Laundry is always a never-ending, thankless job! Still, one has to do it. As the cost of laundry detergent is steadily mounting up, many people are turning to use DIY laundry detergent. They can be made easily by putting a few things together. Here are some recipes for you to consider.
Recipe for DIY laundry detergent powder
Recipe No. 1
Ingredients required
- Borax – 4 cups
- Washing soda – 4 cups
- Baking soda – 2 cups
- Pure bar soap or soap flakes – 4 cups
- Essential oil – 10 to 20 drops (optional)
Equipment/Tools required
- Grater
- Knife
- Measuring cup
- Rubber gloves
- Mask
- Bowl
- Container with lid
Method of preparation
You can find all the ingredients in the laundry aisle of the grocery stores. Getting soap flakes will make your job easier. Wear gloves and a mask before you start the process. It will keep you safe from hand irritation and inhaling dust.
In case you are using pure bar soap, cut it into large chunks with the knife. Then shred the chunks with a box grater or cheese grater whatever is handy to you. Alternatively, you may shred the soap chunks into a food processor to tune into dust. Keep it in a bowl.
Now add 4 cups of borax, 4 cups of washing soda, 2 cups of baking soda, and 4 cups of soap in the container. Thoroughly mix it with hand. Also, shake the container if required. You may add 10 to 20 drops of essential oils for fragrance.
Store the DIY laundry detergent in an airtight container with a label mention the ingredients used. Although airtight containers prevent caking to some extent, they cannot do it totally due to the absence of anti-caking ingredients that the branded detergents have. So, it is always better to prepare it in small quantities.Use from 1 to tablespoon of this homemade detergent per wash load.
Recipe No. 2
Ingredients required
- 1bar of laundry soap
- 1 cup of washing soda
Equipment/Tools required
- Food processor
- Knife
- Bowl
- Rubber gloves
- Mask
Method of preparation
Cut the laundry soap into pieces that will fit into the food processor. Shred each piece of the soap one at a time fixing the shredding blade and putting the lid on. Chop the pieces that do not get shredded in the food processor with a knife. Then take the chopped and shredded pieces of the soap into a bowl.
Next, remove the shredding blade and fix the mixing blade and add the soap in the bowl to the processor again. Cover with the lid. Add 1 cup of washing soda to the soap in the processor. Blend soda and the soap together until the mixture turns into a nice, coarse powder. While you can add many things the basic ingredients of a DIY laundry detergent are soap and water softener.
In this recipe, the washing soda does the job of a water softener and helps to clean better. Now the powder is ready to clean clothes. This is very simple and inexpensive. Store it in an airtight container. You can use one to two tablespoons of it for each wash load.
Recipe for DIY laundry detergent liquid
Recipe No. 1
Ingredients required
- Hot water -14 cups, divided into two halves
- Baking soda – one cup, divided into two halves
- Liquid castile soap – 1 cup
- Salt – ½ cup, divided into two halves
- Essential oil (optional)- 25 to 30 drops
Equipment/Tools required
- Measuring cup
- Large measuring glass
- Rubber gloves
- Mask
- Bowl
- Gallon-sized jug
Method of preparation
Take 7 cups of hot water, ½ cup of baking soda, and ¼ cup of salt in a large measuring glass or bowl. Continue stirring till the baking soda and salt get completely dissolved. It will look a bit cloudy at first but will be almost clear when the solution is complete.
You may heat the mixture in case you face difficulties in dissolving the baking soda salt. Pour the mixture into a gallon-sized jug. Now repeat the process with the remaining half of the ingredients and transfer the solution into the jug. Add one cup of liquid castile soap to the solution. You may also use 25 to 30 drops of essential oils like lavender or any other fragrance you like. Mix well by swirling, close, and put a label.
Your homemade detergent is ready. Using ½ cup of this liquid detergent can do the trick. You may fix your DIY laundry detergent requirement by trial and error method.
Recipe No. 2
Ingredients required
- Almost boiling water
- Borax
- Laundry booster super washing soda
- ZOTElaundry flakes
- Essential oil (optional)
Equipment/Tools required
- Measuring cup
- Rubber gloves
- Wooden spoon
- Mask
- Bucket
- Gallon jar
Method of preparation
Add 1 gallon of boiling water to one box of ZOTEflakes (17.6 ounces) in the bucket with a lid.ZOTE is a true soap and it has a fantastic cleaning property. If you like you can also use a ZOTE bar and turn it into flakes using a grater. Stir well with a wooden spoon until it mixes properly.
Next, add another 2 gallons of almost boiling water to the mixture and stir well for complete mixing. Now, add one cup of borax and one cup of super washing soda and stir well until everything gets dissolved completely. Then add a few drops of lavender, eucalyptus, or any other essential oil to add some fragrance.
Let it sit for one night. The mixture will turn into a thick consistency like store procured liquid detergent. Fill half of a gallon jar with the concentrated DIY laundry detergent liquid and the rest with water, and shake to mix properly. Also, shake it before every use. You can use it for regular and high-efficiency washing machines and also for emergency washing by hand. It is budget-friendly and lasts a long time.