar in the center fabric softer port of your washer should be okay, I just started using homemad soap (love it), but have been using vinegar for some time for fabric softner, it seems to work.
I have found that my towels sometimes stink like vinegar, I have put a cheap essential oil in the vinegar bottle, and the smell of the oil does not come through, but the vinegar smell in my towels is gone! (I use an old softener container, and i just pour vinegar into it, and then about 10-20 drops of essential oil, so it lasts a long time!)
Fix it- My hubby gets greasy at his job too, I wash in hot water, use the homemade soap, plus dawn dishsoap, I don’t know howmuch, I just squirt it into the wash, aprox 1/8 cup, I know its allot, but his clothes come clean. I also double rinse his clothing, to ensure they are clean! I’ve put the dishsoap directly on larger greese stains, the stain generally remains, however, the greesy feel is gone.
HELP! I need feedback!
I made the dry laundry detergent (recipe #4). Two questions, if anyone has used this recipe…
While the bar soap Fels-Naptha is 5.1 oz, when I grated the entire bar, I almost had 3 cups (24 oz.), as I did not pack it down. So, I used that as the required “2 cups” of Fels soap. Should I have packed it down and used two BARS of soap? I ask this because….
I just used the 2 TABLESPOONS for a full load as the directions indicate. Not only is there absolutely no suds, but even after I added another 2 TBSPS to the machine, there were still no suds. Is this correct????
Thanks, Lisa
I have been making recipe 4 for about 4 years now. it wont sud. it does clean. We love it. I just made 25 pounds of it between today and yesterday. The suds are not what cleans. I wanted to add a little oxy clean but it is irritating to my skin. For white yes add some oxy clean. but this works just fine. My husband who was a skeptic at first but let me try anyway, now doesnt want to buy detergent. LOL. Experiment with the bars. I am currently liking Lirio, but I am a soap maker and the next time will use my own bars.
Have you tried making your own Oxy Clean?
1 cup water
1/2 cup Hydrogen Peroxide
1/2 cup Baking Soda
Mix and add to wash.
This works for me.
Hi Lisa, there won’t be suds so don’t worry about that :). The grated soap does not need to be firmly packed in.
Sara thanks very much for sharing your tips :).
I have made one of the recipes and i like it. Although i have not tried the vinegar in the downy ball yet. I couldnt find the washing soda anywhere so i called Arm & Hammer and asked where in my area i could find it. It could be found at only one store. Its still only about $3 for a big box. Happy washing all.
question for DH who is utterly paranoid about his new HE frontloader “babies”
i see that some people have used homemades in their HEs, but does anyone have comments on it long-term? i keep mentioning that these ingredients are sold in the LAUNDRY AISLE but he keeps grumping that he doesn’t want his warranty voided because we were washing with “twigs and berries.”
“twigs and berries”….LOL! That sounds like something my husband would say..:-)
I’ve been using a homemade laundry soap for one year now (powder version, similar to recipe #9 above) and I will say that just last night I noticed what I believe to be soap scum buildup on the back of my washer drum. Additionally, I have not been happy with my laundry lately as I think my clothes are getting dingy : ( hence my visiting this site. I used Fels Naptha in my first batch of laundry soap and I used ZOTE in my second batch. I feel the Fels did a better job but really, I’m not sure if the ding I’m seeing is accumulated over time or simply a result of using the ZOTE. As for the soap scum buildup, I’m going to attempt to clean the washer and then I think I will use vinegar in my rinse cycle. One more thing, I do have hard water so perhaps that is a factor in my dinge and soap scum build up. I really like the idea of using homemade laundry soap so I hope I can solve these problems. Any suggestions from others with these same experiences? Thanks so much, Lisa
Question 1: Does anyone have any experience doubling the amount of water in recipe 1 (or any of the liquid recipes) and then just doubling the amount in the machine so you don’t have to stir it before each load. That way it would be more like the store bought which would add legitimacy that this is a real laundry detergent for my wife. For some people perception is reality.
I’m sure a double the amount of a diluted mixture would work fine, I jUst wouldn’t go through the hassle if it still congealed into glop and the soap separated out.
