How to Make DIY Laundry Detergent at Home

Most commercial detergents contain toxic chemicals that affect our skin, respiratory and digestive systems. When you use them to wash utensils and get into your system, they could cause several health issues like diarrhea, breathing problems, or irritation of the throat.

Before you buy any commercial detergent, first check the ingredients. However, you could also make your own detergent at home to ensure its safety for you and your family.

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Making your own detergent is cost-effective and simple. Keep reading to learn how to make your own detergent from scratch.

How to Make DIY Laundry Detergent at Home
Image Source: What The Efff

Why Your Own Laundry Detergent?

There are enormous benefits to making your own homemade detergent.

The first benefit of a DIY home detergent is it’s economical. You will save a few dollars when you buy the ingredients and make your own. However, where you buy your ingredients matters as some stores are more expensive than others.

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When you make your own detergent, you include only the ingredients of your choice. You won’t include harmful or toxic chemicals that will affect your hands. Rather you will customize it to your liking with only safe chemicals for your skin.

Also, depending on the purpose, you can choose to include more of the cleanser (baking soda) and less Borax and vice versa. If you need a scented one, you can add essential oils of your choice.

Make Your Own DIY Laundry Detergent

The following is a list of ingredients and the procedure required for making your own laundry detergent. Most ingredients can be found in your grocery store.

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Ingredients

  • Borax
  • Washing soda
  • 5.5oz Fels-Naptha soap or any soap of your choice in the same amounts
  • 5-gallon bucket

Procedure

  1. Begin with grating your Fels-Naptha (or any soap of your choice). Fill a pot with 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add the soap shreds to the pot of hot water. Reduce the heat to medium and stir until all the soap shreds have melted completely.
  2. Fill your 5-gallon bucket halfway with hot water. Pour the melted and hot soap mixture into the bucket. Add 1 cup of washing soda and 1 cup of Borax and stir.
  3. If you want your detergent to have a particular scent, now is the time to add your essential oil of choice. Add ½ oz to 1 oz depending on how scented you want your detergent.
  4. Add warm water to the bucket until full and stir. If you don’t have long enough equipment to use to stir in the bucket, then put on rubber dish gloves before you begin the process.
  5. Cover your bucket and let it sit for 24 hours. It should get a gel texture after that.
  6. Your detergent is ready for use. You can divide it into portions and store it in airtight containers. Some people also choose to dilute it at this poin.
How to Make DIY Laundry Detergent at Home
Image Source: Home Hacks

Important Notes

It will be more of a gloppy gel than a pure gel, but this is ok. If you make a few errors in mixing the ingredients or it’s a humid day, your liquid detergent may remain in liquid form.

When this happens, it’s still ok because the cleansing power is in the ingredients and not the texture. But if you prefer to have it like store-bought detergent, use an immersion blender to mix the ingredients.

If you need a dilute detergent, fill a container halfway and fill it up with water. Whatever you do at this stage is a personal choice.

Final Thoughts

If you want to save money used on buying store detergents, there is no better way than making your own. Save a few dollars by trying out this DIY laundry detergent at home.