Are you looking for a more natural way to wash your laundry? Or maybe just want to cut come costs and start saving money on laundry soap?
There’s Always Laundry to be Washed
Everyone loves the invigorating smell of a freshly cleaned load of laundry but so many of the detergents on the laundry aisle have a higher price range than I would like to pay.
Seriously $5 or even up to $9+ for 1 bottle of detergent that may or may not last me one month adds up so fast. Especially, if you are already on a tight budget.
Also, you never truly know what all of the ingredients that are listed maybe or do to your skin. Which is one reason so many people have eczema and skin rashes that develop from using many of these detergents?
That’s why I finally took the plunge and decided to research and find an all-natural laundry detergent recipe that I could make on a very tight budget. No harsh chemicals, artificial ingredients, and no more skin irritations. And ingredients that I trust.
I was able to find a very simple homemade laundry soap that only takes about ten minutes to make and is made up of 6 ingredients that last a very long time.
(THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS HOWEVER, I WILL NEVER RECOMMEND ANYTHING THAT I DO NOT BELIEVE IN OR USE MYSELF. YOU CAN READ MORE ABOUT MY DISCLOSURE POLICY HERE)
DIY All-Natural Laundry Detergent
Supplies Needed:
- 1 Gallon Bucket
- 1 Gallon of Water
- 1/4 cup Baking Soda
- 1/4 cup Super Washing Soda
- 1/3 cup Castile soap (Dr. Bronner’s is the best)
- 15 drops of your favorite essential oil
- 1 wooden spoon for stirring
- a 1-gallon container
I usually make my laundry detergent in the kitchen sink.
My 6-year-old loves to help me with all of the pouring and mixing of the ingredients so she often pulls up a chair to stand on. It’s also a nice time to teach her about making things at home rather than having to depend on buying everything from the store.
Generally, I make two batches of laundry soap each time, that way I don’t have to worry about it for at least six to eight weeks. I have two 1 gallon pitchers that I use that way I can easily pour them into my gallon laundry container for quick use.
Step One:
First, I start off by adding a little bit of water to the bottom of the pitcher. It’s easier with hot water since it dissolves quicker. Add 1/4 of a cup of Super Washing Soda to the water and continue to mix it.
My daughter usually will pour the ingredients in for me so that I can continue to mix the ingredients and prevent clumping at the bottom.
Next, add in 1/4 of a cup of baking soda, followed by 1/3 of a cup of Castile Soap (I love Dr. Bronner’s brand).
Continue to mix the water gently until the dry ingredients are dissolved.
Step Two:
Add approximately 15 drops of your favorite essential oil to the mixture. (I personally love using my Grapefruit essential oil). You can mix and match your scents or just use one. I usually let my daughter pick the scent each time and it makes her feel accomplished it helping me.
After adding the essential oils, carefully mix your detergent.
Step Three:
Finally, pour your mixture into a container of your choosing and there you have it. I love to use a drink dispenser as my laundry container.
After the summer vacation was over, I found it on clearance for half off and paid only a few dollars for it. With the spout at the bottom, it makes it easy to add to my washer and keeps me from having to lift weights every time I wash laundry (which is daily).
To use your homemade laundry detergent simply pour 1/4 to 1/2 a cup (depending on the size of laundry) to your washer and start it up.
In the winter months, there are sometimes that the once dry ingredients will settle to the bottom. However, I have a very small laundry closet that stays relatively warm so I usually don’t have this problem. If you do notice this, you can just simply mix up the ingredients by either shaking the container or opening and mixing with a spoon.
You have now made your very own laundry detergent form just a few all-natural ingredients that are not only cheap but also safe.
And if you ever worry about whether this homemade detergent will actually get your clothes clean. Rest assured. I have been using this laundry detergent for over a year now and it gets even my dirtiest laundry clean.
Do you make your own laundry soap? If so, what’s your recipe? Let me know! I always love seeing what everyone comes up with.
Is this watery or thick like store bought detegent?
It’s watery
We don’t have castello soap here in N.Zealand, can I use another one grate it.
Can you use it for HE machines?
Is it supposed to gel up?
This recipe isn’t “sudsy”. How do we know if it’s cleaning and how much to use per load?
Suds do not equal clean anyways. Suds are purely cosmetic. If your clothes are clean, it worked.
Castille soap leaves a white residue with hard water and I’m curious if this causes any buildup in the washing machine or hoses?
I’m curious how much water you end up using? You say a gallon of water but then say add a little bit of water then never mention the water again.
I know this is an older post, but I had to tell you just how wonderful this recipe is and that it’s truly changed how I feel about the cleanliness of my laundry. I went from a front loader to a top loader thinking this was the problem, but it was not. I’m not sure if it’s the he machines of today, they’re supposed be effectively efficient with less water, yet my clothes rarely seem clean. Now since switching to your recipe my clothes smell great and feel so soft. I do also use this de-funkifier recipe in my rinse cycles with the homemade laundry detergent with the great results. Just wanted to say thanks for sharing this great recipe!
Do you use this on your cloth diapers?