10 homemade laundry detergent Recipes

These recipes for homemade laundry detergent have been collected over the years. Do they work? Yes, very effective and resulting economies. Making your own homemade recipes is a discipline and it is not for everyone, but certainly saves money, sometimes costing just pennies per cycle.

1 fL Recipe

• 1 liter of water (boiling)
• 2 cups Bar soap (grated)
• 2 cups borax
• 2 cups washing soda

1. Add grated bar soap to the boiling water and stir over low heat until the soap is melted.
2. Pour the soapy water into a large, clean pail and add the borax and washing soda. Stir well until all is dissolved.
3. Add 2 liters of water, stir until well blended.
4. Cover pail and use 1/4 cup for each wash cycle. Stir the soap each time you use it (have the consistency of gelatin).

2. Liquid Recipe

• Hot water
• 1 cup washing soda
• 1/2 cup borax
• 1 bar of soap

1. Grate soap and add to a large pan of hot water. Stir over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
2. Fill a 10 liter bucket halfway with hot water. Add melted soap, borax and washing soda, stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill the bucket with more hot water.
3. Use 1 cup per cycle, stirring before each use (will have the consistency of gelatin).

3 Liquid Recipe

• Hot water
• 1/2 cup of washing soda
• 1/2 cup borax
• 1/3 bar of soap (grated)

1. 3 liters of hot water in a large pot. Add the grated bar of soap and stir until melted, then add the washing soda and borax. Stir until the powder is dissolved, remove from heat.
2. Pour 1 liter of hot water and add hot soap mixture into a clean 2 gallon bucket. Fill the bucket of cold water and mix well.
3.  Use 1/2 cup per cycle, stirring before each use (will have the consistency of gelatin).

4 Powder Recipe

• A bar of soap (grated)
• 1 cup washing soda
• 1 cup borax

1. Mix well and store in an airtight plastic.
2. Use 2 tablespoons per cycle.

5 Liquid Recipe

• Hot water
• 1 stick (4.5 oz) of soap (grated)
• 1 cup washing soda

1. Place the grated soap and enough hot water to cover in a large pot of water. Heat over Medium-low heat and stir until soap is melted.
2. Fill a large bucket with 2.5 gallons of hot water, add hot soap mixture. Stir until well blended.
3. Add the washing soda, again stirring until well blended.
4. Let cool.
5. Use 1/2 cup per cycle, stirring well before each use (will have the consistency of gelatin).

6 Liquid Recipe

• 2.5 gallons of water (hot)
• 1 bar of soap (grated)
• 3/4 cup baking soda wash
• 3/4 cup borax
• 2 tablespoons glycerin

1. Melt bar soap over medium-low heat topped with water, stir until soap is melted.
2. In a large pail, pour 2.5 gallons of hot water, add the melted mixture, soda soap, borax and glycerin. Mix well.
3. Use 1/2 cup per cycle.

7 Liquid Recipe

• 2 cups Bar soap (grated)
• 2 cups washing soda
• 2 to 2.5 liters of hot water

1. Melt grated soap in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Heat over medium-low heat and stir until the soap dissolves.
2. Pour hot water into a large bowl, add hot soap and soda. Stir very well.
3. Use one cup per cycle.

8 Liquid Recipe

• 2 gallons of water (hot)
• 1 bar of soap (grated)
• 2 cups of baking soda

1. Melt grated soap in a saucepan with enough hot water to cover. Heat over medium-low heat stirring frequently until soap is melted.
2. Pour 2 liters of hot water in a large bucket. Add melted soap, mix well.
3. Add the baking soda , stir well again.
4. Use 1/2 cup per cycle for 1 cup heavy cycle.

9 Powder Recipe

• 12 cups borax
• 8 cups of baking soda
• 8 cups of washing soda
• 8 cups Bar soap (grated)

1. Mix all ingredients and store in a bucket with a lid.
2. Use cup 1/8 cycle powder.

10 powder recipe

• 1 cup vinegar (white)
• 1 cup baking soda
• 1 cup washing soda
• 1/4 cup liquid castile soap

1. Mix well  in a covered container.
2. Pour liquid soap into the bowl, followed by washing soda, baking soda, vinegar and then slowly (going to make foams).
3. At first the mixture is a thick paste that is decomposed into a powder detergent, just continue stirring. There may be some hard lumps, try to break when shaken (what really helps is to make sure the baking soda is not when you add grouping). Use 1/2 cup per cycle and will have very good results.

Note to liquid versions

1. Soap will be lumpy, sticky and gelatinous. This is normal. Just shake well before each use. Be sure to cover the soap with a cover when not in use. You can also pour the soap into old bottles and clean detergent and shake well before each use.
2. You can add 10 to 15 drops of essential oil (per 2 gallons) to your homemade detergent. Add soap once it has cooled to room temperature. Stir well and cover. Some ideas for essential oil are lavender, rosemary , tea tree oil.

Advice

For the bar soaps required in the recipes, you could try Fels-Naphtha soap Ivory or Castile soap bars. Do not wear scented soaps.

Washing soda and borax can be commonly found in laundry and housekeeping department.

Although several of the recipes have the same ingredients, the steps are different, some containing more soap water. Try and see what works best for your needs.