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This is a post I have been waiting about three months to put up. Why? Because I wanted to test out my homemade product for a good long while to make sure it really worked before I shared it with you. And guess what? Can I just say, this easy homemade laundry detergent is awesome. It is incredibly easy to make and costs mere pennies.
Being the crunchy momma that I am whenever I used to purchase laundry soap from the grocery store I would always get the most natural, non-toxic, good-for-the-environment. (Read: the VERY, most expensive bottle). It would just kill me every time I had to fork over money to buy a new jug, which when you factor in that my husband works manual labor and my daughter uses cloth diapers, was pretty often. And on top of that, when you turn over any bottle of laundry soap and you read the list of ingredients the list always goes 1) water 2) a bunch of chemistry terms I don't recognize.
So I decided to embark on a journey to make my own. This is my recipe. It may not work for everyone but it works for us. We even use it on diaper loads without any problems.
Easy Homemade Laundry Detergent
1 quart-sized container
1 tablespoon washing soda (Where to buy. Or make your own)
1 tablespoon baking soda
1.5 tablespoons liquid Castile soap.)
1 quart very warm water
In a small cup mix washing soda and baking soda together. Turn on tap water as hot as it gets. Add water to almost fill cup and quickly stir the powder mixture and dissolve thoroughly. Pour into quart-sized container. Add more water to almost fill. Shake well. Pour in Castile soap. Shake vigorously. Add more water to fill the container. Use 1/3-1/2 cup for regular load. More for a heavily soiled one. (Note: to learn how I wash cloth diapers go here.)
It's that easy.
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This post shared at: Natural Living Monday,
This post shared at: Natural Living Monday,
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe, Jacquelyn! I was actually just cleaning the disgusting detergent residue off my washer today and this is such a great solution. I love eco friendly tips! Would love for you to share at the party tonight! xo Bridgett
ReplyDeletehttp://www.osiemoats.com/2013/02/link-up-party-2.html
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Hey Bridgett! Thanks! Sorry I missed it. Maybe another time!
DeleteThank you for sharing your wonderful laundry detergent recipe with us! My recipe is still packed. I am going to try yours this weekend.
ReplyDeleteWonderful! Would love to know how you like it.
DeleteI have the high efficiency washer/dryer. Do you know if I can use this in it? I'm so sick of washing with all of the chemicals but didn't realize when I bought this set that they require special detergents. Personally, I think it's a gimmic to sell their high priced chemicals, they refer to as detergent. I would love to know this will work for me!
ReplyDeleteI also wonder if it is a gimmick, but since I am not sure I can't say! I don't have an HE but someone else commented who said they use homemade detergent with a HE. Hope that helps...
DeleteHE washers can be damaged by suds, so anything that cleans without a lot of sudsing action should work. A tablespoon and a half of castille shouldn't be too sudsy in a quart, I wouldn't think, so it should be fine. My current recipe calls for Fels Naptha soap, borax and washing soda. I added baking soda for good measure. Best switch I ever made. I plan to try this one also, if for no other reason than it seems the simplest liquid version I've seen, and would be handy for spot treatments.
DeleteI have an HE washer also and I use 1/4 cup of homemade detergent and it do NOT harm my machine. In fact..the nasty musty smell is also gone once I started using it
ReplyDeleteGood to know! Thanks for sharing! Was it this homemade detergent recipe? Or another?
DeleteYeah! I'm glad to finally see a recipe without Borax, I'm still on the fence with that one. Have you made a giant batch yet, for a 2 or 5 gallon bucket? I'm wondering what the amounts would be. I'll try what you have first. I have the "environmentally friendly" Costco detergent. I think they changed the formula because it is very perfumy! It almost makes me sick. Yet another reason to start purchasing Castile soap, can't wait! Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteI also noticed that with the Costco detergent! I thought I was just going crazy. But, I bet your right... I bet they did change the recipe. Makes me sick, too!
DeleteI haven't made a giant batch but I have at least doubled the recipe. I don't see any reason why you couldn't though...
Let me know how it works for you! Thanks for stopping in and commenting!
I made this laundry detergent and I'm loving it, but... lately my diapers come out smelling clean, then my baby pees and they smell like poopie. I wash them with 1/3 cup detergent, and put peroxide in the bleach dispenser, and vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser. I also do the cold prewash and hot wash, then 2 cold rinse cycles. Is there something I may be doing wrong?
ReplyDeleteI haven't used peroxide for washing diapers.. what does that do?
DeleteI use this soap for diapers. This is what I do: cold rinse, then a hot rinse with vinegar (about a 1/2-1 cup
for a big load), then wash with the soap. Maybe try that and see if it works?
Hope that helps!
I'm interested in trying our own detergent, but my worry is the septic system. Do you have a septic system? Do you know if it's septic safe?
ReplyDeleteI don't. Not sure the answer. If you find anything out let me know!
DeleteAll of her ingredients are septic safe. The detergent I make is borax, washing soda and zote soap and it's also septic safe =-)
DeleteYes, all ingredients in the homemade laundry detergent are septic safe. I too have a septic system and have to be careful of what I put in it. The less chemicals you put in your septic system the happier it will be. No bleach, antibacterial products, etc.
DeleteI too am curious about a septic system...is that what you have? If so, no problems...??
ReplyDeleteHey! Sorry I can't help you out! I d/on't have a septic system... When you buy laundry soap at the store does it specify that it's "septic safe"? I'm not familiar...
