Homemade Laundry Detergent is very easy to make, economical and can be eco-friendly.  There are several different recipes available on the internet, both liquid and dry formulas.  Pure GRACE Soap makes a dry custom formula for sale online and at craft shows that is all natural and made without chemicals.

Many homemade laundry detergent recipes are easy to make and take few ingredients, most of which you probably have in your home all the time.  The recipe we like to use is based heavily on washing soda, baking soda and citric acid.  Washing soda, also known as sodium carbonate or soda ash, is very similar to baking soda but with a different chemical compound.  It has been used for many years by our mothers and grandmothers to clean clothes and is considered a natural ingredient.  It helps to soften the washing water while removing grease and stains.  Baking soda, sodium bicarbonate, is a wonderful natural cleaning product.  Many people use it exclusively to clean their kitchens and bathrooms (along with vinegar).  In laundry detergent, baking soda quickly dissolves in water, helps to clean stains and does not damage fabrics.   Some people think baking soda possibly helps to neutralize odors and freshen fabrics.  Citric acid is included in our recipe because it helps to break down enzymes found in common stains.  Many recipes will call for a ratio of 4 parts washing soda to 1 part citric acid.  That ratio helps you get the cleaning power but does not allow sediment to build up.  Citric acid is also functional as a natural stain remover. 

In addition to washing soda, baking soda and citric acid we use a bar of natural soap as the “glue” of the recipe, coarse sea salt and sometimes will include essential or fragrance oils for scent.   We like a high quality bar of natural glycerin soap but about any bar of soap will work keeping in mind some will clean better than others and some contain more questionable ingredients than others.  It is important to hand grate the bar of soap or use a food processor to shred it down until it looks like shredded cheese.  If you use your food processor make sure to rinse any soap residue off before running it through your dishwasher or you will find bubbles on the floor like I did the first time.  The bar of soap helps to hold all of the other ingredients together.  I like to really work it into the dry ingredients so they are thoroughly mixed.  Coarse sea salt helps to soften the washing water but does not aid in the actual cleaning process.  That being said some big name natural detergents on the market do include salt as one of their ingredients.  Essential and fragrance oils can be used to scent the detergent.  We add only a small amount so as not to possibly damage any clothes with an overabundance of oil but scents can be added to your liking or you might choose to leave your detergent unscented.

Each recipe is different but the process to make dry homemade laundry detergent is fairly straight forward and simple.  Place your pre-measured dry ingredients into a bowl.  You may wish to use gloves as washing soda can sometimes irritate sensitive hands.  Mix the dry ingredients well and then add your grated bar of soap.  The bar of soap will be somewhat sticky and should work into the dry mixture well.  I always try to hand mix for a few minutes to make sure the mixture is evenly distributed.  Finally if you choose to add a scent add a few drops of it until you have reached your desired scent.  Packaging your detergent can be fun.  You can use anything from a cute glass jar to a leftover plastic food container.  Dry laundry detergent will last for a long time provided it does not get moisture in it.  The recipe we use sometimes tends to clump since we do not use anti-caking agents, like some commercial brands, therefore we tell our customers to break it up with a spoon or fork if they have clumping.  You can also add a desiccant to help with the moisture.

Homemade laundry detergent is economical, many times costing pennies per load.  Generally speaking all of the ingredients can be found in the laundry aisle of your supermarket or big box home store.  The more “natural” you decide to go with the recipe the more the individual ingredients might cost but keep in mind the batch you are making will last for many loads.  Also many times the amount needed to use in one load of laundry is much smaller than what you would use with a commercial laundry detergent.  The detergent we make and sell uses only one (1) tablespoon per load.  We find it to work as good or better than commercial brands we have used in the past.

The nice thing about making your own laundry detergent is you can control how eco-friendly you would like it to be.  Some ingredients such as Borax, Oxiclean, Fels Naptha, Bleach, etc may or may not be controversial based on the chemicals they include.  Some people feel quite safe using them while others don’t.  It’s a matter of personal preference on what ingredients you want to use in your detergent.  You can make it is eco-friendly as you would like it to be.  Also, we choose to make a dry version of laundry detergent over a liquid form because it will keep longer than some liquid recipes and we do not have to use a preservative, or chemical, to prevent the spread of possible bacteria and mold growth which could be a concern in some liquid recipes.

It is important to note that most homemade laundry detergents are good in both top loader and HE washing machines but always double check if you are concerned.  Many recipes will notate that as well as what water temperatures the detergent performs best in.  Finally if you are interested in continuing your eco-friendly-ness into the world of drying consider using 100% wool dryer balls in place of dryer sheets or fabric softener.  The wool balls will not only stop any static but will help to dry your clothes faster and with less electricity.  They do not have any chemicals associated with them since they are 100% wool.  Products such as homemade laundry detergent and wool dryer balls are economical, easy to make and use, eco-friendly and will go a long way to help winter dry, chapped and sensitive skin.

Below are a couple of basic recipes for making your own laundry detergent.

Homemade Dry Laundry Detergent for Heavy Loads
1 Cup Washing Soda
1 Cup Shredded Soap
¼ Cup Citric Acid
½ Cup Vinegar (added to rinse compartment)
Courtesy of Brambleberry.com
Found here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/home-crafts/three-diy-laundry-soap-recipes/

Basic Laundry Powder which works best in warm or hot water.  Use ½ to 1 tablespoon per load.
½ cup soap flakes or grated plain bar soap
½ cup borax
½ cup washing soda
Courtesy of The Nickel Pincher: 3 Easy Homemade Laundry Detergents
Found here: http://www.rodalenews.com/homemade-laundry-detergent