These two easy recipes for laundry detergent liquid makes 14 loads of non-toxic laundry detergent for about $3.oo and rates an A on the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Healthy Cleaning scale. Learn the simple way to make liquid detergent in small batches.
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Homemade Laundry Detergent
I have been making my own natural homemade laundry detergent for close to three years. It’s an easy powdered detergent recipe that has no dangerous chemicals or additives, works great, and is cost-effective.
I love the powdered detergent but it does require grated Castile soap. Since I have not found pre-grated Castile soap this means a bit of extra effort to make the detergent.
Liquid Detergent Requests
Multiple readers have asked me to make a liquid detergent recipe, either because they don’t want to grate soap (who can blame them) or they prefer liquid detergent. I get it… I was a liquid laundry detergent user when I purchased detergent.
So, what’s taken me so long? Honestly, I could never find a liquid detergent recipe that was easy to make, worked well and didn’t produce gallons and gallons of detergent. Who has the storage space for a 5-gallon bucket of detergent anyway? And, since homemade detergent does not usually contain preservatives, I worried that these huge batches could develop mildew or mold before they were used up.
Liquid Laundry Detergent Trials
A few months ago I began making and testing my own liquid laundry detergent. My goals were simple, I wanted an effective liquid laundry detergent that:
- Does not contain Borax.
- Borax use is somewhat controversial in green circles; it is a naturally occurring mineral, but it is also toxic. Read more at MNN.
- Does not require melting or grating soap.
- Is easy to make (and store) in small batches.
- Scores well on the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Healthy Cleaning scale
It took me several months, 15 different batches of laundry detergent, and a few soapy kitchen messes… but I have succeeded!
These 2 non-toxic recipes make small batches of laundry detergent liquid using either Castile soap or Sal’s Suds. The Castile version is a bit trickier to make, but both work great and are more affordable than store-bought versions.
Version 1 – Laundry Detergent Liquid with Castile Soap
Ingredients
- Super Washing Soda – 7 oz (2/3 cup)
- Baking Soda- 1.5 oz (3 Tbsp)
- Liquid Castile soap – 1/2 cup, any scent –
- Water– 5 cups, divided
Directions
- Bring 5 cups of water to a boil.
- Pour washing soda into a large glass bowl then slowly stir in 2 cups of boiling water until washing soda is completely dissolved.
- Add one tablespoon of baking soda at a time and stir well to combine. The mixture will thicken as baking soda is added until it is a pudding-like texture.
- Stir in ½ cup Castile soap until well combined. Slowly stir in remaining 3 cups of boiling water.
- Cool to room temperature, the mixture will separate while cooling. (I let my detergent rest overnight. See separation in the picture below.)
- Combine separated mixture by blending or whisking until smooth. (Tip: Pour the mixture into 2 quart-size Mason jars before cooling, rest overnight, then screw on a blender bottom to easily blend until smooth.)
- Store liquid detergent in a glass bottle. Use 1/3 cup per load of laundry
Healthy Cleaner Rating and Cost
This DIY laundry detergent scores an A on the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Healthy Cleaning scale.
- Each of the ingredients (baking soda, washing soda, and Castile soap) have earned the highest safety rating.
- The EWG scale was designed to protect humans and the environment from dangerous chemicals.
The detergent is cost-effective at $0.24 a load, my favorite commercial laundry detergent costs about $0.30 a load.
| Laundry Detergent Liquid with Castile | Cost per Batch | EWG Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Super Washing Soda (I use this kind.) | $0.50 | A |
| Baking Soda (I use this kind.) | $.007 | A |
| Liquid Castile Soap (I use this kind.) | $2.56 | A (or 0) |
| Total Cost | $3.13 | |
| Cost Per Load (1/3 cup or 13 loads) | $0.24 |
Notes on Using Laundry Detergent Liquid with Castile Soap
- Make sure to fully dissolve the washing soda completely while making or the detergent will be gritty.
- If the detergent sits for an extended period of time it many separate, stir or shake to combine.
- The detergent has a thin gel-like consistency, pour directly on top of clothes instead of using your liquid detergent dispenser.
- Use vinegar in the rinse water for extra softness. Add it to the fabric softener dispenser or use a Downy Ball filled with white vinegar. It automatically releases the vinegar during the rinse cycle.
Version 2 – Laundry Detergent Liquid with Sal’s Suds
Ingredients
- Super Washing Soda – 7 oz (2/3 c)
- Sal’s Suds – 1/2 cup
- Water – 4 cups, divided
Directions
- Bring 4 cups of water to a boil.
- Pour washing soda into a large glass bowl then slowly stir in 2 cups of boiling water until washing soda is completely dissolved.
- Stir in ½ cup Sal’s Suds until well combined. Then slowly stir in remaining 2 cups of boiling water.
- Cool to room temperature, store in a glass bottle. Use ¼ cup liquid detergent per load.
Healthy Cleaner Rating and Cost
This DIY laundry detergent scores an A on the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Healthy Cleaning scale.
- Each of the ingredients (baking soda and Sal’s Suds) have earned the highest safety rating.
- The EWG scale was designed to protect humans and the environment from dangerous chemicals.
