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3 Easy to Make Laundry Soap Recipes

Posted by Kelly Handmade Soap, Homemade Soap Recipes, Natural Cleaning 65 comments
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I’ve put together 3 Laundry Soap Recipes.  I have not called them detergent recipes, because detergents are surfactants, which I do not believe are healthy.  Instead, here are some healthier options for you and your family.

How to make laundry soap at home with a few simple ingredients so that you can have a healthier home and lifestyle. It's frugal, natural, and healthy. 3 recipes

Why make your own laundry soap?

  1. Cost.  It is a lot cheaper to make your own.
  2. Safety. Store detergents are filled with optical brighteners, synthetic fragrances, dyes, surfactants, and lots of other harsh chemicals.  They have been blamed for effecting all kinds of health issues.

Main Ingredients:

When cleaning, it’s all about temperature and ph levels.

  • Washing Soda (Sodium Carbonate or sodium salt of carbonic acid) is basically the same as baking soda (Sodium Bicarbonate) except that the molecules are larger.  These larger molecules will help clean your washing load better.  It will also absorb all odors. It is highly alkaline, but water helps to neutralize it (Which helps to soften water).  Scientifically, it stops magnesium and calcium ions from bonding.  It also neutralizes the acidity of chlorine in your water.  Like any other powder of this sort, you don’t want to breathe it in.
  • Borax (Sodium Borate) is also an analyzing agent that has been used for thousands of years.  It breaks down some of the water molecules in your washing into hydrogen peroxide.  Borax does its job better in hot or warm water.
  • Soaps are used in some recipes.  Make sure you use a pure soap.  Soaps are made through a chemical reaction between fats and sodium hydroxide.  Basically, the sodium hydroxide is neutralized as it changes the fat molecules into soap molecules.  Then, by curing, the process can complete until the soap has a neutral ph level.  The soaps add an extra cleaning power to your laundry soap.
3 Laundry Soap Recipes with natural, safe ingredients for your family

Laundry Powder #1

Ingredients:

  • 1 part Washing Soda (or Baking Soda)
  • 1 part Borax

Instructions:

  1. Mix baking soda and borax together and

Use: Add 1/4 cup to your washing load.  Add 1/2 cup vinegar in rinse (optional).  Use hot water on whites.

Laundry Powder #2

Ingredients:

  • 1 Part Washing Soda
  • 1 Part grated homemade soap (castile or tallow based lye soap)

Instructions:

  1. Grate the soap finely (harder lard soaps are easier to grind).
  2. Add equivalent of washing powder.

Use: 1/4 cup per load.  Add 1/2 cup vinegar in rinse.  Use hot water on whites.

3 Laundry Soap Recipes with natural, safe ingredients for your family

Liquid Laundry Soap

This makes 2 gallons; use ¼ cup per load (HE machine), 1/2 cup per load (regular)

Ingredients:

  • 1 oz grated bar of soap (lard or castile)
  • 1/4 cup washing soda
  • 1/4 cup borax
  • 2 Gallons water
  • Optional – add 15-30 drops essential oil of choice

Instructions:

  1. Place grated soap into a saucepan with 1 cup water.
  2. Heat on low and stir until melted.
  3. Fill a gallon jug half full with hot water.
  4. Pour melted soap, borax, and washing powder and shake until dissolved.
  5. Divide this mixture between the two 1 gallon jugs
  6. Add enough hot water to fill each jug, shake and replace lid.

Use: ¼ cup per load (HE machine), 1/2 cup per load (regular)

Click here for more natural cleaning recipes: Natural CleaningSaveSave


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65 comments

About Kelly

Kelly is the author of number one best seller The Natural Soap Making Book for Beginners and Easy Soap Making. She's also written multiple ebooks on herbal remedies and natural bath and body DIYs.Her journey toward better health has inspired her to make things in and around the home from scratch, start a homestead, and become more resourceful when it comes to health and home.She shares her recipes and DIYs here on Simple Life Mom and has a shop where she sells products for those who would rather buy than make (SimpleLifeMom.com/shop).

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65 comments

Leave your reply.
  • menusofamom
    · Reply

    October 18, 2012 at 1:42 AM

    Where do you find washing soda? I’ve never seen it, but it could be because I’ve never looked before 🙂

    • Jennifer
      · Reply

      June 15, 2023 at 7:19 AM

      I usually can find it at Walmart in the laundry aisle. Usually top shelf. Big uellow box. If not, I just read somewhere you can make your own by drying baking soda out in the oven on a cookie sheet. Good luck!

  • simplelifemom
    · Reply

    Author
    October 18, 2012 at 1:44 AM

    I find it by the laundry detergent. They usually have Borax and washing soda right next to one another.

