Natural Homemade Laundry Detergent

April 28th, 2009 - filed under: The Farm » Home

Just 3 months back I wrote the very first Itty Bitty Bonzai about the dangers of bleach, and included a simple recipe for a homemade substitute. Since then, I’ve been sort of obsessed with diy, non-toxic cleaning solutions. I’ve tinkered and tested and mixed (and messed) so much, I feel like a modern alchemist! But the work has paid off, and so finally I’m proud to share this, the first of my many concoctions: Sayward’s Homemade Laundry Soap

This stuff works great! It’s so much safer than synthetic chemical cleaners, and it’s also quite a bit cheaper than pre-made ‘eco-friendly’ detergents. It’s just five simple, all-natural ingredients.

White Vinegar – Vinegar is simply acetic acid: diluted, mild, and edible, but acid nonetheless. As such, it will dissolve dirt, mildew, mineral build-up, and soap scum. Vinegar is something of a wonder cleanser, and you’ll be seeing a lot more of it around here in the near future. Available everywhere.

Baking Soda – Baking soda is another amazing all-purpose cleaner, but it’s also an excellent deodorizer. As well, it softens water and helps to maintain neutral pH so that detergent can work more efficiently. It keeps your colored clothes from fading and also gets whites brighter. Available everywhere, but check the bulk bins at your local co-op.

Washing Soda – Baking soda’s badass cousin. Washing soda is much more alkaline and cuts oils like a pro, so it’s great in the laundry. It also helps to deodorize, but fighting grease and stains is the primary purpose. Look for it in the drug store or supermarket, in with the laundry and cleaning supplies.

Borax – Borax is awesome! It’s a natural stain remover and an excellent alternative to bleach, because it’s an anti-fungal/anti-mold and all-around disinfectant. Coupled with regular soap, it greatly increases cleaning power. Look for it in the drug store or supermarket, in with the laundry and cleaning supplies.

Castile Soap – ‘Castile’ isn’t a brand, but a type of soap: one that is made using only vegetable oils (as opposed to most soaps which render from animal fat). So not only is it vegan and cruelty-free, but it’s much easier on the environment as well. Castile soap is a superior gentle cleanser, and quickly biodegrades. I use Dr. Bronner’s lavender scented soap, and I absolutely adore it. Available at most ‘natural’ stores, and many Trader Joe’s.

Recipe:

1 1/4 cups white vinegar

1 cup baking soda

1 cup washing soda

1 cup borax

1/4 cup liquid castile soap

Mix in a large, non-metal bowl. I re-used (and decorated!) my previous soap tub, which worked great. Start with the vinegar and continuously stir as you add each powder. Try to stir out and break up any clumps. Finish with the liquid soap. It will seem wet, like a thick paste, but keep stirring and it will begin to flake and crumble into a moist ‘powdered detergent’. KEEP STIRRING! If you quit too early, you’ll find a very hard mass the next time you go to use it. So use them biceps and stir it to completion. You’ll end up with a sort of soft clumpy cake-y ‘loaf’, that will easily crumble off for use.

If you use plain non-scented castile soap, you may add a few drops of your favorite essential oil.

Store in a lidded container and use about 1/4 cup per load.

Enjoy, and happy green laundering!

sign-off

http://www.mindcryme.com/ Rayne

Is this detergent safe for all clothing? Or should one find something gentler for things like lingerie and silk?
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/mcblog Kendra

I think I’m going to try this recipe. I’ve been googling for a simple, homemade recipe to try. We currently use a detergent from Whole Foods, but it’s awful for my daughter’s skin. Plus, this will be a great cost saver as well! Can you tell me if these ingredients are supposed to be gentle on skin? I don’t know anything about Borax, so that’s the one ingredient that I wasn’t sure about.
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

@ Rayne – Definitely safe for the dainties!

