Several of you have asked me how to make Homemade Laundry Detergent, and I’ve got the recipe for you right here!
I’ve been planning on making this for almost a year {yes… it’s taken me awhile to get to it}!
When I was up in Washington visiting my friend Joli this summer, I put her detergent to the test, and she sold me on the idea of Homemade Laundry Detergent!
It’s thrifty, simple to make, works great, and smells yummy! Yup ~ I’m sold! 
What You’ll Need: {check your local store’s laundry aisle}
- 1/2 Cup: Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda {not Baking Soda}
- 1/2 Cup: Borax {print a coupon here}
- 1/3 Bar of Fels-Naptha Soap {you could also use Ivory soap, but if using Ivory… use the whole bar}
- Bucket {2 gallon size or larger}
- Empty laundry detergent containers or bucket with lid to store detergent.
What You’ll Do:
- Grate 1/3 bar of Fels-Naptha Soap over large pot or saucepan…
- Add 6 cups of Water.
- Heat over medium-high until soap dissolves and melts.
- Add Washing Soda & Borax, and stir until dissolved.
- Remove from heat and set aside.
- Pour 4 cups Hot Water into bucket, then add Soap Mixture.
- Stir, then add 1 Gallon + 6 Cups of additional water. Stir.
- Transfer to a bucket with a lid, or pour into empty laundry detergent containers.
- Set aside, and let it sit overnight, or up to 24 hours, to thicken and gel up.
- Consistency and color will vary depending on your soap & water ~ it may be lumpy and watery… kind of like a watery gel, but it works great!
- Stir or shake before each use, as it will continue to gel.
- Good job… you did it!
- Don’t forget… to save more money, you can cut your dryer sheets in half and make Homemade Fabric Softener!
How Much Will it Cost?
- Borax, 76 oz. box ~ $2.98 at Wal-Mart
- Arm & Hammer Washing Soda, 55 oz. box ~ $2.99 at Kroger/Fry’s.
- Fels-Naptha Bar of Soap ~ $1.79 at Kroger/Fry’s.
- Total Cost to make around 2 gallons: About $1.00!!
- This amount filled up my large empty Tide container from Costco and a smaller Purex container!
This recipe makes a low-sudsing detergent, and I know several people who use it in their HE machines, too!
There are many recipes for homemade detergent, and this is one that works for me. Give it a try, and see what you think!!
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Have you ever tried making your own detergent at home??
Leave a comment and let us know your favorite ways to save $$ in the laundry room!
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See Also:
BIG List of Homemade Cleaner Recipes
How to Save $$ on Dryer Sheets
How to Make Homemade Fabric Softener
I make my own laundry detergent. I like to add a little stain remover to the mix because I have 3 small children.
Do you use this same recipe? Does it fade your clothes? Is it worth the money you save? Sorry for all the questions!
i just starting using this “recipe” and really like it. your clothes are clean when they come out of the wash and if you want to add some essential oil, you can. so far, my clothes have not faded and i’m saving around $40 a month in laundry detergent. i use the ivory soap version because it’s cheaper.
I make my own laundry detergent using a similar recipe but it’s a dry detergent. 2c washing soda, 2c borax & 1/2 a bar of Zote (grated). A whole bar of ivory or 1/2 bar of Fels Naptha may be used as a substitute for Zote as well. Stir together & use 2tbs per full load. It smells great & the Zote keeps my clothes bright & clean.
I also use this Dry recipe (with the Fels-Naptha). I feel it works well. It is also much easier to store.
How many batches do you get out of the ingredients for the powder detergent.
I also do a dry detergent. I use one bar castile soap (can use fels naptha or ivory), 2 cups borax, 2 cups baking soda, 2 cups washing soda.
1 TBS per load for toploader
1/2 TBS per load for front loader
Don’t know how many loads per batch but it lasts for a long time and I have 2 kids at home.