The detergent is cost-effective at $0.26 a load, my favorite commercial laundry detergent costs about $0.30 a load.
| Laundry Detergent Liquid with Castile | Cost per batch | EWG Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Super Washing Soda (I use this kind.) | $0.50 | A |
| Sal’s Suds (I use this kind.) | $3.20 | A (or 0) |
| Total Cost | $3.70 | |
| Cost Per Load (1/4 cup or 16 loads) | $0.26 |
Notes on Using Laundry Detergent Liquid with Sal’s Suds
- Make sure to fully dissolve the washing soda completely while making or the detergent will be gritty.
- If the detergent sits for an extended period of time it many slightly separate, stir or shake to combine.
- Use vinegar in the rinse water for extra softness. Add it to the fabric softener dispenser or use a Downy Ball filled with white vinegar. It automatically releases the vinegar during the rinse cycle.
More Natural Laundry Solutions
If you’re concerned about chemicals in your home check out some of my other green laundry tutorials:
Natural Homemade Fabric Softener (it can be used in the washer or dryer)
All-Natural Stain Sauce for Laundry (It’s a great stain pre-treater)
All-Purpose Cleanser (it’s great for all-purpose household cleaning and laundry stains)
Natural Homemade Laundry Detergent (The original powdered detergent I have been using for years)
How to Natural Clean Smelly Towels (Learn how to get towels clean and fresh, naturally)
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Flower
I’ve been very excited to find this blog and am learning from it! It shows more careful research than all natural DIY type teachers do. Yesterday I did two laundry loads with your liquid laundry detergent recipe (Sal’s Suds + super washing soda + water). So far so good. I slept very well in the freshly laundered pajamas, socks, and bedding.
I like the simplicity of owning few ingredients and few, easy recipes so am looking forward to also trying your dish detergent and all-purpose spray recipes which also use only Sal’s Suds + washing soda + water. Sounds like the all-purpose spray is simply the dish detergent diluted with more water.
Yesterday made just 1/4 the Sal’s Suds liquid laundry detergent recipe. Today will try a half batch and hope it’ll go even better, especially since I just read all the comments so I see those extra tips.
Two issues. (1) The way it’s worded I’m not sure how much water you mean. (2) A lot of the boiling mixture was getting all stuck to the bottom of the pan (stainless steel pan, not non-stick). I don’t want to hurt my new pan by scraping metal spoon along it as if it’s a spatula when scrambling eggs. Should I get a wooden spoon or whisk? Lower heat?
Flower
P.S. A little tip. I began sharing someone’s washer and drier which were pretty dirty, and wanted to cut down on germs and for laundry to work well. So before doing laundry I scrubbed with sponge every bit of each inside and out with non-toxic soap and water, wiped off well with paper towels I threw out, got all lint residue off, then ran a load of just hottest water and around 1/2 cup Clorox bleach with extra rinse cycle. And swept well. Not a huge fan of bleach but with Coronavirus worries thought that all seemed smart. I’d also like to sanitize their outer surfaces once in awhile but haven’t picked sanitizer yet, maybe just diluted bleach.
Kasey
Hi everyone! I was determined to make this recipe work and be “pourable”. I have a few tips that I thought I would share.
1. I used 2 Tbsp of baking soda, instead of 3
2. As the detergent was cooling, I set a timer to stir with a whisk every 15 minutes. Once I noticed it beginning to thicken, I decreased my time to stir to every 5 minutes.
This is more labor intensive, but it worked and I am very pleased!! No more thick sludge!
Bren
Thanks for sharing your tips, Kasey!
Louise Schultz
Was really excited to try this. Cooked it up yesterday & let it cool overnight. The next day, it was like Jell-O. Is that normal?
So I wisked in a little bit more water to thin it down a bit. Didn’t want to dilute the solution. It still seems a bit gelatinous though. Is that ok?
Bren
Louise, adding more water to thin the detergent is just fine! Just remember to use a bit more per load to account for the extra water. It will also work when it is more gelled. Good luck!
Ap
I tried making your version 1 of laundry detergent and mine came out really thick and looking like wiped cream 😬 after blending it like you suggested.🤔 I’m still going to try the detergent in my laundry to see if it still works but with a small load of towels or something. Thank you for all your hard work and researching this homemade detergent.👍
Bren
Amy, you can add more water to thin until you get the consistency you desire then just up the amount you use per load to account for the extra water. Good luck!
Bri
Thank you for this recipe!! This is my 3rd time making it and I tripled the recipe & seems great so far!! My baking soda separated into little small chunks even after I sifted it… I’m going to try distilled water next time!!
Von
Hi Bren!
For the past 4 years, I’ve been researching & trying out new safer homemade laundry cleaners with no satisfying results. So, I KNOW how much time, effort, COST, and aggravation it can be. Therefore, I very much appreciate all the effort you put in and share! Your information/analysis/reasons have come the closest to my own experiences as to why some recipes haven’t worked. In any case, I’m about to try your liquid Sal Sud’s version. But, just out of curiosity, in your cost break down you mention, “my favorite commercial laundry detergent”. What is that detergent? I like to keep a store bought detergent on hand when in between my failed homemade attempts.
Bren
Von, I currently like Puracy, Biokleen and Whole Foods 365 unscented detergent.