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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4.10 from 66 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.
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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

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

  1. Dianne Avatar

    Mine was somewhat jelled too. I think I may have used slightly less water than called for. I also added the store brand of oxi-clean. I think I used just a little more of the bar soap than it called for too.

  2. Joe Avatar

    I made the “liquid” detergent, mixed as instructed, it turned into something akin to jello. It is completely solidified. I still scoop it up in a cup to put in the wash and it does a good job on the laundry. I was just curious why it gelled, I was under the impression it would stay liquid. I think the next time I will just leave it powdered and try that.

  3. Jenn Avatar

    Hi Katie! Just wanted to let you know that searching for a recipe for home made laundry detergent directed me to your page and I am enjoying reading everything! I am STILL working on the batch of powder detergent I made and have been very happy. I used the plastic measuring scoop from my last store-bought box of detergent and just marked with a sharpie where the right amount to use is. I am looking forward to using other soaps to get great scents. And I’m looking forward to reading more!

  4. Ewa Avatar

    Hi Katie, I live in India and I haven’t see washing soda here, do you think I could substitute by baking soda?
    Also, on one of the other websites I read this comment: Borax is known as an endocrine disrupter. You can substitute a mixture of baking soda, oxy-clean, epsom salts, or omit it entirely (I dropped borox from my old mixture of washing soda and grated castille soap, and didn’t notice any difference). Maybe I could omit this entirely since I’m not going to get it in India anyways… I am very keen on making my own washing mixture, pls help me with the ingredients and proportions. Many thanks!

      1. Ewa Avatar

        Katie, thank you for your reply, I found soap nuts very close to where I live and they are also very inexpensive in India and you can toss them just like that in the washing machine. Perfect! Also, I found this link about how to know if your soapnuts are still good or not, maybe somebody can find it useful:
        https://www.kitchenstewardship.com/how-to-tell-if-laundry-soap-nuts-still-have-cleaning-power/
        Found washing soda too online, but it’s not readily available in grocery shops here. Somebody posted a comment that I can keep baking soda in the oven at 450 for 15 min and it will turn to washing soda. I think the cheapest and easiest solution is soapnuts. Thanks a lot for your posts, I enjoy reading your blog and implementing your ideas into our family life!

  5. Eva Vazquez Romero Avatar
    Eva Vazquez Romero

    Hi Katie
    I love your website! I made this laundry soap yesterday and I love it but the smell is a bit powerful for me I feel like an itch on my face and like I can almost taste in my mouth! Do you think that it can be the borax? Could I used something else to replace it? Thanks eva

  6. Alisn Avatar

    I made the liquid laundry soap and I love it!! Thank you so much for your blog, I make the suncream, lotion bars, wipes and now laundry liquid. We live all the way in downunder, Australia, how lucky are we to have to internet to connect us accross the globe? I love you wellness Mama!!! xoxox

  7. Jessica Avatar

    I don’t know if its the change to this laundry soap or just a change in weather. My dog has started having major skin allergies since I switched. I was wondering if anyone else with dogs have experienced this. I was excited to use this because of the cost vs regular detergents but the vet bills have not been cheap. Any suggestions for an alternative natural laundry soap? For now I’ll be going back to traditional detergent to see if his hives clear up.

  8. Diyanne Avatar

    Can someone please confirm…I thought I read on a previous post that I can substitute Borax for Baking Soda. If so, what’s the equivalent measurement?
    Blessings,
    Diyanne

  9. Erin Avatar

    So close to trying this! Only thing is where I live, Borax and Washing Soda are around $8 each. Wonder if it’s worth the expensive. Hm.

  10. Nancy Avatar

    Kate,
    I as a individual always been about being down to earth, natural made items, made in the USA type person. Anyway, I began working at the best job ever and started to “go green, back to nature”. Well, I came up with this idea why not wash the Company laundry in the same stuff that I use for my own personal wash. Which is a lot of laundry everyday I might add, we go thru 5 gallon drum about every three months, it is way cheaper than the hospitality brands and made at home. Some of our extended stay guest request to use our laundry soap. They can’t say enough about it. We have had nothing but compliments on how white, clean, and great smelling the sheets, towels are and shiny everything in the rooms are. We have switched over to you liquid recipe and use lavender scented everything. WoW what a difference, our European guests have even complimented us on the freshness. We here at our establishment “home” enjoy your articles, tip saving tidbits and your podcasts. In short, thank you so much for all that you’ve contributed to our “home” going back to nature, homemade, and going green.

