Make this easy (and budget friendly) homemade laundry detergent recipe – it’s liquid! No chemicals, dyes, or additives and it’s perfect for sensitive skin.
Skills Required: None. This is unbelievably simple to make. You’ll be boiling water, cutting soap, and mixing everything together.
It’s summer in Georgia, which means that it’s really hot. This also means that sometimes you take a shower in the morning, walk outside, and have to take another shower.
Laundry is copious during our summers, and laundry soap is used frequently. To keep from breaking the bank, I’ve developed a DIY laundry detergent recipe you can use AND you’ll love.
The best news ever: it’s liquid! So no chunky powder in the machine (which ends up undissolved on my clothing sometimes).
There are many benefits of homemade laundry detergent: none of the chemicals, fragrances, dyes, or additives that you’ll find in most name brands . . . so this recipe is perfect for sensitive skin.
If you do want to add scent, pop in a few drops of your favorite essential oils.
DIY Liquid Laundry Detergent
It does clean your clothing well and it does work in HE machines. It is low-suds by nature, which is the issue with HE machines and specific soaps.
Though I will offer this disclaimer: you should be home when you first use this homemade detergent just to make sure all goes well. I can’t speak for every single washing machine ever created . . . having said that, I haven’t heard of any problems with it yet!
Here’s how to make this delightful recipe.
Ingredients:
- 3 Tablespoons Borax
- 3 Tablespoons Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
- 3 Tablespoons Kirk’s Castile Soap (12-ounce bar is more than enough)
- 4 cups boiling water
Other Materials:
- Large measuring cup
- Spoon
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- 2 glass mason jars, at least 16 ounces each
How to make homemade liquid laundry detergent:
Optional: microwave a bar of soap in five second increments for a total of 20 seconds. After each five seconds, flip bar of soap onto the other side. This softens the soap so cutting it is easier!
Using a sharp knife, cut soap into small pieces, about 1/4″ in size until you have 3 tablespoons. My tablespoons were heaping.
Boil 4 cups of water and add soap to the water. Stir until soap is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes.
Add borax and washing soda and stir until completely dissolved.
Pour your homemade liquid laundry detergent into mason jars and add lid and ring. Use caution because mixture is very hot. Set aside to cool and the jar will actually seal.
To use your homemade laundry detergent: pour 1/4 cup into your washing machine’s liquid dispenser. Launder as usual.
You just made detergent for 16 loads – for only $.55!!! (prices calculated by what I paid for my ingredients and could vary slightly).
Note: One bar of soap will make about 3 – 4 batches.
Liquid Laundry Detergent
Learn how to make DIY liquid laundry detergent the easy way - no chemicals, cheap, effective!
Materials
- 3 Tablespoons Borax
- 3 Tablespoons Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
- 3 Tablespoons Kirk's Castile Soap
- 4 cups boiling water
Tools
- Large measuring cup
- Spoon
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- 2 glass mason jars, at least 16-ounces each
Instructions
- Open the soap and microwave in five second increments for a total of 20 seconds. After each five seconds, flip bar of soap onto the other side.
- Using a sharp knife, cut soap into small pieces, about 1/4" in size until you have 3 tablespoons.
- Boil 4 cups of water and add soap to the water. Stir until soap is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes.
- Add borax and washing soda and stir until completely dissolved.
- Pour your homemade laundry detergent into mason jars and add lid and ring.
- To use your detergent: pour 1/4 cup into your washing machine's liquid dispenser. Launder as usual.
Notes
Use caution when handling your hot mixture.
Have fun making this DIY laundry detergent recipe! If you are looking for supplies, this is a great way to purchase the borax and super washing soda and soap together at a discount.
If you enjoyed this homemade laundry detergent, I’d love for you to check out these other handy dandy home related posts:
Jenny
Saturday 26th of November 2022
Is the 1/4 cup measurement for he or regular washers?
Amy
Monday 28th of November 2022
I use about that much in my HE washer!
Jenny
Sunday 16th of October 2022
Would feels naptha bar soap work?
Amy
Sunday 16th of October 2022
Yes! I have not tried it but I read elsewhere that it worked. Give it a try!
Elizabeth
Wednesday 27th of July 2022
Will zote soap work for this recipe? I already have a bar at the house and wanted to try this out.
Amy
Thursday 28th of July 2022
Hi Elizabeth! Did a little research and yes, supposedly it works! Please for me on the first batch, just do towels or something and make sure it works okay. Don't use nice clothing. Just because you never know :)
Fermina
Friday 26th of March 2021
Have you tried using a grater instead of all those steps to soften and chop?
Melanie Denise Kaufman
Saturday 10th of April 2021
@Amy, Do you have a recipe that,uses Dr.Bronners or.A bar of his soap?I love his products.
Amy
Friday 26th of March 2021
No but that's a great idea! Thank you for the suggestion!
shobelle
Saturday 6th of August 2016
Could you use liquid castile soap in place of the bar? I'm thinking of Dr. Bronner's castile soap, which is liquid. Also, if I used liquid castile soap, would the water still have to be boiling?
Sorry for all the questions! Planning my holiday gifts early!
Amy
Saturday 6th of August 2016
Yes, you can (and with Dr. Bronners)! Other recipes that I have seen that do this still call for boiling water. Having said that, I don't know if it would work without boiling water, so you'd have to experiment. But personally I'd go ahead and boil if it were me!