Is this safe to use with a septic system? I read soap flakes WILL clog your system because of the vegetable oil in the castile soap.
This should be septic safe! The oil in a castile soap is olive oil, when properly saponified with either sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide, it no longer has the molecular structure of an oil. Avoid any extras that contain bleach to protect your septic system.
In your recipe for laundry detergent what do you mean by “washing soda”?
Do your colors fade? Also have you ever added any kind of stain remover?
I just started using this, only with my hard water I used 1.5 bars of Naptha, 2 cups of soda, 2 cups of borax, 1 scoop of oxiclean. So far so good. I added the oxi after it had trouble with my sweaty lawn mowing shirt. Pretreat those stains with wet naptha too.
So you can add the oxiclean straight into your mix? I have been a little hesitant to do this and have been adding it to each load.
I have been making and using this same homemade laundry soap for years. The borax is a laundry booster (to fight stains) and the fels naptha is a pre treat also. My grandma used a bar to rub on stains, as do I. It leaves no smell, no soap reside on clothing so is great for sensitive skin and babies. No need to use fabric softener unless you just want too. This recipe (liquid) also neutralizes poison ivy oils in clothing.
I made a huge amount of the dry laundry detergent using zote, the 20 mule Borax, Arm and Hammer washing detergent, baking soda and oxy clean. The only problem I am having is that the zote does NOT dissolve in cold or even warm water really. I find pieces of it sticking to my clothes and I have to go back and rewash them in plain water! I grated my zote and then even put it back in the food processor and really chopped the grated pieces up! Anyone else have this problem? I have been trying to start each load with hot water and get the soap to melt then switching it over to warm or cold. Does anyone else have this problem?
I use the dry method, but I use 1 bar of Fels Naptha, 1 cup Borax and 1 cup washing soda. I will also put a small container of off brand oxi clean in it as well. I was having trouble with the soap not dissolving, so I put the dry mixture into my Magic Bullet to make into a finer powder. That worked great.
I made my own soap today from scratch. Check out my website in a week or so…if it works, I’ll post about it!
I had this problem with the first batch I made then I paid extra attention to the dissolving process when making it and with the 2nd and 3rd batch I have not had a problem.
If you leave a bowl beside your washing machine, you can then mix your soap with a little bit of hot water to dissolve your soap before putting your soap in the washing machine. Then you can use whatever temp water you want.
To avoid this issue I first set my washer on the smallest load with hot water – add my Zote mix and allow it to fill and aggitate for just a minute. I then reset it to large and adjust my water temp and add my clothes. This has worked nicely for me.
Im wondering I have a front load and use HE soap will this liquid soap work in my washer
How much of the wet detergent to put into your washer?? 1 cup, 1/2 c?? I want to try this, but I am hesitant. And do you use regular laundry sheets in the dryer? Or do you use liquid softner? Currently I use Purex Powder with vinager as a softner and put in the dryer w a purex luandry sheet.
I use a 1/2 cup and it works wonderfully! I make the liquid soap though, so I’m not sure about the powder soap amount.
I’ve been making my own laundry detergent as well, but make powder since its faster and really effective. I really, really dislike the smell of Fels Naptha (heavy petroleum smell) and have used castille soap instead in a variety of scents. I just bought Ivory, so I’ll give that a shot. I use the recipe from Discovery’s Planet Green Channel: 1 finely grated bar of soap, 1 cup Borax, 1 cup Washing Soda. Mix really, really well, or throw it in your food processor. 1 tbsp for HE washers, 2 tbsp for regular. I’ve used 2 tbsp in really dirty loads. LOVE this soap!!!
any bar of soap?
Hey is this safe for He machines?
I have a HE machine and it works really well never had a problem I use about 1/4 cup per load.
How much of this homemade detergent do you use per load?
I make a dry detergent similar to the one C.A. mentions and love it. Although I will say that I used Ivory soap one time and regretted it–it did not always dissolve completely and sometimes my darks came out of the wash with little white bits of soap on them so I had to re-wash/rinse the loads. I’ve never tried the liquid version, might have to try that sometime.