Question 2: do you use half the amount per load in a front loader? Thanks! David
For other sensitive folk
I am a new soapmaker from Australia and found an allergy free soft soap recipe in Alan Hayes book It’s So Natural, see itssonatural.com. It starts with making lye, the start of all soaps, including those grated in the recipes above. It was a bit more complicated than grating the soap, but I know it contains nothing I will react to. I used 250 grams of caustic soda from the cleaning section in our supermarkets in 3 cups of distilled water (because our bore water is hard) for the lye, and when that became lukewarm I added 3 cups of sunflower oil because I had no history of allergies with sunflowers and it was cheap. I used a stick mixer for a few minutes, left it overnight in a bowl covered with a plate. Then into a 5 litre lidded bucket I put 1.1/2 cups of soft soap, 1/4 cup of borax, 1/4 cup washing soda, 1 capful of eucalyptus oil for extra cleaning power, disinfectant and deodoriser and topped it up with warm water, used the stick mixer again. When cool I poured some into a 1.1/2 litre juice bottle which is light to handle – it glugs out freely. I have been using 3/4 cup in my small twin tub for softer clothes and towels and a cleaner wash to the point where some old stains left by my HE low allergy powder have already gone and older, darker ones are fading. I now have an untried front loader and will try a smaller amount with the vinegar rinse. The book gives instructions on making the lye, it boils, and is corrosive, so follow instructions carefully. This took longer than the grating recipes, but for me it has been very successful both for my sensitive skin and my clothing.
I just made my first batch of detergent (from recipe #4) and the wash cycle is on!!!
First, I’d like to say I also had a very hard time finding the washing soda. I found a number online to call 1-800-524-1328 and you can give them your zip code and they will tell you where you can buy the product in your area. In the Portland, OR area, Fred Meyer is the only place apparently.
2nd, I’d like to comment about the dangers (health and environmental) brought up about washing soda in previous comments…I went to look at the ingredients in my other detergents I have in the house, brands Planet and Seventh Generation (both reputable for being environmentally friendly). Well, they both contain Soda Ash – which is another term for Washing Soda from what I’ve read. If it’s in those products, I feel it’s pretty safe for including in a home made recipe, especially compared to most other commercial products out there and the ingredients in those which are mostly all petrolium based as well.
I too plan on using a home made detergent to launder cloth diapers and while I feel the recipe is safe for me, I’m not sure how it will be for sensitive baby skin…any one else used these recipes and laundered cloth diapers? Or have a different recipe specific for cloth diapers?
Thank you TipNut for the great info!
Washing soda is also at Winco and Walmart in the Portland area. You find it in the laundry soap aisle. I shop at the Walmart on 238th and Sandy and the Winco on 122nd off Halsey.
Thanks again to those adding their extra tips and info, very very helpful for everyone :)!
For the HE questions and the diaper/baby laundry, I can’t add anything more since I don’t have first hand experience with those areas. Feel free to jump in with your tips if you do :).
David, re: Question 1, I haven’t tried that and I’ve spent a bit thinking about it. I think you would still need to give it a good stir even though you’re increasing the water. I guess the only way to know for sure is to give it a shot, but maybe someone reading this will have more info.
I’m 74 years old. Oh, how I wish
I had had all this information when having a house full of kids.
Have sent this site to my 4 adult
kids, (total of 11 great grand
children still). I pray they use it because all are low on cash ….isn’t everyone? I am going
to try the powder form myself.
God bless you for your site.
