Make Your Own Laundry Detergent: Save Money and Control Ingredients

If you have children, buying laundry detergent can suck up a fair amount of your grocery budget. Sizes keep getting smaller, but prices keep going up. Laundry detergent also presents challenges for those who are allergic or sensitive to perfumes, dyes, and other chemicals. With a few easily obtained ingredients, you can make your own laundry detergent for a fraction of the cost of buying it and, as an added benefit, you can control what dyes and chemicals go into it when you make your own laundry detergent.

There are two main components of laundry detergent: the soap part that emulsifies and removes dirt and the deodorizer part that removes smells. The ingredients most used for these purposes are naptha (Fels Naptha is quite common) soap, washing soda and borax. Other bar soaps can be used as long as they are not heavily perfumed. Ivory would be a good alternative. The bar soap in an emulsifier that helps capture and lift out dirt from your laundry. The washing soda helps deodorize the laundry and the borax helps to deodorize and brighten. All of these ingredients can commonly be found in the laundry aisle of your favorite grocery store. If you can't find them in the store, there are many online sources of cleaning supplies. One important note is that these laundry detergents should not be used in a high efficiency washing machine just as a regular laundry detergent shouldn't or it may over-foam and damage your machine.

If your goal is to stretch your existing powdered laundry detergent, mix up a batch of 1:1 ratio of borax to washing soda. Mix well and store in a lidded pail. Mix 2/3 cup of this mixture with 1/3 cup of your regular detergent and use according to your regular detergent's instructions.

Here are two recipes for homemade DIY laundry detergent; one dry and one wet.

Homemade Powdered Laundry Detergent

2 cups grated Fels Naptha (or other bar) soap

1 cup washing soda

1 cup borax

Mix all ingredients well and store in a covered plastic container. Use 2 tablespoons of mixture for full load of laundry.

Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

2 cups grated bar soap

1 cup washing soda

¾ cup borax

2 gallons hot (but not boiling) water

10-15 drops essential oil (lavender, rosemary, or lemon are popular)

Melt bar soap on stove in saucepan with enough water to cover. Stir until dissolved. Pour water into a clean pail with lid and add other ingredients. Stir thoroughly. Use ½ cup per load.