Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent Recipe (3 Ingredients)
I’ve been using homemade laundry detergent for around 20 years now—ever since I was a young girl helping my mom do laundry. Now that I know more about how much commercial laundry detergents cost and how dangerous those harsh chemicals can be on skin (our largest organ!), I treasure this recipe even more. I’ve adjusted it just a bit over the years for a more natural recipe.
Plus, with 4 active children, it feels like we’re always doing more laundry. Thankfully this DIY laundry detergent costs just $0.04 per load!
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Why Make Your Own Homemade Laundry Detergent?
- It costs just $0.04 per load of laundry. That’s about a fifth of the price of most commercial detergents—homemade cleaners don’t have to be expensive! The only thing you miss out on is all the endocrine disruptors, eczema, and cancer-causing chemicals. 😉
- You know what’s going on your skin. You and your family are wearing these clothes 24/7! What is on your clothes matters a LOT. When you make your own detergent, you know exactly what’s in it. This recipe is also great for those with sensitive skin.
- Takes just 10 minutes to make. This recipe couldn’t be easier. I make it in a 5-gallon bucket and it takes about 10 minutes.
- Lasts for weeks (or months)! I typically make this recipe about 3 times per year, and do laundry ~5x/week. It lasts for quite awhile!
Toxins in Commercial Detergents
Most store-bought laundry detergents have a lot of junk in them, unfortunately. It’s sad to me because if you’re trying to switch over to more natural or homemade products, making your own laundry soap is truly one of the easiest and cheapest switches you can make!
Phthalates, NPEs, and parabens are just a few of the hormone-disrupting ingredients in many conventional soaps. Sadly, they can lead to all sorts of health issues such as:
- Rashiness and eczema
- Allergic reactions
- Reproductive issues
- Thyroid dysfunction
- Cancer risk
Of course, there are lots of other products in our daily lives that have toxins in them—laundry soap is definitely not the only culprit. But being something that is all over our clothing, it’s a really good switch to make. None of us can do it all, but why not do this easy one? 🙂
Supplies and Ingredients You’ll Need for Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent
Here’s what you’ll need to make your own DIY detergent.
- 1 cup borax. Borax is a natural ingredient that’s great for all sorts of homemade soap and other DIY cleaning products. It’s mined from evaporated lake beds and is great for deodorizing, removing stains, and brightening clothes.
- 1 cup washing soda. Washing soda, or sodium carbonate is an ingredient that occurs in natural mineral deposits and then is processed into soda ash. While I haven’t tried it myself, you can even make your own washing soda using baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). Washing soda lifts dirt and breaks down hard water.
- 1 cup liquid Castile soap. Castile soap is made with natural, plant-based ingredients and is so gentle, especially for babies and sensitive skin. Plus its super versatile (we use it for bath time!). I love Azure Standard’s Castile soap, but you can also get it on Amazon. (Note: For this recipe, you can also substitute with a bar of Castile soap. You’ll also need a cheese grater if you use Castile bar soap.)
- 5-gallon bucket. Any 5-gallon bucket with a lid will do for storing your laundry soap.
- Wooden spoon, for stirring the soap in your bucket.
- 1/2 gallon glass jar or recycled laundry soap container. You’ll probably want a smaller container for easy pouring on a day-to-day basis.
How to Make Your Own Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent (With Just 3 Ingredients!)
Making liquid homemade soap is so very easy. Here’s how to do it.
- Add your 1 cup of borax, 1 cup of washing soda, and 1 cup of liquid Castile soap to a pot of water on the stove. (Any soup pot will do—the amount of water isn’t precise since it will all be poured into your 5-gallon bucket. Heat and stir occasionally until the powders dissolve and everything becomes well-combined (about 5 minutes). IF YOU USE A BAR OF SOAP, grate the soap using a cheese grater or food processor before adding and stir until it’s all melted.
- Pour the contents of the pot into your 5-gallon bucket and fill the bucket the rest of the way with water, stirring as it fills.
- Let the bucket sit overnight to thicken.
- The next day, shake your bucket heartily to make sure it’s well-combined, then scoop or pour it into a smaller jar for easier day-to-day handling. (Note: It’s normal for the homemade laundry detergent to gel as it sits. I just give my bucket a really strong shake every time I refill my small container, and shake the small container as well before each use.)
