Are you tired of feeling like you’re spending a fortune on laundry detergent? Well, we have good news for you! You can save money and get great results by making your own liquid laundry detergent at home.
This DIY recipe is not only cost effective, but it also works great! You’ll love the fresh smell of your clothes and the way they feel after being washed with this homemade laundry detergent. Plus, it’s gentle enough to use on cloth diapers and other delicate items.
Making your own liquid laundry detergent is easy! Just follow the simple instructions below to get started. In just a few minutes, you’ll have a 10-gallon batch of concentrated detergent that will last you for months. Simply dilute with water when you’re ready to use it.
Looking for a way to make your clothes smell fresh and look whiter? Add distilled white vinegar or baking soda to your laundry detergent! This recipe is designed for top-loading washers, but it has been reported to work with front-loaders as well. Give it a try today!
Add ½ cup of distilled white vinegar to your washing machine’s fabric softener dispenser – it’ll help the clothes rinse clean and smell fresh.
Alternatively, add ½ cup of baking soda to your laundry when you add the detergent to take the dinginess out of your clothes. Either way, you can wave goodbye to those harsh chemicals and enjoy naturally clean clothes.
You can also whiten your laundry by hanging it on a clothesline to dry.
Looking for a borax-free recipe? Try my powdered laundry detergent recipe.
Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent
4 c. hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 c. Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
1/2 c. Borax
10-15 drops of Essential Oil per 2 gallons of detergent
1. Using the large grate holes on your food processor, grate the bar of Fels Naptha soap. Add the grated soap to a medium saucepan with water. Bring the water to a low simmer. Stir continually over medium-low heat until the soap dissolves and is melted.
2. Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda, and Borax. Stir well until all of the powder is dissolved.
3. Fill the bucket to the top with more hot water. Stir the detergent until it is well mixed. Place the cover on the bucket, and let it sit overnight to thicken.
4. Stir the gelled solution. Use a kitchen funnel to fill a used, clean laundry soap dispenser half full with your homemade laundry soap, and then fill the dispenser the rest of the way with water. Add essential oils if you’re using them. Shake or stir the container before each use.
Yields 10 gallons of liquid laundry detergent
Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)
*Arm & Hammer “Super Washing Soda” – Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent – It must be sodium carbonate!!
Get everything you need (minus the essential oils) in one handy kit:
