Generally speaking, when it comes to washing our clothes, we don’t usually think twice to use a commercial detergent. Have you thought about making your own homemade laundry detergent? Not only is it a fun and fast DIY project, but you could also steer clear of some chemicals and fragrances contained in most commercial laundry detergents.
The Ingredients
To get started with your DIY laundry detergent, you need to have the following ingredients:
- One bar of soap (five ounces)
- Two cups of baking soda
- Two cups of washing soda
- Optional: Two teaspoons of borax
- Optional: Six to ten drops of an essential oil (lavender or lemon)
Tools: Cheese grater, large mixing bowl, half-gallon Mason jar with lid
How to Make Homemade Detergent
Pick Your Soap
While making a homemade laundry detergent, it is important to choose a soap that has no chemicals, fragrances, or dyes. You will want to select a mild natural soap. Most health food stores carry natural soap, and it is also available online.
Grate Your Soap
The first step is to grate the full bar of soap with your cheese grater. You are turning the bar of soap into small flakes that will dissolve in water.
Mix the Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, add the grated soap, baking soda, and washing soda. If you want to add borax for additional cleaning power, add two teaspoons. Borax is a natural mineral and one of the most common ingredients in homemade laundry detergent.
Add Fragrance (Optional)
If you want your laundry to smell fresh, you can also add essential oils. Add 6-10 drops of lavender or lemon essential oil. This part is totally optional, but it may improve your entire laundry experience.
Store Your Detergent
Once you have your detergent mixed, pour it into a half-gallon Mason jar and cap it. Mason jars are great for homemade detergent storage because they are airtight and can keep the ingredients from going stale.
How to Use Homemade Laundry Detergent
Using your homemade laundry detergent should be as easy as using any detergent you purchase at the store. Here is the process:
Get a Small Amount
Depending on the size of your machine, you will need 1-2 tablespoons of the homemade detergent per load.
Put Laundry in Machine
Put the laundry in the washing machine like you would normally do.
Add Detergent
Add the amount of your DIY detergent to the detergent compartment, or directly into the drum before you start the wash cycle.
Wash as Normal
Choose the wash cycle you want to use, choose your water temperature, then start the machine. Your homemade detergent will wash your clothes just like any commercial product.
How to Make Your Own Laundry Soap
Making your own laundry detergent is easier than you probably think! With just a few simple ingredients, you can now make a tough, inexpensive detergent that is safe for high-efficiency (HE) machines. Here’s how to do it:
What You Will Need
Equipment
- Large cooking pot
- Metal spoon or ladle
- Large clean bottles or containers with lids
- Funnel (this is optional but will be useful)
Ingredients
- ½ bar of Fels Naptha soap, grated
- ½ cup borax
- ½ cup washing soda (not baking soda)
- Water
Step-By-Step Instructions
Heat the Water
Pour 6 cups of water into a large pot. Put the pot on medium-low heat to warm the water.
Dissolve the Soap
Once the water is warmed, stir in the grated Fels Naptha soap. Stir occasionally until the soap is dissolved in the water.
Add the Borax and Washing Soda
Once the soap has melted, stir in the borax and washing soda. Stir until both powders are completely dissolved.
Prepare Your Bottles
Open all bottles or containers and put the lids aside. This is important because the detergent will start to thicken as it cools.
Fill the Bottles
Quickly fill the containers ¼ full with the detergent mixture. (If you overfill the containers at this stage, the detergent will thicken too much to use.)
Top Off With Water
Fill each container the rest of the way with water, again leaving some space at the top.
Shake
Put the lids onto the containers and shake to combine the ingredients.
How to Use Your Homemade Detergent
- Shake the bottle before using it.
- Use ½ to ⅔ cup for full loads of laundry.
Helpful Hints
Don’t use a wooden spoon because soap can absorb into wood. Use a metal or plastic spoon or ladle so that any stains from the soap won’t stain a spoon.
If the detergent starts to gel too much, add a teaspoon or more of your regular conventional laundry detergent.
Making your own laundry detergent is a simple and fun DIY project that will help save your clothes as you now know how to make a more natural/eco-friendly product. Goodbye store-bought detergent, hello homemade.
