How to Make Laundry Detergent

Posted by Melanie Jade Rummel  Add comments
Apr 092010

ingredientsfordetergentLaundry detergent in big plastic bottles?  No Way Man!  Ever Since Mark and I read about ingredients in laundry detergent and how they harm the environment in the book, Easy Green Living: The Ultimate Guide to Simple, Eco-Friendly Choices for You and Your Home, we’ve been making our own.  It’s easy, cost-effective, fun, and better for the environment.  Best of all, IT WORKS!

I didn’t want to recommend this to anyone before I knew for sure it could get out tough stains.  Mark played paintball while it was raining several months ago (before we started NoNewPlastic).  When he arrived home, he had mud all over his clothes.  I saw more mud than I did clothing, so I decided this would be the true test of our detergent.  I put the clothes in and waited with bated breath for the cycle to finish.  When I removed the clothes from the wash, they were  good as new and smelled fresh!  Yea!  I was so excited!  So now I will share with you how to make your own.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup borax (powder found in laundry aisle and comes in a cardboard box)

1/2 cup baking soda (in a cardboard box or bulk bin)

1 bar castile soap

We chose Dr. Bronner’s castile soap because every aspect of it is as environmentally friendly as they can make it, including the packaging.  Castile soap is gentle on skin and made from olive oil.  Many soaps are made from animal fat, which I look out for now and don’t buy.  However, if you can’t find castile soap, you can use any other vegetable based soap that doesn’t have lotions and other “stuff” in it (no beauty bars because they can leave a film or stain on your clothes).  Borax and baking soda are both natural ingredients.  Borax is mined, which is probably not so eco-friendly, but compared to the effects of using traditional detergents, I feel that it is better to use.

  1. soapGrate the soap.  We used the smallest size on a cheese grater.  You can also use a food processor, but that seemed like too much clean up to me.  However, it would be worth it if you make several batches at once.  When the entire bar has been grated, crumble the soap even more using your fingers.  (Check out that photo!  A super pro must have taken that shot, right?  Yeah, that was me :) )
  2. Put the grated soap, borax, and baking soda into a small container with a tight lid.  Shake for several minutes to mix.  Because this is powdered detergent, it’s best to mix everything while in a sealed container so you don’t breathe in the powder.
  3. Use 1 tablespoon for small/light loads and 2 tablespoons for large/heavy loads.  We begin our washing on the hot water cycle, put our powder in, and let it dissolve.  Then we add our clothes and change it to the warm/cold cycle for the rest of the time.  You can also dissolve the amount of powder you need in a cup of hot water before adding it to the washer.

How is this detergent eco-friendly?

  • All natural ingredients.
  • No large, bulky plastic packaging that is only used once (we use a small reusable container that we already had – yeah, I know it’s plastic, but we already had it, and it’s being reused over and over and over).
  • Cut down on shipping (we were using liquid detergent, which is heavy and costs more to ship than the light ingredients in our soap.  Also, the ingredients we bought will last us a lot longer than one bottle of normal detergent would).
  • Saves water (changing from liquid detergent to powder).
  • These ingredients can be used to make many other eco-friendly housecleaning products.

detergentAs a bonus, we know exactly what is in this soap.  What we’ve learned is that a lot of being eco-friendly is looking closely at ingredients, even in products that say they are eco-friendly.  We know there are no artificial colors, preservatives, or scents in this soap.  Also, we had a great time making it together.  It was a fun family activity.  To top it off, it was QUICK (15 minutes) and EASY!

PS.  Dr. Bronner’s soaps come scented with essential oils that smell delicious!  If you want to add your own, just add a few drops of essential oil to the powdered detergent and mix well.

Melanie Jade Rummel

This article was written by Melanie Jade Rummel. Melanie Jade and her husband, Mark, dedicated one year of their lives to learning about plastic, its environmental impact, and how they could reduce or eliminate non-essential uses of plastic in their lives. Join them for this year of discovery, revolution, and reinvention! Learn more about the project.
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  • http://frugalgreen.blogspot.com/ Laura

    You only need like 1-2 tablespoons for a load? That's insane! Once I use up what's left of our liquid laundry soap, I definitely want to give this a shot! Thanks!

  • http://frugalgreen.blogspot.com/ Laura

    You only need like 1-2 tablespoons for a load? That’s insane! Once I use up what’s left of our liquid laundry soap, I definitely want to give this a shot! Thanks!

  • lauren

    hmmmm maybe i'll try this….

  • lauren

    hmmmm maybe i’ll try this….

  • http://nonewplastic.com/consuming-less-stuff/ Consuming Less Stuff | No New Plastic

    [...]  We use baking soda for deodorant, cleaner, in our homemade detergent, and cooking.  One recyclable cardboard box instead of many different plastic [...]

  • http://analogme.typepad.com Sigrid

    Thanks for the recipe. I used to make this and then forgot how. I really does work and is good for felting wool too!

  • http://analogme.typepad.com Sigrid

    Thanks for the recipe. I used to make this and then forgot how. I really does work and is good for felting wool too!

  • http://nonewplastic.com/i-love-our-homemade-laundry-detergent/ I love our homemade laundry detergent! | No New Plastic

    [...] just used up the last of our homemade laundry detergent, but was able to make a whole new batch before the small load I put in the washer was even done. It [...]

  • Carla

    can this be used with front loaders? Cause I would sure like to give it a try.

  • Carla

    can this be used with front loaders? Cause I would sure like to give it a try.

  • melaniejade31

    Hi Carla,

    I've read on other websites that homemade detergent can be used on front loading washers because it is low-sudsing, which is apparently important for those types of washers. I don't know for sure, but that's what I've read.

    Thanks!
    Melanie Jade

  • http://www.mymagicaljourney.com Melanie Jade Rummel

    Hi Carla,

    I’ve read on other websites that homemade detergent can be used on front loading washers because it is low-sudsing, which is apparently important for those types of washers. I don’t know for sure, but that’s what I’ve read.

    Thanks!
    Melanie Jade

  • Karri A

    Do you think we could use this with cold water? I prefer to use as little energy as possible, including the hot/warm cycle. Though, I can see where you may start w/the hot to make sure the powder melts.

  • Karri A

    Do you think we could use this with cold water? I prefer to use as little energy as possible, including the hot/warm cycle. Though, I can see where you may start w/the hot to make sure the powder melts.

  • melaniejade31

    Hi Karri, I think if you make your detergent in a food processor so it's a fine powder, it shouldn't be a problem. You can also dissolve it in a cup of hot water before dumping it in your washer. Soap dissolves just as easily in cold water as in hot, so I bet it will be fine either way.

  • http://www.mymagicaljourney.com Melanie Jade Rummel

    Hi Karri, I think if you make your detergent in a food processor so it’s a fine powder, it shouldn’t be a problem. You can also dissolve it in a cup of hot water before dumping it in your washer. Soap dissolves just as easily in cold water as in hot, so I bet it will be fine either way.

  • Roni.Cedra

    Sorry to butt in, but I use a very similar recipe (I think I just add one thing) and it dissolves nicely in cold water!

  • Roni.Cedra

    Sorry to butt in, but I use a very similar recipe (I think I just add one thing) and it dissolves nicely in cold water!

  • http://www.lexingtonlaundry.com Laundry Lexington KY

    This is a very simple recipe. My kids love playing in mud and with their food! Will definitely try this one hoping to cut back some money using as much detergent that I've used in the past trying to fight stains!

  • http://www.lexingtonlaundry.com Laundromat Lexington KY

    This is a very simple recipe. My kids love playing in mud and with their food! Will definitely try this one hoping to cut back some money using as much detergent that I’ve used in the past trying to fight stains!

  • http://plasticsans.blogspot.com/ Jen

    This is AWESOME. I just started my own plastic-free journey and was wondering what to do about laundry detergent. I used to buy Charlie's Soap, but the last time I went to buy it it was in a plastic container instead of the old paper bag they used to use. ?! Your blog is a great resource – thanks!

  • http://plasticsans.blogspot.com/ Jen

    This is AWESOME. I just started my own plastic-free journey and was wondering what to do about laundry detergent. I used to buy Charlie’s Soap, but the last time I went to buy it it was in a plastic container instead of the old paper bag they used to use. ?! Your blog is a great resource – thanks!

  • http://joypeeps.com Mark Rummel

    I'm glad you found this article and the rest of the website helpful! If you come across any cool plastic-free solutions, please let us know about them. Wishing you the best on your plastic-free adventures! -Mark

  • http://markrummel.com Mark Rummel

    I’m glad you found this article and the rest of the website helpful! If you come across any cool plastic-free solutions, please let us know about them. Wishing you the best on your plastic-free adventures! -Mark

  • http://www.usedplasticpallet.net/pallet-containers-that-which-you-have-to-know-before-buying-them/ plastic pallet container

    I'm so love this blog, already bookmarked it! Thanks.

   
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