Homemade Laundry Detergent

Homemade Laundry Detergent is an amazing way to save significant money in your weekly budget! Given that, this post will walk you step by step through the three most popular recipes, along with comparing the pros and cons of each. However, learning how to make your own laundry detergent is really quite simple and can you believe it only costs a few pennies per load?

What I Love About Homemade Laundry Detergent

With six kids, money is always tight so I have to find creative ways to make the budget stretch where it can. Homemade laundry detergent is one I’ve been using for over 10 years. Surprisingly, my older children are completely embarrassed that I am posting these recipes. Apparently, the fact that I only pay pennies per load of laundry is completely “not cool.” I beg to differ completely! As you can understand, a family of 8 makes A LOT of dirty laundry. (Especially when one of those people is a 15 year old girl who tries on at least 10 different outfits a day and throws what doesn’t make the cut into the dirty clothes hamper….)

I am the first to admit, I would obsess over some original scented Tide. I love the way it smells. What I don’t love is the price I pay, especially for the high efficiency safe stuff. So a while ago, I began making my own homemade laundry soap. The first recipe I tried cost me $2.30 to make 10 gallons!!

And I know what you are going to ask before you ask it. Yes, each one of these DIY laundry detergents are safe for HE machines because they are low-sudsing. That quality is the only “secret” to HE detergent. I have a HE machine myself and love my results with each recipe

How to Make DIY Laundry Detergent

Once you have some basic ingredients, learning how to make laundry detergent is quite easy. It’s all about ratios and if you prefer powdered or liquid laundry soap. 

1. Choose between liquid or powder detergent – this comes down to personal preference more than anything else. Both types of laundry soap work well in all types of washers.
2. Grate a bar of laundry soap – the most common choice is Fels Naptha soap, but Castile soap is also a great choice, especially if you have sensitive skin. The bar should be 5 ounces. For the 5 gallon recipe, you will melt the soap after grating it. 
3. Add washing soda powder – this is not the same as baking soda so do not make that mistake. Washing soda is a natural, non-toxic cleaner and softener. 
4. Add Borax powder – this laundry booster is really effective at helping the detergent work better. Because Borax adjusts the pH level of the water, it allows the detergent to clean better.
5. Add essential oils, if using – while this step isn’t necessary, some like the addition of scent to their homemade laundry detergent. They even make an oil that smells just like Tide!

The 3 Best Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipes

I have used each of these three recipes throughout the years. Included below are both the instructions on how to make your own laundry detergent, plus the pros and cons of each variety. If you’ve never made your own laundry soap, pick the recipe that seems do-able to you. As you’ll see, the ingredients are almost identical so you can’t go wrong. 

Easy Homemade Laundry Liquid Detergent

If you prefer liquid laundry detergent over powder, this is an easy recipe that is the one I use the most. Not because it works any better than the others. Just a personal preference, probably because there’s no bar of laundry soap to grate 🙂 

• ¾ cup Borax 
• ¾ cup washing soda
• ½ cup Dawn original dishwashing liquid
• 16 cups very hot water
• Essential oil (optional)

Easy Homemade Laundry Powder 

This homemade laundry detergent recipe is definitely the easiest of the three to make because it is all dry ingredients that are mixed together. Then, store it in an airtight container to keep the humidity from making it clumpy and you are good to go! 

• 2 cups washing soda
• 2 cups baking soda
• 2 cups Borax 
• 1 bar Fels Naptha or Castile soap, grated finely
• Essential oil (optional)

5 Gallon Homemade Laundry Soap

While this DIY laundry detergent is the most involved recipe and you need a bucket, it makes the most laundry soap…and is the best price per load! Even though it “makes” 5 gallons of detergent, when you use it, you mix it with equal parts of water…so you actually have TEN gallons of laundry soap from this recipe!

• 4 cups + 4 ½ gallons hot water
• 1 bar Fels Naptha, grated
• 1 cup washing soda
• ½ cup Borax
• Essential oil (optional)

Please, don’t let this weird, coagulated gloop keep you from giving this stuff a try. It may look weird and have a consistency you have never before witnessed, but it works like a charm and will save you a boatload of money. I really like the scent it has naturally but feel free to add your favorite essential oils to customize it!

DIY Laundry Soap FAQ’s

Is homemade laundry detergent safe for washers?

Yes, despite the rumors or “experts” you see online, each of these three recipes is completely safe. Like any other laundry detergent, what causes damage to your washing machine is when too much soap is used. 

Many people wrongly assume that more soap will result in cleaner clothes. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Hence, if you want clean clothes that don’t get detergent build-up on them or in the washing machine, just remember less is more! 

How much money can you save making your own laundry soap?

If your main reason for trying out DIY laundry detergent is to save money, you have hit the jackpot my friend!  Based on current Walmart prices, here is a price comparison chart for the three different types of homemade laundry detergent, as well as store-bought brands. If these numbers don’t convince you, I’m not sure what will!

Is homemade detergent effective at cleaning?

Homemade laundry detergent is extremely effective at cleaning clothes. As long as you use an appropriate amount of laundry soap in every load, it works perfectly. And, for the two liquid recipes included in this recipe, you can use each one as a spot treatment as well. Just rub a few drop of the detergent into the fresh stain and let it set for a few hours before washing. 

Is homemade detergent safe for HE washers?

As long as the proper amount of homemade laundry detergent is used for your type of washer, yes they are safe! Carefully read the washing instructions for the recipe you choose and follow closely the HE measurements. Because the key to high-efficiency washing machines is that the soap is low-sudsing. The use of washing soda in all three recipes is the secret to these recipes succeeding in HE washers. 

Looking for More Great DIY Cleaning Recipes?

3 Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipes

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The 3 best homemade laundry detergent recipes that are only a few pennies per load!

• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 7 cups – 10 gallons 1x

Ingredients

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5 Gallon Laundry Soap

• 4 cups hot water
• 1 bar Fels-Naptha soap, grated
• 1 cup Washing Soda
• 1/2 cup  Borax
• essential oil (optional)

Easy Laundry Powder 

• 2 cups washing soda
• 2 cups baking soda
• 2 cups Borax
• 1 bar Fels Naptha or Castile soap, finely grated

Easy Liquid Laundry Soap

• 3/4 cup Borax 
• 3/4 cup washing soda
• 1/2 cup original Dawn dishwashing soap

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Instructions

5 Gallon Laundry Soap Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt together the grated soap and water until the soap is completely dissolved.
2. Fill a 5-gallon bucket 1/2 full of hot water. Add the washing soda, Borax, and melted soap mixture. Stir well until dissolved (I use a yardstick).
3. Fill the bucket to the top with more hot water and stir well. Cover and let sit overnight. The finished mixture will resemble a loose, liquid form of Jello. At this point, you can add 50 drops of the essential oil of your liking to the soap. 
4. Fill your soap dispenser (I use my old Tide container) 1/2 with water and half with soap. Shake well before each use. For front load washers, use 1/4 C  per load. For top load washers, use 1/2  per load.

Easy Laundry Powder Instructions

1. Mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl. If you want a finer consistency, you can run the finished powder through a food processor. Store in an airtight container.
2. For HE machines, use 1 tablespoon per load. For standard washers, use 2 tablespoons.

Easy Liquid Laundry Soap Instructions

1. In a 1-gallon bottle, add half the hot water, then the Borax, washing soda, and Dawn. Gently agitate the mixture to combine. Add the remaining hot water. The end result will be quite thin. 
2. To use, shake the bottle well before measuring out 1/4 cup for HE machines, or 1/2 cup for standard washers. 

• Author: Carole Jones
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Cleaning

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