DeleteHomemade soaps are better for the septic systems than store bought. We have cess pool here and just toss in a little bit of Rid-X every couple of months and never have any problems at all. The less chemicals you use in the septic systems, the better, which means the biodegradable castile soaps are much better than the store boughts. Try to avoid chlorine bleach, as that kills the helpful bacteria in the system :-)
DeleteThis is great! I'm going to share on facebook right now! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteI couldn't get the two sodas to dissolve. They bonded together like cement. What did I do wrong? Help!
ReplyDeleteHey Elizabeth! Sorry it took me a while to get back to you. Was busy holiday-ing with both sides of the family.
DeleteTo answer your question I am not sure EXACTLY what went wrong, but I have two ideas. I will specify the directions even more in the post now due to this.
Did you mix the bs and ws in a separate cup and stir really well when you added the water? Did you use hot water? I have had this happen to me before when I used cold water. You need to use hot/really warm water (I just use the tap water as hot as it gets) and stir immediately to dissolve in the water.
I am not sure what is happening chemically to make the difference... but let me know if that helps. :)
Sorry this happened!
My husband cant have castile soap ::(makes his skin itch.
ReplyDeleteWould it be okay to use the Peppermint Castile Soap? No babies here, and that's what I have on hand!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely. Your clothes will just have an ever so slight peppermint smell. ;)
DeleteI am so glad you have eliminated the Borax ffrom your recipe....most people seem unaware that it is not really good for us or the environment....check it out at the Environmental Working Group website...they rate it with an F....ewg.org
ReplyDeleteLoved your article. Question: How much would you recommend for a regular load in an HE washer?
ReplyDeleteHave you ever tried the soap nuts/berries? I have been reading that they are good and gentle on everything plus they seem to soften without fabric softener. Wondering if anyone has used them and what they think.
ReplyDeleteHi! I use soap nuts. Haven't had to purchase laundry detergent in 8 or 9 months and the box is still 2/3 full. If you have a nut allergy in the family though, they are technically nuts, so be wary. As for the pros, I don't use fabric softener or dryer sheets, my laundry literally smells like nothing, and it gets basic stains out. For an extra kick, I'll boil a gallon of water with 10 soap nuts in it until the water is murky, swirly and yellow, and then freeze that in cubes. I toss in a cube with the little baggy of soap nuts.
DeleteMy only hang up is that my hubs has a hard time without the suds. He wants to love the eco nuts, but he isn't 100% convinced. I did end up purchasing him a bottle of their liquid, but talk about sticker shock. The box, though, while costing around $35, has saved me a ton of cash... You can also purchase a mini box for a couple dollars ( 5 max) at Lassen's to try it out. That way, if you don't like it, you didn't waste a lot of money.
I would LOVE to use this recipe, but our water is so hard that castile soap doesn't rinse well-- from bodies or clothes. I still use it for some things, but I like the eco nuts and they work for me. When I filter our pipes, I'm going to test it out-- it may be the way I get my hubs to use a natural washing soap for his clothes, since he does most of the laundry anyway (great, right!). Good luck!
hello..i have a basic question about storing both this laundry soap and the baking soda shampoo&vinegar mixture. do we have to prepare from scratch everytime we need to do the laundry, and alsosame with the shampoo, doi need to prepare everytime i need to wash my hair? or can i prepare a big container and use it until it finishes? its important for me to know since preparing everytime is very time consuming. thanks:)
ReplyDeleteI use baking soda for my hair. I store it in an old spice jar in the shower (a corner where the water doesn't reach) and it lasts for 2-3 weeks. I think it would be even better if I brought it out of the shower with me every time so it's not around so much moisture.
DeleteAlso, I use ACV as a conditioner and store it in a spray bottle. I switched from raw to pasteurized b/c the raw stringy things would grow and clog up my spray bottle after about a week.
Good luck!
Hi, I live in Guatemala and I don't think I can get Castile soap. Any suggestions on another type of soap?
ReplyDeleteWow, I had often wondered about Borax! Thank you for posting this, I try to go as chemical free as possible!
ReplyDeleteI find all of this interesting and I love simplifying my life any way I can. I use laundry soap and bleach for my towels and whites and have wondered if there is anything I could use to make certain my clothes are clean, white and don't have that mildew smell return when we use them the next time.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of simplifying my life. I use Costco detergent and bleach to clean my towels and whites. I like to know they are clean and won't have that mildew smell return when using washclothes and towels. What can I replace this with and get the same results?
ReplyDeleteI have the same question. Would the other scented Dr. Bronner's soaps work?
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely.
DeleteCan essential oils be added for a fresh scent?
ReplyDeleteOooooo I gotta try this! I hate using store detergent! Its all chemicals! N everything is tested on animals!!!!😞😞😞😞😞😞😞 M gonna try your recipe!!!!
ReplyDeleteHello! Just wanted to let you know that after doing some math, starting with 32 oz of each ingredient - you can get about 340 washes!! That is hugely economical considering that if you are purchasing 50 oz bottles of a detergent for, say, $11, you would have to buy 27 bottles to get the same amount of washes as with this recipe! I'm going off to college and wanted to convince my parents that it was worth the 30-ish dollars it cost for all the ingredients. This way I both save money as a poor college student and help the environment. Thank you!!
ReplyDeleteWow! I haven't done the math like that. So am I figuring right... does that mean each load costs about 11 cents??
DeleteHow much is used per load from the 1 quart recipe? Standard top loading machine. Jus clothes no diapers :)
ReplyDelete1/3-1/2 cup
DeleteDoes this recipe need too sit overnight before using? Will it gel?
ReplyDeleteDoesn't need to. It should be shaken before each use.
DeleteCan I use something instead of castile soap?
Delete