Do you want to ditch store-bought laundry detergent, but you don’t know where to start? Here is the ultimate homemade laundry detergent recipe comparison blog post so you can make the best switch for your family.
I waited to switch to my own homemade laundry detergent because I was nervous about the efficacy of natural cleaners. Sure, I like to live a low-tox lifestyle, but I also want to make sure the clothes I’m wearing are clean and stain-free!
I started researching laundry detergents and realized many options for homemade recipes. But which one was the best?
Some recipes are great for HE models while some are universal. Some have controversial ingredients and some have a little bit of everything. Which one would work best for my family?
I gathered what ingredients I would need, made a few batches, and shared them with some friends.
The data I collected shocked me. I didn’t realize DIY laundry soap would be so simple to make and give me the clean I was looking for! I truly thought only commercial detergents would work with my washing machine.
From liquid detergent to grated soap in powder, here is a roundup of all the homemade laundry detergent recipes I could find. Be sure to save this blog post and check back! I will add to it as I learn new recipes.
Do you have a recipe you want me to try? Comment on this blog post and share it with me!
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Table of Contents
Why Avoid Commercial Detergents?
Is Homemade Laundry Detergent Safe for My Washing Machine?
Homemade Laundry Detergent Liquid Recipes
Homemade Laundry Detergent Powder Recipes
Cost Breakdown – My Favorite Powder Detergent Recipe
What Do I Need to Make Laundry Detergent at Home? (Affiliate Links)
Other Low-Tox Laundry Room Swaps
Why Avoid Commercial Detergents?
I decided to walk away from commercial detergents to avoid added fragrances. We are a family with allergies, and the artificial fragrances in most laundry products irritate my family’s skin and respiratory systems.
I started looking for a natural alternative to added fragrances and quickly switched to unscented laundry detergent. Then I switched to dye-free.
Finally, I realized how much money I could save by making laundry detergent.
A popular brand of dye-free, unscented laundry detergent is about 17 cents per load. If I make my favorite laundry detergent recipe, without essential oils, and quadruple the recipe, I can still save $4 dollars on all of my materials and I’m only spending 13 cents per load of laundry.
It quickly became clear I could clean my clothes, live a low-tox lifestyle, and save money by making my laundry detergent. So I gladly made the switch!
Other reasons to avoid commercial laundry detergents include polluting water resources and reducing packaging waste. Many detergents are produced in plastic containers. When you make your detergent, you can store it in glass containers and purchase your ingredients from cardboard packaging.
Is Homemade Laundry Detergent Safe for My Washing Machine?
Homemade laundry detergent is safe for your washing machine. However, certain recipes may work well with certain types of machines.
Several factors may encourage your decision for recipes. Consider how many suds a recipe produces, mineral buildup on machinery and clothes, and whether or not homemade laundry detergent rinses thoroughly from clothes.
High-efficiency washing machines require recipes with minimal suds. Some recipes may also impact the durability of the machine. Consider your machine before you make your laundry detergent.
There is a con to homemade laundry detergent, and that’s the potential wear and tear on your machine. We’ve talked about cost savings earlier in this post, and the cost savings would be a moot point if you have to buy a new washing machine.
Homemade Laundry Soap Recipes
I have broken down this blog post into liquid recipes and powder recipes. Keep scrolling to see which one you’d like to try first!
Do you have a recipe that isn’t on this list? Comment on this blog post and let me know! I’d love to try it and add it to the list.
Homemade Laundry Detergent Liquid Recipes
Liquid laundry detergent recipes dissolve easily in water, making them a great alternative to powder laundry detergent recipes!
Liquid Castile Soap
Ingredients:
Liquid Castile Soap
Baking Soda
Washing Soda
Coarse Salt
Essential Oils (Optional)
Hot water
Cold Water
Gallon-Sized Container
Instructions
1) Add baking soda, salt, and washing soda to a large, glass bowl or jar. Add enough hot water to dissolve as best you can.
2) Transfer to a gallon container and add Castile soap and essential oils.
3) Top off with cold water and mix well.
4) Use 1/4 to 1/3 c per load, depending on the size of the load.
Overall Yield: 1 gallon, 64 loads
This recipe makes 1 gallon of liquid laundry detergent. If you use 1/4 cup per load of laundry from 1 gallon of detergent, the recipe yields 64 loads of laundry.
Find the original recipe here.
My Review:
I used lavender-scented Castile soap when making my liquid laundry detergent and I regret that decision. Turns out, my husband can’t tolerate the scented Castile soap I used in this recipe.
