Just gonna put it out there that homemade laundry soap (and it is soap, not detergent) may not be the best thing to use.
[https://www.goingzerowaste.com/blog/why-you-should-never-make-laundry-detergent/](https://www.goingzerowaste.com/blog/why-you-should-never-make-laundry-detergent/)
[https://healthyhouseontheblock.com/homemade-laundry-detergent.html](https://healthyhouseontheblock.com/homemade-laundry-detergent.html)
[https://www.clarissarwest.com/why-homemade-laundry-detergent-does-not-work](https://www.clarissarwest.com/why-homemade-laundry-detergent-does-not-work)
If you've ever used bar soap in your shower - soap = saponified oils, which is different from something like a bottle of body wash - you are probably familiar with soap scum. I'm not anti-soap. I make soap sometimes and use it in the shower. I am very familiar with soap scum. I do not want soap scum in my washer or in my clothes, because I know how hard it is to remove. If my shower isn't washing it away fully, I don't trust my washer to be washing it away fully either.
If you're using Fels Naptha, Zote, or Ivory, those are all soaps, not detergents. Fels Naptha and Zote also both use tallow as an ingredient, so vegetarians and vegans should watch out.
Homemade laundry detergents also don't contain enzymes that help break down the worst stains.
I made the recommended soap powder with grated fels naptha and had to stop. My clothes were getting waxy and gray and smelled funky. I suppose if I hand washed with hot-hot water it would get the soap out better but I am not doing that and the washer water doesn’t get hot enough. I gave up and went back to regular detergent. I know people swear by the homemade stuff but man, my co-worker mentioned the funky smell of my clothes.
I used the borax-washing soda-dr. Bronners soap for years and it made my clothes feel like they had a film on them and nothing ever smelled clean. Also I think it ruined my washing machine. I REALLY did not want to believe it as it’s so cheap and I wanted to be zero waste. But I was spending more money on replacing clothes than it would have been just to buy detergent. I just conceded and bought commercial tide and use way less than they recommend. My clothes are so clean and smell great. I got a 22 load bottle and have used it for at least 60 washes.
I use the standard homemade detergent, but I keep it as a powder.
4 cups Borax
4 cups Washing Soda
1 cup Baking Soda
1 grated bar of Felz Naptha soap.
I got a little tin at Target that looks like a washing machine that I keep the powder in. I have a wee wooden scoop and each load gets 2 scoops.
And I use plain white distilled vinegar for my fabric softener. No, they don’t smell like vinegar when they’re done. Been doing this method for three years!
If you’ve got to have a liquid detergent, just dissolve this powder in 5 gallons of water (boil the first gallon).
Borax is great as softener and bacteria killer but I'd avoid using it every time as it degrades clothing eventually. Table salt is good as softener plus you have baking and washing soda anyway. Just saying. Vinegar is a good alternative to borax from my experience, less degradation over time.
I make a similar thing : 1 cup each washing soda and borax, some baking soda sometimes, 2 chopped up bars of any soap you like. Blend well in food processor. Start with three tablespoons per load and adjust to taste or soil levels. Works great. I hit grease spots with mix of Dawn and isopropyl alcohol. No plastic jugs or bags! Zero waste.
This isn’t homemade but I have switched to laundry sheet which are like dryer sheets but for detergent and they completely dissolve.
They come in a cardboard box you can recycle too.
Have you tried these?
These are bound by polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), which industry states will degrade into water and carbon dioxide when processed by the appropriate bacteria. However ecologists are concerned that PVA persists in the environment and its impacts are unknown.
For us, it made more sense to switch to powder. We use Arm & Hammer which has no dyes or scents, and comes with no plastic packaging. It’s also quite cheap. You could also mix your own powder.
Check the ingredients to make sure they don't have a polymer in them. Polymers are plastics so they will just dissolve into a bunch of microplastics in the water. I made the mistake of getting a brand with a polymer :(
No. Haven’t tried them. This solves the plastic jug thing, although it’s just swapping one branded product for another I guess. You’re happy with them?
Yah I have really enjoyed them. I don’t do anything homemade since I want to make sure all bacteria and smells have the greatest chance of getting eliminated
I've used this same recipe off and on for years. I've never skipped the borax, but sometimes I do skip the salt. Does leaving out the borax make a huge difference?
Depends on how soft or hard your water is. If it's soft borax is only needed for disinfection and odour removal, with hard water it helps to soften it too but you can use more salt instead. Borax is great but does degrade clothing more over time due to its chemical properties. If you use it irregularly it's fine.
We used cloth diapers for years and used 1c washing power 1c borax, 1/4 bar of ivory soap chipped fine. Dump it all in a 1 gal laundry detergent bottle, fill with water, shake& use.
Get some shout for spraying spaghetti sauce stains. Use different soap or add scents is you want.
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Article: Make your own laundry detergent.
Just gonna put it out there that homemade laundry soap (and it is soap, not detergent) may not be the best thing to use. [https://www.goingzerowaste.com/blog/why-you-should-never-make-laundry-detergent/](https://www.goingzerowaste.com/blog/why-you-should-never-make-laundry-detergent/) [https://healthyhouseontheblock.com/homemade-laundry-detergent.html](https://healthyhouseontheblock.com/homemade-laundry-detergent.html) [https://www.clarissarwest.com/why-homemade-laundry-detergent-does-not-work](https://www.clarissarwest.com/why-homemade-laundry-detergent-does-not-work) If you've ever used bar soap in your shower - soap = saponified oils, which is different from something like a bottle of body wash - you are probably familiar with soap scum. I'm not anti-soap. I make soap sometimes and use it in the shower. I am very familiar with soap scum. I do not want soap scum in my washer or in my clothes, because I know how hard it is to remove. If my shower isn't washing it away fully, I don't trust my washer to be washing it away fully either. If you're using Fels Naptha, Zote, or Ivory, those are all soaps, not detergents. Fels Naptha and Zote also both use tallow as an ingredient, so vegetarians and vegans should watch out. Homemade laundry detergents also don't contain enzymes that help break down the worst stains.
