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You are here: Home / Green Living and Eco-Friendly Tips / Simple Homemade Laundry Detergent

Simple Homemade Laundry Detergent

July 8, 2014 by Scarlet

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I’m always looking for ways to save money AND be a little nicer to the environment if I can. Many times, these two concepts go well together. A few years ago, I took a good look at the products I was using, both for personal care and house cleaning, and did a bit of research to figure out how I could eliminate or at least reduce the harmful chemicals present in many of the products. I found that the greatest money savings came from making household cleaning products myself. This was a major find, because household cleaners often contain more toxic chemicals than any other product in the home, and are generally very expensive. I found that simple ingredients like vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda, and borax clean just as well if not better than the chemically-laden products I had been using, and are a lot kinder to the wallet.

How To Make Homemade Laundry Detergent

Simple Homemade Laundry Detergent

What I consider to be my biggest “score” when doing research was finding a simple, homemade recipe for laundry detergent. Many recipes called for the same basic ingredients: borax, washing soda, and bar soap. I’ve experimented with different bar soaps, and found that I like using Kirk’s Castile Soap because it cleans well and is made with coconut oil, is hypoallergenic and biodegradable. I’ve also had good luck using Fels Naptha for stains, which is less expensive but not as eco-friendly. I decided to add a few drops of essential oil to my recipe. I like peppermint oil and lavender oil for the scent. Give this recipe a try, and watch your savings add up!

Homemade Laundry Detergent Ingredients:

Homemade Laundry Detergent2
  • one cup Borax
  • 1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
  • 1 bar Kirk’s Castile Soap
  • Several drops of essential oil

Start by chopping up the bar of castile soap with a sharp knife before placing it in a food processor. This will make it easier for the food processor to finish chopping.

Homemade Laundry Detergent1
Homemade Laundry Detergent

Blend the soap in the food processor until it is a fine powder. Then add the borax and washing soda and blend thoroughly. Add several drops of essential oil for scent, if you choose. Blend again. The detergent will now be a dry powder. Pour it into a jar and use one tablespoon for small loads, two tablespoons for larger loads.

This homemade laundry detergent recipe is so simple to make and the best thing about it is, a little goes a long way. You will notice the savings immediately!

Have you tried making your own laundry detergent? Do you have a favorite recipe? Share in the comments!

Related Posts:
Washing Dishes The Green Way
Tips For Reducing Waste
Homemade Window Cleaner Recipe

141 shares
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Filed Under: Green Living and Eco-Friendly Tips, Green Products Tagged With: cleaning, diy home

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Pamela Waterman (@BracesFriendly) says

    July 8, 2014 at 8:30 pm

    Sounds great! Would a hand (pumping action) food-chopper work if you don’t have an electric food-processor?

  2. Agnes Obara says

    July 9, 2014 at 4:15 am

    Being a mom, I know how important it is to find ways to save as much as possible. I haven’t tried making a homemade detergent yet but this sounds easy enough and not to mention economical and environmental. Thanks for the info.

  3. Bonnie Walker says

    July 9, 2014 at 9:30 am

    I use this same recipe and love it! I need to try adding some essential oils – I like the scent with Fels Naptha.

  4. LJCM/OneDay says

    July 27, 2014 at 12:37 pm

    Best laundry detergent recipe ever. Have you come across any natural liquid detergent recipes for delicates?

  5. Florence Edwards says

    September 8, 2015 at 8:06 am

    Great recipe! You are so right that saving our nature and spending less money are usually going well together. Using non-toxic ingredients is helping us to live in healthy environment. Thank you for paying attention to this and using homemade cleaners. Best regards!

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Thanks for reading Family Focus Blog, which has been named a top family blog for parenting resources. It was created in 2010 by Nashville mom blogger, Scarlet Paolicchi. She shares tips for better family life, parenting, family fun activities, eco-friendly lifestyle, family food ideas, family travel, and home decor. Family Focus Blog has been named #3 in Cision PR’s 50 U.S. Top Mom Blog list. Scarlet Paolicchi is the author of four books.

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