I have been using Homemade Laundry Soap for 2 years now
I was not every able to find Washing Soda anywhere nearby
So, I modified… here is mine
I have tried it powdered & liked the results better with the liquid form, especially in this water that is extremely hard
I have given it to everyone I know by pouring it into smaller portions in re-used apple juice containers
I like to use 1/4 cup Vinegar in a Downy Ball as a rinse agent, not necessary but a little softer fabric when Line-Dried
I line-dry my clothes year-round (part of my save-the-earth commitments)
1 cup grated soap (I have used Zote, FelsNaptha, Octagon, and Ivory… I like Octagone & FelsNaptha the best)
4 cups water
1/3 cup Baking Soda
1/3 cup OxiClean (I use the generic sold at WalMart)
1/3 cup Borax
Boiling Pot
5 gallon cleaned, recycled paint bucket
Place water in boiler pot
Place grated soap in water
bring to boil & then turn down to low simmer… simmer until all soap is melted
Keeping heat on low, add dry ingredients… stir
continue stiring until mixture thickens & then turn off heat
Pour about 4 cups hot tap water into paint bucket
pour mixture into water that is in paint bucket, stir
allow to settle overnight
Use 1/4 cup for washload & if needed soak load overnight
for extremely greasy clothes:
add 1/4 cup Borax
soak overnight in the hottest water safe for the fabric
for very smelly clothes (excellent for removing pet odors or urine odors), do as for greasy clothes
for blood, catsup, etc:
add 1 scoop of OxiClean (use the scoop that came with the product, then soak overnight in cold water
This particular mix (with 1/4 cup added borax & overnight hot water soak) is the only thing I have ever seen that gets “hot-mud” out of clothes (my boyfriend is a painter/drywall finisher)
I have been able to remove old stains (except rust stains, use Rust-Out)
The Borax & the Baking Soda & the Oxyclean are all Alkaline
The Vinegar is a light acid
The alkalinity softens hard water… the Vinegar reverses the alkalinity & this helps with the rinse being clean
Thanks for mentioning Octagon soap, I found this right next to the Borax in my local grocery store and was wondering how/if it would do.
WOW!!! I’m going to try some of these recipes in my new HE front loader. i’m a little nervous, so like the idea of periodically cleaning out any residue – should this be bleach? or vinegar?
also, what’s a “downy ball”? can i just put vinegar for rinse in the machine’s container that says “fabric softener”?
thanks so much everyone!
I was wondering, does anyone know if Borax will fade out colors? Can I safely add it to whites and darks? Thanks!
I too have a HE washer and I add the vinegar in my washers fabric softner container and everything works just fine!
Hi, I’d like to make the powdered detergent but I can’t find washing soda anywhere! Any advice on where to find it? In the meantime, I will substitute baking soda, though I know it’s not quite as heavy duty.
I went and read some comments, did some research and found a pool supply site that always has free shipping, and has very competitive prices. It’s called saveonpool.com. And, as someone above noted, you’re looking for a pH increaser with only Soda Ash in the ingredients list. This is what washing soda is. Since I can’t find it locally, this seems like the best deal for me.
I see that people are adding Oxyclean too. That is great but I can save you money just put in a 1/2 cup of 3% Hydrogen peroxide. The stuff in the brown bottle. It is a great disinfectant too.
I wash produce with 3% hydrogen peroxide and white vinegar solution. It washes away every thing and does not leave a taste.
Hi Stephanie.
I have a question. Do you put the hydrogen peroxide in the container with your liquid laundry soap? If so, 1/2 cup for how much laundry soap?
Thanks
I am really excited to find this website. I have just recently gotten into making my own cleaning supplies and liked the idea of making my own laundry detergent.
I made up recipe #8, but I added 1 cup of borax to it. I was going to use it today but when I took the lid off the bucket there was a lot of foam on the top and underneath the foam it was a milky looking water. So i put the whole batch back on the stove and reheated it. Do not know if this was the right thing to do but I did it. I was just wondering if it is still really watery will it still work correctly.
The other question I have is can this be used with cold water. I wash pretty much every thing in cold water.
Thanks in advance for any help
Tammy
You mentioned that if you have very hard water or well water you may have to adjust the recipes. What needs to be adjusted? What are the amounts to use? I have well water and I am wanting to try making my own laundry soap. We do not have a water softner either.
I am so excited about trying one to the recipes. Looking foward to your reply.
Thanks, Gloria
any one looking for soda wash on a well ? check with the local water filteration guys for Soda Ash… after looking all over the laundry isles I found out my hubby who fixes pumps and installs water systems had it right on the shelf in the shop!!! boy he got a good giggle but hey who knew, for a year now I have used baking Soda because I just couldn’t find the wash. Oh well the reason I started making my own soap was because we moved to land covered in poision oak and I am really alergic. Hubby can roll in the stuff and the dogs are always out so using the fels-napa soap has kept me from getting any tranfer oils from washing his clothes and then mine. Dr said the fels nappa one of the few soaps that keep the oils from spreading. yea for me finding this great life saver!!!!
I haven’t made any of the soaps yet, but I saw where trying to find soda, and someone mentioned Soda Ash. Well I just realized my DH works with the stuff all the time and I was his clothes which are caked in it. He works at a Chemical Plant, and people come in and purchase chemicals for there pools, water supplies, etc. So if you have access to a chemical plant or has someone that buys pools supplies in bulk maybe you can order Soda Ash also.
I can just see DH when I tell him I want a big ole bag of Soda Ash! LOL
Gloria
Which of these recipes would be best for washing cloth diapers? Anyone had any particularly good or bad luck doing so?
Thank you for posting this recipe. I have done the one with borax and Washing soda in it and the one with just washing soda in it. My clothes are cleaner (Recently I washed a pair of pants with bike grease on the leg and it came out beautifully), My skin itches less and it’s money saving while good for the enviroment.
Also some things I have learned by doing this recipe:
1.) Washing soda can also be found at some natural health food stores. I was very fortunate to find mine at a independent dealer.
2.) WM and some other big box stores sell borax.
3.) You don’t need to buy expensive soaps for this recipe. I have scored a bunch of them this through walgreens (their store brand soap) and through yard sales.
4) If you have no luck in finding washing soda, put some baking soda in a cup (the measurement required in the recipes) and heat it on high in your microwave. I would recommend about ten minutes, maybe less than that. when you are done, the baking soda will look like ash, which means it’s now washing soda.
5) Other excellent container ideas are:
Tidy Kats or any other cat litter company containers, old 2 liter soda pop bottles and milk jugs (rinse them out good so the liquid det. doesn’t stink), You may also want to keep a couple of small water bottles or travel size containers, if you plan on doing laundry when you are out of town, state or country.
Lastly I have a question, does anyone of a good laundry stain remover that you can make? I don’t mind using waterless hand cleaner for the stains but I would like to make a stain remover from scratch.
Thanks for the recipe, the replies to my questions and for this site.
Shannon, I have used recipe #4, the powdered detergent, for my cloth diapers, and they turn out just fine. Just as well, if not better than the store detergent I was using before. When I soak them in my washer, I do add just a little bit of it, and drain it, and then I add a little bit more when I run the wash cycle. The diapers actually have come out cleaner than they did before, less stains, etc.
Oh yeah, I forgot to add that I also put vinegar in the downy ball with the diapers to make sure there is no soap residue left on them!
Thanx for the great ideas. I found a website (sorry don’t remember the address) for recipes for pretreatment of stains and found this recipe
1/2 cup ammonia
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 Tablespoons laundry detergent
2 quarts warm water
I hope this helps.
Hi! I just made my first batch of laundry soap. It turned out well. To answer Melissa’s question (from 2007), Kiss My Face 100% Olive Oil Soap works for receipe 8. I used vinegar instead fabric softener and my laundry came out clean and soft. And, once the laundry dried completely, the laundry did NOT smell like vinegar. One more thing, if you’re looking for a nice container in which to store your homemade laundry soap, try a cleaned 40 pound plastic kitty litter container. It has a lid, a handle, and is very sturdy. I think it holds about four gallons.
Oh – I nearly forgot. Some people have claimed that washing soda is dangerous. If baking soda changes to washing soda at high tempuratures, why is baking soda safe for baking? (I’m an amateur classist, not a chemist!) 🙂
Thanks for the tip about the stain remover.
I have also tried the neutrogena bar soap for this recipe and it has no oils in it, rinses out very well, is easy to melt on the stovetop and it comes unscented. The only downfall is the price. I have been fortunate to score the bars off ebay, at yard sales and thrift shops. Time to time, Nuetrogena will send out coupons or samples to you or have them in magazines, so that way the bars are a bit cheaper for people to buy. I have bought them with my coupons and they end up being cheaper than the store brand bar soap.
BBW Glycerin soap is also excellent, very cheap (My store will sell the bars at the semi annual sales for a $1 each). These are fragnant but they leave no oil on the clothes afterwards.
