Make Your Own Powder Laundry Detergent - Tutorial

This morning I made another batch of our homemade laundry detergent and thought I would share. It's such an easy process, saves money, makes less waste and works very well! For really dirty, stained clothes you will need to supplement this recipe with a stain stick or bleach but for everyday normal grime, this recipe is perfect. There are many different variations on this recipe out there, but I believe I found this one in The Herb Quarterly a while back.

Basic Recipe:

1 basic bar of soap (castile, Ivory, etc.)
1 cup Borax
1 cup Washing Soda
Essential Oils (optional)

To Use:

Add 1 tbsp - 1/4 cup per washer load depending on size
(We generally use 1-2 tbsp, even for our large loads)

Step 1 - Gather your ingredients. Borax and Washing Soda are both inexpensive items you can purchase at your local grocery store. I am a budding soapmaker and so I use one of our unscented bars in this laundry detergent. You will also need a jar to hold your finished project - a quart jar works well.

Step 2 - Grate your bar of soap.


Step 3 - Add your Borax and Washing Soda and mix well with your hands until it is a crumbly, gritty consistency.




NOTE - At this point, you can add in your essential oils if desired. Add 10-15 drops (or whatever you like) and use a mortar and pestle or something along those lines to grind the oils into the powder. Citrus works well on grease; tea-tree is antimicrobial; lavender smells wonderful; etc.

Step 4 - Pour your detergent into a jar and call it a day! You've made your own laundry detergent!