How to Make Laundry Soap (Liquid or Powder Recipe)

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Liquid or Powder Natural Laundry Detergent
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Making your own natural, homemade laundry detergent is one of the easiest parts of a transition to natural living. This natural laundry soap recipe a great way to save money on laundry detergent and is incredibly easy to make. This homemade laundry detergent post is an updated version of this recipe that addresses high efficiency washers and borax safety.

Why Switch to Natural Laundry Soap?

Conventional laundry detergent is loaded with chemicals like sulfates, fragrances, phenols and more. Many brands contain things like petroleum distillates, which are linked to cancer and lung disease. Fragrances in these detergents are made of a mix of harmful chemicals. (This is also why I make my own linen spray.)

Luckily, making your own laundry soap is an easy and fast process! You only need three basic ingredients to make either a powdered or liquid laundry soap:

DIY Laundry Soap Ingredients

  • Washing Soda (Arm and Hammer Brand available at most stores)Borax Powder
  • Borax (20 Mule Team Borax available at most grocery stores)
  • Bar Soap (Dr. Bronner’s,  Ivory, or other natural, unscented bar soap)

Washing Soda and Borax should be available at your local grocery store on the laundry aisle. Natural bar soaps are in the health, beauty, or organic sections of the store, or online. You can also add a couple tablespoons of baking soda to help freshen clothes.

Wonder What’s in These Ingredients?

Borax is a naturally occurring mineral made up of sodium, boron, oxygen, and water. It is an ingredient in most of the natural soaps available now (Seventh Generation, etc.) but it is much more inexpensive to make yourself. There are some concerns about the safety of Borax, but here’s why I feel comfortable using it, especially for laundry.

Washing Soda

Washing Soda, sometimes called sodium carbonate or soda ash, is made from common salt and limestone or found as natural deposits. If you can’t find this locally, you can make your own from plain baking soda with this tutorial. Here are some other great household uses for washing soda.

Dr. Bronner’s soaps are fair trade and made with vegetable castile soap and pure organic oils.

Liquid or Powder Natural Laundry Detergent
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4.12 from 63 votes

Natural Laundry Soap Recipe

This homemade laundry detergent recipe is easy and very inexpensive to make, plus you avoid the chemicals of conventional detergents.
Prep Time15 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Yield: 2.5 cups
Author: Katie Wells

Materials

  • 1 bar soap (such as Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Bar Soap or homemade coconut oil soap)
  • 1 cup washing soda
  • 1 cup borax

Instructions

  • Grate the bar of soap or chop it in a food processor until finely ground.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the grated soap, washing soda, and borax.
  • Store in a sealed container.
  • To use: add 2 tablespoons to ¼ cup of soap per load of laundry.

Notes

See below for instructions on making a liquid version of this laundry soap.
Homemade liquid laundry soap recipe

How to Make Liquid Laundry Soap

  1. Grate one bar of soap with cheese grater or food processor.
  2. Put grated soap in pan with 2 quarts water and gradually heat, stirring constantly until soap is completely dissolved.
  3. Put 4.5 gallons of really hot tap water in a 5-gallon bucket (available for free in bakeries at grocery stores, just ask them) and stir in 2 cups of borax and 2 cups of Washing Soda until completely dissolved.
  4. Pour soap mixture from pan into 5-gallon bucket. Stir well.
  5. Cover and leave overnight.
  6. Shake or stir until smooth and pour into gallon jugs or other containers.
  7. Use 1/2 to 1 cup per load.

These recipes are also a great way to save money on laundry. By my calculations, I am saving over half on my laundry bill by switching

A Note About Soap vs. Detergent

All Natural Laundry Soap Recipes - two ways

As mentioned above, there is chemically a difference between soap and detergent. The advantage of conventional laundry detergents is that they are formulated to work specifically in washing machine environments. Many soaps are designed for skin and are not as strong. Some sources suggest that over time, natural soaps can leave buildup in washers.

I’ve found that while this recipe works well for me, it isn’t suitable for all water types and washer types. If you’ve used natural laundry soap and experienced clothes getting dingy, this may be the reason.

I’ve found one natural detergent that works brilliantly and can be used alone or in combination with homemade laundry soaps like this one. I often add 2-3 Tablespoons of Dr. Bronners Sal Suds per load as a natural detergent. Sal Suds gets out tough stains and odors and is still a natural product (though technically a detergent/surfactant and not a soap).

Don’t Want to Make it?