I also use vinegar instead of fabric softener in the rinse cycle–works great!
And, I nearly always hang my clothes on the line to dry rather than putting them in the dryer. I estimate this saves us about $20/month on our electricity bill, and I find it oddly relaxing to hang a load on the line.
I use approximately 1/4 cup per load on my top loader.
I don’t personally have an H.E. machine, but I know several people who use this with their H.E. machines.
~ Heidi
Question for those that mentioned it. What does the vinegar do for the laundry?
I use white vinegar as a fabric softener. It makes my laundry fluffy. So maybe that’s why it is used in the laundry soap.
I know this is an old question but I use vinegar in my wash when I do hubby’s nasty Army uniforms-it takes the stink out of his dripping-with-sweat uniforms (can’t use fabric softener on them so that part is just an added bonus).
Ana, do you wash hubby’s acu with the homemade detergent?
Ang, do you wash hubby’s acu with the homemade detergent?
I do & his need washed daily b/c of his job. I’ve not had any problems w/them & I figure it’s safe to since there are no optical brighteners.
I forgo the cooking and just make a powder with ivory soap that is grated fine, washing soda, and baking soda. It works wonders on our clothes. I do not use borax since it is a bit of a toxin.
polishirishmomma – Can you tell me exactly how much of the washing soda, baking soda, and ivory you use to make a batch? I’ve just made my first batch using the borax but I’d prefer to not use the borax. Thanks!
polishirishmomma
I didn’t know the borax was toxic but figured it must be b/c my adult daughter tried the dry recipe I had made. It made her break out with a really bad rash under her bra and around the elastics of her underwear. Thanks for the info about the borax. I’m going to try just the plain baking soda next time.
I read that if you use this formula you have to use white vinager and water ir mix with a little favorite hair conditioner and vinager and water. to get soap out. i have been doing this works good no problems.
I use the duggar family’s fabric softner recipe. Buy a bottle of fabric softener ( I use purex). It is one capful of that to three capfuls of water. Mix in container. Cut up a kitchen sized scrubbing sponge in half and soak in liquid. Wring and throw one into dryer each time. Works great and smells good!
I’m eager to try this. One thing I’d like to add about regular detergent from the store is that I use about 1/4-1/2 as much as they suggest and I’m obsessive about my family having clean soft clothing. I also usually use 1/2 of a dryer sheet. Everything still looks and smells great.
I make my own laundry detergent, and I love it!!! So much cheaper and super easy to make. I add a little baking soda to mine and it seems to work very well. I make mine without using the water and keep mine in the powder form and just use 2-4 tbs at a time.
I’ve been making this recipe for a few months now. No problems so far, except you need to make sure to pretreat stains, but other than that, everything seems to come out of the wash fine. I use 1/2 cup per load and if I’m doing underwear or towels, I like to add some vinager for the germs.
I do have to remind myself to make it at least a day or 2 before I run out. Being unemployed, this money saving trick couldn’t have come at a better time!
We have 7 people in our family so laundry is always an issue. about 6 months ago I started looking at ways to save money on laundy and saw many great reviews for home made laundry detergent. A little hesitantly I made my first batch and it worked GREAT. I use the recipe from the Duggars website and it makes 5 gallons at a time. with my latest batch I added some liquid fabric softner to it and so far it has been great. Before I added the liquid softner I would add vinegar to the rinse cycle and it made a world of difference in the softness of the clothes. I used 1/4 cup when I had a front load washer but now that I am back to a top load washer I use 1/2 cup. When I use vinegar it is 1/4 cup that I add to the water.
After my 3rd baby, I started using white vinegar as a fabric softener. Works great! No vinegar smell, just soft, static-free clothes. No allergens either. Plus, buying the gallon 2-pack at Costco saves a ton of money over the national brands.
