Chemical Free Laundry Detergent

I hate laundry with a passion! I hate sorting clothes, changing loads, and don’t even get me started on folding and putting them away! Why?? Why can’t I have a machine that does it all for me? Oh yeah, because it is 2018 and those don’t exist yet. So every weekend, I sort clothes, change loads from washer to dryer, fold them, and put them away. It is a need; a necessity. So the question then becomes: how can I make it more fun? I pondered over that question for a while; like I’m still pondering. However, there are not many options to make laundry fun. Instead, I thought how can laundry save us money? Since it is a necessity, how can we spend less on something that we use weekly? A friend of mine suggested that I try making my own laundry detergent, which sounded intriguing. Where could I find a recipe though? Of course, PINTEREST!! So I began my dive into the black hole of Pinterest and it didn’t take long to discover that there were so many ways you could make your own laundry detergent. I quickly became overwhelmed but knew I couldn’t give up my search. I would find a recipe that I could make!

This post contains affiliate links. See my Disclosure and Privacy Policies for more info.

The first recipe that I tried was a powdered detergent. It called for Borax, washing soda, baking soda, and a bar of Fels Naptha. I made it in a 5 gallon bucket and it lasted forever! That bucket made 3 moves with us with the original mixture in it. Well, after we used it all, I was too lazy to make another batch. Turns out, it was exhausting to make. I had to grate the Fels Naptha bar, which was horribly painful. Plus, that 5 gallon bucket was heavy when it was full! I was NOT doing that again. Thus, we went back to buying our laundry detergent but I made sure we bought all natural detergent because of our new baby, Alexa.

A few months ago, I decided that I wanted to start going chemical-free. I thought the first place to start was the laundry room but there was NO way I was going to use that recipe from before. So I went back to Pinterest to see what I could find. My criteria: liquid form, chemical-free, and absolutely NO grating a bar of soap. I finally settled on this amazing recipe from Dwelling in Happiness. I didn’t want to make 2 gallons at a time so I reduced the recipe, making only 1 gallon at a time. My recipe is below but I want my readers to know that I am using Dwelling in Happiness’s recipe. She deserves the credit for coming up with the recipe, not me.

INGREDIENTS:

~1/4 cup of Super Washing Soda

~1/4 cup of Baking Soda

~1/2 cup of Castile Soap

~15 drops of your favorite essential oils

~1 gallon glass jar (I found mine at Walmart.)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pour the 1/4 cup of super washing soda into the 1 gallon glass jar. I buy Arm & Hammer’s Super Washing Soda here.
2. Pour just enough hot water into the glass jar to cover the washing soda. Stir until well dissolved.
3. Pour the 1/4 cup of baking soda into the mixture and stir until dissolved. Baking soda is inexpensive but Amazon is the best place to get it here!
4. Fill up with glass jar with hot water but leave 1/2 inch at the top.
5. Pour the 1/2 cup of castile soap into the glass jar slowly. Still slowly to mix all ingredients together. I use Dr. Bronner’s unscented because I can use my essential oils to add amazing smells.
6. Add 15 drops of your favorite essential oils**. If you want to know where I get my essential oils, then click here!
7. Stir carefully.
8. Add 1/3 cup of detergent with each load of clothes.

**My first time making it I added 10 drops of Purification to help eliminate odors and 10 drops of Stress Away to reduce stress levels. My second time making it I add 10 drops of Purification to help eliminate odors, 5 drops of Lavender to promote a calming effect, and 5 drops of Joy to lift spirits!

Here is the true awesomeness to each ingredient so you know exactly why those specific products are used:

Super Washing Soda: Or, “soda ashes,” are a highly alkaline substance, which means it can boost the effectiveness of laundry detergent. It makes for a great water-softening, stain-busting bleach substitute when added to laundry, and it neutralizes odors much like baking soda.

Baking Soda: Sodium Bicarbonate is also a detergent booster. It soften clothes, helps keep them bright, and keeps odors away.

Castile Soap: This natural soap is made from plant oils. It’s sensitive on skin and biodegradable. It has many more uses than just laundry detergent. I’ve even used it to make my version of “Shout.”

Essential Oils: These not only provide your laundry with delicious smelling scents, but also can have calming properties as well. I used Lavender and Joy in my detergent, and both these oils help to relax and improve moods. What are your favorite scents?

 

Y’ALL!! I seriously love this recipe! It is super simple and easy to make. No grating and no 5 gallon bucket! My 1 gallon glass jar sets nicely on my washing machine so it is easily accessible. It does clump a little over time but I haven’t noticed a difference in my laundry. I just stir the jar really good before I measure out my 1/3 cup. The clumps dissolve in the washing machine. Oh and did I mention that it is super inexpensive? I’ve made 3 gallons so far and I still have well over 1/2 of the super washing soda, the baking soda, and my Castile soap left. Not to mention that my essential oils last a long time! My husband even approves of this detergent. It gets his exercise clothes clean, including the smell, and it’s gentle on his work clothes too.

I’m so happy that I stumbled upon this recipe from Dwelling in Happiness. It has really changed our lives and the way we do laundry. Now don’t get me wrong, laundry still isn’t fun, but I enjoy doing it more because I know I’m not putting chemicals on our clothes. Plus, I love smelling them when they come out of the wash. It’s definitely more relaxing than before. 🙂