This recipe for homemade laundry detergent is super easy to make and is also very effective. Not to mention, it will cost you less than $3 to make and will last for several months!
![homemade laundry soap in a large mason jar with a bar of soap, essential oil and a fern leaf](https://homelifeonadime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/How-to-Make-Homemade-Laundry-Detergent-featured-image.png)
When I got married, I had never boughten laundry detergent. And to this day I have never boughten a single box, bag or jug of it.
Laundry soap just seemed like the biggest waste of money that I could possibly spend, right up there with toilet paper. But toilet paper is more important in my mind so I’m not planning on ditching that anywhere in the near future!
My oldest sister played around with making her own homemade laundry detergent, so I knew it could be done.
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The first few recipes I tried were powdered laundry detergents. They worked great, the clothes smelled really fresh and I was overall happy with the results I got while using them.
Until…
It is was then that I decided that I needed a more effective homemade laundry detergent.
I began melting part of a fels-naptha soap bar in water on the stove every single night and then dumping it into the washing machine with our clothes.
Definitely not something I felt like doing every night, so I now make this big batch of easy homemade laundry detergent and just pour some into the washer like a normal human being.
My routine now (instead of throwing dirty cloth diapers straight into the wash, please don’t judge:) is to scrub the cloth diapers in our bathtub with a bar of fels-naptha soap. Rinse them really good and wash with the rest of the clothes.
I haven’t had any issues with funny smelling clothes since doing this!
The Ingredients for homemade laundry detergent
Washing Soda: Washing soda helps soften water as well as fight grease and stains in clothes. You will still want to pretreat your stains before washing, however.
Borax: Has been used for years to get rid of odors, brighten and whiten clothes as well as soften water and fabric.
Fels-Naptha: A great all-purpose bar of laundry soap! One of my current favorite stain treatments as well.
Lemon Essential Oil: A great natural scent booster. Totally optional. If you are going for more of a ‘no scent’ laundry detergent, you can omit.
![homemade laundry detergent in a mason jar with a bar of soap beside it](https://homelifeonadime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/How-to-Make-Homemade-Laundry-Detergent-16-768x1024.jpg)
![homemade laundry detergent in a mason jar with a bar of soap beside it](https://homelifeonadime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/How-to-Make-Homemade-Laundry-Detergent-16-768x1024.jpg)
How to use your homemade laundry detergent
For an average size load of laundry, add 2 tablespoons of laundry soap. If the clothes are extra dirty, you can add a little more, but don’t add more than 1/4 cup.
This recipe may separate slightly after you make it. You can just give it a shake before using it to mix contents back together.
Where to find the ingredients
I have all of the ingredients for this recipe linked to where you can buy them on amazon. However, I think you can find most of these products for significantly lower prices in a store.
I would check your local superstore, home improvement store or anywhere laundry soap is sold.
If you can’t find any in store or don’t have time to shop, though here are the ingredients.
![a box of borax, a box of super washing soda and a bar of fels naptha soap](https://homelifeonadime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/How-to-Make-Homemade-Laundry-Detergent-768x1024.jpg)
![a box of borax, a box of super washing soda and a bar of fels naptha soap](https://homelifeonadime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/How-to-Make-Homemade-Laundry-Detergent-768x1024.jpg)
How to Make Laundry Detergent
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup Borax
- 1/3 cup Washing Soda
- 1 Bar Fels-Naptha (5 ounce)
- 50-60 drops Lemon Essential Oil (optional)
- Water
Directions:
1. To a large pot, add 1 quart of water. Start heating on the stove over medium-high heat.
2. Using a box grater, grate the bar of fels-naptha soap.
![a box grater and a bar of fels-naptha soap](https://homelifeonadime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/How-to-Make-Homemade-Laundry-Detergent-5-1024x768.jpg)
![a box grater and a bar of fels-naptha soap](https://homelifeonadime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/How-to-Make-Homemade-Laundry-Detergent-5-1024x768.jpg)
![grated bar soap](https://homelifeonadime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/How-to-Make-Homemade-Laundry-Detergent-6-1024x768.jpg)
![grated bar soap](https://homelifeonadime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/How-to-Make-Homemade-Laundry-Detergent-6-1024x768.jpg)
3. Pour the grated fels-naptha soap into the boiling water.
![soap flakes in water in a pot](https://homelifeonadime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/How-to-Make-Homemade-Laundry-Detergent-7-768x1024.jpg)
![soap flakes in water in a pot](https://homelifeonadime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/How-to-Make-Homemade-Laundry-Detergent-7-768x1024.jpg)
![creamy looking soap in a stock pot](https://homelifeonadime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/How-to-Make-Homemade-Laundry-Detergent-11-768x1024.jpg)
![creamy looking soap in a stock pot](https://homelifeonadime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/How-to-Make-Homemade-Laundry-Detergent-11-768x1024.jpg)
4. Stir and continue heating over medium-high until all of the soap flakes have melted. The soap should look nice and creamy when all the soap is melted.
