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The BEST Homemade Laundry Soap you can make with just three simple ingredients! This all-natural laundry detergent is perfect for sensitive skin and actually smells great! An easy homemade laundry soap that only costs pennies a load.
Making your own laundry detergent is a super simple way to get clean clothes at a fraction of the price as storebought. Even better, you’re cutting down on packaging waste by not purchasing new bottles/boxes every few months.
Does Homemade Laundry Detergent Really Work?
Yes! It works great and it is effective and super affordable. We have used this in traditional top loader washers as well as a HE washer. I will say that it works best in warm water, especially if using a HE washing machine.
Homemade Laundry Soap Supplies
You’ll need:
- Super Washing Soda
- Baking Soda
- Borax (only about $5 in the laundry aisle of major stores)
- Bar soap
- {optional} essential oils
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring cups
- Cheese grater
- Spoon
- Storage container
Various recipes suggest using Fels Nelpha soap, but I cannot stand the smell of it! We use whatever bar soap we have hanging around. Use a brand that you already know is sensitive enough for your family’s skin.
The dryer is often the number two user of electricity in American homes. For extra money and energy savings, we love to line dry our laundry outside whenever possible (we have this great retractable clothesline) and use these drying racks when the weather does not cooperate. Check out all my tips for line-drying laundry.
Pro Tips
- If you want to make a bulk batch, I find using the grating attachment on my food processor makes super quick work of it.
- Using warm water is best to help dissolve the grated soap.
- If you want to use essential oils, use 30 drops of your favorite scent.
More Homemade DIY Ideas
- Eco-Friendly Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner
- How to Remove Rust From Cast Iron
- DIY Bulk Bin and Produce Shopping Bags
- Homemade Dusting Spray and Furniture Polish
- Zero Waste Food Storage Ideas
- Natural Homemade Deodorant Recipe
- How to Freeze Fresh Produce
Homemade Laundry Soap
Ingredients
- 2 cups bar soap {grated}
- 2 cups borax
- 2 cups washing soda
- 1 cup baking soda
- 30 drops essential oils {optional}
Instructions
- Grate the bar soap. Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir to distribute.
- Normal loads use 1TBSP - 1/4 cup. I use about 1/8 cup with great results.
I love the thought of homemade soap however, I find they are missing key ingredients, cleaning agents. I have yet to find a recipe that acutally has cleaning agents in it. Yours is the best one I have yet to find, but I know it work on our clothes or worse yet, our diapers. Thanks for sharing 🙂
I have a similar recipe. I use Fels Naptha soap, you can get it in Walmart for .97 cents a bar. Never buying laudry soap from store again. I love the way my laundry comes out so clean and it smells great too.
I have to leave a comment here to say, “thanks!” for all the great tips/recipes for cleaning supplies. Probably half of the page views on this post are because I keep coming back to double-check your proportions and ingredients. You have helped us streamline our lives and made this house wife feel really empowered through making my own stuff. Thanks again – keep it coming! 🙂
I just made a batch of this using one of the many hard-milled gift soaps I have scenting my dresser drawers (the scent fades then I have extra bar soap….), The grating did not take as long as I thought it would — I made a batch in less than 20 minutes. Thanks!
I have been loving all the links on your blog here… but I have to pass a linky on to you about borax. The Environmental Working Group says it’s not as safe as we thought. There are alternatives that can be made with washing soda, though. Just google homemade borax free laundry soap recipes. Here’s the latest:
I’ve been using the liquid recipe for three years now. We are a family of seven with the kids ranging in age from 5 to 18 and a farm. Trust me, we’re doing an average of three big nasty loads a day minimum! I use the Fels Naptha bar and/or my own homemade soap. I make 5 gals 3 times per year for around $12!!!! I cannot tell you the swelling of smug satisfaction I get when wheeling my cart past the laundry isle without buying a $24 bottle of name brand goo 😉
My recipe is similar but I use Fels-Naptha bar soap (find it @ Wal Mart along with the washing soda) and my clothes come out sparkling clean. My husbands greasy spots from food and work come out with no pre treat and since I have an HE machine this is safe cause no bubbles. Then use white vinegar as fabric softener and towels are so much fluffier and clothes softer since it rinses off any soap scum.
I can’t stop clicking on ALL of your stuff. Keep up the cool ideas and especially the frugal ones.
So I decided to give this a try. My kids think I am crazy for making laundry soap when you can go buy it at the store, oh well. I am washing my first load with it, we shall see how it works!!!
what do you do with your essential oils since its a powder soap?
I’ve stopped using it because it doesn’t seem to stick to the clothes after washing.