@ Kendra – These should be very gentle on sensitive skin, though everybody will react different of course. The only one I would worry about would be the borax, but even that should be okay (I’ve heard of women using borax to douche, so that should mean it’s pretty mild! eek!). I’d make it as it’s written and then if there’s an issue, try removing the borax. But I bet it’s fine. Luck!
Judy

always interested in homemade recipes for all kinds of cleaners.I already make my own laundry detergent,so I’m going to try this one too.
http://www.fulltime-mom.com Kristen

Okay, love your site and the laundry detergent! I have recently wiped my house clean of toxic chemical cleaners for house and our bodies, and I will be trying this recipe! I also have a website that highlights green/homemade living, so I am in harmony with your groove as well! Check it out sometime!
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

@ Kristen – Congrats on getting rid of all the chemicals, especially with little ones in the house. And good luck with the blogging – lookin’ good! =)
Laura O

I made my first batch of detergent over the weekend, after fishing a (former) 5-lb. plastic olive jar out of the recycling bin at the restaurant where I work. When I mixed up all the ingredients, it seemed way too wet, so I added more baking soda, washing soda and borax. Then I closed the jar and set it in my laundry room, very proud of myself.

A couple hours later, when I gathered up my towels to do a trial run, the detergent had completely hardened, solid as a rock. I had to bash the jar against my driveway and only managed to get the detergent out by cutting the jar open. I ended up grating most of it back into a usable form (worked!). Total headache which left me with sore muscles. Will let you know how the second batch goes! I guess this’ll teach me to follow the recipe.
Dmo

When you use the detergent, when do you add it?
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

@ Laura O – Oh no! I heard a similar story from a reader who had to re-powder it in a food processor, ha! At least you were able to salvage it. =)

@ Dmo – At the very beginning, just like regular powder.
Dmo

I thought you had to add powder to a machine when the water level was raised, before putting clothes in?

I only recently graduated from putting all my clothes in unsorted and washed on cold. :)
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

@ DMO – I just put in the clothes, sprinkle the powder over them, and then turn on the machine. Never pre-filled with water and never had any problems. But everybody does it a bit different, I think. =)
http://winningfaith.blogspot.com/ Nikki

To use or not to use?

I have a house full of chemical cleaning agents and I really really just want to go back to the basics (Baking Soda/Borax/Vinegar/Salt/Lemons). My intriguing question to you is this. Does one use what they have and replace with natural alternatives as they go along … or … Give/Throw away the nasties and whip up the natural? hmmmmm……
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

@ Nikki – I think it’s a totally personal choice, whatever works for you. If you can afford to replace all your conventional cleaners with natural cleaners all at once, maybe you just want to get it done! What you do with the leftover ‘bad’ stuff is up to you. I’ve seen people who don’t want to ‘waste’ it, give it away for free on sites like Craigslist or Freecycle. Or, if you feel like you don’t want anyone else using the nasty chemicals, then you can just properly dispose of it. I guess it just depends on where your priorities lie (financial, wastefulness, that the chemicals are out there at all, etc) and that’s totally up to you.

Luck!
Laura O

Okay, the second batch has come out much better than the first. I resisted the urge to add more dry ingredients…instead I checked it every hour or so and gave it a stir to fluff it up. My towels came out so nice and soft, and I didn’t even use fabric softener! Can’t wait to wash some clothes with it!
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

@ Laura O – Oh yay, I’m so glad it worked better this time! Success! =D
Jenny

I discovered this blog about a month ago while looking for a better homemade detergent recipe. Can I just say – Oh. My. Gosh. Ilovethisrecipesomuch! The water where I live is so hard and makes everything dingy. Now my clothes are so nice and clean and BRIGHT! The first time I made it, though, I forgot to measure the soap. I had just mixed everything together and stopped stirring to figure out the soap and when I came back to the mixture about 1 minute later it was concrete. I just laughed it off and got out the grater. ^_^

All the best, Jenny
Brooke

I just tried making your laundry detergent a couple of hours ago and now it is solid as a rock. I saw someone else had this problem, but they added more stuff, I did the exact amount you called for. Any suggestions? Did I not stir it enough? Also, can I fix it somehow? Thanks so much for your blog. I just found it this morning and love it.
LisaMaddox

I’ve been using this recipe for months (thank you, by the way!). My first attempt ended in concrete. I got out the old cheese grater and a heavy metal spoon to grate/scrape the mass into usable chunks. I really don’t think there’s any other way to salvage the soap.