Homemade Natural Effective Laundry Soap Recipe

We usually make our own detergent, but for times when we are traveling or I haven’t had time to make it, I’ve found a few good brands of eco friendly laundry detergent that actually work (all received an “A” by the Environmental Working Group):

  • My Green Fills Laundry Detergent – Just a warning… after you try this laundry soap, you may be ruined for DIY forever. This is the best smelling non-toxic laundry detergent I’ve tried and it works well on tough stains and dirt. Similar to my favorite all-purpose cleaner, a huge bonus is their eco-friendly approach. The detergent comes concentrated in a small refill packet (hence the name) which you add to warm water in the provided bottle. Super smart!
  • 2 tablespoons Sal Suds + 1/4 cup Baking Soda or Washing Soda (highly effective and super simple!)
  • Ecover Zero Laundry Detergent– Works well, relatively cost effective and low/no risk of developmental or reproductive toxicity and cancer according to the EWG.
  • Emma Eco Me Detergent – Also rated well by the EWG and cleans up to 64  loads for $12. Good scents.
  • Planet Natural Detergent –  Relatively eco-friendly and cost effective at $9 for 32 loads.

Obviously, the most frugal option is to make your own, but these natural alternatives are a good choice if you aren’t able to make your own or don’t want to.

Have you tried making your own laundry detergent? What ingredients did you use?

This homemade laundry detergent recipe is easy and very inexpensive to make, plus you avoid the chemicals of conventional detergents.
Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

893 responses to “How to Make Laundry Soap (Liquid or Powder Recipe)”

  1. Janice Avatar

    Can you tell me what the consistency of the liquid formula is supposed to be? Mine mixed up nice, but is still of a watery consistency, and I was envisioning a thicker end product like other liquid detergents. I just want to know that it is fine to use as is, or should I be doing something else to “fix” it? Thanks!

  2. Jessica Avatar

    “FAIR” trade for Doctor Bronner’s castille soap, not “free” trade. Just a friendly FYI.

  3. Kokkila Avatar

    Is it possible to use this in a HE washing machine? Can I substitute a liquid soap instead? Can this be made up in smaller batches instead of a gallon? Will this also dissolve well in cold water or will I have to use warm water?

    1. Wellness Mama Avatar
      Wellness Mama

      HE is fine, you can sub liquid castille soap but you will need more of it (about double). It can be made in quart jars (1/2 cup of each and the rest water) instead and it will dissolve in cool water.

      1. Kokkila Avatar

        I used the recipe to make the home-made detergent but the pants that I washed in the detergent are itching me.  I changed the quantity of each ingredient but I did it so the ratio of each ingredient to the other stayed the same as it is in the original recipe.  I did not want to use 4.5 gallons of water so I converted the water into cups which = 72 cups, converted the other ingredients into cups and made adjustments in the quantity of all the ingredients  so they are still the same ratio to each other.  Do you know why the detergent is making me itchy?  The soap I used has saponified olive oil, palm kernel oil, and palm oil.  I can’t use soaps containing coconut because I’m allergic to coconut.

        1. Wellness Mama Avatar
          Wellness Mama

          Some people are sensitive to the borax, and depending on what soap you used, it could be that as well. Did you use Dr. Bronners? His contains coconut oil…

          1. Kokkila Avatar

            No, the soap had olive oil and palm oil in it.  I also had the same problem when I tried a different recipe using only Borax, washing soda, and baking soda.  Will your recipe work if I leave out the Borax?

  4. Maria Avatar

    Would Dr Bronner’s LIQUID castille soap work just as well as the bar soap? And if so, how much would you think necessary for the recipe?

  5. Thomas Larson Avatar
    Thomas Larson

    I’ll have to try this as soon as possible. I’m always thinking of ways to save some extra money. Thanks.

  6. Lindsey Avatar

    I’m a bit hesitant to try this recipe because I’m worried it might somehow clog the washing machine – how long have you been using this recipe and have you noticed any negative effects?

  7. Samantha Chisholm Avatar
    Samantha Chisholm

    I made the liquid detergent a few days ago with dr.bronners lavender and it did not gel. Also my clothes are not coming out smelling fresh they still smell dirty….should I add more of something? Thanks

    1. Wellness Mama Avatar
      Wellness Mama

      Did you use the bar soap? What proportions and size batch did you make?

      1. Samantha Chisholm Avatar
        Samantha Chisholm

        I used the bar soap and I did 1 cup of borax 1 cup of washing soda and a whole bar. I also tried doubling everything but the water and its like egg drop soup and its still not cleaning my clothes properly I am very confused.

