Making your own Homemade Laundry Detergent
I finally decided to try and make my own homemade laundry detergent using ingredients you can buy at your local supermarket. I was a little bit worried when I saw how many ingredients I needed to buy to make this, and wondered if this would really be cost effective or not. But after making this, doing the math and using it I can tell I will always be making and using my own homemade from now on. It’s a great way to save money!
Here are the cast of ingredients to make your own homemade laundry detergent:
1 Box of Super Washing Soda 3 lb. 7 oz. ($3.24)
1 Box of Borax 4 lbs 12 oz. size ($3.38)
1 Box of Pure Baking Soda 4 lb. ($2.12)
3 bars of Fels-Naptha 5.5 oz. or you could also use Ivory soap ($0.97 x3)
1 container of Oxy-Clean 1.3 lb ($3.86)
*optional: Purex Crystals 28 oz. for scent (or you could use Downy unstoppables ) ($5-$6)
All these ingredients cost a total of $20.27 out of my pocket (Walmart prices).
And that was without using coupons. If some coupons become available you will spend even less.
The first step is to grate your Fels-Naptha Bar. You can use a cheese grater to do this, but I used my food processor as it was a lot quicker. Using my food processor I first grated the bar like cheese, and then used the regular blade to grate down fine. You could use Ivory soap (just microwave it and it will foam where you can just crush it into a fine grade).
Next I grabbed one of my plastic tote bins and put a black garbage bag inside of it. Then I poured each one of the ingredients inside like so.
Mix all these ingredients up well. Possibly throw in some free child labor.
Then add it all to your container of choice.
There is quite a lot of this homemade laundry detergent. In fact it is 18 lbs. worth!
That is 18 lbs of Laundry Detergent!
You only need to use 1-2 tablespoons per load, and yes you can use it in your High Efficiency washing machines (that’s what I have been using). Some people worry that just 1-2 tablespoons is not enough, but this stuff is concentrated and works really well! I have been using it for months now. My daughter has really sensitive skin, and this has been wonderful for her since all the others out there have add-ins.
But is this cost effective?
So I did the math of course, to figure out how much per load this recipe makes. I am super excited about the results because it is as low as $0.04 per load which is a stock up price when it comes to laundry detergent and using coupons. But watch for coupons on these items to even make the cost lower.
By Comparison –
Ultra Tide powder 143 oz. box, 8.9 lbs. = $17.97 at Walmart ($0.12 per load)
This Homemade Laundry Detergent recipe makes 18 lbs (or 288 oz.) and costs $20.27. 1 lb of this is about 28 tablespoons. 18 lbs equals 504 loads @ 1 tbsp per load. Final price is just $0.04 per load!
So $0.04 per load homemade versus $0.12 per load (Tide).
So even the largest box of Tide detergent at Walmart which has 102 loads won’t last as long as this homemade stuff. And you can save so much money by making this yourself. Give it a try, you won’t be sorry…I promise!
Ingredients
- 1 box Super Washing Soda 3.7 lb
- 1 box Borax 4 lb 12 oz. size
- 1 box Pure Baking Soda 4 lbs
- 3 5.5 oz bars of Fels-Naptha
- 1 container Oxy-Clean 1.3 lb
- 1 28 oz *optional: Purex Crystals for scent or you could use Downy un-stoppables
Instructions
- Finely grate the Fels-Naptha. Mix all the ingredients together and store in container of your choice. Use only 1-2 Tablespoons of detergent per load.
Homemade Laundry Detergent – costs $20.27 to make – can last a whole year or even longer (504 loads)
Updating this post: this recipe has lasted 10 months for my family of 6!! Plus I wanted to share this awesome comment posted from Nick (thanks for your service Nick!):
I think that is the best comment ever!
Oxyclean is 1.3lb or 3lb size? Picture looks like 3lb tub and link is to a 3lb tub. But recipe says 1.3lb. Coincidentally the 3lb tub is 1.3kg so I was wondering when buying the 1.3lb small tub if I was buying too little oxyclean
Just a tip for the Fels Naptha…if you cut each bar in 6 pieces, place it on a glass pie plate and nuke it for 2 minutes and 15 seconds, it will poof up. Cool it for 20 minutes, then put it in your food processor, it comes out much finer. Do one bar at a time and it needs to be fresh bought. It won’t work if your bars have been sitting around for months.
I believe in making your own laundry detergent in order to avoid chemicals on your skin and soaking into your body. Homemade laundry detergent is also better for the environment. As a Certified Health Coach; I teach my clients how to avoid chemicals because they cause you to be unhealthy. Please consider using essential oils and not a chemical product such the crystals for fragrance. Tea tree oil is an excellent option. It has a wonderful smell and has anti bacterial properties. Lavender is also a great choice. Bed clothes washed with Lavender helps you sleep better. Think twice before using or adding any chemicals that can be avoided.
To your health and happiness.
Could this recipe be divided?
Yes, that would work fine. 🙂
Can this be made as liquid ?
No, this one is a powder version, but if you do a search on my site, you will find a liquid laundry detergent recipe!
Can you use Zote Flakes? If so then how much?
I use Zote Flakes, and have been using 2 boxes. one and a half boxes would probably be closer to the way the recipe is written, but I didn’t want half a box to go to waste.
I’m going to try to make half of this large batch recipe, as I have partial boxes of all of the ingredients and don’t want to go buy more yet.. Thanks!
I have a front loading machine. Can I use this also?
Yes. I use it in my front loader all the time! I just put it in with the clothes and it works amazing and doesnt gunk up my washer!
I’m wanting to add essential oils for fragrance, will that work? What step should I add them in?
Also, I use vinegar as a softener, would I have to stop with this recipe?
Thank you!
I still use vinegar! It will work just fine!
Karri, I got your laundry soap recipe from a friend and can’t wait to try it. My question: how large a container do I need? 2 gallon ? – 5 gallon?
Hi Marielle, I think a 2-3 gallon container would work just fine!
I do love making my own detergent–we do save big time–but more important is it is kinder on the skin and clothes (without sacrificing cleaning power). I researched a bit before making it myself and I stumbled on an article that stated that pretty much Borax is only effective in Hot water and that Washing Soda is only effective in cold water–therefore at any given time a lot of my ingredients would be ineffective. So what I do now is make a Borax batch for hot water loads and make a Washing soda batch for cold loads. I desperately looked for the link–but alas it was saved on my now dead laptop 🙁
As for super grimey clothes–think grass stains meet motor oil/grease add in 2 tablespoons or so (along with detergent) of TSP (tri-sodium phosphate–which is available in the paint section of hardware stores).
As for fabric softener vinegar as a fabric softener is sometimes only partially effective depending on how hard the water is. However, I use the vinegar more as a soap scum/crud build up remover. Place in the rinse dispenser to keep the washer pipes running clean. The last thing I need is a soap scum/crud filled drain hose that explodes all over the laundry room.
Now while I am on a roll— using powdered oxy-clean is only effective in powdered form. Meaning as soon as it gets wet there is a use it or lose it effectiveness factor. So if making a liquid detergent then just add oxy -clean as a powder just before washing.
Most smelly are not a problem–but think of dog towels that sat on the garage floor for days before DH told me they were there. In this instance baking soda did the trick.
My fav story about the power of DIY products: when my teenage boys removed 15 tree stumps in a weekend. They wore the same clothes (even the socks–gross) throughout and on the morning of day two they were working in the pouring rain. So mud, tree sap, teen age boy sweat, and grease from the stump grinder machine. My formula–hot water with some added boiling water, my borax mix detergent, baking soda, TSP, and vinegar rinse. All stains and odor came out.
Stepping down from my soapbox now.
I have a 5.0 HE machine I believe that is considered an extra large. How many tablespoons of detergent should I use?
Start with 2 tbsp and see how that goes. 🙂
I read that laundry soap vs detergent won’t get out all the grime and in fact leaves residue. I really want to try this anyway. Does it really clean? Towels? Very dirty clothes?
I have been using this for 9 months now (family of 6 and still have a good month left)…and it was my first time making it. It cleans clothes, towels and everything very well in my HE washer. It doesn’t fade colors and leaves the items smelling great! I’ll never go back to buy over priced laundry detergent!
Curious if you think that I could substitute a different cold-processed bar soap (perhaps Kirk’s Castile or ideally, an unscented soap) instead of the Fels, AND if the oxy cleaner (I think it’s called LA Awesome or something similar) that I already buy from Dollar Tree would be fine to use instead of Oxyclean? And could I eliminate the Purex altogether? We have family members that are sensitive to chemical scents, so I am exploring this as a way to have clean clothes that have the least amount of chemical fragrance in them. Thanks!
