DIY Laundry Detergent

A safe and effective way to make your own laundry detergent at home.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 (4 oz.) Bars of Unscented Castile Soap (in recyclable paper)
  • 2 lbs of Baking Soda (in recyclable cardboard or bought bulk)
  • 1.5 (7 lb) Boxes of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (in recyclable cardboard)
  • 20-30 drops of your favorite essential oil (clementine or lavender are both nice options)

Instructions

    1. Finely grate your bars of Castile soap. Either use a food processor or cheese grater.
    2. Mix your grated soap together with baking soda, washing soda, and essential oils. I recommend wearing a face mask to avoid inhaling any dust from the mixture.
    3. Use 1-3 Tablespoons per load of laundry, depending on its size and soil level.

Notes

  1. Washing soda can sometimes be challenging to find. Most conventional grocery stores and supermarkets should have it in their baking aisle (near baking soda) or laundry aisle (next to detergents).
  2. If you choose to make this in larger quantities, store in a 5-gallon bucket and then dish out a portion into a pretty storage jar for active use.
  3. Skip dryer sheets. If you must use something, use wool dryer balls instead.