  • journeythroughthegrey
    · Reply

    November 5, 2013 at 12:33 PM

    I wasn’t sure if you knew about the controversy around Borax? It is rated a 5-6 on EWG’s website. I did just find some recipes without borax that I’m going to give a go at 🙂

    • simplelifemom
      · Reply

      Author
      November 5, 2013 at 12:53 PM

      It is a bit conteoversial, but my personal research has found that there’s a lot of misinformation out there and do not find it more toxic than salt or baking soda. I love crunchy betty’ s article:
      htttp://www.crunchybetty.com/getting-to-the-bottom-of-borax-is-it-safe-or-no
      As for laundry detergent, you can make the liquid laundry soap without the borax. Thanks for the comment.

  • Laura
    · Reply

    December 9, 2013 at 9:58 AM

    Does the laundry powder #1 work well? I love that it only uses 2 ingredients that I can easily find.

    • Simple Life Mom
      · Reply

      Author
      December 9, 2013 at 11:11 AM

      That’s all that I use. Just make sure you put it in first and let the water run a minute so there’s no white marks on top of the clothes…but I guess that’s with all dry laundry detergents.

      • Erica
        · Reply

        April 21, 2017 at 10:47 AM

        Is it safe in a high efficiency washer?

        • Kelly
          · Reply

          Author
          April 24, 2017 at 4:40 PM

          As far as I understand, the only difference between HE detergents and others is the amount of bubbles. HE washers can’t take high amounts of bubbles. If that’s the only difference then this would work fine. My mother’s washer is HE and I wash my clothes with my own mixture every time I’m there without issue.

  • Daniela
    · Reply

    July 9, 2014 at 3:28 AM

    I have a washing machine that recommends only HE (I believe it stands for High Efficiency) soaps. How does this translate when using homemade detergent? I’d very much like to make my own.

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      September 2, 2014 at 6:28 AM

      Daniela, somehow your question got missed. Sorry about that. HE machines do not like lots of bubbles. The “special” detergents are just ones with less bubbling. Since these do not bubble much, they are great for HE machines.

  • Barbara Weber
    · Reply

    September 2, 2014 at 5:41 AM

    I remember the days of 20 muleteam borax detergent. I guess it is still around. I have been concerned about all the different detergents on the market used to be just one, borax. I am a soapmaker and I will try the detergent recipes. Great blog.

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      September 2, 2014 at 6:23 AM

      Thank you Barbara. Yes, that’s the reason I got started making my own. That and the fact that it’s super cheap!

  • Marcia Little
    · Reply

    November 3, 2014 at 10:23 PM

    I just started making my own laundry soaps, I love it. I do liquid, because it is easier in my top load machines. And every now and then, when I get lucky, one of the boys will run a load, whoopie! I taught them how with liquids, and I know they dissolve faster in the machine, so that’s what we use. Besides, making two gallons at once, is a whole lot less time consuming than a little bit at a time. Love your site.

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      November 4, 2014 at 6:37 AM

      Thank you Marcia. I’m with you, getting those boys in there to help is a great plus 🙂

  • Debbie
    · Reply

    November 17, 2014 at 8:14 PM

    Kelly,

    I just came across your blog today and I’m so impressed. Made the upside down pizza for dinner and it was great. Now I want to try your recipe for the liquid laundry detergent. My question is about the bar of soap. If I were to purchase a bar from your Etsy store, what type would you recommend and also what essential oil would you add? Just wondering…I’d like to do it right the first time. Also, do you have a store in Pittsburgh? We’re traveling there for Thanksgiving to visit my family and would love to visit your store if you have one.. Thanks!

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      November 18, 2014 at 3:55 PM

      Hi Debbie,
      Great to hear from you! In regards to the soap, you can use any soap, but I prefer soap that doesn’t have herbs in it (so you don’t have to filter them out). I like to use the lavender bars, but any will do.
      We love the upside down pizza! So easy and yummy – great combination in my book 🙂
      I personally just have the store online at etsy https://www.etsy.com/simplelifemom, but Revelation Health sells some of my products in their store in Pittsburgh (with a ton of other great products). You can find their info at https://www.revelationhealth.com

  • Joanna
    · Reply

    January 20, 2015 at 10:57 PM

    Hi Kelly,

    I just came across your blog today. Thank you for sharing 🙂

    I wanted to ask if the first recipe (baking soda and Borax) safe to use on color clothes and hand washables?

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      January 20, 2015 at 11:06 PM

      I do and have no problem.
      Over time they may look dingy, but all clothes do, that’s why they have all the brighteners in laundry soaps today…

  • Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
    · Reply

    January 30, 2015 at 6:59 AM

    This is so great and “green” chemical free!

  • maria smith
    · Reply

    February 19, 2015 at 5:35 PM

    I tried making my own laundry detergent once. While I was very pleased with my efforts, I wasn’t too impressed with the way it cleaned the clothes. Maybe I’ll have to give your recipes a try.

  • Michele Wilder
    · Reply

    March 20, 2015 at 7:31 AM

    I made the #3 recipe for laundry soap. When I was reading information on the box of borax it says you can add this to your regular detergent. So I am wondering if the little amount of borax and washing soap that makes two gallons is sufficient enough to clean clothes. Please advise.
    Thanks,
    Michele Wilder

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      March 20, 2015 at 9:45 PM

      Great question. Yes it is enough. Cleaning clothes, scientifically, involves changing the hardness of the water and causing the dirt molecules to release from the cloth. Changing the ph and hardness of the water is enough to accomplish this. Soap manufacturers these days go for bubbles, brighteners, perfumes, etc. But the science of actually just cleaning the clothes is pretty simple. The difference you may see over a year or so is your clothes not being bright, but that’s due to the lack of artificial brighteners.

    • Amanda
      · Reply

      November 8, 2015 at 4:41 PM

      Borax is a water softener, as is washing soda. Neither is actually a detergent or true cleaning agent.

      • Kelly
        · Reply

        Author
        November 8, 2015 at 10:23 PM

        Since detergents (which are mostly surfactants) are mostly toxic, it’s great to know that, chemically, the softening of the water loosens dirt molecules from the clothing. The only time you would need an actual soap to help do a better job is if you have oil on clothing. Soap will help to dissolve the oil into the water and wash it away. Oil does come from our skin (those lovely armpits too) and can cause clothes to look dingy over time without using a soap. That is why you can finely grate soap into your borax/washing soda mixture for extra cleaning power.

  • Beth
    · Reply

    October 7, 2015 at 1:09 PM

    Can you or do you use any of these with cold water? I saw most of the comments say hot water. Is that all you use? Thanks

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      October 8, 2015 at 10:21 AM

      I mention hot water because borax is much more effective with warm or hot water. You can definitely wash with cold water, but if you think the clothes are not getting as clean, switch to warm water.

  • Sue
    · Reply

    October 26, 2015 at 11:54 AM

    Is this okay to use with septic system?

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      October 26, 2015 at 4:58 PM

      It breaks down just like other soaps do so I don’t know why it would be any different, but I don’t know much about septic systems.

  • Arla
    · Reply

    December 2, 2015 at 9:04 AM

    I have been using a recipe that calls for the same ingredients. I have been using liquid castile. My husband complains that the clothes smell funny. I have noticed it too. Could it be from the liquid soap? Maybe I will try it w/o soap.

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      December 2, 2015 at 10:55 PM

      It’s hard to say without smelling them myself. Did you previously use a very strong scented detergent? You could just be smelling the water/soap/dryer combo scent without perfumes. You can always add a few drops of essential oils to a cloth and throw that in the dryer.

  • Joy
    · Reply

    February 15, 2017 at 10:05 PM

    I know it’s been a while since you posted this, but I was wondering if you’ve ever tried adding an essential oil for scent to #3? If so, how much?

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      February 16, 2017 at 2:03 AM

      2 gallons is a lot. I add 15-20 drops per gallon, depending on the essential oil. That’s enough to give it a light scent.

  • ANNE GOLDEN
    · Reply

    May 12, 2017 at 11:57 PM

    WOW! I just made 2 gal of liquid laundry soap for $3.02. I will never buy laundry soap again. And my soap does not have all the harsh chemicals. Thank you so much.

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      May 13, 2017 at 10:28 AM

      Congratulations! 🙂

  • Amy
    · Reply

    February 16, 2018 at 11:00 PM

    Can I use ivory bar soap ?

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      February 18, 2018 at 6:24 PM

      You can use any soap bar of your choice, as long as you grate it very fine.

      • Deb
        · Reply

        March 23, 2019 at 12:26 PM

        O I made a batch of you laundry bars. can I use them in this recipe.? Would one ounce be enough.

        • Kelly
          · Reply

          Author
          March 23, 2019 at 7:17 PM

          I would use 2 ounces grated extremely fine.

        • Terri Desjardins
          · Reply

          June 27, 2020 at 4:52 PM

          I have liquid Castile soap. Can I use it instead of a bar soap?

          • Kelly

            Author
            June 29, 2020 at 6:43 PM

            Yes you can.

