I got this recipe from my mom who has been making this for a while. It only ends up costing .01 -.02 per load! I haven't personally made this yet but I sure plan on doing it when I run out of what I have.
Homemade Laundry Detergent
1 bar of Bar Soap(such as Ivory)
1/2 c. Borax
1/2 c. Washing Soda
Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan. Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts. Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket. Now add your soap mixture and stir. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel. You use ½ cup per load.
My mom also adds a few droppers full of an essencial oil such as orange or lemongrass.
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
does this really work? How many loads does this make, if you had to guess?
Can you find washing soda near the detergent?
Have you tried out this recipe since you posted it? It looks so easy to make! What size bucket do you use for the final mixture? Does it need to be stored with a lid on? How long does it keep for? Do you also have a recipe for fabric softener? Sorry for the “laundry list” of questions!
Also, I just discovered your website and I love it!
My mom uses a 5 gallon bucket to store hers in, I ended up sticking with a store brand (Country Save) because we use cloth diapers
I don’t have a recipe for fabric softener yet but I can put it on my list!
Dear Paddy and Merissa,
Laundry detergent and fabric softener are indeed easy to make and it works well (we have a household with 4 children, so I have a truck load of laundry every day).
Recipe for fabric softener:
6 cups of water
3 cups white vinegar (in Holland: cleaning vinegar)
2 cups of any hair conditioner you like
If you mix that (do shake very, very gently or stir) in an old plastic container for liquid laundry detergent and pour it into some glass jars of …. (whatever you have that is empty), it looks nice as well (the same for l. detergent by the way).
The vinegar smell is gone as soon as washed and dried. It is way better for your machines as well.
Another recipe for fabric softener:
quart bottle with white vinegar
tablespoon of rubbing alcohol
25 drops of (lavender?) essential oil
Another recipe for fabric softener:
2 cups of white vinegar
2 cups of baking soda
4 cups of water
Use 1/4 cup per laundry or 1 teaspoon on a wet washcloth in the dryer with the rest of your laundry.
In the Netherlands baking soda and borax are -unfortunately- not available, so I haven’t tried anything with those ingredients. The first recipe for fabric softener works splendid and is easy to make. I use appr. 1/4 cup per laundry.
Have a blessed day!
Thank you for sharing this!
Epsom salts and essential oil works well as a fabric softner. Just add 1/4 cup with the laundry soap.
Hi there,
What is “washing soda” ?
Sorry, never heard of it.
Do you need a lid on detergent to keep it fresh ?
Thanks!
I don’t think you need a lid on the detergent. Washing Soda is just another kind of baking soda, you should be able to find it at Target or Walmart.
Can the laundry detergent be used in a High Eff. washer?