Do you know if Publix carries the washing soda? I haven’t been able to find it anywhere here. We don’t have Kroger’s. I’ve been wanting to try this recipe for several years, but have looked everywhere for the washing soda & have been unable to find it! THANKS!!!
Our walmart now sells everything you need to make it!
Arm & Hammer Washing Soda, is available at Kroger also. I bought all my ingredients there. But fyi, washing soda which is “sodium carbonate” is found at pool supply stores! And from what I heard its less expensive than Arm & Hammer per ounce. So if you have a pool supply store in your area check it out. Ours are all closed now since I live in Michigan. But if you live in warm climates then your in luck. I am making my batch today for the first time. I can’t wait to try it.
Does Walmart carry the washing soda?
Most Wal-marts do
We live in a small town and our Walmart had everything I needed. I just bought everything yesterday.
How is this recipe on sensitive skin? I have to use All Free and Clear or Dreft…
I have 3 with very sensitive skin, 1 with eczema and 2 who get itchy. This is wonderful for it!!
I have severely sensitive skin and this recipe works great! I make the powder and add baking soda to it.
I’m going to try this… I always use Tide free, but I think I’m willing to give it a try and save some $$
I learned about vinegar from a Friends mom. It’s great softerner and also on smells, have you ever left your towels in the washer and forgot them… that musty smell… Vinegar takes the musty smell away… and I’ll smell it while the wash is going but never after. I now keep a small spray bottle of water and vinegar in my kitchen for little clean ups.
so just plain white vinegar? can you use any other type and get the same results?
I use the powder version in an HE washer it works great, I use a formula scoop and put it in an old baby wipes container (about 1 tablespoon per load 2 if it’s heavily soiled or very large). It’s very hard to find the washing soda. Go to Arm & Hammer’s website and search by your zip code for stores. Nobody around me carries it (Fort Worth area) I’ve had to order it from websites before & alice.com usually has the best price.
I was just at our Walmart in Frisco, and they sell the washing soda…it was on a bottom shelf and I had to look forever for it! But I found it…it was under all the stain fighters and the fels naptha soap, on the lowest most obscure place possible!
I buy everything at my local Meijer, the washing soda and the borax are on the top shelf by the Oxiclean, but the fels-naptha is in another part of the laundry aisle on the bottom shelf. You literally have to look high and low for this stuff, they want your eye to go to the Tide and other uber expensive detergents they keep at eye level!
You should try a Walmart near you. I live in the area as well and have bought it at Kroger and Walmart. Walmart is cheaper tho.
since everyone is speaking of vinegar and baking soda, I will give my cleaning tip. My childrens doctor said those 2 things were the only cleaners I needed in my house…kitchen, bathroom, stove, sink..you name it!
Borax is NOT toxic. This has been gone around and around in various green living. 20 Mule Team Borax is NOT boric acid, naturally occurring and is environmentally friendly.
You can also use the Washing Soda and Borax, equal parts of each in the DISHWASHER!!!!! Also, use vinegar for the rinse agent.
I have noticed it may not clean as perfectly as the store-bought, but I can handle wiping out a bowl here and there knowing I am saving TONS of money!
Peggy, have you noticed any issues with etching? I’ve read a few people have a problem with this. Do you use equal parts? Thanks!!
Washing Soda is usually found in the Laundry aisle next to 20 Mule Team Borax….I have used this & Ivory or Fels Naptha for close to 10 years…..I make 3-4 gallons at a time…I dissolve in a jar of Hot water…All my wash is cold water….I also use white vinegar, occasionally, never fabric softener…this is all pure enough to use watering your plants….
Penny- We have sensitive skin at our house and I make the powdered version of this. I just use Dove Sensitive Skin Bar Soap instead of Fels Naptha and I haven’t had any problems. I never tried the Fels Naptha because I had trouble finding it.
I buy my washing soda at Ace Hardware (we also do not have Kroger’s & no they do not carry it at Wal-Mart).
Amber- how much dove do you use?
I make my own detergent with a similar recipe, but I use Zote bar laundry soap. You can get that for about a dollar a bar at groceries that sell Mexican products. I mix it up in one of those big buckets that cat litter comes in. I generally use a whisk in the water before loading clothes in the washer, to make sure that any clumps of detergent are broken up.
For those who are wondering–One cup should be enough for a load.
If you notice that your towels tend to have that funky smell, cut down on your laundry soap, you’re using too much! Double rinse & use vinegar and that should remove the stink. I found out that’s what I was doing to my clothes – I use 1/4 cup in my front load HE washer.
1/4 to 1/2 of the liquid is plenty….I have a large load washer.
I made this exact recipe which I found on another site and also tried the powdered version. I love it and it came out to about a penny a load for the liquid. (The powdered version is a little more.) I do sometimes add extra Borax to keep my whites from getting dingy and my colors bright. (I read that could be an issue, but haven’t experience it.)
I have an HE washer and use 1/4 cup and it works great. The HE detergent is so expensive, that I was thrilled to find a good alternative.
I love this recipe. I have one for powdered detergent. My biggest issue is finding that Washing Soda. It doesn’t seem to be anywhere I look here is L.A.
I couldn’t find it at WalMart here in So Cal, but I found it at Ace Hardware.
I have been making it at home for a few months now and am completelty hooked…It works great and saves SOOOO much money! I add a couple of drops of teatree oil/meleluca each time I fill up my old liquid soap container.
what does the teatree oil/meleluca do? I’ve heard teatree oil is good to repel lice…
You can find Borax and washing soda on Alice.com. They have free shipping with a 6 item minimum purchase.
I want to give homemade detergent a try. I am wondering… Can I use the home fragrance oils from Bath and Body Works to scent my detergent? How do I know which oils are safe to add? Of course I don’t want to start having “oil” stains on our clothes! Thanks for any help on this!!
I wouldn’t use oils from Bath and Body works, they are known to have a toxic chemical in their products.
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5500/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=7571#.Tke7zX-rWUI.facebook
I would buy essential oils from the health store instead. They are about $7 for a small bottle but it will last you forever!!
Ive made this laundry detergent about 5 times now (the Dugger family recipe). I make a 5 gallon buckets worth and share with my mom. I LOVE the smell and have also added softener to it. Some people have been complaining about clumps in the mixture. The easy way to fix that is to strain through your detergent before you use it. I just get a strainer and kind of “skim” the top and any clumps I find I squeeze back through (I mush em into the strainer) and voila’ NO CLUMPS! My next project is to make fabric softener. I JUST got a recipe I want to try.
just started using the powdered version of this (1c. washing soda, 1 c. borax and 1 bar fels naptha) blended in the blender (after grating the soap). I finally found washing soda at Rainbow Foods for a couple of bucks! we have sensitive skin in our family so anxious to see if this works. Otherwise, i love the suggestion for Dove Sensitive Skin bar soap.
Is there any reason you couldn’t use a food processor for grinding up the soap?
Also, whatever makes those little fabric softener balls open up at the right time? Maybe we could put the vinegar in those things…? And, I let the washer spin a moment or 2 just to mix things up good, especially if I use bleach, so the clothes don’t hit a concentrated area of product.
I keep a clean stick (I think mine is part of a broom handle) to push the clothes down in the washer, so there is more time washing than just getting the clothes wet. (Saw this at a laundrymat where the machines didn’t agitate great).
If you shake your towels & heavier laundry while putting them in the dryer, your dryer doesn’t have to work so hard separating them before they start drying! (Old lady stuff I know)…lol…guess why? Yep, old lady)…
I have been shaking my wet laundry before putting it into the dryer for a long time…it cut my drying time by at least 2/3. Now my auto sensor adjusts the time DOWN instead of UP because it is a more accurate reading.