I’ve found that the order in which you add the ingredients makes a difference. My best attempt was mixed like so:
Vinegar
Borax
Washing Soda
Castile
Baking Soda

Another helpful hint is NEVER STOP STIRRING! Once you stop stirring, it seems that the heat from the acid/base reaction bakes your soap into a brick. Recruit a stirring partner, if needed (I do).

I’ve also grated bar Castile soap and boiled it in water to make a gel (when I, sadly, ran out of Dr Bronner’s). It made the finished product stickier than the regular recipe, and eventually the bottom layers of soap were soggier than the top, but cleaned just the same.

So, after my sticky batch, I’ve considered mixing the dry ingredients and Castile soap, then adding the vinegar to the wash water. I think I’ll end up using more vinegar, but it might be a fair trade for the fear of making another bucket of concrete! ^_^
Meghan

Woo, I just (FINALLY) ran out of my trader joes laundry detergent and made this! I kept stirring until it was powderish, which I think kept it from turning to a solid block. There were some balls of solid stuff, so I threw it in the food processor just to be sure.

I am hoping that I can scrounge up enough dirty clothes to try it tomorrow once the current laundry has vacated the drying racks. :-)
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

@ Jenny – So you learned firsthand the importance of constant stirring! Haha, sorry ’bout that, but it sounds like you made it work.

@ Brooke – It will turn into a brick if you don’t stir it nonstop. Kind of a pita I know, but it’s worth it! If you *do* get a brick, you can try a few different remedies: I’ve heard of people using a grater on it (see Jenny’s comment above yours), I’ve heard of people using a food processor to chop it up (see Meghan’s comment above this one), and me, I just used a sort of ‘chisel and crush’ method with a big metal spoon. It’s definitely still salvageable though. Good luck!

@ LisaMaddox – Wow, thanks for all the experimenting and tips. I’ll try our order of operations next time I make up a batch. =)

@ Meghan – Luck! Let me know how it goes!
VITA

Thank you for sharing such a cool ideas. I got tired of buying regular detergent and running out so quickly on top of it paying lots of money. I have started using natural products as much as I can at home…one step at a time. I was glad to find your site with a homemade detergent. The other once seemed complecated and required lots of time.
I made mine the other day and I love it. I didn’t have washing soda, so I added more soda and borox, to make in one cup. I used Dr.B’s Eucalyptus soap and I love the smell. The smell is not strong at all and the laundry comes ous so fresh and crisp. Mine came out kind of watery, I think because I didn’t use washing soda. Thanks again for your great tips.
I have even added your page to my blog for my friends.. I just started the blog….
angela

I love this site. I made a big batch–10 x the recipe– about a couple months ago. It’s still going strong and stayed well. It was a little too wet so I left the top off and it’s perfect. I love the results! My only issue is that our whites look a bit grey. Should I add more of something to whites? Thanks for any advice!!
Angela
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

@ VITA – I’m so glad the detergent worked for you, and thanks for adding me!

@ angela – I hear you on the whites. There’s a couple of things you can try. The best is actually sunlight, so in the spring/summer make sure to line dry your whites outside to keep them nice and bright. For this time of year (assuming you’re in my hemisphere) I’d use lemon juice.