I have yet to try the recipe with unscented Castile soap. From experience, I would use unscented Castile soap and add whatever essential oils I feel comfortable using with my family.
Out of five stars, I rate it:
Smell Removal – 5 Stars
This detergent removes odor from towels, socks, and other laundry.
Stain Removal – 2 Stars
This detergent is able to remove things like dirt and grime, but it hasn’t been able to cut through grease.
Filth Removal – 5 Stars
I use this detergent on dirty kitchen towels and muddy clothes my children play in.
Do you have a recipe you want me to try? Send it to me!
The blogging landscape has shifted, but the community doesn’t have to.
If you have a homemade laundry detergent recipe you would like me to review and feature, comment on this blog post!
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Homemade Laundry Detergent Powder Recipes
Powdered laundry detergent usually comes in cardboard packaging, making it more eco-friendly. Powdered detergents are also less likely to react with minerals in water, unlike liquid laundry detergents.
In my opinion, homemade powdered laundry detergent is easier to make and share with friends!
Shredded Bar Castile Soap
1 Bar Castile Soap, Shredded
Washing Soda
Baking Soda
Essential Oils (optional)
Instructions:
1) Finely grate the soap bar using a cheese grater.
2) Add shredded soap bar, washing soda, and baking soda to a large mixing bowl.
3) Stir until well combined.
4) Add in essential oils.
5) Store in an airtight container, like a glass, half-gallon mason jar.
6) Use 2 tablespoons per load.
Overall Yield: 4 1/2 cups, 16 loads
Find the original recipe here. The original recipe used a Fels Naptha bar (see next recipe!) but I subbed in a bar of Castile soap to see what the outcome would be.
My Review:
Castile soap is one of the most used, natural products in my home. I have used it as a body wash and in hand soap. Since I’m so familiar with it, I was looking forward to using it in laundry detergent.
I was not disappointed! This was a great, all-purpose recipe that worked on everything from clothes to towels. I also love that it encompasses almost everything needed to wash laundry – a surfactant, a laundry booster, and grease removal.
The only thing I would change about this recipe is adding salt, either Epsom salt or sea salt.
This powdered version is a great alternative to the liquid Castile soap recipe shared earlier in the blog post.
Out of five stars, I rate it:
Smell Removal – 5 Stars
This detergent removes odor from towels, socks, and other laundry.
Stain Removal – 2 Stars
This detergent is able to remove things like dirt and grime, but it hasn’t been able to cut through grease.
Filth Removal – 5 Stars
I use this detergent on dirty kitchen towels and muddy clothes my children play in.
I put this detergent to the test! My kiddos enjoyed a muddy day and got stuck in the mud. I rinsed the caked mud off of their shoes and left them to dry, but the shoes ended up not drying and started to mildew.
I threw the shoes in with this homemade detergent and it conquered everything – the dirt stains left on random parts of the shoes and odor. I’m very pleased with this recipe!
Shredded Bar Fels Naptha
1 Bar Fels Naptha Soap, shredded
Washing Soda
Baking Soda
Essential Oils (Optional)
Instructions:
1) Finely grate the soap bar using a box grater.
2) Add shredded soap bar, washing soda, and baking soda to a large mixing bowl.
3) Stir until well combined.
4) Add in essential oils.
5) Store in an airtight container, like a glass, half-gallon mason jar.
6) Use 2 tablespoons per load.
Overall Yield: 4 1/2 cups, 16 loads
Find the original recipe here.
My Review:
Fels Naptha can irritate the skin with direct exposure. It can even irritate the skin after prolonged exposure. This is because Fels Naptha can remove oils from the skin.
This is what makes Fels Naptha a good stain remover. Because of that property, I began using it as a stain remover and ceased using it shredded into laundry detergent.
Out of five stars, I rate it:
Smell Removal – 3 Stars
I attribute the clean smell of my laundry to the baking soda and essential oils.
Stain Removal – 5 Stars
This was the only laundry detergent that truly cut through the oil stains on clothes. It was so effective!
Filth Removal – 4 Stars
Again, this laundry detergent truly cut through stains and filth.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did pioneers make laundry soap?
Pioneers and homesteaders used tallow, lye, and water to make laundry detergent. All three things were materials readily available to them!
Tallow would be rendered from the animals they butchered and lye would come from the ashes in their fire pits.
The first commercially available laundry detergent, Persil, was produced by the German-owned company, Henkel. Tide as produced by American-owned Proctor and Gamble in 1946.