        1. Wellness Mama Avatar
          Wellness Mama

          With those proportions, it should work, and I’ve used Dr. Bronner’s before without a problem. It won’t be as strong smelling as a regular detergent, but at those proportions, should get the clothes clean. you can also add more borax and washing soda, which may also help especially if you have hard water.

          1. Samantha Chisholm Avatar
            Samantha Chisholm

            Thanks for the quick response. Should i be strickly using warm or hot water for this or is there something to add for hard water. Thanks again. Also I occasionally use reusable pee pads for my dog is there anything special i would need to do with those?

          2. Wellness Mama Avatar
            Wellness Mama

            I’d add some vinegar to the rinse water with anything with urine. Warm/hot water will work better…

    1. Ruthie Higbee Avatar
      Ruthie Higbee

      I have too and I really disliked it. It coated all my diapers in soap scum, which is no bueno for cloth diapers.

  8. Brandi Avatar

    I also put mine in a glass tea jar one would make sun tea in. It has the push dispenser that makes it easy to dispense without pouring too much too quickly. Works like a charm. then I hang the measuring cup from a banana hanger and have a container under it to catch any drippings.

  9. Megan Avatar

    I just made the powdered version of this, but it seems like the grated soap separates from the powders. I even shook it up really well and that seems to make it worse. Have you had this problem or found a remedy??

    1. Joseph Ashford Avatar
      Joseph Ashford

      I found that if you microwave Ivory soap, it suds up and hardens. Once its cooled it breaks down very easily and the borax/ laundry soap mixes with it.

    2. Leona Behnsen Avatar
      Leona Behnsen

      I made the dry version of the laundry soap, and when the laundry was done, there were left over remenents of the Ivory bar soap on my sheets; I used cold water.

      I then put the dry mixture (1 cup of Borax & Washing Soda, and one bar of Ivory hand soap) in a pot with about 2.5 litres of water, and melted everything together. Any idea how much I should use in the laundry?

      My other concern is if this is going to leave a film or residue on our outdoor clothing, such as merino wool and synthetic clothing.

      Thanks,
      Leona

      1. Jennifer Smith Avatar
        Jennifer Smith

        Should I be using Dr. Bronner’s Baby Mild bar soap or would any of the bars be safe to use on baby clothes?

  10. Melanie Avatar

    i’ve tried this with the Fels Naptha soap and it made a terrible thick grey residue around the top of the washer drum. it also made the diapers stop absorbing liquid…. very bad. What do you recommend for diaper washing? Thanks!

    1. Wellness Mama Avatar
      Wellness Mama

      Depending on the water where you live, you may need a specific soap for diaper washing. I’ve used Rockin Green for diapers and it works great.

        1. molly Avatar

          Have you tested your water for hardness. ? And have you stripped your diapers?

  11. melissa rogers Avatar
    melissa rogers

    I can’t believe I haven’t made this before. I am in love with this!! Thank you so much. I found less expensive soap at Natural Grocers (99 cents per bar) with organic coconut oil. This is so simple I can’t believe anyone would buy their own detergent any more! It’s also so inexpensive. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!

    1. Deborah De Block Avatar
      Deborah De Block

      I found the same information other places too. Based on other recipes across the web, I used 2 boxes Arm & Hammer Washing Soda, 2 two pound boxes of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda, and 3 bars of grated Ivory Soap (because that’s what I already had on hand).

    2. Cindy Sharp Avatar
      Cindy Sharp

      I keep it simple and just use more washing soda & a grated bar of castille soap. Washing soda is a stronger water softener than borax. If you want to make your detergent more gentle, you can use baking soda. It has 1/2 the water softening power of washing soda.

  12. Patty Avatar

    I made this a couple of weeks ago! I love it! thanks….so cheap & easy to make…one of the recipes I found said to fill up the laundry bottle with 1/2 of the detergent & 1/2 with water…but yours says to just fill up the bottle with the detergent…your recipe makes 5 gallons, the other one would make 10. what do you recommend? I havent seen a problem with diluting it to make 10 gallons, but I don’t have kids at home making a lot of stains….

  13. Stella Avatar

    I’d love to try this. After some research I found that 1 tsp. of Borax can kill a child and that it is also unsafe to have around pets. I’m sure regular detergent is also somewhat unsafe, but having the box of Borax around worries me. Do you use a face mask and gloves when handling it?

    1. Ann Avatar

      Borax is not unsafe. I has about the same lethal dose as table salt. You may be confusing this with boric acid which can be harmful. Borax has been used for skin and health remedies, as well as laundry, for a long time. It’s perfectly safe.

    2. Kelly Avatar

      i put a teaspoon and a half if borax in my magnesium baths to help with absorption of the magnesium.

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