Making your own homemade laundry detergent can be a great way to save on an ongoing basis. Here’s recipe that a HBHW reader submitted. Be sure to also read through the comments section below. We have quite a bit of good discussion on the topic going on and there are many questions that came up and have been answered below.
What you need:
All ingredients can be found at your local grocery store in the laundry isle.
Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe
- 1 bar of Fels Naptha soap, shaved
- 4 cups of hot water to melt the soap
- 3 gallons of hot water
- 1 cup of borax
- 2 cups of washing soda
- 1 cup of baking soda
- 1 large Rubbermaid container about 4-5 gallons size
Here’s what you do:
Grate the soap into a saucepan. You can use either a box grater or a food processor for this. I recommend you do not use whatever tool you use for grating soap with food. I was able to buy an extra food processor very inexpensively at a thrift store.
Add 4 cups of hot water to the pan. Simmer on low until the soap melts completely into the water.
Add borax, washing soda and baking soda to the hot water. Simmer on low until it desolves with the soap. If the mixture is not melting, add more water if needed.
Add 3 gallons of hot water to the large container. Add the mixture to the hot water. Mix with a large spoon until it
completely dissolves.
Let cool overnight. You will notice that it turns into a thick gel. Use 1 cup of this homemade laundry detergent per load of laundry
Further Reading – Keeping It Clean
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If your looking for a good fabric softener.. Go on ebay and buy wool balls for using in the dryer… They are awesome….
I make my own laundry soap, but I like mine dry. I think I got this recipe off of http://www.Tipnut.com it’s
1 bar Felz Naptha
1 bar dove or ivory
1 cup of Borax
1 cup of Washing Soda
Grate or grind each bar and mix with the powders, then store in an air tight container. Use approximately 2 tbsp per load for large loads. Works great as a per soak too!!
I made home made laundry soap and it is kinda runny what do I do to make it more like a gel? Can some one help me please. Thanks so much, any thoughts will be so greatful, Blessings Jane
Just word to the wise . . . if you are on a septic tank, this can cause you problems in the future. I found out the hard way! Thanks.
Julie, are you talking about using the homemade dry laundry detergent or the liquid ?
Julie, What happened to your septic? I have been using homemade soap for 2 years and now I am wondering if I should stop. Please advise…
Powdered detergents are not good for septic systems. A liquid or gel should be okay.
we have used powder and liquid. I just like liquid better but if you are concerned about septic issues call a professional to get more info on that – You could also see about (if code in your area allows) having your washer drain go into the yard as gray water to water the yard then it doesn’t touch your septic and it cuts extra water cost. I read somewhere someone did this with both laundry and sinks just never toilets eww
What about high efficiency washing machines? One cup would overflow in my washer’s soap cup.
As a rule, always cut detergent amounts in half for an HE machine. You can place the detergent in the machine with the clothes instead of in the soap cup.
I have used the homemade liquid laundry soap in my HE washer and have not had a problem. I use the Duggar family recipe and I just do not dilute past the 5 gallons. I use vinegar in my fabric softener dispenser for all my whites but use diluted fabric softener for my other washes. I have not had a problem.
Anyone having trouble with whites or graying here’s a remedy. I own a cleaning company and this is what we do. Add a small amount of T.S.P. to your formulas. It can be found in most hard ware stores. Even though it has been banned from laundry detergents it’s still made available to the restaurant industry and cleaning co’s so it’s still in use. It was banned from detergents because they say it has been polluting our waterways. If you read some of the new ingredients in commercial detergents T.S.P. is nothing compared to what’s in them now. Our plumber said there’s many more problems now then there was when T.S.P. was in use. I also have a septic field and everything has checked out just fine. There’s nothing out there that can replace the cleaning ability of this. Slight off topic but add a1/2 -1 tsp of this to your dishwasher and you will have the cleanest dishes ever. I add this to my homemade dishwasher detergent.
I ENJOY THIS SITE, I MADE THE POWDER LAUNDRY SOAP. SOMEWHERE I GOT A DIFFERENT AMOUNT AS I USED I BOX OF WASHING SODA I BOX OF WASHING AND 1 BAR OF FELS NAPTHA. DID I MAKE A MISTAKE OR IS THEIR A RECIPE FOR THIS AMOUNT ON THIS SITE AHNA
I use only one bar of soap for my laundry with one cup of washing soda and one cup and borax. it works great. I think that it is up to you what you want to do. And I usually only use one tbsp per laod. unless it is a really soiled laod.
sorry I re-read you post. use only 1 cup of borax, and 1 cup of washing soda!! not a whole box! some recipes I have found have 2 bars of soap. I only use 1!
Wow – my recipe for powder detergent was
2 cups Fels Naptha Soap (finely grated – you could also try the other bar soaps listed at the top)
1 cup Washing Soda
1 cup Borax
■Mix well and store in an airtight plastic container.
■Use 2 tablespoons per full load.
I find that I like the liquid much better. I think that because it’s already melted it goes to work faster and my machine is a front loader so it doesn’t use as much water so I worry about the soap dissolving well and don’t want to mess with hot water, etc. Liquid is just easier to use but it takes up a lot more storage space.
These are great, but can you tell me where to buy Fels Naptha soap? Also – washing soda?? Thanks!
I get it at Wal-Mart right next to the Borax and washing soda…. .97 cents per bar.
I’ve substituted Zote soap for the Fels Naptha – I got it at the dollar store. When I was in California visiting friends, I found it at their 99 cent plus store (the very best dollar stores in the USA – IMHO) and they were almost double the size of a Fels Naptha bar. Wish they’d open those stores in Florida!