5. Take the hot soap mixture off the heat.
6. Add 1/3 cup each of washing soda and borax to the hot soap mixture and stir until well combined. Also add your lemon essential oil at this point and and stir to combine.
![a woman holding a bottle of essential oil over a pot of soap](https://homelifeonadime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/How-to-Make-Homemade-Laundry-Detergent-12-768x1024.jpg)
![a woman holding a bottle of essential oil over a pot of soap](https://homelifeonadime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/How-to-Make-Homemade-Laundry-Detergent-12-768x1024.jpg)
7. Pour the soap mixture into a glass gallon jar or jug.
8. Top the rest of the gallon jar off with very hot water. Stir contents of jar really well.
![stirring contents of homemade laundry soap](https://homelifeonadime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/How-to-Make-Homemade-Laundry-Detergent-13-768x1024.jpg)
![stirring contents of homemade laundry soap](https://homelifeonadime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/How-to-Make-Homemade-Laundry-Detergent-13-768x1024.jpg)
9. Screw the lid of the gallon jar on tight and let the soap mixture sit overnight.
10. The next day, with a spoon, break up the chunks of the soap in the jar.
![soap after sitting overnight](https://homelifeonadime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/How-to-Make-Homemade-Laundry-Detergent-14-768x1024.jpg)
![soap after sitting overnight](https://homelifeonadime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/How-to-Make-Homemade-Laundry-Detergent-14-768x1024.jpg)
![laundry detergent after sitting overnight](https://homelifeonadime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/How-to-Make-Homemade-Laundry-Detergent-15-768x1024.jpg)
![laundry detergent after sitting overnight](https://homelifeonadime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/How-to-Make-Homemade-Laundry-Detergent-15-768x1024.jpg)
11. Use an immersion blender or regular blender to whip the soap into a smooth creamy laundry soap.
![laundry soap in a blender](https://homelifeonadime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/How-to-Make-Homemade-Laundry-Detergent-21-edited-1024x768.jpg)
![laundry soap in a blender](https://homelifeonadime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/How-to-Make-Homemade-Laundry-Detergent-21-edited-1024x768.jpg)
12. Pour the finished homemade laundry detergent into your jug or jar of choice.
![homemade laundry soap in a large mason jar with a bar of soap, essential oil and a fern leaf](https://homelifeonadime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/How-to-Make-Homemade-Laundry-Detergent-featured-image.png)
![homemade laundry soap in a large mason jar with a bar of soap, essential oil and a fern leaf](https://homelifeonadime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/How-to-Make-Homemade-Laundry-Detergent-featured-image.png)
![homemade laundry soap in a large mason jar with a bar of soap, essential oil and a fern leaf](https://homelifeonadime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/How-to-Make-Homemade-Laundry-Detergent-featured-image.png)
![homemade laundry soap with a soap bar](https://harmonymeadowhomestead.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/How-to-Make-Homemade-Laundry-Detergent-17-360x361.jpg)
![homemade laundry soap with a soap bar](https://harmonymeadowhomestead.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/How-to-Make-Homemade-Laundry-Detergent-17-360x361.jpg)
Homemade Laundry Detergent
Equipment
- 1 stock pot
- 1 whisk
- 1 gallon jar
- 1 blender or immersion blender
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup Borax
- 1/3 cup Washing Soda
- 1 bar Fels-Naptha 5 ounce
- 50-60 drops Lemon Essential Oil optional
- Water
Instructions
- To a large pot, add 1 quart of water. Start heating on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Using a box grater, grate the bar of fels-naptha soap.
- Pour the grated fels naptha soap into the boiling water.
- Stir and continue heating over medium-high until all of the soap flakes have melted. The soap should look nice and creamy when all the soap is melted.
- Take the hot soap mixture off the heat.
- Add 1/3 cup each of washing soda and borax to the hot soap mixture and stir until well combined. Also add your lemon essential oil at this point and and stir to combine.
- Pour the soap mixture into a glass gallon jar.
- Top the rest of the gallon jar off with very hot water. Stir contents of jar really well.
- Screw the lid of the gallon jug on well and let the soap mixture sit overnight.
- The next day, with a spoon, break up the chunks of the soap in the jar.
- Use an immersion blender or regular blender to whip the soap into a smooth creamy soap.
- Pour the finished homemade laundry detergent into your jug or jar of choice.
Notes
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![how to make laundry soap pin image](https://harmonymeadowhomestead.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/how-to-make-laundry-soap-5-ingredients-or-less-576x1024.png)
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