How to Make DIY Laundry Detergent for Only $1.25 per year
Today’s tip is a DIY laundry detergent recipe that is gentle on your washer (HE and regular), but most importantly it will save you money!
If you’ve ever looked at the cost of store-bought detergents, you may have choked at the cost. I have a wonderful detergent recipe to make your own own homemade laundry detergent for only $1.25 per year!
And the detergent is low suds and low residue which will keep your washer and clothes cleaner.
How to Make DIY Laundry Detergent
If you think this homemade liquid laundry detergent couldn’t possibly work on dirty clothes, think again. I can tell you that in addition to our regular clothing, I’ve been using this recipe for 9 years on my boys’ clothes, on my own work clothes, and my husband’s karate clothing. And it really works.
Whatever stains don’t come out in the wash are no match for my DIY Miracle Stain Remover.
The great thing about this laundry detergent is the basic ingredients are simple, gentle on sensitive skin, and can be purchased at your grocery store. Just look on the high or low shelves in the laundry detergent aisle.
If you can’t find them in the laundry aisle, it’s always a good idea to look at your local hardware or home improvement store.
To make the homemade detergent, you only need about 15 minutes and then let the liquid detergent sit overnight. The next morning, you stir, add more cold water, and you are done!
Do you think that’s too much time to devote to making your own laundry soap? What if I told you that this batch lasts our family of four (did I mention two of them are young boys) six months or more.
Click Here to Download the Printable Version of the Recipe
Laundry Detergent for $1.25 a Year
Several of you asked me to make a video showing how I make my own detergent. For your convenience you can watch the video, then scroll down to read the directions to make your own laundry soap.
Ingredients:
(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)
Please note, you can purchase these items cheaper at your local grocery store or hardware store. The links are here to help you see what the box looks like or to order if you can’t get to the store.
- 1/4 bar of Fels Naptha soap
- 1/4 cup Arm and Hammer Washing Soda (not baking soda)
- 2 Tablespoons Borax powder
Optional: Essential Oil for Scent (see below for scent ideas)
Instructions:
- The first step is to cut your Fels Naptha Bar in quarters. Grate one quarter of the Fels Naptha Bar using a fine cheese grater.
- Boil 1 cup of water. Pour grated Fel Naptha into pan of boiling water. Stir continuously until the soap has dissolved. Meanwhile, pour 2 1/2 quarts (10 cups) of water into a large container or bucket. Pour dissolved Fels Naptha into the bucket of water. Stir.
- Add 1/4 cup Super Washing Soda and 2 TBSP Borax to the bucket.
- Add 2 1/2 quarts more water and stir.
- Cover the mixture and let is sit overnight out of reach of pets or children. Uncover the bucket and stir the gelatinous mix.
- Add 5 Quarts (20 cups) of water to the bucket. Stir.
- Add 15-30 drops of your favorite essential oils.
Some essential oil scents you may like:
Citrus scents: the added scent of lemon, lime, orange, bergamot, or grapefruit is a favorite!
Herbs scents: peppermint, spearmint, rosemary, basil
Other scents to try: Eucalyptus, chamomile, cypress, lemongrass
Want to fight mold & mildew? Use Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca)
Blends to try:
- basil & lemon
- lavendar & lemon
- orange, bergamot, and lemon
- chamomile, lavender, and orange
- lemon & tea tree
Miracle Stain Remover Recipe:
If your clothing gets stained, try soaking in this miracle stain remover a day or two before laundering. You’ll be amazed how the stain lifts out effortlessly. It’s a great way to get even the toughest stains out.
How did I figure out my cost per year?
I had to do a little guestimating to figure out my cost. In the nine years I’ve been making this recipe, I’m only on my second box of Borax and Arm & Hammer Washing Soda.
Each batch of this homemade laundry soap consists of at least 4o cups. If you use the required 1/4 cup per load (do not use more, as more detergent won’t get your clothing cleaner) you can easily get 160 loads of laundry from each batch.
All this to say, I came up with a very conservative estimate that I pay $1.25 for laundry detergent per year, much less than commercial detergents.
The next time you have a load of laundry to wash, give this diy laundry soap a try. You may never buy commercial laundry detergent again!
Storing Your Laundry Detergent:
The first time I started making this recipe, I used my empty laundry detergent plastic container. But, it was often too small for the batch size. Next, I used an empty 2.5 Gallon bucket water jug.
But, several years ago I bought a big glass drink dispenser and a smaller bottle with a flip top stopper. The smaller bottle is filled and used for dispensing detergent into the 1/4 cup measuring cup and then added to the washer.
The large drink dispenser holds all the excess detergent. This is a prettier solution to storing all the detergent and looks better on your laundry room shelf.
Gift Idea:
Once you try this DIY laundry detergent, I know you’ll love it. And then you’ll want to share this recipe with everyone you know!
It does not contain any harsh chemicals and takes just a little bit of time to make. I like to share the recipe with a small sample amount in a laundry themed basket.
If you want more uses for that big box of Borax, check out my 2 Ingredient Ant Killer!
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Looking forward to trying this with none of the useless chemicals. And being so sensitive to cleaners. I have my stuff all ready to go, thank you!
Works great. We have been using this for a year and with my husband being a garbage man it get his clothes clean. I do add some of the Arm & Hammer booster to my loads and white vinegar for softener. Always come out clean.
Overnight…how many hours do you let it sit? I like to make this during the day, so I’m guessing overnight is about 8-12 hours? Thanks!
Hi,
I recently made this and it’s too clumpy to go through my 2.5 gallon dispenser. Is there anything I can do to get the chunks to dissolve?
You probably need to stir it better. Try using a whisk.
Hi! I’ve made this 3 times now and love it! BUT this time it didn’t go gelatinous? I did everything the same , any ideas, can I still use it??
How much do you use for a load of laundry?
1/4 cup
Does this recipe stay liquid? I tried a different recipe and maybe I did it wrong but it was very clumpy.
It sometimes separates a little, but you just shake or stir it.
I know this is an older post, but I hope someone has an answer. Has anyone tried using half the water and using a couple of tablespoons instead of 1/4 cup? I have VERY limited space and a smaller container would help considerably.
i was wondering the same thing. it looks like there are 40C of water in the original recipe.
Do u have any recommendation on a substitute for fels naptha bars I’m having a heck of a time finding them
Walmart usually has it on the bottom shelf!
Do you need to use a fabric softener . If so do you have a diy for that? Thank you
I don’t use fabric softener.
Is there a chemical reason to wait until the next day to add the extra water? I have found that initially boiling all 8 cups of water for the first feed steps makes it easier to dissolve the soap into. Then I add all the rest of the water, borax, and super washing soda. Seems to turn out fine and more uniform than my original batch. Just curious if I am altering chemical components and how well the soap will work by doing this!
Thank you for this recipe! In the picture, there is a container marked “Laundry Booster”. Is there a recipe and instructions for that item as well? Thank you in advance for responding.
Thanks Tazzyfan, it’s actually just Oxiclean.
I am making my third batch today following this recipe, my family and I love it! I purchased a bottle of Gain scented oil from Etsy for fragrance and our detergent smells so good! We have a newer HE washer and it handles this detergent well and cleans our clothing better than store bought detergents. My 13 year old boy even likes it and he is picky about EVERYTHING. Maybe try making the liquid version and see how it works for you!
I tried this in the UK with a borax substitute, but it did not go gelatinous at all :/ what went wrong???
Aha! When I was wandering around on your website, I was reading your tips on keeping the he front loader odor free. That’s when I noticed your comment about using the DIY laundry detergent in your he washer. So, I answered my own question. LOL
Is your laundry soap okay for an he front loading washer?
Hi, I stumbled across your recipe for washing detergent and stain remover, I’d really like to make them but I’m in the UK.
Would you please send me a photo of the ingredients in your components as I can’t buy any of them here!
Thank you 🙂
I’m going to try the stain remover. My husband and I hike and walk a lot and our socks are horrible looking. I use Tide because he is not allergic to it. It’s expensive, malodorous, and I could use a flame thrower on those ads with beautiful white socks. Thanks!
Right. I think it takes bleach or oxyclean to get them that white. That and good water. We have hard water.
Great post! Must try in recent days. Thanks for sharing, Brittany.
Are you still using this? I made my own dry version with same ingredients and gave up when I put 2 + 2 together after reading about why homemade detergents don’t work with our low sudsing, gentler washing machines these days. My clothes reeked like motor oil. My daughter said her t shirts stunk too. The linens didn’t smell fresh (I wash them every week). It’s because we don’t beat our clothes on rocks or agitate them in boiling water like we used to (well, not me, but you get it). We need the surfactants to remove the oil and odor. Hey, if it’s working for you and you don’t smell like you just changed the motor oil from your car, rock on. For me, I haven’t regretted paying 100x more for the commercial stuff.
