Making your own homemade powder laundry soap sounds like a difficult task. You may be thinking “I like natural living, but not that much!”. I was there “I will not be one of those people”. Until I realized just how easy it is to make my own! A lot of times we can be intimidated by the idea of doing something simply because it seems too difficult. I am here to tell you that this is so easy! It is an easy win, and one step closer to more natural living!
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See full disclosure here.
Why make homemade laundry soap?
My greatest desire is simple, natural, and peaceful living. I am not always a “crunchy mom”, but sometimes, a lot of the time, I am. You do not change your lifestyle overnight, it’s a process! For me, it started nearly 10 years ago by simply switching my body wash to castile soap. Fast forward, and now I cloth diaper and make my own laundry soap! So my “why” is deeply rooted in desiring a more natural lifestyle.
Is homemade laundry soap actually less expensive?
Yes! In the world of natural living, there are few areas where things are actually LESS expensive. However, it is said that your own laundry soap is about 10 times cheaper than buying conventional. It is a win-win situation in my book!
Can I use homemade powder laundry soap in an HE washer?
Yes! HE laundry detergent is laundry soap that his designed to be used with less water and to suds less. The primary issue with HE washers is that the detergent does not wash away thoroughly which leaves residue that can damage the machine and make it harder to get the clothing clean.
I have an HE machine and have been using this for months. The good thing about this recipe is you only need 1-2 tablespoons of detergent per load (I use a little less if it is not a full load).
With less detergent, will my clothes still get clean?
This stuff is concentrated so even though it looks like less, your clothing will still come out smelling fresh and will certainly be clean! Yes even your workout gear, yes even your husband’s nasty work clothes, and yes even the kids clothes that smell like they’ve never been washed after just two hours of playing outside!
About the ingredients in your homemade powder laundry soap
Washing Soda
Warning: washing soda can cause skin irritation on sensitive skin, so wear rubber gloves!
Sodium carbonate, soda ash, or washing soda is not harmful when used for cleaning purposes.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate. This is a naturally occurring substance that is present in all living things and helps maintain proper PH balance.
Borax
Borax is a salt (naturally occurring mineral) made up of sodium, boron, oxygen, and water. Toxicity from borax is a common concern however, this occurs when the mineral is ingested. It is perfectly safe when used as directed in laundry detergent. Please keep away from children and pets!
Soap Bar
You can use your soap bar of choice. Here are a few examples:
- homemade bar soap
- Fels-Naptha
- Scented or unscented Castile soap
- Zote soap bar
Essential Oils (optional)
If you are purchasing inexpensive options, please do research on the actual quality of those. You might be doing more harm than good by breathing in harmful chemicals or putting them on your skin! Not all that say “100% pure” actually are! Do your research on truly pure essential oils; due to the lack of regulation on essential oil companies, any company can put “100% pure” on their essential oil packaging even if it is not accurate.
After lots of research, we decided to use Eden’s Garden essential oils. We have truly noted a difference when using these versus the more inexpensive ones we used previously.
Supplies
- 2 cups washing soda
- 2 cups baking soda
- 1 cup borax
- 1 5 oz soap Bar
- 18-20 drops essential oils (optional)
- Box grater or food processor
- Seal-able container
Instructions
- Grate soap bar into glass bowl or container.
- Combine all the ingredients together and stir well.
- Store in a laundry soap container or a large glass jar with a scoop.
- use 1-2 tablespoons of detergent per load size and dirt level.
Store properly
Keep in a sealed container, plastic or glass. Be sure to add a label to your container if unmarked and keep out of the reach of children and pets.
Easy and Natural Homemade Powder Laundry Soap
Equipment
- 1 box grater or food processor
- 1 container
- 1 1 tbs
Materials
- 2 cups washing soda
- 2 cups baking soda
- 1 cup borax
- 1 5 oz soap Bar
- 18-20 drops essential oils optional
Instructions
- Grate soap bar into glass bowl or container.
- Combine all the ingredients together and stir well.
- Store in a laundry soap container or a large glass jar with a scoop.
- use 1-2 tablespoons of detergent per load size and dirt level.
Tips for making your own homemade powder laundry soap
- If you like scented laundry soap, you can use a scented bar soap like Dr. Bronners.
- homemade laundry soap is not great at removing hard stains, so keep an all purpose stain remover nearby to pre-treat certain stains before tossing in the wash.
- Warning: washing soda can cause skin irritation on sensitive skin, so wear rubber gloves!
- note: I have never experienced this first-hand
- Do not use this in an automatic dispenser because the soap flakes may cause clumping and clog the dispenser. Add laundry soap directly to the washer drum
- Homemade powder laundry soap will not expire or lose its effectiveness unless exposed to excess moisture so be sure to store properly!
- If the laundry soap becomes hard or develops clumps due to excess moisture, discard it. It will not dissolve properly and leave residue on your clothes.
This is an easy, inexpensive swap to kick start your way into simple, intentional, natural living! Once you begin researching how harmful so many conventional products are, it is hard to turn back. Join me on the fun side of homemaking as I share more homemade swaps!
Leave a Reply