Toxin Free Laundry Soap Recipe
If you’re trying to reduce toxic chemicals in your home but don’t want to pay the hefty price of toxin free detergent brands, I’ve got good news…this DIY laundry detergent will save you tons of money, it’s made with 5 simple ingredients, and it works!
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Why A DIY Laundry Detergent Recipe?
Why go through the trouble of making your own homemade laundry detergent? One big reason, and my main incentive, is to avoid harsh chemicals that lead to a host of health problems, including endocrine disruption.
Popular brands of store-bought laundry detergents contain synthetic fragrances and ingredients that cause skin irritation and are known carcinogens, such as acetaldehyde and benzene. By switching from conventional laundry products, you can eliminate one of the biggest sources of harmful chemicals in your home!
Not Convinced Conventional Laundry Detergents Are Bad?
Download the Environmental Working Group app and check what’s in your products!
Another main reason to make homemade detergent is that it’s a great way to save money! You can buy pre-made non-toxic laundry detergent, but you’ll pay a whole lot more for it than this simple and quick diy. With inflation and the cost of living going up more and more all the time, I’m always looking for ways to save money in my home. If that also helps me to kick some nasty ingredients out at the same time, you can count me in!
But Does It Work?
You may be thinking to yourself, that’s great…but does it really clean dirty clothes? The answer to that would be a resounding yes!
Not only does my husband work a job where he comes home with filthy clothes, but my kids are dirt and mud magnets who are regularly so dirty that they have to get undressed outside! For really dirty loads like those, I’ll use a little extra detergent but it does get them clean! And if that isn’t enough to convince you that it works…I use it to wash cloth diapers. If it cleans those, it’ll clean anything!
How to make liquid laundry soap instruction video:
You can find more video tutorials on our Youtube Channel
How to make liquid laundry soap:
Basic Laundry Detergent Materials Needed:
Notes
You can easily make a dry laundry detergent by using a finely grated castile bar soap mixed with the other dry ingredients and omitting the water and thieves cleaner. You can then put it all in a food processor and pulse it to a fine powder or use as it. I prefer a liquid detergent since all the ingredients are pre-dissolved and I don’t have to worry about it dissolving when I set my washing machine to a cold cycle.
If you notice a powdery residue, simply add an extra rinse cycle.
Step by Step Instructions:
Step 1: Pour 1 1/2 cup washing soda and 1 1/2 cup borax into your 5 gallon bucket.
Step 2: Add 1 gallon of hot water and stir to dissolve the powders.
Step 3: Add 2 cups liquid castile soap and thieves cleaner or essential oils, if using. Stir well.
Step 4: Fill your bucket with water and stir.
That’s all there is to it!
Free Printable Recipe:
Toxin Free Liquid Laundry Soap
Equipment
- measuring cup
- 5 gallon bucket
- recycled detergent container or jar
Materials
- 1 1/2 cups washing soda
- 1 1/2 cups borax
- 2 cups liquid castile soap
- 5 gallons water
- thieves cleaner optional
- essential oils optional
Instructions
- Pour 1 1/2 cup washing soda and 1 1/2 cup borax into your 5 gallon bucket.
- Add 1 gallon of hot water and stir to dissolve the powders.
- Add 2 cups liquid castile soap and thieves cleaner or essential oils, if using. Stir well.
- Fill your bucket with water and stir.
Notes
Homemade Laundry Soap FAQ
Q: Do you have to use a hot water cycle with this homemade laundry soap?
A: No, this laundry soap works just fine with cold water since all of the ingredients are pre-dissolved and mixed together. Of course it works well with hot or warm water also.
Q: Will this detergent leave a soap residue?
A: Depending on how much you use, and how well your powders were dissolved, it’s possible that you could see a slight power residue in your washing machine drum after your cycle is finished. If you notice a residue, just set an extra rinse cycle and you’re good to go.
Q: Do you still use fabric softener?
A: I’ve actually never used fabric softener. Instead, I put about 1/2 cup of white vinegar in each load to give an extra cleaning boost, plus it’s a great deodorizer if your laundry tends to be especially sweaty and stinky like my family’s clothes can be.
If you still want to use a fabric softener there are a lot of DIY and non toxic ideas such as epsom salt with essential oils, wool dryer balls, a vinegar/water/fragrance mix, or just straight up vinegar like I use is a great option.
Q: How is this for someone with sensitive skin?
A: Each person will be different but my oldest daughter has pretty sensitive skin and this detergent works great for her.
My favorite supplies
Here are some of the supplies that I used when making this project! Most local stores carry washing soda and borax powder, but I had to order the castile soap and thieves cleaner.
Super Washing Soda
Borax Powder
Dr. Jacob’s Pure Castile Soap
Thieves Cleaner + Citrus Fresh
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Did you make this recipe?
Mention us @thislovelylittlefarmhouse so we can see your creations! You can also leave a comment below! I’d love to hear what your favorite natural products to make are!
I can’t wait to give this a try!