Homemade Laundry Detergent

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Slowing Down Everyday Homemaking

You walk into your Fred Meyers or Haggens and head to the home section. Checking your grocery list, you go to check off laundry detergent, but which detergent did you actually choose? Liquid, powder, or pod? Tide, Gain, or Zum: Oz. Natural? Maybe you or a family member suffers from sensitive skin and allergies. Or maybe you’ve looked at the price tag on those name-brand laundry detergents and wondered how they keep raising the prices on you. Either way, maybe it is time to try out my homemade laundry detergent.

Making your own laundry detergent may sound like a lot of work, but it’s homemade recipes like this that help us slow down and really take inventory of what we are using in our homes. I started making my homemade laundry detergent back in 2024 shortly after I got sick. I wasn’t able to work so in an effort to save money and better know what I was putting on and near my body, I started making homemade laundry detergent and it turned out to be a game changer.

Homemade Laundry Detergent and Slow Living

You may be asking, “But Cora, how does homemade laundry detergent have anything to do with slow living?” And although the answer may not be obvious at first, you will understand why this was my first step in learning to live slower and more intentionally.

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Think about when you walk into a store. You are immediately bombarded with different options, all claiming to be better than the others. So, which one do you choose? Do you go with the cheap one that has an ingredient list a mile long? Or maybe you want something more natural, so you splurge and get the one that is double the normal price. At the end of the day, this may seem like a simple decision, but when you are faced with hundreds of these micro-decisions every day, it is common to experience decision fatigue.

If you are not familiar with the term, decision fatigue is the mental and emotional strain that results from making too many decisions. This can lead to increased stress, a decrease in ability to make decisions (can’t decide what’s for dinner tonight? The thought of picking out an outfit makes you want to cry?), and poor decision-making choices.

Right now, we live in a culture that rewards fast decision making, side hustles, and working until you drop. You always hear about different side hustles or that one mom who works full time, sells printables, keeps a spotless house, and has somehow not lost her sanity yet. Honestly, it is overwhelming and frustrating that this is considered the norm.

It’s this very culture that made me more sensitive to developing fibromyalgia and other chronic illnesses. So, in an attempt to slow my life down, I started looking into how to make more intentional decisions. It is this research that led me to DIY (Do It Yourself) recipes like the homemade laundry detergent.

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If you haven’t already, check out my post on advocating for yourself at doctor appointments! Or you can click here to download my prenatal appointment checklist!

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Benefits of Homemade Laundry Detergent

When trying to decide if making laundry detergent is right for you and your household, there are obviously advantages and disadvantages but let’s start with the benefits.

Pros

• Cost saving overtime
• Gentler on your skin and clothing
• Can adjust recipe to match your needs
• Lower-tox option for families and babies
• Reduces packaging and waste
• Reduces consumerism

When you first make a batch of your homemade laundry detergent, you will have a small upfront cost that is most likely more than what you usually spend on detergent. This is normal! But by following the recipe, you will find that this detergent lasts you far longer than regular detergent and the ingredients you buy make multiple batches, lasting you up to one year.

Drawbacks of Homemade Laundry Detergent

Now, it is time to be realistic. As much as I love the homemade laundry detergent, it obviously isn’t going to make your clothes smell like the inside of a flower shop. Any big-name brand is going to smell better than what you can make at home and if that is what you’re looking for, homemade laundry detergent is not for you. But besides that, there are a few other downsides to it.

• Can struggle to get rough stains out
• Takes longer to make it than to buy some
• Need space to store bulk items
• Does not hold any fragrances

All of this being said, I still prefer my homemade detergent. Yes, sometimes I need to throw a shirt in the wash twice to get out a nasty stain but for me that is not the end of the world. I enjoy the process of making the detergent and have no problems with storing bulk items or that it doesn’t hold fragrances. The clothes still come out of the was clean and smell free.

Ingredients You’ll Need

After a few different batches, I finally came across one that was simple but strong. With our two dogs and two cats in rainy Western Washington, it’s easy to get covered in mud, fur, and slobber. Not to mention the saw dust, grease, and oil from Wyatt latest project. This laundry detergent recipe not only is a great dirty buster, but only has 5 ingredients.

Epsom Salt

First, you will need Epsom salt. This helps soften the water and can improve how well the detergent rinses from your clothes. It also supports residue-free cleaning, which is especially helpful if you’re sensitive to detergents or fragrances.

Washing Soda

Washing soda is exactly what it sounds like. It is the primary cleaning agent in this recipe as it breaks down grease, lift dirt, and boosts the overall effectiveness of the detergent. This ingredient does most of the heavy lifting!

Baking Soda

Baking soda neutralizes odors and provides a gentle freshness without relying on artificial ingredients. It’s mild, effective, and works well on most types of clothing.

Sea Salt

Sea salt helps stabilize the detergent and supports even distribution of the ingredients throughout each load. It can also help reduce soap residue and contribute to cleaner rinses.

Essential Oils (Options)

Essential oils can be added for a light natural scent, but they are 100% optional. In my personal opinion, I didn’t find much of a difference between my batches that included the essential oils vs the ones that didn’t but that could be chalked up to my pregnancy stuffy nose. As a reminder, do not use essential oils on baby clothing as their skin is much more sensitive.

Making A Batch

To make a batch, you will need a large bowl, a mixing spoon, an airtight container for the finished product, and your ingredients. Making the homemade laundry detergent is actually easier that you may have initially thought. All you have to do is combine all the ingredients into the bowl and mix it until it is completely mixed. Once you are done mixing, you can pour the detergent into your airtight container and keep it next to your washer for your next laundry day.

How to Use It

It’s pretty simple! Just add 2 to 3 tablespoons of detergent to your washing machine and run it as normal. By the end of the wash cycle, transfer it to your dryer and you’re done!

FAQ