Leese, that surprises me. We do still use it and have had no issues. Our clothes smell clean (much less perfume though, which I like.)
Hi Brittany, I love your Pretty Handy Girl site, it’s THE BOMB!!! Like you, only endorsing products you have tried and love, I’m very particular about what products I use in my home and on myself. I wanted to make this recipe but had never heard of Fels Naptha so I did a searched on the EWG.org (Environmental Working Group) website and both Fels Naptha & 20 Mule Borax get a C & F respectively for product ingredients (ratings for allergies, cancer, environmental, etc.) but there are some other products that could be substituted, Meliora Soap Stick for one. The Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda gets an A tho! The links below will take you the EWG pages for these products. Thanks for all you do! -Paige
https://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners/2507-20MuleTeamBoraxNaturalLaundryBoosterMultiPurposeHouseholdCleaner#.WlfFlWdPp14
https://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners/441-FelsNapthaHeavyDutyLaundryBarSoap#.WlfJd2dPp14
Paige, thanks for that information. Definitely worth considering.
Thanks! I had formerly used this recipe (the 5 gallon version) with great satisfaction. EVENTUALLY I ran out, but had misplaced the recipe. I have saved ECOS jugs so I’d be prepared when the recipe turned up again. I am SO READY!
Hi Brittany!
I recently saw you make this on Instagram stories in a 5 gallon bucket. I wanted to do that too. I remember that after the mixture has gelled (the next day) you add more water to it, but I can’t remember the quantity & I didn’t see it here. Was it 20 cups? Thanks!!
Yes, 20 cups the next morning.
I’ve been saving this detergent recipe for over a month. My very independent 85 yo MIL has declared that no one may buy her Christmas gifts this year. Guess what she is getting? You guessed it–homemade detergent! It should blow her socks off.
I scored big brownie points earlier on her BD. She had declared no gifts unless we found it at a thrift store. I found her an unused Peacock Alley coverlet and matching shams. It has been a long time since I gave her anything she of which she expressed such delight. Just wait for the opening of the bottle of Santa’s Secret Sauce Laundry Detergent!
Thank you so much for continuing to inspire us all.
Loyce, That’s awesome! Let me know how she likes it ;-).
I’m Not Too Sure I Did It Right. My Batch Of Laundry Detergent Didn’t Gell overnight, Could You Please Tell Me Where I May Have Gone Wrong While Making It? Thank you.
Kristie, I’m not sure. Check that you used the same ingredients and the correct proportions. Did you use too much water? Once it gels, it’s really only on the top. Once you mix it, it will go back to a thick liquid.
Hi Brittany! I found your blog around the beginning of October and when I saw this laundry detergent recipe, I knew I had to try it! My first load of clothes is in the dryer right now. I’ve gone back through old posts some and it’s inspired my husband and I to try some things on our own, instead of waiting for my dad to help. 🙂 Thanks so much!
Candice, your comment made my day. I’m so glad to hear this! Keep on rockin’ the DIY!
Will this work on an HE machine?
yes, ma’am! It’s great for HE machines.
Wonderful – thanks, Brittany!
Wow, looks amazing; thanks for sharing! Just one question: is it septic safe?
Eppu, absolutely! We are on septic and I’m very cautious about what we use. You’ll notice that there are hardly any suds and no bleach to harm the bacteria in your septic tank.
I’ve been making that detergent since I saw it on your blog way back when. It’s great stuff & so easy. I do love your detergent container much better than mine. I must find something similar to this container! Thanks for this again.
Colleen, you can find them in any home decor place. Try to buy a glass one that has decent quality parts. I broke the spout on one of them and had to buy a second one.
I’m a single mother of two who recently found your blog and immediately added it to my RSS feed. I have to tell you that you are honestly such an inspiration! You’ve helped me to do it myself and not feel like I need someone else to rely on. I love learning new ideas on how to fix up my rental home or save money on necessities like this. THANK YOU!
Ashley, thanks so much for taking time to comment. It means a lot to me and I’m so happy you are finding my blog helpful!
Thanks Ashley. You made my night 😉