What did people use before laundry soap?
Homemade laundry detergent on homesteads wasn’t the only thing people used for laundry detergent. Ashes, clay, and sand were also common ingredients used for laundry soap.
Washing Soda Laundry Detergent
Epsom Salt
Baking Soda
Washing Soda
Sea Salt
Essential Oils (Optional)
Instructions:
1) Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
2) Store in an air-tight container.
3) When you’re ready to use, use 1 to 2 tablespoons per load of laundry.
Overall Yield: 3 3/4 cups, 30 loads of laundry
If you use one tablespoon per load of laundry, this recipe will stretch to cover 60 loads of laundry.
Find the original recipe here.
My Review:
Out of the recipes I tested this is the homemade laundry detergent I prefer. It’s simple to assemble, it’s cheap to produce, and it’s effective.
Salt is a bit of an oddball in this recipe. When I did my research, I found that salt can act as a natural fabric softener and keep colors bright. I tried a recipe without the salt and I found that the salt is a necessity.
I also found sea salt acts as an abrasive and helps loosen dirt and debris from laundry. I think that by adding the sea salt to this recipe it made it very effective!
Out of all the recipes I tried, this stood the test for towels, blankets, and clothes. I found myself reaching for this detergent for my family again and again!
I do have to say – it doesn’t work as a stain remover. I use a variety of stain removers in addition to this laundry detergent.
Out of five stars, I rate it:
Smell Removal – 5 Stars
From body odor to animals, this does the trick for my family!
Stain Removal – 1 Star
Even though this recipe stood the test of everything I put it through, it still struggled to remove the grease from things like cooking oils and car oils.
Filth Removal – 5 Stars
My kiddos love to play in mud and grass. My husband does all of our yard work and home maintenance. And I tend to all of the animals in our home. This was able to remove everything we seem to get ourselves dirty with!
My Total Cost Breakdown of This Recipe
Since this is the DIY detergent recipe I recommend, I thought I would break down the cost of materials so you can see how much you would pay per load of laundry.
*Remember that due to time, location, and retailer, you may pay more or less for these materials.
In my area, Epsom salt costs $3.78 for a 4-pound bag. That yields about 6 cups.
Baking soda is $0.92 cents per pound. If I buy two pounds, that yields 4 cups, or enough to double my recipe.
Washing soda is $5.38 for 55 ounces, or about 6 cups.
Sea salt is $3.16 for a 26-ounce container. That gives me enough for about 11 batches of this laundry detergent.
I prefer to use Young Living or Cliganic essential oils, but you can use whatever essential oils you prefer. Because brand determines cost, I have left out the estimated cost of essential oils in my overall cost breakdown.
One batch of this laundry detergent makes 3 3/4 cups of laundry detergent. If you use 2 tablespoons per load, that’s 30 loads of laundry.
I spent $14.16 purchasing all of my materials. If I were to make one batch of laundry detergent, that comes out to $0.47 per load.
However, I have enough to make a double batch. When I do that, I slash the price per load to $0.23 cents per load!
But remember – if you use 1 tablespoon per load of laundry that cost savings drops again. For a double batch of laundry detergent at 1 tablespoon per load, you will only spend $0.12 cents per load!
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Powder Laundry Detergent Base Recipe
Washing Soda
Baking Soda
Epsom Salt
Instructions:
1) Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
2) Store in an air-tight container.
3) When you’re ready to use, use 2 tablespoons per load of laundry.
Overall Yield: 3 1/2 cups, 28 loads of laundry
Find the original recipe here.
My Review:
The original recipe says you can add sea salt, OxiClean free or OxiClean baby, and essential oils to the recipe. I decided to omit all three to see if the recipe could stand by itself.
The recipe worked for the first load or two, but after that, I noticed it wasn’t doing anything. Smells and stains remained, which means the laundry isn’t getting clean.
If you use this recipe, add-ins like sea salt may be necessary to get a clean load of laundry.
See the previous recipe in this blog post for my reasoning for adding sea salt.
Out of five stars, I rate it:
Smell Removal – 1 Star
This recipe worked great for the first one or two washes.
Stain Removal – 1 Star
I have yet to find a homemade laundry detergent that cuts through stains left behind by grease. Remember that as you review other recipes. You may find one that works for you, even if this recipe doesn’t!
Filth Removal – 1 Star
This recipe worked great for the first one or two washes. But unfortunately, as a base, it doesn’t work well enough for me to recommend it.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can laundry detergent cause hormonal imbalance?
