DIY Laundry Soap Recipe (Liquid Laundry Detergent)
After testing many different recipes for homemade laundry soap I can confidently say this one is the best. Join thousands of others who are saving money with this awesome liquid laundry detergent recipe.
DIY Laundry Soap Recipe
If you are sick of spending tons of money on laundry detergents that do a sub-optimal job, we have the solution for you.
Not only is this recipe easy to make and cost effective, but it works better than any store bought brand we've tried.
We have used this recipe for ten years, and hundreds of others have as well. Read on for detailed instructions as well as a video tutorial that shows you just how simple this detergent is to make.
Why I Choose Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent
I had almost given up on homemade laundry detergent completely, when my good friend Keesha texted me and said she had a recipe and wanted to make it together! I had my doubts, but she told me her mom and her sister had both been using this kind forever and swore by it, so I decided I would give it a go. Holy cow. I am in love with this homemade liquid laundry detergent, it is AMAZING!
Every time I open up the washer to switch loads, I am filled with joy because it smells fresh and clean. It also doesn't leave gross residue, and gets out tough dirt and stains. Suffice it to say, this recipe is gonna shrink your laundry expenses considerably!
*This post contains affiliate links.
Homemade Laundry Detergent Ingredients
- Fels-Naptha soap bar
- Washing soda
- Borax
- Essential oils (optional)
- Water
How to Make Homemade Laundry Detergent
1.Start by grating your Fels-Naptha soap bar. Here is what the Fels-naptha soap looked like after grating it. You want to use the smallest grater that you have, so that it melts as quickly and easily as possible!
2. While you are grating your soap start four cups of water boiling.
3.Add your grated Fels-Naptha bar and stir over medium heat until soap is completely melted.
4. Next, fill your five gallon bucket up halfway with hot tap water.
5. Then add your other dry ingredients and stir together.
6. Finally, fill your bucket the rest of the way with hot water and stir again.
Homemade Detergent Recipe Label & Storage
Be sure to clearly label your containers so that everyone knows they contain a detergent. Also, if you have young children be sure to keep your laundry detergent in a childproof container or on a high shelf. Here is the gallon jar I used, and here is a good five gallon bucket! I also love this gamma seal lid!
How much DIY Laundry Detergent does this recipe make?
This recipe makes a 5 gallon tub of liquid detergent. You only need ½ cup detergent for top loader machines and ¼ for front loader machines per load! It's easy to see how utilizing homemade laundry detergent can add up to a big savings!
It costs less than $10 to make 5 gallons of this laundry soap (not including the cost of the bucket). Which equals out to 160 ½ cup loads or 320 ¼ cup loads. Either way, there is a massive savings when comparing to store bought laundry detergents, even when they are purchased in bulk quantities.
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Liquid Laundry Detergent Recipe
Video
Equipment
- 5 gallon bucket
Materials
- 4 cups boiling water
- 1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
- 1 cup washing soda
- ½ cup Borax
- essential oils (optional)
- 5 gallon bucket
Instructions
- Heat 4 cups of water until boiling.
- Grate your Fels-Naptha soap bar (I just used a cheese grater) and add to boiling water. Stir continuously over medium low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
- Fill your 5 gallon bucket half full with HOT tap water, add melted soap, washing soda, and borax and stir well until all powder is dissolved.
- Fill the bucket the rest of the way to the top with hot water, stir, cover, and let sit overnight to thicken.
- The next day, stir well and fill an old laundry detergent container with detergent.If desired, add your essential oils at this point! I use Doterra citrus bliss.
Notes
- Shake well before each use, because detergent can separate a bit.
- Top load machines use ½ cup per load, front load machines use ¼ cup per load.
- Here is the gallon jar I used, and here is a good five gallon bucket!
It's SO easy and SO worth it you guys! I can guarantee you're gonna be glad you tried this DIY liquid laundry detergent!
xo,
*This post was originally written September 1, 2014 and has been updated with new photos, video and more detailed text.
Made my 2nd batch today! Love this recipe! I found that using my immersion blender does a great job blending all the ingredients. ????????
Yay! Thanks for the tip Brandy.
I have used one recipe of the dry flaky detergent and really like it. I did not add any essential oils either, just the dry ingredients. My 5 yr old granddaughter loves to help with the laundry and comments everytime that it smells so good. I've been wanting to try the liquid recipe, so I'm very excited that I found your liquid detergent is the same, just add the water. I will let you know how it does. Thanks for keeping this recipe up!!
You are so welcome! I hope you love it
Just made this recipe! Super excited to see how it works out. Quick question: Is it expected to suds up like store bought laundry soap or not much "sudsing" in the wash?
I followed the recipe and mine didn't thicken at all, it's still just very watery. What did I do wrong?
I’ve been making this for years and sometimes it stays watery but looks like egg drop soup. It still cleans just as well.
I was interrupted in the middle of a recipe, and when I returned to it, I added another half of a cup of borax by accident. Will this hurt my clothing? And can I just add more hot water to thin it and use more than the normal amount per load ?
I have to use free and clear for my husband and I use the Arm & Hammer free & clear with Fabreeze! So will this work for us? Iam interested in trying!
I'm not sure if that will work but it's worth a try! We love this detergent!
I'm interested in trying this, but I have concerns about how much this would be cheaper in the long run, given this is a household of eight, with a special needs child who uses a load a day herself... As you can imagine, this is a lot of laundry per week. If this 5 gallon recipe only uses a half a cup per top load, the math adds up to about 160 top loads per five gallons. If I read right, it's an entire bar of soap plus a small portion of the dried ingredients each five gallon. Are there any large capacity launders in the crowd that can help me visualize how far this method would go for my family?
It is DEFINITELY more cost effective. All the ingredients used to make it once are cheaper than buying a gallon jug of laundry detergent one time, and most of them can be used multiple times. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
Christa the remaining boarax and washing soda will make at 3 more 5 gallons of detergent. You would only need to buy another bar of soap each time, which runs about $1.25 each. I actually disolve al little oxyclean in my recipe or add seperately to my laundry.
Instead of having to grate the soap, I cut up a bar of ivory soap and put it in the microwave for a couple of minutes. it swells up like a marshmallow. I then let it cool and put it in a zip lock bag and squeeze it. it turns to dust. I usually put two bars to a recipe. you can then mix it with the other ingredient. I usually leave the water out and leave it as powder. you would then just use a table spoon or two to a load.
That’s awesome!
I am so thankful I ran across your recipe! I've been using it for 2+ years now. Only once in an emergency have I resorted to store-bought. I don't add oils and still LOVE the smell of my laundry. Thank you so much!
That's so great, thank you for letting us know! I really love it too!
How much essential oils do you put in? I like my laundry detergent to have a strong scent
You can put in as much or as little as you'd like! You can start with less and add more per load if you'd like a stronger scent.
I have been using this recipe for a few years now and just love it. So simple, yet so wonderful. Earth friendly too. Thank you for posting it.
You just made my day! Thank you Donna, so glad you love it!
Hi girls awesome work.I'm going to try it out very door and get back to you guys. Thank you in so excited.
Yay! Good luck!
Can the detergent be used for handwashing or only machine wash?
Yes, it can definitely be used for hand washing as well!
I'm also curious if you can use this in He machines
Yes, you can! Mine are HE
Sara and Jessica I'm sorry if I Jumped in and answered didn't see anyone answer her.Thought I would answer her and I wasn't supposed to you wouldn't post it..Thanks again for your post I have really enjoyed it.I subscribed to you so I can get your post.. Thanks pam shepherd!!
Of course! We always appreciate readers and their input! We were on vacation so it just took us a little longer to approve, but thank you so much for your review and for helping others out!
I have been making this for years and use all ingredients except for the oils.mine always turns out thick and globby as you said but this is supposed to double as a 10 gallon because the ingredients you use are very good for stains.Sorry if I Jumped in and answered I didn't see anyone answer her..I have never made the powder kind ..I don't have kids at home now and never have much laundry.I will make the liquid detergent just because I really prefer it to the store bought and I really like the way it smells even though I don't use any oils..Thanks for the Post.I have not finished reading it all yet but I do love new laundry detergent recipes.I even seen Homemade dish soap and bath soap now..I do enjoy making these..Thanks for posting This... Pam
This is my second batch!!! Awesome!! Love it!! Soo much cheaper!! I make it for friends who work and don’t have time a for my 96 year old grandmother ????????
Is this soap HE machine safe?
I also have this questions!? Is this recipe HE safe?
hi is there any other soap bars one can use, we do not have what you suggest one to use
Yes.I have seen a pink or white bar you can buy it already ground up ready to use.its in the with the detergent I think it's called castle ????..
I use grated Zote soap. It smells so good and works great! I love this recipe! I ran out of my homemade laundry detergent recently, and resorted to buying a $15 container of Gain. It didn't last any time! Homemade is so much more cost efficient and earth friendly.
You can try. Zote brand. Comes pink and white
Have used this for a long time. Love it.
Yay! That is so great to hear! Thanks Jackie!
I made this an left it overnight per the instructions. When I went to use it it was “globby” wouldn’t stir and combine, so it would not all go down the feeder into the machine. What the heck did I do wrong? Pouring all the grated soap into the boiling water started
The globfest but I stirred until it was melted. The rest was fine until the next day. Very weird. Suggestion?
I have used this recipe many times and I dont let it sit overnight.... I usually go ahead and bottle it while it's still warm because then it is easier to mix back together. Just leave enough room in your containers to shake it up.