Fill your wash with hot water and add pure lemon juice, maybe a couple of tablespoons worth. Let it soak for an hour and then launder as normal. Should work to brighten them up! Luck!
Pingback: Revisting a Green Lifestyle
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/mcblog Kendra

Every time I’ve made this, I’ve had to run it through the food processor to break up the huge chunks. What am I doing wrong? I’m loving how it works, but I’m frustrated w/the chunks.
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

@ Kendra – Are you stirring it to completion, ie stirring it after all the ingredients are added? You need to *keep* stirring as it hardens up. It will always get harder and cake-ey, but mine ends up easy to crumple with the laundry scoop. That’s the consistency you should get.

If you read through the comments, people have experimented with the order of ingredients, and seem to have a lot of luck. You may want to try that as well. Luck!
http://www.katerimichos.com/blog/ Kateri

Hello,

I found your blog through Apartment Therapy and I just love it! I made up a batch of the laundry detergent the other day with Dr.Bronner’s almond scent. It’s fabulous!
AND on a side note, I have been poofree for over two years now! Hooray!
I might give you a mention on my blog if that’s ok with you?
Thanks so much for the recipes and lovely, inspiring blog!
magnolia

help! i’ve bought enough of the ingredients to last 3 life times. i made my first batch yesterday. i double the recipe. mixed it all up and put it in tupperware overnight. i just opened it up and it’s as hard as a rock. I had to scrap it with a large serving spoon just to get enough for my first load. please let me know what i might have done wrong. thank you so much!
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

@ Kateri – I would love a mention on your blog! Thanks, and I’m so glad you like the blog. =)

@ magnolia – This is a common problem that comes, I think, from not stirring for long enough. The end result *will* be a sort of soft cake, but it should be easy to scrape apart/crumble. You should *not* end up with a brick! =D

You have a few options, according to my very resourceful readers. 1) food processor. 2) chisel! I suggest you read back through the comments to see how other people have dealt with this. But it’s still usable – so don’t toss it!

Luck!
http://celebrateoddetsy.blogspot.com Fuzzy Izmit

I have got to try this!
Kenna

We are in the process of stirring, and stirring, and stirring… and resisting the urge to add more dry ingredients. How long do we have to keep stirring!!??
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

@ Kenna – Sorry I missed your question – hope it worked out for you!
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/mcblog Kendra

This is working perfectly for me now. I neglected to re-read the directions after the first batch and wasn’t starting with the vinegar. I re-read them before the batch I made last week and it turned out perfectly when I followed your very simple, easy to follow directions. Who knew that reading the directions could be so helpful? Hahaha!
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

@ Kendra – Haha awesome, glad to hear it!
Jenny

Ah ha! For those of you with stand mixers that is the way to go. It keeps stirring while you remember to measure things. It’ll stay liquid for quite a while, then turn into pudding, then into popcorn looking chunks. Perfectumundo.

Jenny (of concrete and grater fame)
Teresa

Has anyone timed how long they stirred it? I’m using my Bosch and I’ve been stirring it forever and it’s just whipped and a grainy creamy firm mass. No popcorn, no inkling of powder. I let it rest for 6 minutes and it’s still the same consistency. Can you over stir?
Jenny

I’m guessing that I stirred the batch I made in my mixer for about 20 minutes or so. It seemed like a really really long time before it went from pudding to popcorn.
Teresa

Thanks Jenny, I think I mixed it at lease that long!

Ok, this is weird! I put my batch in the container still moist and thick – kind of like really thick, somewhat dry, icing or mashed potatoes. That was 24 plus hours ago. I opened it just now to see if it was a rock and it’s still the same!! What’s up with that? I know I used the correct proportions. It’s possible my baking soda was stale, I found the bag open when I used it. Any thoughts?
saundra

hello everyone i’ve been reading the blog for a few days now.. also looking for a detergent b/c my favorite brand of dishwasher detergent is no where to be found. but i was wondering has anyone tried soap nuts?? if you bing it or google it’s a berry that grows on a tree that you can use for your laundry any thoughts??? plus it’s supposed to be great on cloth diapers..
saundra

oh and also supposed to be good for HE washers…
kelly alice.