Yes, yes and yes, I think all that will work. 🙂
You can add two cups of Epsom Salt with or without esemtial oils. Epsom salt works as a softener. Also, use white vinigar in your softener dispenser. Your clothes will come out softer, it will disinfect your clothes, remove any residual soap that may ne left behind in laundry, strengthen the fibers, and will not leave a vinegar smell behind.
I use the law’s awesome orange oxygen base from the dollar tree, if I can’t find it there I have found it at a nearby dollar General. The jug is 32 oz. And it’s a dollar t both places. I have an he washer, I wash everything in cold and it works great. Granted I have a top loader he machine, but if you have a front loader from what I’ve read other users have said, you’d just put it in the barrel with your clothes not in the dispenser area. Hope this helps. Btw, 1 tbsp is all I use unless it’s a large load or heavily soiled.
Umm I meant La’s ..😏
Can this be used effectively in cold water?
Yes, I’ve used it in cold water before. 🙂
So it doesn’t suds hardly at all. This is ok right?
Yes, there aren’t a lot of suds, but it cleans amazing!
Hi Karrie
I live in New Zealand and would really love to make your natural laundry powder.Only problem is we don’t have the same ingredients here. What ingredients could I use.
Thankyou😊
I’m not sure what ingredients they sell there, Gaylene, sorry!
If they have Zote use that.
So I finally talked my husband into buying the ingredients and letting me make our own laundry detergent to save money, even though it’s only the two of us. We live in a 5th wheel camper and he won’t let me get a job out of the house until I graduate school so money gets really tight at times and that’s when we always need to buy laundry detergent. Anyway, instead of buying a small container of Tide Simply Clean and Fresh, he got me the ingredients for this and I went ahead and made it up using Ivory Soap bars. Microwaved them for about 2 minutes to make them foam and crushed them that way. (Made it so much easier than trying to grate them or run them through the blender I have.) Well, I did our laundry on Monday and only used one load of this on the whites to see if it would get them whiter than our Tide does. Holy crap! Our socks are white, that entire load smelled wonderful when it came out of the washer, the entire load was softer than it is when I wash it with Tide, and it only cost me a small change in my laundry routine. He already grabbed me the Epsom salts for the fabric softener crystals (already made and will be tested out next laundry day), and I’ve been making my own reusable dryer sheets for a few weeks now (1/2 cup white vinegar 20 drops of essential oils, soak Muslin cloths in mixture). Can’t wait to finish out that last little bit of Tide and switch to this homemade recipe for good. I love the fact that you also said how much to put in a load. Other sites I found just said things like “pour it in.” Thank you so much, Karrie!
“he won’t let me get a job out of the house until I graduate school…”
Oh, my. I’ve been around for 71 years and any comment from a wife that includes “he won’t let me…” always makes me worry.
I wish you well, dear.
And this site is amazing!!!
My husband is disabled and we are on a fixed income so I thought I would try making my own laundry soap. I followed your recipe and I made it back in September and I have enough to make it through till the end of June. I will be making more this weekend. Our clothes are clean, they smell great and I have saved at least $50. We have 3 teenage boys (15-18 we are a blended family) and with all of the laundry we end up doing I couldn’t be happier. We will be using the Fels-Naptha soap flakes this time since I had issues getting the bars finely grated.
Ok so this will be my first time making this and I’m hoping it turns out great but I have one question. It says it makes 18lbs worth and somebody said it lasted them up to 2 years… does anything in it go bad after while is it ok to store it for that long without it going bad???? Thanks….
Nope, it’s all long lasting stuff!
I would like to know before buying everything to make this , is it safe for septic ? I am thinking it is but just would like clraifacation first .
Duplicate reply from below 😊 I’ve used it for years with my septic tank. I’ve read about Fels-Naptha (& Ivory Soap) being bad for septic, due to the fatty acids, but we use Rid-X once a month that is supposed to take care of that (as well as the other soaps containing fatty acids we use). I’d love to hear if that’s not correct, but we have had no problems! I would say research and read, so you’ll have a peace about using it. Happy cleaning!
My friend in Savannah is on a septic tank and she has been using this recipe for several years. That is why I finally tried it. She has not had any issues with it in her tank. She does use a rv tank treatment called Digest-It in her septic tank (it has worked better for her than Rid-ex and it is family, septic, and environmentally friendly).
Hi is the oxyclean size right? That looks like a big container of it.
That’s the size Oxy-Clean container I’ve used for years and it works so well!