Learn how easy it is to make homemade liquid laundry soap with only four simple ingredients that’s works great and is cost-effective!
When it comes to living a more natural and less toxic lifestyle, laundry detergent may be one of the harder things to change. If you think about it, often times we use the same detergent our whole lives. It’s a scent that people associate with us and it can be somewhat of a nostalgic thing. But something I realized during my journey, was that the laundry detergent I was using was doing more harm to me than good. Because I’m sensitive to fragrance, changing the detergent I used was a must.
So my first step in my transition to natural laundry detergent was switching to a conventional laundry detergent that was unscented. And let me tell you, that was a huge transition for me. Our clothes went from smelling good to smelling like nothing … and it was weird, but we got used to it. After a few years on that train, the next natural step for me was to start making my own DIY laundry detergent. Why you might ask? Because the more natural laundry detergents that are widely available are EXPENSIVE. And what I’ve found, is that homemade liquid laundry soap and homemade laundry powder work perfectly for our family’s needs, are super cheap to make and are better for us overall.
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FAQs
What’s the difference between laundry detergent and laundry soap?
Laundry detergent is typically made with more synthetic ingredients and cleaning agents that can hold fragrance well. It can be more effective to use with hard water and on clothes with heavy stains. Detergent may work better for those who have heavily soiled clothing. Laundry soap on the other hand is often made using more natural ingredients and is considered a more gentle option.
What is the best laundry soap bar?
There are two main options for laundry bar soap, however there are more available if you do a little digging. The two laundry soap bars I’ve tried are Zote and Fels Naptha. Both work great in both laundry powder and liquid laundry soap, but for me, I prefer Fels-Naptha overall due to its scent. To me, it smells a lot better than Zote. On the flip side, I enjoyed being able to control the fragrance a little better with the Zote bar, compared to Fels-Naptha.
Is it cheaper to make homemade liquid detergent?
Yes, it’s much more cost effective to make homemade laundry detergent. For example, it costs only $2.44 (without essential oils) or $11.43 (with essential oils) to make this homemade laundry soap, which is 5 gallons or approximately 320 loads worth. Comparatively, the same amount of a more natural conventional laundry detergent would cost around $69.
Ingredients
Borax: Borax helps to brighten laundry, absorb dirt, neutralize odor, and soften hard water, which helps the laundry soap work better.
Washing soda: Washing soda works like borax does in neutralizing odors, softening water and helping to boost the effectiveness of the laundry soap bar.
Laundry soap bar: Laundry soap bars help to actually clean your laundry. As stated above, the two main widely-available laundry soap bars are Zote and Fels-Naptha. You can also use a Castile soap bar as well.
Essential oils: The essential oils in this laundry soap are purely meant to help make laundry smell amazing. I love to use citrus or lavender for my laundry, but you can use any you enjoy. Just note that some essential oils like blue tansy can stain your clothing, so avoid those.
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How to Make Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap
TOOLS YOU MAY NEED
- 5 gallon bucket
- Gamma lid
- Cheese grater or zester
- Mixing spoon
- Measuring cups
- Large pot
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup Borax
- 1 cup washing soda
- 7 oz of laundry soap bar
- 50-60 drops of essential oil (optional)
- Approximately 5 gallons of water
DIRECTIONS
Shred the laundry soap bar into a bowl and set it aside.
Then combine the washing soda and borax in bowl and that set aside.
Add the grated laundry soap bar to the 5 gallon bucket, then add 1/2 gallon of hot water and mix. Continue stirring until soap is melted into water.
Add the rest of the gallon of water into the bucket, then pour in the washing soda and borax mixture. Stir again to incorporate everything, then allow it to come to room temperature.
Fill the rest of the bucket with hot water, leaving a few inches at the top, and stir.
Add the gamma lid and allow the liquid laundry soap to sit overnight. The next day, stir the soap to make it cohesive, then stir in essential oils.
Use 1/4 cup per large load or 1/2 cup for heavily soiled laundry.
NOTES
- I prefer to use distilled water in this recipe because it’s free of any minerals or impurities, which means it won’t react with anything and won’t inhibit bacteria growth. You can also use filtered water that’s been boiled.
- For an added boost in scent, trying combining this natural liquid laundry soap with a homemade scent booster made with epsom salt.
- I like to store this in the 5 gallon bucket, then transfer a portion to another container like an old laundry detergent bottle or half gallon mason jar with a pouring lid.
- If you’re using this in an HE washing machine, use 1-2 tablespoons per load.
Liquid Laundry Soap
Learn how easy it is to make homemade liquid laundry soap with only four simple ingredients that's works great and is cost-effective!
Materials
- 1 cup Borax
- 1 cup washing soda
- 7 oz of laundry soap bar
- 50-60 drops of essential oil (optional)
- Approximately 5 gallons of water
Tools
- 5 gallon bucket
- Gamma lid
- Cheese grater or zester
- Mixing spoon
- Measuring cups
- Large pot
Instructions
- Shred the laundry soap bar into a bowl and set it aside.
- Then combine the washing soda and borax in bowl and that set aside.
- Add the grated laundry soap bar to the 5 gallon bucket, then add 1/2 gallon of hot water and mix. Continue stirring until soap is melted into water.
- Add the rest of the gallon of water into the bucket, then pour in the washing soda and borax mixture. Stir again to incorporate everything, then allow it to come to room temperature.
- Fill the rest of the bucket with hot water, leaving a few inches at the top, and stir.
- Add the gamma lid and allow the liquid laundry soap to sit overnight.
- The next day, stir the soap to make it cohesive, then stir in essential oils.
- Use 1/4 cup per large load or 1/2 cup for heavily soiled laundry.
Notes
- I prefer to use distilled water in this recipe because it's free of any minerals or impurities, which means it won't react with anything and won't inhibit bacteria growth. You can also use filtered water that's been boiled.
- For an added boost in scent, trying combining this natural liquid laundry soap with a homemade scent booster made with epsom salt.
- I like to store this in the 5 gallon bucket, then transfer a portion to another container like an old laundry detergent bottle or half gallon mason jar with a pouring lid.
- If you're using this in an HE washing machine, use 1-2 tablespoons per load.
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR MORE NATURAL CLEANING RECIPES?
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