sayward, we made this last nite with some almond-scented castille. we’ve done two loads of laundry and love it already!

our only two “issues” were: 1) finding washing soda. after going to target and a major supermarket, we finally found it at our local food co-op. 2) “stirring til completion.” we stirred. and stirred. and stirred. we let it sit for a bit to “dry up.” then stirred some more. then we finally put it in our stand mixer. and let it mix and mix and mix. we let it sit overnight and only THEN did it finally turn into crumbly goodness. i think next time we will experiment with the order of adding ingredients as suggested in the comments.

nonetheless, thank you for this great idea!
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

@ kelly alice – I don’t know if you’ll see this, but I’m curious – do you know the brand of the washing soda you got from your co-op? Was it by any chance in bulk? I’m searching for a washing soda source other than Arm & Hammer, and preferably in bulk. Thanks!
kelly alice.

hi sayward,

we got arm & hammer. it was the only option! and not in bulk. i was, however, very happy to find that our co-op carries dr. bronner’s in bulk.

a little bit of web searching and the only other brand i noticed was by dri-pak which contains no phosphates. i hope this helps!
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

@ kelly alice – Thanks for the tip!
http://www.meandmypinkmixer.blogspot.com/ Lynda

Hi Sayward – I found your blog while searching for homemade laundry detergent recipes and you have inspired me to try to make all of my cleaning supplies. I just love your blog! I made your laundry detergent about a month ago. I found that some was still lingering in the dispenser of my HE washer, so I set my bucket of detergent out in the sun to dry out some & then put it in my food processor to make a fine powder. Now I love it – thanks for the inspiration!
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

@ Lynda – Aww, you’re welcome. And welcome to the blog! Hope to keep seeing you around. =)
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/mcblog Kendra

Now I’m having opposite problems with this recipe. I’ve been using it since December. The last four batches I’ve made have not turned out. My husband stirred one batch for 45 minutes, and it was still nothing but a paste. We made a 2nd batch and had the same problem. Since then, we purchased a new box of a better quality baking soda since that was the only difference, and we had the SAME problem. It’s laundry paste, and it’s not making as much either. It’s still working as a paste, but I’d rather it turn out the way it’s supposed to. Is our mid-western late spring/summer humidity just too much for the recipe?
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

@ Kendra – Hmm, that’s strange. You know, it really might be the humidity that’s doing it. You could try adding more dry ingredients and seeing how that goes.

But also, have you played around with the order you add the ingredients? If you read through the comments, a couple people have had great luck with keeping a very specific order.

Luck!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/KristinFriesen Kristin

Awesome recipe! I’m expecting my 2nd baby boy in September and we’ve decided to do cloth this time. I’m using FuzziBunz diapers that have a PUL and they don’t recommend using vinegar to clean them as it can damage the PUL. Do you have a variation on this recipe that doesn’t contain vinegar? I’m also going to try charlies soap too… do you have any experience with that? And lastly, and suggestions as far as stain removal or pre-treating/soaking? Thanks so much!
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

@ Kristin – Hmm, that’s interesting! I use FuzziBunz as well as other PUL diapers and totally use this recipe on them. So far no problems!

That said, I totally understand if you want to follow the manufacturers care instructions. I haven’t tried it, but I bet you could just replace the vinegar with water (use a little less water since the vinegar reacts into vapor in the recipe), or even 1/2 water 1/2 castile. There are enough other deodorizing/whitening/cleansing components in this recipe that I’m pretty sure you could get away with omitting the vinegar.

I haven’t tried Charlie’s soap but I’ve heard great things! If I did a storebought diaper soap, that’s the one I would try first.

The absolute best thing for stain removal, believe it or not, is sunlight! Seriously, if you can sun dry your diapers they will be stain-free. It’s crazy!

As for bulk, I’ve made a quadruple batch of this recipe which lasted me nearly 6 months, and it was fine. I’d say it’s definitely safe to make ahead.

Hope that helps!

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