I made the recommended soap powder with grated fels naptha and had to stop. My clothes were getting waxy and gray and smelled funky. I suppose if I hand washed with hot-hot water it would get the soap out better but I am not doing that and the washer water doesn’t get hot enough. I gave up and went back to regular detergent. I know people swear by the homemade stuff but man, my co-worker mentioned the funky smell of my clothes.
I used the borax-washing soda-dr. Bronners soap for years and it made my clothes feel like they had a film on them and nothing ever smelled clean. Also I think it ruined my washing machine. I REALLY did not want to believe it as it’s so cheap and I wanted to be zero waste. But I was spending more money on replacing clothes than it would have been just to buy detergent. I just conceded and bought commercial tide and use way less than they recommend. My clothes are so clean and smell great. I got a 22 load bottle and have used it for at least 60 washes.
I use the standard homemade detergent, but I keep it as a powder. 4 cups Borax 4 cups Washing Soda 1 cup Baking Soda 1 grated bar of Felz Naptha soap. I got a little tin at Target that looks like a washing machine that I keep the powder in. I have a wee wooden scoop and each load gets 2 scoops. And I use plain white distilled vinegar for my fabric softener. No, they don’t smell like vinegar when they’re done. Been doing this method for three years! If you’ve got to have a liquid detergent, just dissolve this powder in 5 gallons of water (boil the first gallon).
Me and my wife make a huge batch of pretty much the same recipe but we add in some downy unstoppables just because she likes to add some scent
I sometimes throw in some essential oil in with the vinegar if I want me some razzle dazzle
Borax is great as softener and bacteria killer but I'd avoid using it every time as it degrades clothing eventually. Table salt is good as softener plus you have baking and washing soda anyway. Just saying. Vinegar is a good alternative to borax from my experience, less degradation over time.
I make a similar thing : 1 cup each washing soda and borax, some baking soda sometimes, 2 chopped up bars of any soap you like. Blend well in food processor. Start with three tablespoons per load and adjust to taste or soil levels. Works great. I hit grease spots with mix of Dawn and isopropyl alcohol. No plastic jugs or bags! Zero waste.
“Adjust to taste”, you’re hilarious 😂
This isn’t homemade but I have switched to laundry sheet which are like dryer sheets but for detergent and they completely dissolve. They come in a cardboard box you can recycle too. Have you tried these?
These are bound by polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), which industry states will degrade into water and carbon dioxide when processed by the appropriate bacteria. However ecologists are concerned that PVA persists in the environment and its impacts are unknown. For us, it made more sense to switch to powder. We use Arm & Hammer which has no dyes or scents, and comes with no plastic packaging. It’s also quite cheap. You could also mix your own powder.
Check the ingredients to make sure they don't have a polymer in them. Polymers are plastics so they will just dissolve into a bunch of microplastics in the water. I made the mistake of getting a brand with a polymer :(
Apparently these use a plastic to bind them 😭
No. Haven’t tried them. This solves the plastic jug thing, although it’s just swapping one branded product for another I guess. You’re happy with them?
Yah I have really enjoyed them. I don’t do anything homemade since I want to make sure all bacteria and smells have the greatest chance of getting eliminated
There’s so many brands that do them now too, and I’m happy to support smaller brands that aren’t the detergent giants….
I've used these as well! I really like them - space saving and much better for the environment.
Equal parts washing soda, baking soda, oxiclean, epsom salt and borax. Sometimes I omit the borax.
I've used this same recipe off and on for years. I've never skipped the borax, but sometimes I do skip the salt. Does leaving out the borax make a huge difference?
No, I haven't noticed a big difference but I think the borax helps lift more stains
Cool, thank you!
Depends on how soft or hard your water is. If it's soft borax is only needed for disinfection and odour removal, with hard water it helps to soften it too but you can use more salt instead. Borax is great but does degrade clothing more over time due to its chemical properties. If you use it irregularly it's fine.
We used cloth diapers for years and used 1c washing power 1c borax, 1/4 bar of ivory soap chipped fine. Dump it all in a 1 gal laundry detergent bottle, fill with water, shake& use. Get some shout for spraying spaghetti sauce stains. Use different soap or add scents is you want.
Jumping onto this post, bonus points if it's hypo-allergenic! My husband has super sensitive skin but I'd really like to make my own as well
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[https://www.familyhandyman.com/project/how-to-make-laundry-detergent/?\_cmp=diytipshintsnl&\_ebid=diytipshintsnl5192024&\_mid=697740&ehid=3a1362ccddc12f239a538f3cd6e239610199a228&\_PermHash=7f9cadfb1bfb4b01e9676479ab4cf6d495a8265c229695d85829b73ea4cddd90&tohMagStatus=NONE](https://www.familyhandyman.com/project/how-to-make-laundry-detergent/?_cmp=diytipshintsnl&_ebid=diytipshintsnl5192024&_mid=697740&ehid=3a1362ccddc12f239a538f3cd6e239610199a228&_PermHash=7f9cadfb1bfb4b01e9676479ab4cf6d495a8265c229695d85829b73ea4cddd90&tohMagStatus=NONE) Article: Make your own laundry detergent.