Homemade laundry detergent can save you money!
Laundry can take up a lot of time, money and energy. I’m always on the lookout for ways to save money on washing and drying clothing. I do things like re-wear clothes before washing them, cutting dryer sheets in half, and line drying my clothes when the weather is nice outside. I thought I was doing well.
Then I wrote a post about homemade cleaning products a few weeks ago. Jessica, one of my readers, left the following comment:
I make my own laundry soap! Here’s the recipe:
1 bar bath soap
1 cup washing soda
1 cup baking soda
1 cup 20 Mule Team BoraxGrind together in your food processor. Use 2 Tablespoons for a full load. I also use it for general housekeeping. It costs 2 or 3 cents per use.
I also use Dawn to fight laundry stains, and white vinegar as a fabric softener. (The smell disappears when the clothes dry.)
White vinegar is so versatile! I love using it as a rinse aid in my dishwasher, as well as for keeping ants off my counters. (Bugs can’t stand the taste of acid.)
Your blog is awesome, Lynnae–keep up the good work!
Thanks for the compliment on my blog, Jessica. Now it’s time for me to thank you. I thought I’d do a comparison between my usual laundry detergent and Jessica’s recipe. I was skeptical, because I’ve made my own liquid laundry detergent before, and I was less than impressed. It took a long time to make, too. Still, I had to try.
I made one small adjustment to the recipe. Instead of using bath soap, I used 1 bar of Fels Naptha. It’s a soap especially made for laundry, and it really cleans things.
I used the food processor to grind everything up, just like Jessica recommended, and this laundry detergent literally took me 5 minutes to make. It was so easy!
Still, I didn’t know how it would work. So far I’ve used it on 4 loads of laundry, and it’s worked really well! I don’t think I’ll be going back to the commercial stuff anytime soon.
Let’s break down the cost. I didn’t have any of the ingredients on hand, so I bought everything last Wednesday.
I bought one bar of Fels Naptha and used the whole bar. Cost: $1.19.
A 3.5 box of Washing Soda is 7 1/3 cups and cost me $2.39. I used 1 cup, which comes to 33 cents.
I bought 1 4-lb box of baking soda, which contains 8 1/3 cups. I paid $2.12 for the box. The recipe uses one cup, so that comes to roughly 25 cents for the baking soda.
Finally, I bought a 4 lb 12 oz. box of Borax for $2.67. The box contains 9.9 cups, and I used one. Cost of one cup: 27 cents.
The total cost for one batch of homemade laundry detergent was $2.04. So far, very good! The recipe made 3 cups of laundry detergent. There are 16 tablespoons in a cup, so there were 48 tablespoons in the recipe. At 2 tablespoons per load, that’s 24 loads of laundry.
Total cost per load: 8 and 1/2 cents. That’s roughly the same as the Arm & Hammer laundry detergent I normally buy. The Arm & Hammer came to 8 and 2/3 cents a load for a $6.99 box that washes 80 loads.
However, I think the homemade stuff has been cleaning better. It’s also not heavily scented, and I’m not trashing the environment by continuing to buy boxes of detergent. Plus, I can use the baking soda and borax for other cleaning tasks, so I’m not buying lots of different products. That saves much needed space in my cupboard.
The verdict: Though the actual cost of the two detergents is about the same, the homemade detergent saves on both packaging and space in my home. It’s more natural, too. And if you were to use regular bath soap instead of Fels Naptha, the cost would definitely be less than store bought detergent, since the Fels Naptha was by far the most expensive ingredient. I’ve heard Zote works well for laundry, too, but I’ve never seen it around here.
The Winner: Jessica’s homemade laundry detergent! Thanks for the tip, Jessica!
Now I need to dry Dawn as a stain remover and vinegar as a fabric softener!
Update: Since this post, I’ve cut the amount of Fels Napthala to 1/2 bar per batch, and it works just fine. That brings the cost per load down to just 6 cents per load!
For other versions of homemade laundry detergent, see the following sites:
How do you save money on laundry? Share your tips in the comments!
Photo by *clairity*.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
March 4th, 2008 at 4:41 am
I have a few questions.
1. Where did you get the ingredients? I use Borax in addition to laundry detergent, but where do you find the other stuff?
2. How easy was this to clean out of your food processor?
Thanks this is a fun site!
March 4th, 2008 at 5:05 am
I also make my own laundry soap. I love it. It is non sudsing and it cleans my clothes without the added extra scents that regular detergents leave behind. Plus it is great for my sensitive skin. My receipe:
1/2 bar Fels Naptha Soap grated (I use a grater I got at dollar store cause it seems to reatin soap taste.)
1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda
big pot
5 gallon bucket
put 4 cups water & grated soap in big pot and cook over low heat until all mixed (stir alot)
once soap is dissolved add 1 cup borax
pour mixture into 5 gallon bucket
add 3 gallons hot water from tap
stir
stir in 1 cup washing soda
mix well
let set 24 hours
this will be a gel, not really liquid or solid.
This can fill 3 empty 100oz. laundry detergent bottles, and then some. Great cost, great product. No suds, but cleans great. Takes a alittle time to make but works out to like .4 cents a load.
Thanks! -Becky R in NJ
March 4th, 2008 at 5:51 am
This is very good information. I’ve never made my own laundry detergent, but I’d like to try. Hmmm, I’m a bit unclear on the washing soda, I’m afraid. Where can I find this? Is there a certain brand?
Thanks!
March 4th, 2008 at 5:52 am
I have never been able to find washing soda anywhere! I have seen Zote before but I can’t justify buying the ingredients online and paying shipping costs.
My strategy is to maximize coupons and shop at either CVS or Walgreens. This week I was able to get bottles of Tide for only $.50 each after I worked a few deals. I bought 8 bottles and am stocked up for awhile.
March 4th, 2008 at 6:08 am
@Angie - That’s a great deal on Tide! Our area never has coupons and sales that are THAT good!
For those looking for ingredients, the washing soda is Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda. I can get both the Washing Soda and the Fels Naptha at both Fred Meyer and Winco, but I think both of those stores are pretty much only in the Pacific Northwest, so I’m not sure that helps much.
And it probably would not be worth it to buy the ingredients online and pay shipping.
Here’s what the Washing Soda looks like:
http://www.soapsgonebuy.com/Pr.....ow=ExtInfo
And you can click on the Fels Naptha link in my post to see what that looks like. It’s always nice to know what you’re looking for.
March 4th, 2008 at 6:12 am
I’ve been using homemade laundry detergent for a few years now and have tried different variations of ingredients and found the right amount of each to get my clothes really clean, the recipe I use is here:
http://christianhomekeeper.blo.....rgent.html
Bev
March 4th, 2008 at 6:55 am
@Dearest Jessica - I forgot to tell you that it was really easy to clean the food processor. I just washed it in the sink, like I do with all my dishes, and everything came right off.
@Bev - Thanks for sharing your recipe. I know some people really like the liquid recipes, but I’ve always been more of a powdered laundry detergent gal. Plus, I have a hard time finding room to store a big bucket.
March 4th, 2008 at 7:23 am
This is pretty cool, I will definitely try it. I have been trying to use all homemade cleaning products, but have never tried a home made laundry detergent before. If it saves me some time and space in my cupboard, I am on board! I do roughly 20 loads a week!!!! That can really add up!
Take Care
LJ
March 4th, 2008 at 8:28 am
I’ve been thinking about trying homemade detergent for a while… but I was wondering if it was safe for high-efficiency washers? I’ve heard that lots of suds can be damaging for HE washers…
thanks!
March 4th, 2008 at 8:41 am
Hi Lynnae,
Any idea how this compares to Sam’s detergent in the big bucket. I’ve used this for serveral years and it’s pretty economical. It does however fade colors after a while. Thanks for the recipe - I may try it out.
Blessings!
March 4th, 2008 at 9:07 am
@Toniette - I know the liquid recipe that Bev posted doesn’t suds much at all. I don’t think mine does either, but I haven’t checked. I have another load to throw in the laundry in a little while, and I’ll see how many suds it makes. I’ll be back with the definitive answer later.
@michelleh - I really don’t know how it compares to Sams. We don’t have a Sam’s Club here, so I’ve never tried it.
March 4th, 2008 at 11:31 am
I’m back with the suds report. There are no suds, so I would think it would work OK in high efficiency washing machines.
March 4th, 2008 at 11:44 am
This is so GREAT! When I run out of laundry detergent (2010??) I will do this, lol. My dad bought my and my sister laundry detergent and dryer sheets in bunk in 2005 and I haven’t run out yet! I have to say: Dad - that was a great housewarming gift
March 4th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
Two questions:
what is washing soda
and what is borax?
I live in Germany and we can get baking soda here… we need the chemical names… (baking soda is bicarbonat)
March 4th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
I’ve been thinking about this, but as of yet haven’t had a reason to try it. It only costs me 3 cents a load (or less) to do laundry anyway. (Or at least it will for the next year since that is how much detergent on hand.) I combined sales and coupons and only use 1/4 to 1/2 of the recommended amt. of detergent and my laundry still comes clean.
Have you tried using 1/2 of the homemade stuff? I was wondering if it would still work.
March 4th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
@Anitz - I couldn’t find the chemical name on either of the boxes. This is what I found on the web.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borax
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_carbonate
@Lisa, I’ve only been using this for about a week, so I haven’t experimented with amounts yet. It seems from reading other laundry detergent recipes that I could probably get by with only using 1/2 bar of the Fels Naptha when I make the detergent. If I can’t cut back the amount of my recipe that I use per load, I may try using less Fels Naptha next time, which would make each load considerably cheaper.
March 4th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
Thanks so much for the tip to check wikipedia… they have also got many articles in German and you can see if someone has already submitted an article on your choice subject by hitting the appropriate language button in the right side bar…
so now I have the absolute information I need… now just to get down to finding out where to get this stuf…!
March 5th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Unfortunately, our food processor doesn’t do well with liquids. It doesn’t seal right (works for carrots and such, though). But I’ll remember this anyway, in case someday I have one.
March 9th, 2008 at 11:35 am
I like the idea of making my own detergent. I’m not too keen on having to buy the Borax. What I plan to do is to drive down to Death Valley and obtain my own borax from there. That way I can do not have to pay for any commercial ingredients.
March 11th, 2008 at 10:21 am
Great recipe! Also Borax is a great bug deterrent. Just sprinkle a ring of borax around your foundation to keep ants and other creepy crawlies away. When I lived in a small room in College (in Boston) there were roaches everywhere, so after I swept my room, I would sprinkle borax all around the walls and no more roaches. And put the washing soda mixed in water with some aluminum foil on the bottom of any non-metallic container (i.e. glass or plastic) and put in your silver, tarnish will be gone!
March 12th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Thanks, this is great. Will see where I can get the ingredients and have a go. I use vinegar for fab softener but haven’t tried washing powder yet.
March 13th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Just be safe! and informed re borax.
http://www.strobel.com/studies.htm
March 14th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Hey, I’m an editor at sk*rt and added this article. Thanks!
March 15th, 2008 at 7:43 pm
I use only cold water for laundry to save electricity. Would this work in cold water or needs warm, or hot water to work?
March 16th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
I have been using this recipe for about two years now, and have had no problems with it in cold water. My only complaint is that my whites don’t come out as white. Had anyone else seen this?
March 17th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
I too make my own laundry soap using ZOTE; it can be found at Latin or Mexican stores and usually cost around $1.49 per bar. It cleans really well and has a nice clean scent.
March 23rd, 2008 at 4:03 pm
I don’t make my own laundry detergent, because I’ve been pretty happy with the prices I’ve gotten for different brand liquid laundry detergents that have a version free of dyes and scents. I am very sensitive to those. I prefer the liquid detergents for their ability to instantly dissolve in any temperature water. I also was always spilling the powdered detergent. However, I do use the vinegar as fabric softener. I also use Borax, but as my dishwasher detergent. Usually a tablespooon of Borax and a tablespoon of baking soda are all that are needed. I have been using the same box of Borax for years. I had forgotten about the Dawn hint. I know people say shampoo is also good. I need to try these again because I have a hard time getting oily/greasy stains out … just from food spills. Shout, Greased Lightning, Mean Green … none seem to work very well. Usually I put laundry detergent right on these stains, but you have to get it in the laundry right away or there can be discoloration. I used to use only cold water, but it really doesn’t get whites as clean. For really tough stains and multiple stains on clothes that are clothes to not being salvageable, I have used the recipe from Tightwad Gazette where you use super hot water from your tap (about 5 gal), 1 cup dishwasher detergent, and 1 cup Clorox II and soak overnight. It has saved clothes, particularly children’s heavily soiled items. It can fade them a little depending on the color, but in some cases that didn’t matter.
March 27th, 2008 at 2:22 am
Dear Becky R in NJ,
I read your comment on making liquid laundry soap. How much do you use per load? The powder recipe calls for 2T. per load.
Thanks for responding. Great recipe. I’m definitely going to try this!
Jaymi in Saudi
April 1st, 2008 at 1:11 pm
I’ve heard the reason that the vinegar works so well as a softener is because it eats the soap or something like that…So there is no soap residue!
Here’s what i found on a site
“The acid in vinegar is too mild to harm fabrics, but strong enough to dissolve the alkalies in soaps and detergents”
But the question I have is: are the alkalies what clean your clothes? if you put soap with vinegar, is the vinegar just dissolving the soap? is there a point to adding the soap then?
Curious!
-Kelly
April 6th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Finally . . . home made detergent- thank you very much !
My “tip ” . . . 2-4 tennis balls in the dryer - really fluffs things up & cuts drying time by 1/3.It is annoying to listen to - maybe, wait until you go out.
Coline. Manitoba, Canada
June 18th, 2008 at 8:44 pm
I read the link about Borax (boric acid) if it is actually that dangerous, is there a safer alternative? Do the commercial detergents have dangerous ingredients in them? Is the amount of homemade detergent used per load small enough that the Borax isn’t a problem??? I know it’s been used forever & have never heard anything bad about it.
June 23rd, 2008 at 4:40 am
Just a note on this tip:
“My “tip ” . . . 2-4 tennis balls in the dryer - really fluffs things up & cuts drying time by 1/3.It is annoying to listen to - maybe, wait until you go out.”
Great tip but please don’t leave your dryer on while you go out. I had a close call with a dryer once, it’s not worth losing your house over. I don’t even leave the house with my dishwasher going because the water got stuck on and it would have floded my house had I not been home.
July 25th, 2008 at 8:30 am
I have had a free recipe posted for homemade laundry soap at http://laptopquilts.com/quiltf.....cts_id=734
My local WalMart sells BAKING SODA in a large box in the laundry aisle that looks nearly identical to WASHING SODA. Baking soda is Sodium BIcarbonate and Washing soda is Sodium Carbonate. One little atom of difference, but it is NOT the same. Washing soda lets dirt molecules release from textile fibers and helps soften the water for a cleaner rinse. It helps even if you already have a water softener.
By the way, commercial detergents are only active in your wash water for 10minutes or less. They are chemically engineered that way, so if you do use them, add them last to your water, not at the beginning of the fill.
About Borax: If you buy those plastic bug “house” things to put in your cupboards, etc to kill ants and bugs…read the ingredients. Borax is the active ingredient that kills them. It forms gas in them when they eat it, and they do not have the ability to burp or pass gas, so… I was told this once, but have not consulted an entomologist!
Borax is considered safe to use as a cleaner, but like anything else, you wouldn’t want to drink anything containing it.
August 5th, 2008 at 9:10 am
A word of warning about using Dawn as a stain remover. DONT put it on a stain and then toss it into the hamper. It will leave a blue stain. Wait til you are ready to wash the item first. I ruined several blouses like that.
Now I use Ajax dish detergent instead. It removes the stain and you can put it on the stain ahead of time!
August 11th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Just so you know Borax, according to wikipedia, is the salt of boric acid. I don’t think you need to worry about this:
Leslie on March 13th, 2008 3:09 pm
Just be safe! and informed re borax.
http://www.strobel.com/studies.htm
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Found Fels Naptha today at Kroger also A&H super washing soda right beside the Borax.
Fels $1.29 5.5oz bar.
Washing soda $2.99 5.5 oz box.
Those were the two toughies to find. I was surprised Walmart did not carry either. But right there as it always is at my local Arkansas Kroger store.
Can’t wait to try these recipes out!
Thanks for sharing!
Stef
September 27th, 2008 at 11:45 am
I cant find washing soda, only baking soda that is sitting by the borax. Also, I can’t find the Fels Naptha soap……..
Help do you know any places to look?
October 19th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
BORIC and BORAX are 2 different things!!
just as washing soda and baking soda are.
October 19th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
YES, you are right karissa! Boric acid and Borax are different. Borax is the salt of Boric acid. Borax is what you want for cleaning.
Boric acid is the active ingredient in the commercial bug things, and in Terro ant killer, but I’ve mixed Borax with honey and it seems to work just as well.
My son the biologist told me that it kills them by weakening their exoskeletons so they die. It will kill them if they just crawl through the dust. I tried it with a dusting of powder about an inch in diameter and a drop of honey in the center, and the ants seemed to disappear. Of course, they may be hiding out there somewhere, just laughing at me…
October 30th, 2008 at 6:29 am
This sounds like a good recipe, however, my husband always tells me to purchase liquid laundry detergent as it is safer for our septic system. Do you happen to have a recipe that is septic system safe?
October 30th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
I’m guessing that your husband is thinking of detergent added sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) (phosphates)???
I believe the recipes above are ok with septic systems. I have had no problems with mine, and have been using this soap for many years.
Here is a good page with phosphate info
http://www.phosphatesfacts.org/what.asp
There are some misconceptions as to exactly what phosphorus and phosphorus compounds can do.
October 31st, 2008 at 6:43 am
Thanks, Quilter Mindy. I know nothing about septic systems.
If you do prefer liquid laundry detergent, there are plenty of recipes floating around the internet. If you do a search for homemade laundry detergent, you’ll be sure to find something. I’ve tried both, though, and I prefer the powdered kind.
November 8th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
I just made my first batch of laundry dtergent and I am excited to try it. How long does it stay good for and does it cause any build up in you machine?
November 8th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
To: Lets break down the cost. You didn’t add in the amount that comes from the bar of soap. That is about a cup, for a total of 4 cups. A 2 cent difference, 6.5 cents per load, not big but cheaper than store bought.
January 8th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
Use Oxiclean instead of washing soda. It was easier to find, and if you buy it in bulk at a hardware store, it doesn’t really change the savings. I thought it worked really well.
January 8th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Holey cow! Next thing you’ll be doing your own surgery! Folks, this is NOT how to be frugal. This recipe doesn’t have a fraction of the technology that goes into modern laundry detergents and it is incredibly bad for the environment. The best option is to go to the Dollar store and buy what is on sale that is a NAME BRAND. You’ll get a better deal, preserve your clothing and keep from killing off the fish. Trust me…20+ years making consumer products.
January 13th, 2009 at 11:18 am
You can get Fels Naptha at Ace Hardware. I live in Tx and this is the only place I could find it.
January 17th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
You can obtain the Washing Soda ( Arm and Hammer) a Krogers, it’s the only place I could find it besides online. I use Ivory ( plain bar) soap but I’m going to try Zote today
It does not suds so is great for the HE washers
and online you can easily find a powered version
I make it 4 gallons at a time and usually add one container of my normal laundry detergent in it too.
January 17th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Mine is
3/4 washing soda
3/4 borax
1 bar soap (Ivory/zote/Felsnaptha)
grade soap and melt in 4 cups of water
Add powered ingredients and 6 more cups of water. Boil till dissolved.
Add mixture into a bucket with 1 gallon and 1 quart of water.
I let mine sit for 24 hours, stirring after that. You can fill old containers 3/4 the way full add shake before using.
1 cup large load
3/4 cup smaller loads
I make 2 batches at a time and add one container of regular liquid detergent. It makes a 5 gallon bucket full.
it’s cheaper and saves
If you are worried about your white/whites, add some baking soda to the wash.
January 19th, 2009 at 4:49 am
For those of you who are having problems finding the laundry soda (sodium carbonate), it is the same thing as PH Up in the pool chemical dept. Just make sure it says 100% sodium carbonate.
I use a homemade powder recipe, it seems to work pretty well…:0)
February 19th, 2009 at 5:40 am
I’m going to make two comments.
From the frugality perspective. I’d say rock on. You’ve got some good cost savings. I spent ~$10 on a bottle of detergent and figure its going to last me about 8 months. Of course I’m only one person who doesn’t generate too much laundry. If you had a family and were really cranking out the laundry the little extra effort you spend making your own detergent really adds up to significant savings.
Now onto chemistry. Your recipe lacks any kind of a whitening agent, thus your clothes will fade or dull over time. This may not be an issue for you but it is something to consider when making the trade off between do-it-yourself detergent and store bought. There may also be some other benefits to store bought detergent that are worthy of consideration before you make the jump to homemade.
March 12th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
I made my own laundry detergent and then spent the day experimenting with several brands to see which one cleaned the best and was economical too. I used white hand towels for the test. I took the towels outside and ground them into the dirt (Georgia red clay!). Then I washed each towel with a different detergent. After washing all the towels I placed them side by side to compare how clean they were. The most expensive detergents were Tide and Gain. I also used home made, Extra, Arm & Hammer, Shaklee Basic L. Tide and Gain cleaned the best and when purchased on sale and with a coupon were quite economical. The home made, Extra, A & H, were not acceptable in cleaning whites. Now, if the load was not noticeably dirty the type of detergent might not matter. I also repeated the experiment using OxyClean with the detergents that needed a boost. The towels still were not as clean as the Tide and Gain towels. I also repeated the experiment using wet towels ground into the dirt. I had the same results. I did not expect to find that Tide & Gain won because I was using whatever was on sale. In fact I hoped they wouldn’t perform better. Now I use Tide & Gain exclusively and have cut out OxyClean. This was my experience with detergents, you might experience something different, especially if you don’t have dirty dirt.
March 12th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
I think the whole point of making homemade laundry SOAP is being missed here. The recipes are for SOAP and NOT for DETERGENT. Detergents are chemically based (petroleum) and Soaps are natural. The choice is not limited to saving a little money, but to clean with safe and natural ingredients. Tide and Gain contain really high concentrations of fragrances and other cleaning chemicals that many people are allergic to. If you have tough stains, you can always use extra borax, Dawn dishwashing liquid (original for greasey stains), or even commercial spot treatments on them. One of the purposes of homemade soap is to get away from petroleum-based-laboratory-laundry and use green and natural solutions for everyday problems.
For really white whites, sunshine is the best bleaching agent there is, and it contains no chemicals and is absolutely free. I do a LOT of gardening and barn cleaning, and homemade soap workd great on natural dirt. The red in red clay soil is iron oxide, so you would have to use a rust remover type of cleaner to get it out. It’s probably one of the chemical agents in Tide & Gain, whether you need it or not.
March 30th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
I use essentially the same recipe - skipping the baking soda and adding a generic oxy powder and using Sunlight laundry (bar) soap instead since I can’t find Fels Naptha up here. I also use only one tablespoon per load (since that is what was indicated on the recipe I used) and find that the clothes get just as clean as with commercial detergent.
I love my homemade detergent!
Peggy’s last blog post..getting there
April 21st, 2009 at 3:21 pm
I plan to try this very soon. I have been using Dawn as a spot treatment for those oily type stains (think olive oil or mayo or dressing on a shirt) for awhile now and it’s all I use for those. It works extremely well. I don’t use anything else.