Also If you can’t find washing soda, You can use a little more soap to make up for the Washing soda.
I just tried recipe#4. A couple of questions:
#1 I have a ‘large-load’ top-loader Maytag. Is 2 TBSP enough for a big load?
#2 I did a dark load and many of the black/navy items came out with residue on them. More detergent needed? I ended up rinsing again.
Before trying this homemade recipe, I had been using 1/2 cup Borax and 1/8 cup Tide liquid detergent,pre-mixed with warm water. Very pleasing results with little or no residue. But would like to switch to the homemade stuff permanently.
Would appreciate any tips.
Hi heza, I wonder if you had the laundry machine packed too full (for the residue problem)? There shouldn’t be any residue. Also you might want to try running the water in the washing machine first, add the soap and let it dissolve a bit before adding the laundry (like you normally would with powdered detergents). If you aren’t filling the loads to full and the powdered detergent is given a chance to dissolve before adding laundry and you’re still having problems with residue, try reducing the amount of detergent per load.
2 TBS should be enough for a full load, if you find it isn’t getting your clothes clean you can up the amount.
I’m mixing up powdered recipe (#4) as I type, and I have a ?? about amounts. We have to use the laundromat, and we usually use the huge front loaders (you know, the ones that cost $4 a load vs. the regular machines that are $1.75 a load) How much soap should I throw in? Thanks!
I can’t say for sure shannon, I’d start with 3 TBS and see how the clothes turn out, adjusting as needed.
Hexa:
2 I did a dark load and many of the black/navy items came out with residue on them. More detergent needed? I ended up rinsing again.
do a couple of tbls of vinegar in the rinse cycle and this should get rid of the soap mess. Good luck
I was wondering if anyone had tried adding Calgon water softener to their powdered laundry soap recipe to prevent soap residue. I don’t know how cost effective it would be, but I am making some soap to sell and thought it might be a good substitute for the vinegar rinse.
Excellent advice, and wonderfully helpful people!!
I’ll add – for a stain remover – just take the bar of Fels Naptha and rub on stains (esp good for the ‘ring around the color’) before throwing into the laundry! (my grandma gave me that tip – years ago, always found it to be much more effective than the Shout it out stuffs )
Also I want to add once again – do not combine vinegar and bleach!!
Vinegar rinse helps get out the soap – perfect – I’m sure you could probably google to find more reinforcement of this as well as – –
with towels, you dont need any fabric softner to them…
Thanks again, I havent tried the homemade soap, just found the site… and I agree with above posters the washing soda isnt as caustic as say… Oxyclean (dont be putting your bare hands in a mix of that without knowing it will hurt!!)
Loved the tip way at the top about cleaning diapers with the mix according to box directions and Martha Stewart… I used borax for lots of things when the kids were young… cant remember all of them now tho!)
Hi, I’ve not tried any of these recipes yet but intend to very soon.
I see some people cite environmental and safety concerns about washing soda. Calcium carbonate is a natural product, taken from certain dried lake beds, burnt seaweed (where it gets the name soda ASH)and is now made from table salt.
It is used in food (E500)as an anti-caking agent, a flavouring in ramen noodles and in sherbet.
If anyone wants to follow this up I got all this info from wikipedia and a few other sites by just googling ‘washing soda’.
I have a tub of Vanish stain remover and when I looked at the ingredients found it mainly contains washing soda – at 3 times the price! I know what I’m using in future!
I made recipe #4 for powdered laundry soap. It is the easiest thing in the world to make but 2 tablespoons of the soap is nowhere near enough to clean a load of laundry. I used 1/2 cup and could use more. It doesnt clean my dishtowels at ALL. I used Ivory soap. Next time I’ll try a different soap. The recipe is so easy to follow I cant imagine what I could be doing wrong. DO the clothes need to be soaked first?
ivory is awful I think for clothes. I will explain this further. When you make soap for the body there is something called superfatt. For the body you leave 5-8 percent superfat meaning oil which is not turned to soap left for the skin as a conditioner. You dont want oils in your clothes. laundry soap is 0 supefat meaning you cant wash your hands but it is good for clothes no extra oils remaining. If you dont have skin issues this is great.