For example it would take my sister over 2 hours to dry a full load of towels in my dryer, when it would take me just 50 minutes.
(and I’m not an old lady…I wanted to save on my utilities!)
I do use my food processor to grate it and then use it to get a smooth-ish powder! If not, I sometimes get soap residue on my clothes!
how is this for the HE Washers?
It works great for HE washers because it suds very little.
I’ve been using my homemade laundry soap for about a month now and I LOVE it. After many years of using store bought laundry soap it was hard to believe that our clothes were clean because they didn’t really “smell.” I use the Duggar family recipe and add fabric softener to the wash. A friend of mine also gave me a recipe for making fabric softener sheets. You take a bottle of your favorite fabric softener and add it to a bucket. Then fill the fabric softener bottle with water, shake, and add it to the bucket. Do this twice. Take a few medium sized sponges, cut them in half, and add to the fabric softener. When you are ready to use them, wring one out and toss it on top of your clothes in the dryer. It works really well
what does the recipe look like the next day? mine seemed to thicken but is still kind of watery. also, when you use yours do you put 1/2 soap 1/2 water in the container or do you not dilute it at all?
For fabric softener I’ve used vinegar with a few drops of jasmine and vanilla oils (or what ever you like) and they come out great and smell good too just like regular fabric softener.
I started making this about a yr. ago in the liquid form. It’s done great! I never could find Fels Naptha, although my store used to carry it, so I used the Ivory bar. I’d like to try the Zote. I’ve had to use the Tide Free for my DH’s undies, but this works great. Sure beats the price! I use vinegar for the dishwasher rinse aid, but had not thought about it for clothing. Guess I’ll have to try that.
I have wanted to do this, but my husband is concerned it won’t work as well as store bought detergent. He’s a mechanic, so his work clothes are pretty gross most of the time, and he isn’t so sure it’ll work. I currently have 4 bottles of store bought stuff, after that’s gone, I’m going to make some and not tell him LOL
Make it & try it before you run out of the store bought….I use 1/2 cup….my husband works around machines & always has some “who knows where it came from” spot..my Dad was a diesel mechanic…takes out that grease, too….Love the low cost more than anything…Works wonderful in place of HE.
where can I buy Fels Naptha soap bars. it’s too hard to find!
Hi Neven ~ if you’re unable to find Fels Naptha soap at your local store, you can also buy it online from Amazon here:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001B32NVO?tag=frugir-20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B001B32NVO&adid=16VK2MACZMTRM87EZEQ6
~ Heidi
I have been using vinegar as a laundry boost because hubby’s Army ACUs get NASTY (he brings them home in a trash bag because they literally drip sweat) but I didn’t realize I could use it as fabric softener too. I’ve got a Bounce dryer bar right now-I was shopping the commissary for some cheap fab softener & there was a $1 off coupon in front of the display. Love it! It ended up being just over $1 commy price.
I am SO trying this recipe, hubby’s work clothes alone are 2-3 loads weekly & I didn’t see any optical brighteners in the recipe so it will be safe to use on ACUs. Too bad I just bought detergent
I have been making this same recipe for years now. I love making my own laundry detergent and it saves a lot on my grocery bill. I do tweak the recipe however since I have a teenage boy living at home. Although it costs a little more some of the things I have had success with adding to make the detergent to make it a little more efficient for heavily soiled loads are as follows: 1) I add about a cup of Oxy Clean to help the clothes from getting too dingy, 2) I add vinegar to help prevent the loads from smelling sour especially towels that sometimes dont come out smelling clean when they start to get old. It also helps take urine smell out of loads from kids who still have accidents at night. If it is a really bad odor I will sometimes just add extra vinegar to the entire load. 3) I add Febreeze laundry deodorizer (which I have only been able to find at Wal-Mart) to give it a more pleasant smell. I have had pretty good luck with making my own detergent. I have found however that if you have more heavily soiled laundry you have to tweak it somewhat to make it more effective.