  11. Chad Avatar

    I just made liquid detergent using your recipe. We are using a front loading HE washer and the detergent dispenser only holds less than a half cup of liquid. Is it ok if I just pour the liquid detergent directly into the washing drum instead of the dispenser before I put the clothes in? Thanks!

  12. Emma Avatar

    I’d like to find out more about the claims that ‘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.’
    Are you actually claiming that using conventional laundry detergent is harmful to your health? If you are, could you please provide citations for that? If conventional laundry detergents are in fact dangerous at the levels normally used, in the way that people normally use them, then please provide some sort of evidence for your claim.
    And if they’re not, then why make these sorts of horrible sounding claims?

    Water is linked to drowning, but that doesn’t mean we should stop drinking water. Similar logic applies here. I worry that you are spreading misinformation by saying that there is a link between petroleum distillates and cancer and lung disease. What has that got to do with using laundry detergent?

    1. Dianne Avatar

      The fact that those cleaners have all those chemicals is enough to make me not want to use them if I don’t have to. If you don’t care about what’s in the products you use, then you should feel free to keep buying whatever is on the shelves. I don’t think anyone really knows the damage all the chemicals we come in contact does to our health. It would be hard to measure since there are chemicals in everything but it seems the more chemically dependent we are, the more terrible diseases like cancer is more rampant than ever. If chemicals do not concern you, why are you even reading this blog?

  13. Lydia Henricks Avatar
    Lydia Henricks

    I was wondering if I could use this recipe on an infant’s clothing?

  14. Val Avatar

    Hi There, I”ve been using this detergent with the pure castile soap as recommended in unscented. Recently, I bought the lavender version of Dr. Bronner’s soap, is that okay to use? Or is the lavender going to mess it up? Thanks for your continued help, wellness mama! 🙂

  15. Millie Avatar

    I have a septic system and was wondering since this is a bit “slimy” if it will clog up the septic. I would love to use it as I am trying to go chemical free in my home. I would appreciate your comments and help. Thank.

  16. Michele Avatar

    I had gotten this same recipe from a family member. I wanted to try it because I really wanted to get away from the chemicals. So I tried this laundry detergent for my family. It didn’t work too well for us. I have a lot of boys and their clothes get really dirty and a husband who always has sweat stains. Needless to say we didn’t save any money because I had to use more to help get rid of stains, which didn’t happen and it left our clothes dingy and not clean looking. Since we don’t use the expensive name brand detergents anyway we didn’t save any money using the home made detergent. I would like to find a different recipe for laundry detergent because I would try it.

    1. Kit Avatar

      I’ve read among these comments just a few others voice effectiveness concerns, and it was suggested that it might be due to hard water. The Farmer’s Almanac ( https://www.farmersalmanac.com/make-your-own-laundry-detergent-15646 ) has a similar recipe to this one, but also offers the option of adding Oxyiclean Stain Remover and a bottle of Purex Fabric Softener Crystals. Those two ingredients could address both heavy duty cleaning and hard water. One last thing, I bought Sun Oxi Cleaner at a Dollar mart, and it contains the same TWO ingredients that Oxiclean does, at a bit less than half Oxiclean’s price and you even get a half pound more Sun Oxi at that nearly half-price price. Hope any of this helps. 🙂

  17. Jade Avatar

    Has anyone tried this as automatic dishwasher liquid? Or know a homemade dishwasher recipe?
    Thanks!

  18. Brianne Avatar

    How do the appliances hold up to the homemade detergent? I like the idea of homemade, but I’ve heard reports of soap build up, particularly in the dryer, and I really don’t want to wreck my appliances in attempt to save money. This is an old post, so maybe you can share your experience with using it long term? Thanks!

  19. Sally Avatar

    Question–I have an HE washer so I’ll use the liquid detergent. I am wondering 2 things:

    1) Will this change how soft my clothes end up? I am worried that the change in detergent will irritate my baby’s skin. I’ve only ever used Dreft for her, which doesn’t bother her. But I don’t want to make up a whole batch only to find that I can’t use it. Has anyone experienced skin irritation in their babies using homemade liquid soap?

    2) I wash my husband’s dry-clean-only clothes in the washer on gentle with regular detergent. Would it be ok to use this homemade detergent on dry clean only? Isn’t the homemade soap much harsher? I don’t want to ruin his clothes. Has anyone used this stuff on dry clean only?

    Thank you!

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