Homemade Laundry Detergent

Here are the recipes I have tried for homemade laundry detergent. One is liquid and the other is powder. The liquid cost about one cent per load and the powder about three cents per load. Although, they both seem to work fine I prefer the powder. The liquid has a strange consistency (like egg noodle soup) that I just don't like and is more work (you have to melt the soap on the stove). But it is cheaper so you can decide for yourself.

Liquid Laundry Detergent

What Ingredients Do You Need?

You will need 3 basic ingredients; a soap of some sort, washing soda and borax.

The Soap: The most typical type of soap to use is Fels Naptha. It is an old-fashioned type of soap usually found in the laundry aisle.

Washing Soda: This is not to be confused with baking soda. They are not the same thing. Washing soda is sodium carbonate or soda ash (baking soda is sodium bicarbonate). It is a white powder. Its purpose is to help remove dirt and orders. The brand to look for is Arm & Hammer Washing Soda. I find it in the laundry section of my grocery store.

Borax: Borax is a naturally occurring mineral: Sodium Borate. It is a white powder. It’s purpose is as a laundry whitener and deodorizer. The brand to look for is 20 Mule Team. It comes in a 76 oz. box. You should be able to locate this in the laundry detergent aisle.

The Recipe

Now that you have assembled all the needed ingredients here is the recipe:

Homemade Laundry Soap

1/3 bar Fels Naptha or other type of soap, as listed above

½ cup washing soda

½ cup borax powder

~You will also need a small bucket, about 2 gallon size

Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan. Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts. Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket. Now add your soap mixture and stir. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel. You use ½ cup per load.

~The finished soap will not be a solid gel. It will be more of a watery gel that has been accurately described as an "egg noodle soup" look.

~The soap is a low sudsing soap. So if you don’t see suds, that is ok. Suds are not what does the cleaning, it is the ingredients in the soap.

Optional: If you want your soap to have some sort of scent you can scent this with ½ to 1 oz. of essential oil or fragrance oil of your choice.

Powdered Laundry Detergent

1 bar (4-6 oz.) castile soap, grated (I found this on the health and beauty aisle in Publix)

2 c. Borax

2 c. washing soda

1 c. baking soda

essential oils (optional)

Combine first four ingredients. Add several drops of essential oils, if desired (tree oil has an anti-fungal/anti-anti-bacterial properties). Store in covered jar or bucket. Use 1/4-1/2 c. per load. This is a low sudsing detergent.

If you have a water softener you only have to use 1/2 of the recommended amount of detergent. I use about 2 Tbsp. per load.

Have fun and happy washing!