Why make your laundry detergent?
When I first started getting into this whole natural living thing, laundry detergent was one of the first swaps I wanted to make. I tried my hand at quite a few different homemade recipes over the years - you know, the ones that call for grating up a bar of castile or other natural soap.
At first, I thought they worked okay. But after a while, I started noticing this nasty soap residue building up, especially on my cloth diapers and thicker fabrics. It didn't matter which specific recipe I followed or what kind of bar soap I used - that gunky buildup was inevitable.
Plus, a lot of those "natural" soap bars had ingredients I was trying to avoid bringing into my home in the first place. It was a whole thing.
I ended up just biting the bullet and buying an all-natural detergent for a while. Don't get me wrong, it worked great, but making my own is so much more satisfying, you know? Saves money too.
Anyway, fast forward to now - I finally landed on a laundry detergent recipe that ticks all the boxes. It gets our dirty farm clothes clean without any harsh stuff. No bar soap, so no grating is required (yay!). Just some simple, natural ingredients that I can pronounce.
I'm really happy with how it's been working out so far. Being able to make effective cleaning products myself is so empowering. This detergent lets me keep my natural living philosophy going strong!
What Ingredients to Avoid in a Laundry Detergent:
Fragrances – Synthetic fragrances contain phthalates, parabens, allergens, or other irritants.
Bleach (chlorine) – This is known to be an irritant for many.
Dyes – They can be contaminated with heavy metals like cadmium, arsenic, and lead. Dyes serve no purpose in the effectiveness of the cleaning product. They are used to make a product more visually appealing.
Phosphates - This is the main cleaning agent used in most detergents and other cleaning products. They are known to cause skin irritation among other things.
How to make laundry soap?
Materials You'll Need
- Baking soda
- 3 percent hydrogen peroxide
- Borax
- Gentle dish soap
Instructions
Here are our experts' steps for making homemade laundry detergent:
Begin by boiling 8 cups of water.
Next, add 2 cups of borax and 2 cups of baking soda.
Dilute 1 cup of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide with 2 cups of water; add to mixture.
Add 2 cups of dish soap and another 8 cups of boiling water.
Once the mixture is well dissolved, you can add an essential oil (about 50 drops). This will personalize the scent of your detergent, says Kathy Cohoon, a cleaning expert and the director of franchise operations at Two Maids.
Let your homemade laundry detergent cool down to room temperature. It will thicken into a white powder consistency.
Next, store your detergent in an airtight glass jar, away from pets or children.
How to Use Homemade Laundry Detergent
Add the detergent directly to the washer drum before loading the dirty laundry. Do not use it in an automatic dispenser because the soap flakes may cause clumping that clogs the dispenser.
For Standard Top-Load Washers
Small Load: 2 tablespoons or less of homemade detergent
Medium Load: 3 tablespoons of homemade detergent
Large Load: 1/4 cup of homemade detergent
For Front Load and Top Load High-Efficiency Washers
Small and Medium Loads: 1 tablespoon
Large and Extra Large Loads: 2-3 tablespoons
For Handwashing Clothes
Add one tablespoon of homemade laundry detergent to one cup of hot water to help the mixture dissolve. Then add the water/detergent solution to a sink of warm or cool water before adding the dirty clothes.