Laundry detergent itself doesn’t cause hormone imbalances. It’s the ingredients in them.
Does homemade laundry detergent “go bad”?
Homemade laundry detergent doesn’t last forever. Over time, the integrity of the ingredients degrades, thus their effectiveness decreases.
For best results, use homemade powdered laundry detergent within 8 to 12 months of making it.
Borax Powdered Laundry Detergent
Borax (sodium tetraborate) is a white, powdery mineral salt. It’s largely used in household cleaners, insecticides, or as a booster for laundry detergent.
There are many opinions about borax, largely because you may get sick if you ingest it. When you ingest too much, it can induce vomiting and diarrhea.
Borax exposure can also irritate your skin and respiratory system.
Borax is touted in laundry because of it’s ability to whiten clothes and keep them looking clean.
Ingredients:
Pure Baking Soda
Washing Soda
Borax
Epsom Salt
Salt
Essential Oils (Optional)
Instructions:
1) Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until fine.*
2) Store in an air-tight container.
3) Use 1 to 2 tablespoons per load.
Overall Yield: 5 cups, 80 loads of laundry
If you use 2 tablespoons of laundry detergent per load, this recipe yields 40 loads of laundry.
Find the original recipe here.
My review:
*Unless you have a food processor dedicated solely to non-food products, I would not process this laundry detergent in a food processor.
My husband reacts to Borax-based laundry detergent. Because of that, I did not make a batch of Borax laundry detergent.
I have used borax for several other uses around my home, namely pest control. I have great luck using it as a way to maintain pests in my home and in my garden.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does borax harm clothing?
Borax does not harm clothing.
Borax, or sodium borate, has a high pH which helps it break down soils and stains. The sodium in borax helps soften water because it binds to the minerals in hard water.
Finally, borax is a natural way to whiten clothes because it converts water molecules into hydrogen peroxide.
Is borax necessary in homemade laundry detergent?
No. I reviewed several other recipes in this blog post that don’t use borax and yield clean laundry.
What Do I Need to Make Laundry Detergent at Home? (Affiliate Links)
You can gather the ingredients and equipment needed to make homemade laundry detergent from your local retailer or online. The hyperlinks to the products I use and recommend are affiliate links, which means I make an income at no extra cost to you when you click on or purchase through these links.
Click on the hyperlinked text or the images to check out the products I use!
You can read more about my affiliate links here.
Ingredients
Washing Soda – Washing soda is a known laundry booster. It can help soften water, which in turn helps your detergent penetrate fibers and better clean your clothes.
Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate) – Baking soda is also a laundry booster, but it goes beyond just aiding detergent. Baking soda can reduce odors and soften clothes.
Epsom Salt
Fels Naptha Bar – While Fels Naptha bars can cause skin irritation, they are very effective at removing stains.
Liquid Castile Soap – Castile soap is gentle and touted for being a great alternative to commercial laundry detergents. Here is the unscented Castile soap I use for my family.
Castile Soap Bar – Castile soap isn’t only available in a liquid! Use this unscented Castile soap bar in your powder laundry detergent recipes.
Sea Salt – Sea salt can help loosen dirt from clothing. It’s a great addition to any powder laundry detergent recipe!
Essential Oils – Essential oils can be a controversial topic. However, they are a great alternative to the artificial scents used in commercial laundry detergents. If you are looking for a starter set of essential oils that you can easily purchase, I recommend the organic classics collection by Cliganic.
Equipment
Hand Grater (Box Grater) – You can use a box grater to make soap flakes, or shredded bar soap. When you shred the soap, it makes it easier to dissolve in water.
Storage Container – You can use a plastic or glass container to store your laundry detergent. For liquid detergents, I clean and reuse a plastic laundry detergent container I bought from the grocery store. For powder detergents, I use glass containers like this glass mason jar.
Other Low-Tox Laundry Room Swaps
Laundry detergent isn’t the only shift you can make! Check out the other products you can replace for low-tox inspiration and money savings.
Fabric softener is the first obvious switch. Vinegar is a renowned, and cheap, alternative to fabric softener. Vegetable glycerin and baking soda are also natural alternatives you can use instead of commercially produced products.
Wool dryer balls are also a natural fabric softener. However, they’re most popular for replacing dryer sheets.
Is DIY Laundry Detergent Worth It?
Next time you wander down the laundry aisle, I hope you take a moment to consider all of your options. The rows and rows of laundry detergent can easily be swapped for simple ingredients and a little bit of time.
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