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 is this for the HE Washers?
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!
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!) 🙂
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.
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.
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!!
You can find Borax and washing soda on Alice.com. They have free shipping with a 6 item minimum purchase.
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…
It is a natural antibacterial agent.
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 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.