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Home » All-Natural Homemade Stain Remover for Laundry

All-Natural Homemade Stain Remover for Laundry

Published February 4, 2014 45 comments >>

Laundry supplies are some of the most important cleaners in the home, but they can also be some of the most toxic. This All-Natural Homemade Stain Remover for Laundry makes a powerful stain fighter and laundry pre-treater that you can feel safe using in your home. PLUS it only cost pennies!

This All-Natural Homemade Stain Remover for Laundry is a simple DIY that makes an effective stain fighter that you can feel good about using. It rates and A on the EWG healthy cleaners scale and only cost pennies to make!

This post uses affiliate links, see Policies & Disclosures for more information. 

 

I’ve been using my homemade Laundry Detergent for several years and I love the way it cleans and the fact that it is non-toxic. However, I still wanted a non-toxic stain remover to use as a pre-treater for difficult laundry stains. ‘Cause you know, kids… dogs…. and my love of chocolate.

Why I Make Homemade Laundry Supplies

A few years ago I read an article about hazardous chemicals in household products and began investigating the cleaning/household products I used on the Environmental Working Group’s Consumer Guide.

I found some pretty shocking information!

For years I had been using a commercial stain treated that did a great job and cost about $5.00 for 60 ounces. But, my trusty stain remover scores a F for problems such as skin irritation and development toxicity.

Yuck! I decided I could do better.

Non-Toxic Stain Remover DIY

I adapted a recipe for liquid laundry detergent into Non-Toxic Stain Remover. I used this basic recipe from Budget 101 and replaced the ingredients that scored high in toxicity with ones that scored better.

Original Recipe

EWR Rating

New Recipe

EWR Rating

Super Washing Soda

A

Super Washing Soda

A

Borax

F

Eliminated Borax

 –

Fels-Naptha

C

Kirk’s Original Coco Castile Soap (Fragrance Free)

A

Non-Toxic Stain Remover Cost

My new homemade stain remover rates an “A” on the EWG scale and is cost effective. I make 64 ounces for $1.11! Here’s the breakdown:

  • Washing Soda, $0.47
  •  Castile Soap, $0.64
  • Total cost = $1.11 for 64 ounces

This All-Natural Homemade Stain Remover for Laundry is a simple DIY that makes an effective stain fighter that you can feel good about using. It rates and A on the EWG healthy cleaners scale and only cost pennies to make! 

How to Make Non-Toxic Laundry Stain Remover

Ingredients

  •  1/2 of a 4 oz. bar Kirk’s Original Coco Castile Soap, Fragrance Free, grated
  • 1 cup (8 oz.) Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
  • 8 cups of water
  • 2 – 1 quart canning jars or 2 quart bowl with lid
  • Blender or  immersion blender
  • 2 quart sauce pan (not aluminum)

Directions

  1. Grate or finely chop soap (1/2 bar).

This All-Natural Homemade Stain Remover for Laundry is a simple DIY that makes an effective stain fighter that you can feel good about using. It rates and A on the EWG healthy cleaners scale and only cost pennies to make!

  1. Heat 4 cups of water to boiling in 2 quart saucepan.
    • Add grated soap to boiling water and stir until melted (this happens quickly, about 30 seconds).
    • Add 1 cup washing soda and stir until fully dissolved (this takes about 2 minutes).

This All-Natural Homemade Stain Remover for Laundry is a simple DIY that makes an effective stain fighter that you can feel good about using. It rates and A on the EWG healthy cleaners scale and only cost pennies to make!

  1. Pour 2 cups of soap and washing soda mixture into each quart jar or the 2 quart bowl.

This All-Natural Homemade Stain Remover for Laundry is a simple DIY that makes an effective stain fighter that you can feel good about using. It rates and A on the EWG healthy cleaners scale and only cost pennies to make!

  1. Add 2 cups of water to each jar, leaving room for blender top (or four cups to a bowl). Seal jars, shake lightly to combine and place upside down to cool. (if using bowl, stir lightly to combine and cover.

This All-Natural Homemade Stain Remover for Laundry is a simple DIY that makes an effective stain fighter that you can feel good about using. It rates and A on the EWG healthy cleaners scale and only cost pennies to make!

  1. Let mixture cool until it is gelatinous and white. This takes from 4-6 hours (go do something fun).

This All-Natural Homemade Stain Remover for Laundry is a simple DIY that makes an effective stain fighter that you can feel good about using. It rates and A on the EWG healthy cleaners scale and only cost pennies to make!

  1. Blend each jar to combine by attaching blender bottom to mason jar. If using bowl use a hand mixer or immersion blender to blend into a creamy mayonnaise-like sauce.

This All-Natural Homemade Stain Remover for Laundry is a simple DIY that makes an effective stain fighter that you can feel good about using. It rates and A on the EWG healthy cleaners scale and only cost pennies to make!