I don’t like Ivory soap for my body, not surprised it doesn’t seem to wotk as well for the laundry soap. I just bought all of my ingredients at WM for #9 and got fels naptha (3 bars to be exact). Thet didn’t have washing soda, but a 4lb box of baking soda that I will be throwing in the microwave shortly.. thanks so much for that tip!
I can’t wait to make this and make my new house budget stretch farther!
I made powdered detergent #4 with Fels Naptha and used it today for the first time. Everything seemed to turn out really well. I used a little extra washing soda in the bin to help things out and used white vinegar in the rinse and there seems to be no issue. Anyone know if you can add a fragrance to the powdered detergent? My husband misses the smell of the fabric softener. I think the clothes smell fine, but is there any way to add essential oils or something to the powdered soaps? Thanks!
You can add purex crystals fabric softner. One recipe calls for it and I am in process of making it
Just an FYI on Fels Naptha bar laundry soap. It IS made with petrochemicals and is not a ‘green’ option and should not be used in grey water collection or septic systems.
The MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) on the product states:
INCOMPATIBILITIES: Strong oxidizers, acids, bases, chlorine.
I don’t know if this would cause problems with OxyClean or other additives.
http://www.soapsgonebuy.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=D1001&Show=TechSpecs
Using soap (a animal or vegetable fat by product) will leave residues on your clothes and in your washer. To avoid this, use 1/2 cup vinegar per load of laundry (in a Downy Ball or fabric softener dispenser) as a rinse agent and fabric softener.
Also, sodium lauryl sulfate is a common ingredient in soaps and body products of all types. It is a foaming agent among other things (and often contains coconut ingredients). SLS is what normally causes irritation in a lot of people and if you can find a soap to use in these recipes that does not contain it, the recipe will be better suited for an HE washing machine as well as your skin.
I looked up the MSDS for Colgate’s Octagon soap. I was surprised and pleased to see Sodium Carobonate (washing soda) as one of the ingredients. My local grocery store has a lot of it, so I bought 6 bars and made up a 1/2 batch of # 4, substituting oxyclean for the washing soda. Thank you for the idea to check the MSDS sheet for the soap!!
I have been making/using and loving one of the powdered detergent recipes, but am almost out and do not have any bar soap left in the house to use in this tonight, so I thought I would try one of the liquid recipes:
Recipe #10
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.
Note:
Soap will be lumpy, goopy and gel-like. This is normal. Just give it a good stir before using. Make sure soap is covered with a lid when not in use. You could also pour the homemade soap in old (and cleaned) laundry detergent bottles and shake well before each use.
Please help! This is a disaster! I know from grade school that mixing vinegar and baking soda makes a nice volcano, so I decided to “dilute” the vinegar by adding it first and the baking soda last. No matter, I did not get a volcano, but I did get some sort of chemical reaction. My old reused container that I mixed it in started heating up in my hand, then I realized that the mixture was not turning to gel, but something more like cement! I tried adding about a cup of hot water to soften it all up, but, didn’t really help, so now I am just afraid that this concoction is going to eat through a table and blow up! : – )
Anyone know what is wrong with this recipe or do you have another no-cook recipe using liquid castile soap???
Hi Karen, that is definitely not how it should turn out, the smell is a chemical reaction. The only thing I can think is that the soap you used was not pure liquid castille. Is there an additive maybe in the bottle you used?
Also I see a blooper, the note about liquid detergent is for all the recipes, not #10. Number 10 is actually a powder.
Karen this is a quick recipe to try so I will mix up a batch today and post the results in here. I do recall that the vinegar will foam so I mixed things slowly. I will clarify the recipe instructions after I whip up a batch.
I did a quick search online and found this alternate recipe for you (for liquid castille):
The Green Guide:
LAUNDRY ROOM
Laundry Detergent
1 oz. liquid castile soap
1/2 cup washing soda
1/2 cup borax
1/4 cup baking soda or 1/4 cup white vinegar
Using the liquid castile soap as a base, combine with washing soda, borax (for stains and bleaching), and either baking soda (reduces static and softens fabrics) or white vinegar (softens fabrics, reduces static and bleaches clothes). If you feel like your clothes aren’t clean enough, play around with the amount of liquid castile soap, using from 1 oz. to 1 cup.
====
My notes:
1 oz is about 3 TBS.
This recipe is different in that it uses borax and it’s either vinegar OR baking soda. But it sounds like a nice one to try.
I’ll post my results in here later today regarding recipe #10 as well as clarify the instructions a bit so that there’s no confusion about the liquid/powder results.
Ok I made two batches of the #10 recipe using these ingredients:
-Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps
Peppermint Hemp Pure-Castile Soap
-Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
-Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
-Vinegar
I poured the liquid soap into the bowl first, stirred in the washing soda, then baking soda, then added the vinegar in small batches at a time (the recipe foams up at first).
There were no problems, the mixture is like a thick powder detergent, smells minty fresh (because of the castile soap I used) and soapy from the washing soda. I even put my fingers in the dish to break up some of the hard clumps, no burning at all on the hands.
The second batch I made up I reversed the order of ingredients to be similar to Karen’s method:
-Vinegar
-Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
-Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps
Peppermint Hemp Pure-Castile Soap
-Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
I found it a little harder to mix but not hard like cement.
Both batches were slightly warm, not hot, I think that’s just the activity from the baking soda & vinegar. It wasn’t uncomfortable at all to the touch and I spent some time crushing the lumps into powder, so I did use pressure with my bare hands.
I did find the smell to be minty & soapy from the washing soda, but not stinky like a chemical reaction would (I somehow got the idea that Karen’s smelled, but she didn’t say that).
I did two loads of laundry with this mix, first tossing in 1/2 cup of all the hard lumps that I didn’t break down. I let them sit in water for a few minutes, swishing around and breaking the lumps in the water (they are quite hard).
The second load I used 1/2 cup of the powdery stuff.
Both loads turned out clean and the lumps from the first load were reduced in the wash and didn’t show up on the clothes after drying.
**This is a powder detergent, not a gel or liquid. I’ll fix the blooper so there’s no more confusion.
I wonder if I can use a variation of this recipe for body wash. Using say ivory, baking soda (which I use instead of washing powder as finding it in my area is rare) vegetable glycerin, and maybe something like jojoba oil?
I have a bunch of essential oils that I purchased on ebay and decided to use them up in the HMLD. This smells nicely (light scent) and it still leaves my clothes really clean and with no oil stains. You may want to try very little oil so it’s not strong smelling and it doesn’t leave oil stains on the clothes.
You can probably use body wash for this, leslie, but I would not recommend it being cooked on the stovetop. One poster on here did that and ended up with a big mess.
For those who want to try castile soap but are scared of the prices, try store brand castile soap (trader joe’s has an excellent store brand soap, small but cheap. If you want a bigger quantity, they have the dr. bronners there for 8.99-50% cheaper than other stores) or try the dr bronner’s castile soap in a bar (the bars are 2.00 to 5.00 each, depending on where you live). TJ’s doesn’t have the dr. bronner’s bar soap but most places such as target and walgreens have them.
I made my first batch of laundry soap and I can’t say I was impressed and not impressed. I am a person who believes clean comes in a smell and since the homemade version tends not to have a “perfume” odor I panic thinking my laundry isn’t clean. So I started using the 1/2 cup of home made and 1/2 a cap full of the store bought. This has helped with my need for scent.
I store my homemade in an unlided bucket. It looks like a pickle bucket and I bought it at Home Depot. I read on here that there is a possibility of bacteria if the stuff isn’t preserved properly. Am I potentially exposing my family to unseen bacteria? I also have been using cold water thinking this was saving me and getting my stuff just as clean, but from I read this is also bad. So I will make it a point to wash out my machine with a hot water bleach bath I guess.
I am now going to try the softener recipe for the first time and I am also a bit nervous about this. I hate the smell of vinegar and worry this will be my new scent.
I am wondering if I can add leftover oil from my reed defuser in this, along with perfume oil and body splash?
I am asking this because the reed defuser is a mixture of essential oil and rubbing alcohol.
Thanks