If you want to make your own easy homemade laundry detergent, then here are some recipes to try!
There seem to be hundreds of versions of this on the net – but the consensus is this one!
I love making my own laundry powder and liquid as it is gentle on the skin. My boys have very sensitive skin and this version seems to stop the ‘itch’.
How Much Money Can You Save?
I compared the cost of making homemade laundry detergent to leading Supermarket brands such as Omo (which is fantastic but one of the most expensive laundry detergents on the market).
When you break it down to cost per wash – here were the findings:
- Omo cost per wash: From 45c – 50c per wash
- Homemade Laundry Detergent: 5c – 15c per wash
That is a huge saving – especially when you add up the cost over a year if you are a frequent washer (ie people with little kids that are washing constantly!).
More Reading:
- How to Clean the Entire House for Under $3 Worth of Cleaning Products
- How to Make Homemade Cleaning Wipes
- Where to Buy Bulk Cleaning Supplies Online
How to Make Homemade Laundry Powder
- 1 box of Lux flakes (or 700 grams of grated soap)
- 1 cup of Bicarbonate of Soda (Baking Soda)
- A couple of drops of eucalyptus or tea tree oil
Put all the ingredients in a blender and mix the ingredients until they are really fine. Store the mix in a sealed air-tight container.
To wash, dissolve a teaspoon in a 1/2 cup of boiling water and add it to the laundry section of your washing machine.
Note: I use this mix in my front loader and have no worries.
How to Make the Borax Version of Laundry Powder
- 1 bar of grated soap (or Lux flakes)
- 1 cup washing soda (Lectic Soda)
- 1/2 cup Borax
Mix together and store in an air-tight container. Use 3 teaspoons of mixture for a top loader, and one teaspoon for a front loader.
How to Make Homemade Laundry Liquid
Now this recipe makes a whooping 25 litres of laundry liquid – and will last you an entire year!
- 1 box of Lux flakes (700 grams of grated soap)
- 1 cup of Bicarbonate of soda (Baking Soda)
- A couple of drops of eucalyptus or tea tree oil
- boiling water
Put the Lux Flakes, Bicarb and essential oils into a large bucket (preferably a 25 litre). Add a litre of boiling water and using a bamix (or similar), blend the mix really well and let stand overnight. The mixture should go very gloopy and thick. The next day. two litres of boiling water, blend and sit. Keep adding water until the bucket is full.
Use a tablespoon of the gloopy mix per wash. It is suitable for both top loaders and front loaders.
How to Make Fabric Softener (Non-Borax Version)
- 1 cup grated soap (Lux is a good standby)
- 1 cup lectic soda (washing soda)
- 1/4 cup citric acid
It might go hard (absorb water), but once you give it a good mix again, it’s fine.
For a fabric softener, add about 1/2 cup of white vinegar (the really cheap stuff) to the final rinse of washing. Once the washing is dry, you don’t smell the vinegar.
For homemade laundry detergent, you need to be a little organised. It’s a bit of a pain trying to put on a load of washing at 6am before work, only to remember you have to grate a bar of soap first!
Have you tried these recipes?
Responses to “Easy Homemade Laundry Detergent”
Thank you for this recipe. I ran out of washing powder the other day and didn’t want to make a special trip to the store to get more. I found your recipe and realised I had all the ingredients I needed in my laundry cupboard. It works really well. Now I am going to cost it out to see if it is cheaper than the stuff I normally buy. Cheers.
Was it cheaper? I’m curious to know as I would like to save some money on laundry products.
Hello from New England, USA! First, I love your use of the English (proper) language. Second, what is “nappy soaker?” I know nappies are cloth diapers, but I don’t know what the soaker is.
Hi April – welcome to our website! It’s great to see we have some overseas fans! Nappy soaker is a product called “Napi-san” over here – it’s basically a laundry soaker – a whitener and sanitiser and pre-wash soaker for cloth nappies (but it can be used on normal clothes too!)
Where can I source borax from? I checked in my local bilo and woolworths and have not been able to find any.
I found borax in the cleaning isle at my local iga. I was looking for it for ages, in with the laundry section I found it next to the dish liquid and caustic soda.
coles sells borax it’s difficult to spot but it’s around laundry stuff. I always add it to my wash and use it to clean in the bathroom.
Nardil, in Tassie I could only find borax at Coles supermarket. One on the larger ones.
I buy borax from bunnings in the cleaning isle, hope that helps ladies
If you have sensitive skin then don’t add any essential oils. I make the laundry liquid and it has stopped all of the itchiness I used to have with commercial detergents.
Is the liquid ok to use for top loaders or should I use the recipe from another post?
Hi Lauren, it’s fine for top loaders and use half amounts for front loaders. 🙂
I’m thinking I’m gonna try this….but do you think it works out cheaper buy the time you buy all the other ingredients?
Yes definately Jo! I guess it all depends what brand of laundry wash you have been currently using – but in the majority of cases this is definately a money saver 🙂