  1. Store in a recycled soap pump or squeeze bottle for easy laundry application.

Non-Toxic Laundry Routine

Use this stain fighter on tough stains then wash you laundry with Borax Free Grade A Laundry Detergent. Fill the washer’s fabric softener dispenser with Homemade Fabric Softener or white vinegar for softening.

This laundry routine is cheap and healthy plus it is keeps clothes in top shape AND you can feel good about using it in your home.

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Marie

    July 13, 2020 at 12:54 pm

    Thank you for this recipe! Any reason why I couldn’t halve it? I live alone so this would take eons for me to use up

    Reply
    • Bren

      December 7, 2020 at 1:33 pm

      You can halve the recipe!

      Reply
  2. Sharifa

    May 30, 2020 at 1:57 pm

    Hi, if I’m using a bowl instead of mason jars, can I just add the balance of the water into the pot that has the soap n washing soda mix already and allow and then blend? Or do I need to use a separate bowl?

    Reply
  3. Alisia

    April 18, 2020 at 12:23 pm

    Could you use liquid castile soap in place of the bar soap? I have tons of liquid that I made earlier this year and use it in everything. I’m excited to try this recipe! I also have a bunch of washing soda that I had been using in my dishwasher I no longer have a use for since finding your Lemon Dishwasher Gel recipe. Oh and I can’t not mention that I absolutely love your fabric softener recipe!

    Reply
    • Bren

      April 22, 2020 at 4:48 pm

      Alisa, I’m sorry to say I’ve not tried it with liquid soap so I can not promise how well it works or how much to use. However, it should be okay. Thank you for the kind words!

      Reply
  4. Sharon

    September 18, 2019 at 1:41 pm

    Trying to get my husband away from his weekly bottle of Spray n wash habit and looking for something gentle for my super sensitive skin. I’m making this right now. I already buy washing soda, so I’m eager to have less stuff to buy at the store and fewer plastic jugs in the house. Thanks so much.

    Reply
    • Bren

      September 30, 2019 at 2:00 pm

      Hope it works well for you!

      Reply
  5. Tree

    April 8, 2019 at 8:41 pm

    How do u use this stain remover? How long do u let it dry on a stain?

    Reply
    • Bren

      April 10, 2019 at 9:54 am

      I squeeze some onto the stain and then toss the garment into the wash. If it is a stain on white fabric I will give it a little time to rest before washing.

      Reply
      • Tree

        May 23, 2019 at 6:27 pm

        Do u ever have to scrub or rub the stain remover into the clothing if you have set in stains or tough stain?

        Reply
  6. Tree

    April 6, 2019 at 1:08 pm

    Does the stain remover/sauce with washing soda/bar of soap work better than the all purpose cleaning paste with baking soda/liquid Castille soap in whitening clothes and get rid of stains?

    Reply
    • Bren

      April 10, 2019 at 9:55 am

      I think they both work equally well.

      Reply
  7. Ron

    October 25, 2018 at 1:52 am

    Do the store bought washing soda clean better than home made version?

    Reply
    • Bren

      October 25, 2018 at 7:55 am

      I’ve never made homemade washing soda so I can not compare the two. Let me know if you try! 🙂

      Reply
  8. Marissa

    September 26, 2018 at 10:30 am

    I was wondering could you replace the castile soap with Sals Suds? If so how much Sal Suds would you reccomend? I am so glad I found your site you answer all my questions I have about natural cleaning. I am just starting the transition I realized after having my daughter how bad commercial cleaners smelled and started looking into how bad they are!! I always felt like I couldn’t clean with cleaners when she was in the house that was a major sign we needed a change. Your recipes seem simple and effective I cant wait to try them all out!! Thank you for all your post!!!

    Reply
    • Bren

      September 26, 2018 at 12:59 pm

      Marissa, I’ve never made this recipe with Sal’s Suds so I’m not sure it would work. You could make my all-purpose cleaner with Sal’s Suds. It works greaat on laundry stains!

      Reply
  9. Indi16

    September 9, 2018 at 5:27 pm

    What do u use to whiten your clothes? Does this stain remover get out old dry stains that have set in the clothes?

    Reply
    • Bren

      September 10, 2018 at 7:45 am

      I use a little extra washing soda in a load of all whites or add a little hydrogen peroxide. Yes, this stain remover works on old stains. You might also want to check out my all-purpose cleaner, it works great on laundry too.

      Reply
  10. Angela Yeung

    December 19, 2017 at 1:32 pm

    what is the recipe for if I use liquid castile soap?

    Reply
    • Bren

      December 19, 2017 at 7:21 pm

      Angela, I’m not sure I understand your question. Are you asking why you would use the stain remover if you are using the liquid laundry detergent? You don’t have to use both. I like to use this pre-treater with my powdered homemade laundry detergent.

      Reply
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