  • Barb
    · Reply

    February 20, 2018 at 3:14 PM

    Hi Kelly,
    I did my laundry detergent for a while( with soap,bak.soda and borax) but gave up .Clothes smelled funny after a while in the closet and I never got rid of the smell of sweat from the sporting clothes from my hubby and daughter.
    I added essent.oils but did not get rid of the smell of sweat.Any other natural things to add into it to get rid of the smell.I would love to go back to natural .
    Thank you,
    Barbara

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      February 21, 2018 at 12:08 AM

      I haven’t had that problem. I’m not sure what else you could try at this point besides soaking before washing.

  • Leah
    · Reply

    June 10, 2018 at 6:38 PM

    Can you use goats milk based home made soap?

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      June 12, 2018 at 1:30 PM

      Yes, the key for laundry soap is to leave very little superfat content so that no fat is left to clog up your machine. If your goat milk soap is 2-4% superfat then it may make a good laundry soap.

  • Sarita
    · Reply

    January 30, 2019 at 9:02 AM

    Love the simplicity of these recipes! Laundry detergent is very expensive in this area, (northern Canada), and I’m ready to try homemade. I haven’t seen washing soda here though – may have to add it to my Amazon Prime order!
    Found you through the Homestead Bog Hop – thanks for hosting, and I love being a part of it and seeing what everyone is doing.

  • Debi Wayne
    · Reply

    March 18, 2019 at 5:40 PM

    Hi. I have your book with the recipe for laundry bars and it says 1 bar and 4 lbs of borax and 4 lbs of baking soda but not how much to use per load. Then when I went to your site, the amounts of borax and soda were only a 1/4 cup.
    Could you please clear this up for me? This was going to be the next recipe I tried from your book.
    Thanks, Debi

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      March 22, 2019 at 7:55 AM

      1/4 cup to 1/2 cup is enough to use per load.

  • John Martin
    · Reply

    January 8, 2020 at 1:26 PM

    Would it be safe in a high efficiency washer yes or no?

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      January 9, 2020 at 6:48 PM

      I have used it in a high efficiency washer myself without any problem. The detergent for those is just different in that it does not foam very much. This does not either, making it a great fit.

  • Lilit
    · Reply

    February 18, 2020 at 11:16 AM

    Thank you for precise and clear explanation about washing soda and borax before going to main point. Noted down.
    It’s written in the end that the soaps add an extra cleaning power to your laundry soap. Shouldn’t it be laundry powder? Instead of laundry soap?
    Thank you!

  • Ruth Paans
    · Reply

    February 18, 2022 at 7:46 PM

    Hi there,
    Thank you for this recipe! I’m going to try it. I’ve already made some of your soaps from your Beginners Soapmaking Book. Now I just have to be patient till it is finished curing before I can use them. But boy does my laundry room smell nice!

    But I do have a question. I have washing soda that is powdery with granules similar to baking soda but I also have w.s. that has large crystals the size of rock salt. Would either work for this recipe or even your dishwasher powder recipe? My thinking is that the powdery w.s. would be a lot easier to distribute evenly throughout the powder mixture than the large crystal w.s.

    Thank you!
    Ruth

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      February 21, 2022 at 5:19 PM

      I’ve used both. I think they both work well.

  • Dee Dee
    · Reply

    June 16, 2025 at 9:50 PM

    Hello! I have your book “Natural Soapmaking for Beginners”. I was going to use your soap bar recipe that is in it however, it doesn’t say how much of the mixture to use in the washing machine (like 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup) also I see in your directions above to use vinegar in the rinse cycle, I have read that it is hard on machines, do you dilute it? Thank you.

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      June 17, 2025 at 7:47 AM

      They do say how much at the bottom of each recipe. 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup depending on the recipe. The vinegar gets diluted as it is added to the cycle. The small amount balances the pH and helps minerals release from clothes. With laundry it’s all about pH and less about “soap” when it comes down to separating dirt and sweat. Interesting science! Vinegar is not hard on your machine at all when combined with a natural soap.

  • Joanne
    · Reply

    January 17, 2026 at 7:21 PM

    Buff City used Washing Soda, soap flakes and citric acid.
    BUT I use:
    Washing Soda
    Coconut Soap
    Borax
    Citric acid
    Oxygen whitener

    Seems to work.
    thoughts?

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      January 17, 2026 at 8:17 PM

      I wouldn’t use the citric acid or whitener because they’re synthetic but the rest is good. Just make sure the soap is grated very finely.

  • Alicia
    · Reply

    August 11, 2026 at 2:22 PM

    Is the laundry soap mix and borax safe for wool and cotton?

    • Kelly
      · Reply

      Author
      August 11, 2026 at 9:17 PM

      Cotton, yes. I haven’t used it on wool because I’m allergic, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t be.

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