Making all-natural homemade laundry detergent that cleans like a dream is super simple and majorly cost-effective. The process takes all of about 5 minutes, the ingredients are easy to find, and the scent can be customized to whatever you’re feeling at the moment. We’ve been using this liquid laundry detergent for years. It saves us so much money, is better for the environment than most store-bought detergents (plus, less container waste!), and is super gentle on our kids sensitive skin.
Here’s how it’s done
Step 1: Gather The Ingredients
Okay, so the process is simple. First you’re going to want to get yourself on the ol’ Amazon and find a few ingredients, so plan a few days ahead. Obviously, if you can find these things elsewhere, by all means, support a smaller biz (and let me know where you found them!), but the ‘zon is where I found mine. Once you have these ingredients in the house though, I’m not kidding, they will last you a year. Maybe more, depending on how often you do laundry. Our family of 5 are all super active, so we do a ton of laundry. I still have the first bags I bought! I swear, I need to do the calculations on the cost savings on this one someday just to amaze myself.
Step 2: Prep and mix
The washing soda in this liquid laundry detergent recipe is a natural cleaning agent and stain remover. This laundry detergent won’t miraculously de-stain your clothes, but the washing soda can actually be used to make homemade stain remover, too (love a double duty ingredient). The borax helps to get your laundry cleaner, because it has properties that help to break up oils and soften your water.
*Please note – borax can be harmful if ingested, even in small doses. Store this out of reach of kids and be super careful about how you handle this yourself. I like to measure it into the bottle while it’s in the sink and then immediately rinse. And to be extra safe, I store the borax in a large mason jar with a child-lock lid. And for the detergent, we use these gallon jugs with child safety caps. That way I don’t have to worry about my kiddos accidentally getting into anything they shouldn’t.
Step 3: add Soap, scent, and Water
Once your ingredients are gathered, measure out the powders and bring some water to boil (we just use the teapot). While that’s heating, pour the powders into the jug and then the hot water; agitating a bit until it’s dissolved. Once that’s all mixed, have your helper pour in the clear dish soap and generous shakes of essential oils. Finally, fill the jug to the top with water.
*A sneaky ingredient that you can use to boost the stain and smell removing power is Biokleen Bac-out. I’ve used this for honestly almost 15 years. It’s the best natural stain remover I’ve found. Just add a tablespoon before you finish filling the jug with water.
Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent
One of the best things about having all the ingredients on hand to make homemade liquid laundry detergent is that you’re never really “out”. Make another batch if you’re running low, or even if you have to whip it up on the fly, it’s simple and quick. We love making our own liquid laundry detergent and love all the savings, too. Let me know if you make this and find a great scent combo that you love. I’m always trying new scents and would love to try something new!
*if you like your laundry more scented, try adding a few drops of essential oils on wool dryer balls before you throw them in with your clothes. Dreamy!
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Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent
Equipment
- 1 Gallon Jug
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp Washing Soda
- 2 Tbsp Borax
- 1 Tbsp Clear, Unscented Dish Soap
- 20 Drops Essential Oil
Instructions
- Start by boiling ~6 cups water
- To the gallon jug, add 4 Tbsp of the washing soda powder and 2 Tbsp of Borax. I like to use a funnel (even for the dry ingredients) and do this in the sink so that if any of the powder doesn't make it into the jug you can just rinse it right away to ensure there is no residue on the counter. Once the water comes to a boil, pour about 1 cup into the jug with the powders and agitate until the powder is mostly dissolved.
- Once the powder and water is combined, add 1 Tbsp of dish soap and about 20 drops of essential oils. The oil part is optional, and you can use more or less depending on your preference.
- Next, fill the rest of the jug with water. It will get a bit foamy, so fill it until the bubbles are just at the top, let it rest, and then fill some more. Repeat until water reaches the top. This takes some time, but it's mostly hands off as you can just let it sit in the sink while you let the bubbles rest.
- Place the cap on the jug and gently swirl to mix all of the ingredients. Use about 1/2 cup per load of laundry and be sure to shake before use.
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