Did you know it’s actually ridiculously easy to make your own Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent? You won’t believe how much money you’ll save!
Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent Recipe
Who knew making your own Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent could be SO easy?
Just a few simple ingredients, and you’ve got a fabulous laundry soap to clean your clothes for pennies!
Seriously, this one trick will save you SO much money!
Tonya writes: “I have been making this for years. I spend about $15 for a year for 5 of us and fur babies. We are always doing laundry. One 5 gallon bucket lasts about 3 months!”
This DIY Liquid Laundry Detergent is thrifty, simple to make, and works great!
Now you’ll never have to buy expensive laundry detergent at the store again!
Trust me… once you start making your own detergent, the savings are mind-blowing! It’s such a simple way to Save Money Fast!
Prefer powder detergent? No problem!
Simply use this Homemade Laundry Detergent Powder Recipe instead!
Then after you make your own homemade laundry soap, don’t forget to make some Homemade Fabric Softener, too!
So are you ready for this DIY Recipe for the best homemade liquid laundry detergent already?
Here’s what you’ll need to get started…
Related: 50 DIY Homemade Cleaners That Actually Work!
Why Make Your Own Laundry Detergent?
There are so many reasons why I love making my own laundry soap! Here are just a few…
> It’s easy to make!
> You’ll know exactly what ingredients are going into your laundry products.
> It will reduce packaging waste.
> You won’t run out often… each batch lasts a long time.
> If you want to stock up even more… just double the batch.
> It’s ridiculously frugal ~ you’ll save SO much money!
Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap Reviews
What Your Frugal Friends Are Saying About This DIY Laundry Soap Recipe…
Misty writes: “I wish I had discovered and known about this many years ago!! I could have saved so much money!!”
Tia writes: “I made my first batch and love how it cleans.”
Rose writes: “Just finished my first batch so making a 2nd time. Works great.”
Tonya writes: “I have been making this for years. I spend about $15 for a year for 5 of us and fur babies. We are always doing laundry. One 5 gallon bucket lasts about 3 months!”
Kristy writes: “I’ve been using this exact recipe for laundry detergent for almost a year now”
Kristen writes: “The Fels Naptha laundry soap bar is by far the best stain remover on clothes ever! It’s my secret ingredient for my messy children and it’s so cheap!
Wet clothing, rub bar on stain, rinse under cold water and repeat until it comes out. Then I toss in the wash! I invested in some nice clothes for my little ones so I invest a lot of time in keeping them nice 🙂 ”
Ingredients for Homemade Laundry Detergent
You’ll just need 3 simple ingredients to make your own liquid laundry detergent…
- 1/2 Cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (not Baking Soda)
- 1/2 Cup Borax
- 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.
- Funnel
How to Make Laundry Detergent at Home
Making this laundry detergent at home is easier than you might think.
Here’s what to do…
1. Grate 1/3 bar of Fels-Naptha Soap, then transfer to large stockpot.
2. Add 6 cups of Hot Water.
3. Heat on stove over Medium-High heat until soap dissolves and melts.
4. Once soap has melted, add Washing Soda & Borax, and stir until dissolved.
5. Then remove from heat and set aside.
6. Pour 4 cups Hot Water into large plastic bucket, then pour in Soap Mixture and stir well.
7. Then, add 1 Gallon + 6 Cups (22 cups total) of additional water, and stir again.
8. Transfer to empty laundry detergent containers using your funnel.
9. Allow detergent to sit overnight, or up to 24 hours, to thicken and gel up. Then it’s ready to use! Stir or shake before each use, as it will continue to gel.
Note: 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!
How Much Laundry Soap To Use in the Washer
Keep in mind, the amount of laundry soap you’ll use depends on a variety of factors, including the size of your laundry load, how heavily soiled your clothing is, and the type of washing machine you’ll be using.
You’ll want to use more in upright machines, and slightly less in HE front loaders.
So wasn’t that easy?? Now you know how to make your own laundry detergent at home!
Bonus Tip: How to Make Washing Soda
No washing soda? No problem! Check out this simple tip from frugal friend Lynn…
Lynn writes: “Making your own washing soda saves even more money. Put a layer 1/2″ thick of baking soda in a half sheet pan, into preheated 400 degree oven.
Bake for 1 hour, stir 2 or 3 times in that hour, then cool and use as washing soda.
I always make mine as it is not always available.”
More Easy Cleaning Recipes
In addition to this easy recipe, I have even more ideas that will help you can save money on laundry and cleaning supplies.
So be sure to check out these tips to make sure you’re saving as much money as possible…
Homemade Laundry Detergent Powder Recipe
Do you prefer Powder Laundry Detergent? It’s so easy to make that, too!
Homemade Fabric Softener Recipe
This Homemade Fabric Softener with Vinegar and Hair Conditioner Recipe is about as easy as can be! You won’t believe how much money you’ll save!
DIY Wool Dryer Balls
I love my wool dryer balls. I can’t even imagine doing laundry without them!
DIY Wrinkle Releaser
You need to try this DIY Wrinkle Release Recipe that is both fast and frugal!!
Homemade Glass Cleaner Recipe
I’ve been using this Homemade Glass Cleaner for years and I love, love, love it! It’s so fast and easy to make, so frugal, and honestly works better than store bought glass cleaner!
Homemade 409 Recipe
Just a few simple ingredients, and you’re on your way to an effective and thrifty all-purpose cleaner!
DIY Foaming Dish Soap
You’ll love the simplicity of this ridiculously smart tip. Sometimes it’s shocking how easy it is to save money!!
How to Keep your Washing Machine Smelling Fresh
Keep the odors away with this easy Smelly Washing Machine Fix!
DIY Homemade Febreze
This DIY Homemade Febreze Recipe is such a cinch to make, and you’ll save SO much $$ with this simple little trick!
DIY Carpet Powder Freshener
We love using this DIY carpet powder on the carpets, what an effective and frugal way to make carpets smell fresh!
How to Make Your House Smell Good (HUGE List of Genius Hacks)
Nobody likes a stinky home. So skip the stink, and transform your home into a paradise of lovely fragrances with my easy hacks!
50 Homemade Cleaners Recipes That Work! (Surprisingly Easy)
Get ready for some serious savings with these simple DIY Homemade Cleaners Recipes and Tips!
How to Save Money Fast (20 Genius Tips to Save $2200 this Month!)
Are you wondering how to Save Money Fast? It’s easy when you start slashing expenses and adding these extra sources of income to your finances!
So have you tried making this Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent at home yet??
Leave a comment and share…
How much detergent do you use per load (small, medium, or large)? Is it still just a cap full as in store bought detergent?
I just recently made the homemade laundry detergent and I have used a 5 gallon bucket with lid which you can buy at Home Depot or Lowe’s or even check your local deli, Subway or Grocer because they can get them and will sell them for a dollar or give them free. With the 5 gallon version use 1 cup of Borax, 1 cup of Washing Soda and one bar of Fels Naptha which WalMart had for .97 cents. To use all of the Borax and Washing Soda you will need 6 bars of Fels-Naptha this will make 6 five gallon tubs totaling $13.50 before taxes. Using 1/4 cup for each load this is 1920 loads which comes down to .008 cents per load that is less than one cent. I am looking into using Lavender oils for extra scent.
I love making my own everthing. My little girl and I make things on the weekend. We made our own low calorie ranch dressing, had soap, shampoo, and laundry soap. I get my recipes from pintrest. We love it and save so much money doing so. You are paying for mostly water at the store.
I am looking for a recipe for the hoover carpet steam vac. Those cleaners are really expensive. any help would be appreciated!!!
I used to use a tsp of pinesol in my carpet cleaner and never had trouble fill with water and just a tsp of pinesol and it smelled fresh and clean
Not directly but somewhat related, I hope the posters on the website have explored the process of homemade cold process soap making. It’s so easy to do and is a much better product than the store bought stuff. (cost about $0.75 per 4oz. bar due to high cost of Olive Oil)
I’ve been making it for 10 years (Jun. 2002) with great success and have not bought a bar of soap since. There are many websites that explain the process. I would be happy to write an article explaining the process if the Frugalgirls is interested. David
I wish you would send the web URL for the directions to the olive oil soap!
Does anyone have gelled up lumps in their’s? and is that ok? I’m doing my first load now. But yesterday (after letting it gel overnight) I was putting it in bottles and there were huge gelled lumps that were hard to get into the bottles. I stired and stired but alot remained. I believe they will be fine once mixed with the water in the washer, but just wanted to make sure!!! 🙂
Corey-after the overnight “sit” mine too was totally gelled.
I suggest (if feasible for you) that you purchase a cooking whisk and whisk the solution in the container for a couple of minutes to break up the gelled lumps. I whisked mine twice; once after about 8 hours and then again the next day before pouring it into my old liquid detergent containers. It still had tiny lumps but they dissolved when I put the mixture in the laundry.
Hope this helps.
How does it differ for front loaders or is it the same?
I saw where some people were saying that in the dry detergent recipe, the ivory soap didnt disolve. Try this! I saw on Pinterest that if you microwave a bar of ivory soap it puffs up and when you touch it, it will crumble into fine powder. This might be better than using a cheese grater. Hope this helps!
I have recently started making my own laundry detergent (but am doing the dry version to eliminate the need for ‘cooking’ LOL), using the same ingredients…I am LOVING IT! I found a recipe on Pinterest I am using which includes adding Purex Crystals to the mix for smell and I tell ya, my clothes have NEVER smelled better, even after washing with name brand Tide liquid detergent did my clothes ever smell this good and clean! I will probably never buy laundry detergent again! BTW-Fels Naptha soap is .97 cents at Wal-Mart.
can you share the recipe
I made the liquid recipe, and it isn’t turning into gel??? This was 4 days ago.
Do it yourself Detergent
Looking for a color safe laundry detergent that is dye and perfume free, cleans really
Tough stains and even looks great in mason jars? Seems like a tall order but Lisa Kindred,
Has just the formula to fill it. I love making my own laundry soap, “she enthuses.” It`s
Not hard, and my whole family come and gets it and uses it- one batch makes 9
Gallons, and the whole thing only costs about $5.oo I work at GM, and my clothes get
Terrible stains and they all come out! “follow these steps to make your own DIY detergent:
1. Coarsely grate two bars of Fels-Naptha laundry soap into a 12-Quart plastic dishpan, and
Then add 4 quarts of boiling water. Stir until the soap is dissolved.
2 Add 5 quarts of hot water to dishpan and stir in 2 cups of Borax and 2 cups of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda. 3. Once dissolved, add water to the dishpan up to a few inches from the top, stir and let sit overnight -letting it sit for 48 hours is even better. 4. After the mixture has gelled, chop it into pieces with a metal spoon or spatula. Fill a mixing bowl with pieces of it, and mix with a hand mixer until it reaches the consistency of mashed potatoes, repeat with remaining gel. 5. Disperse the blended mixture evenly among 12 one quart canning jars, top off the jars with a little water, cover, shake and store. This is the concentrated form of the soap. 6. To use the laundry soap, pour one jar into an empty liquid detergent bottle, add 2 quarts of water and shake well. Use the bottle`s cap to measure the laundry soap just as you would for the store-bought detergent; For high-efficiency washers, just use a little less. “It`s thin Lisa explains, “But it works!”
2 Bars of Fels -Naptha soap 2 Cups of Borax 2 Cups of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda