How to Make Your Own Natural Laundry Detergent Powder

Homemade laundry detergent provides a safe alternative to commercial detergents.

Effective laundry detergent is important to getting clothes clean with a fresh fragrance. Most commercial laundry detergents achieve these objectives, but contain chemicals that are not environmentally friendly or cause skin irritation. An inexpensive and equally-effective alternative is to make your own natural laundry detergent powder. Creating your own laundry detergent allows you to control the chemicals exposed to your family through the detergent, while likewise sparing the environment of harmful chemicals.

Things You'll Need

• 8 cups baking or washing soda
• Plastic container
• 6 cups borax powder
• 4 cups grated Fels Naptha soap
• 1 1/2 tsp. essential oil
• Wooden spoon
• 1/8-cup measuring scoop

Instructions

1. Pour 8 cups of baking or washing soda into a large plastic container. Both work equally well, but baking soda produces less foaming normally associated with soaps and detergents.

2. Add 6 cups of borax powder and 4 cups of grated Fels Naptha soap to the baking or washing soda.

3. 

   Essential oils add a light fragrance to your laundry detergent.

   Drizzle 1 1/2 tsp. of fragrant essential oil over the dry ingredients. Use a pleasant scent that you would enjoy smelling on your laundry. Lavender, vanilla and citrus scents are potential examples.

4. Stir the dry ingredients and essential oil together with a wooden spoon until well-blended.

5. Place a 1/8-cup measuring scoop into the plastic container and seal it with a tight-fitting lid to prevent moisture from clumping the detergent. Use 1/8 cup of detergent for each normal-sized load of laundry.

Tips & Warnings

• Most grocery stores carry both washing soda and baking soda. Washing soda tends to be more common in European countries, while baking soda is more prevalent in the United States.

• This recipe makes enough detergent to do an average amount of laundry for a family of four for 6 months.

References

• Mother Earth News; Make Your Own Lavender Laundry Detergent-- for Pennies!; Robyn Griggs Lawrence; February 2011
• Apartment Therapy; How to Make Homemade Laundry Detergent; Gregory Han; May 2008
• Easy Aromatherapy Recipes: Powdered Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe