Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive compensation if you make a purchase through these links. There is no cost to you. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.
Liquid Laundry Detergent
Ingredients
- ½ cup baking soda
- ½ cup washing soda
- ½ cup liquid castile soap note 1
- 5-6 drops each lemongrass lavender, tea tree oil (note 2)
- enough water to equal 12 cups/96 oz/ ¾ gallons
Instructions
- 1. Heat about 2 cups water in a glass measuring cup or bowl that has a capacity of at least 3 cups. I microwave about 2-3 minutes.
- 2. Add baking soda and washing soda to hot water and stir until completely dissolved. You can put the whole mixture back in the microwave to heat if the baking and washing sodas do not fully dissolve.
- 3. Pour the water-soda mixture, castile soap, and enough water to equal about 96 ounces (3/4 of one gallon) into a large container. Stir gently. Add essential oils and gently stir again.
- 4. Pour your laundry detergent into whatever well-sealing container you have chosen to store it. I used old glass bottles because they seal well, pour well, and I had them laying around.
Notes
2. Provides VERY mild scent and antiseptic properties.
As with most things, I have had sensitivities to laundry detergents for much of my life. I finally found one commercially available detergent that didn’t make me itch – All Free & Clear. For a while I was ok using that. Until I started finding strange stains on my clothes that I could not remove. It was mostly in cotton shirts, and they got a splotchy slight color discoloration. What really got me searching for something new was when I washed my jacket and it ended up with one of those stains very prominently in the front on the chest. I was not pleased that my year-old winter coat was permanently stained. Plus, this makes it look like I spilled something down my jacket. I know I am a mega klutz, but I rarely spill on myself, I don’t need my laundry detergent making me look guilty of this!
I took this opportunity to find something not only better for my clothes but better for me and for the environment, too. I perused the internet (ok, Pinterest…) and found a liquid laundry detergent recipe from Coconut Head Survival Guide that I liked. Simple ingredients that I already had on hand, and use in my other natural cleaning products. I also liked liquid versions better than dry because I almost always wash with cold water and was concerned that the dry detergent may not dissolve well enough in the cold water. I modified the recipe to make it more concentrated (but not too concentrated, high school chemistry taught me that water can only be saturated so much with solvents), and to use essential oils that I already had.
My Laundry Detergent Recipe
Ingredients
½ cup baking soda
½ cup washing soda (Penniless Parenting explains how to turn baking soda into washing soda, in case you can’t find washing soda)
½ cup liquid castile soap – I used some of my liquid soap made from bar Kirk’s Castile soap, but had better results (better cleaning power and less separation) with liquid castile soap like Dr. Bronner’s or my home made liquid castile soap
5-6 drops each lemongrass, lavender, tea tree oil. For VERY mild scent and (possibly) antiseptic properties.
enough water to equal 12 cups/96 oz/ ¾ gallons
Instructions
- Heat about 2 cups water in a glass measuring cup or bowl that has a capacity of at least 3 cups. I microwave about 2-3 minutes.
- Add baking soda and washing soda to hot water and stir until completely dissolved. You can put the whole mixture back in the microwave to heat if the baking and washing sodas do not fully dissolve.
- Pour the water-soda mixture, castile soap, and enough water to equal about 96 ounces (3/4 of one gallon) into a large container. Stir gently. Add essential oils and gently stir again.
- Pour your laundry detergent into whatever well-sealing container you have chosen to store it. I used old glass bottles because they seal well, pour well, and I had them laying around.
Use
I use 1-2 tablespoon per laundry load – this should be roughly the same amount of the cleaning agents per load as the blog I originally found. For extra large loads, such as washing sheets and towels, I use 2-3 tablespoons.
I put the detergent in the washing machine before adding laundry. I have been using this detergent for several months. My clothes get clean, and are left with pretty much no scent, but it smells clean. I have had no skin sensitivities, and no stains on any of my clothes!
I found some old glass bottles to store my detergent. Easy to pour, and cute!