- Use 3/4 cup detergent per load, shaking your jar once or twice before each use.
FAQs
How many loads of laundry does this recipe wash?
This recipe makes 5 gallons of homemade laundry detergent and washes approximately 107 loads of laundry, for a cost of just $0.04 per load!
Can I substitute liquid castile soap for a bar of soap?
Yes, absolutely! Castile soap bars also work great for this recipe. Just grate one bar of soap with a cheese grater or food processor and add it to your pot of water, then heat until it’s liquified.
We’ve also substituted Castile soap for a bar of Fels Naptha soap. However, if you’re looking for natural ingredients, you may prefer to avoid Fels Naptha.
Does homemade laundry detergent get stains out?
I am quite impressed at how well this detergent removes basic stains and spots (like grass stains and dirt). For tougher stains, I make my own homemade stain remover and apply it before washing. It’s made with dish soap, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide and works on just about everything.
What does homemade laundry soap smell like?
This homemade liquid laundry detergent doesn’t have the same strong smell as commercial detergents. To me, it just smells soapy and clean! If you want a stronger smell, you can add some essential oils, although I have not personally tried this.
Why did my homemade laundry soap solidify?
Homemade liquid laundry soap will typically gel after it sits for a night and as the ingredients cool. If your laundry room is pretty chilly, it may solidify more. Shake it around or, if necessary, put it in a warmer area for awhile to liquify it more.
How long does this homemade liquid laundry detergent last?
This laundry soap recipe lasts indefinitely. Personally, (when I had fewer kids!) it used to take us around a year to go through the bucket, and I never experienced any issues.
Why aren’t there any suds?
This soap is not meant to create a lot of suds. In fact, many natural soap recipes are non-sudsing. Although suds may give the allusion of better cleaning power, more suds are not actually better, and foaming agents are often added to commercial laundry detergents simply for this allusion, although in some cases, lots of suds actually reduce cleaning power.
Do DIY laundry soap recipes work for an HE machine?
This recipe, made with borax, washing soda, and Castile soap, is non-sudsing and works for high-efficiency washing machines. For HE washing machines, use 2 Tablespoons per load.
For top loading machines, add the soap right to the drum. For a front loader, make sure the homemade detergent is completely liquified and does not have any clumps. Some also suggest mixing the soap with two tablespoons of hot water before adding it to the automatic dispenser.
(Full disclosure: I do not have an HE washing machine, but my mother has used homemade laundry detergent in her high efficiency machine for years with no problems, as do many, many others. For further research, check out this article from The Spruce: Homemade Laundry Detergent for HE Washers
Where can you buy ingredients for homemade laundry soap?
You can get good prices on borax, washing soda, and Castile soap from Amazon or Walmart. I love Azure Standard’s Castile soap as well.
Other Natural Cleaning Recipes
- Homemade Stain Remover for Baby Clothes (and other clothing, too!)
- DIY Carpet Cleaner
- DIY Surface Cleaner
- DIY Shampoo and Conditioner
- DIY Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Homemade Laundry Detergent
This homemade laundry detergent uses natural ingredients, takes just 10 minutes to make, and costs only $0.04 per load.
Ingredients
- 1 cup borax
- 1 cup washing soda
- 1 cup liquid castile soap OR 1 bar of castile soap, grated
- 5-gallon bucket
- 1/2 gallon glass jar or recycled laundry soap container
Instructions
1. Add your 1 cup of borax, 1 cup of washing soda, and 1 cup of liquid Castile soap to a pot of water on the stove. (Any soup pot will do—the amount of water isn’t precise since it will all be poured into your 5-gallon bucket.)
2. Heat and stir occasionally until the powders dissolve and everything becomes well-combined (about 5 minutes). IF YOU USE A BAR OF SOAP, grate the soap using a cheese grater or food processor before adding and stir until it’s all melted.
3. Pour the contents of the pot into your 5-gallon bucket and fill the bucket the rest of the way with water, stirring as it fills.
4. Let the bucket sit overnight to thicken.
5. The next day, shake your bucket heartily to make sure it’s well-combined, then scoop or pour it into a smaller jar for easier day-to-day handling. (Note: It’s normal for the homemade laundry detergent to gel as it sits. I just give my bucket a really strong shake every time I refill my small container, and shake the small container as well before each use.)
6. Use 3/4 cup detergent per load, shaking your jar once or twice before each use.
