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Home » Money » Frugal Home » The Best Homemade Laundry Detergent to Save Money

The Best Homemade Laundry Detergent to Save Money

April 2, 2019 by Jane 58 Comments

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This best homemade laundry detergent recipe is super simple to make and saves us a lot of money per year. You’ll only spend $21 to make enough to use for up to one year!

Call me weird, but I love doing the laundry. Each time I see my laundry baskets clean and emptied every day, I just feel a big relief that an important job is already done. But let’s face it, laundry detergent is EXPENSIVE.

As of writing this, my previous detergent costs $33 which is only good for 110 loads. Since I do more than one load a day (because, well, I have a baby, I am constantly dirty and we have three dogs), I’d easily do at least 8 loads a week.

I was shocked to realize that, annually, I do over 384 loads and consume close to 4 bottles of detergent costing over $120. That does not include the cost of fabric softener, water, dryer sheets, bleach and electricity. All that combined and you’d probably spend a good $300 just for laundry.

I knew this needed to change so I started researching ways on how to trim the fat and eliminate unnecessary spending in this area.

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Table of Contents

  • Pin this! Or follow me on Pinterest!
          • This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission if you purchase through these links at NO additional cost to you. Please read my full Disclosure for more information!
  • Ways to Save Money on Laundry
  • The Best Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe
    • Ingredients
      • Washing Soda 55 ounces / 3.53 lbs
      • Oxyclean 7.22 lb
      • 2 Bars of Fels Naptha
    • Directions
    • How much does it cost per load?
  • I would love to hear from you!
    • What do you think of this recipe? Are you interested in making a homemade laundry recipe!
This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission if you purchase through these links at NO additional cost to you. Please read my full Disclosure for more information!

Ways to Save Money on Laundry

I’ve learned really cool tips that could help you lower the cost of your laundry such as using dryer balls instead of dryer sheets. I got this kind of dryer balls for only $4 at Marshalls and they’re reusable and eco-friendly. What they do is they fluff clothes good so you don’t have to use fabric softener and they help dry everything so quickly! That said, I ditched using fabric softener and save money on electricity as well.

I’ve also discovered an amazingly easy powder laundry detergent recipe and I am in love! What I really like about this homemade laundry detergent recipe is that it only costs me around $21 that will last me a year and it’s tough on stubborn stains. Our clothes smell good, too!

I know you can find tons of liquid detergent recipes online, but most of them look a bit complex to make and require more ingredients. After adding up the costs, I realized they are not the best options if you are looking to save money.

On the other hand, the best homemade laundry detergent recipe I’ve tried is super simple to make, and just works as good or better than my previous detergents.

The Best Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe

Now, onto the recipe and, I repeat, it’s really super simple.

Ingredients

Washing Soda 55 ounces / 3.53 lbs

Oxyclean 7.22 lb

You can substitute this with Borax but while Borax is a great stain remover, I’ve read it is not recommended for sensitive skin. Since I have a baby here, I decided to use a more baby-friendly ingredient.

2 Bars of Fels Naptha

Directions

First, grate the Fels Naptha bars in a bowl using a cheese grater.

Then, add Oxyclean and the washing soda into the bowl. Mix and voila, you already have a stain removing detergent!

How much does it cost per load?

As of writing this, these are the Amazon prices of the following ingredients:

Washing Soda-  $4.12

Oxi Clean – $12.98

You can buy the 7.22 lb box here.

Fels Naptha – $2.08 each x 2

Total:  $21.26

So, this jar full of detergent lasts us a full year as you’ll only have to use two tablespoons of detergent to clean a small- to medium-size load. You may need twice for big loads. Each load only costs between 4-8 cents!

I would love to hear from you!

What do you think of this recipe? Are you interested in making a homemade laundry recipe!

« How to Rock Your Next No-Spend Challenge When You’re a Spender
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Christine

    April 02, 2019 at 8:03 pm

    Awesome! I can’t wait to try this recipe. I have used a homemade liquid detergent for years and have thought about switching to a powder. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Jane

      April 05, 2019 at 12:11 pm

      Hey Christine, thanks for stopping by! I hope you’ll love this recipe.

      Reply
      • Lucia Harris

        June 16, 2021 at 4:14 pm

        Can you use in HE washer?

        Reply
        • Dorothy

          February 27, 2022 at 7:12 pm

          Yes because it does not sud up like other detergents that are not he.

          Reply
      • rebecca

        November 03, 2021 at 4:13 pm

        i have made homemade laundry soap and all the recipes ive made isnt sudsey enough. Ive used 4 bars of soap. what can i do?

        Reply
  2. Kaitlyn

    January 08, 2020 at 11:49 am

    This worked great! I only used one bar of soap since I was in a rush since there was a stain waiting for me (our puppy had a #2 accident on the bed) but one bar worked fine. I’ll be adding the second because I love the smell of the soap lol. We had planned on switching to powder detergent since the pods are so expensive and won’t work on a mattress so luckily I had all the ingredients waiting for me. This worked great at getting the stain out. And we’re so looking forward to saving the extra cash! Great recipe thank you!!

    Reply
    • Krystena

      January 28, 2023 at 6:44 pm

      What size scoop are you using to measure out the amount per load?

      Reply
  3. Missy

    January 29, 2020 at 7:47 pm

    Does this work with front loading machines and does it keep dark colors bright over time?

    Reply
    • Yvonne

      April 15, 2020 at 8:34 am

      What did you replace the Fels Naptha with?

      Reply
      • Jane

        April 15, 2020 at 11:55 am

        Hi Yvonne, you can simply omit Fels Naptha and just mix the other two ingredients, as I’ve read it “collects” soap scum in the clothes. I’ve used this recipe (with Fels Naptha) for quite sometime now and it’s worked really good and I love it. It smells really clean and good.But I use the mix sans Fels Naptha for expensive clothes.

        Reply
  4. Lauren

    February 04, 2020 at 3:09 pm

    Just ordered my supplies! For a front loader, do you put the detergent right in the washer or can you still use the drawer that takes the liquid detergent?

    Reply
    • Jane

      February 09, 2020 at 11:03 pm

      Hi Lauren! I just put the detergent directly in the washer 🙂

      Reply
    • Tabby

      September 17, 2020 at 1:03 pm

      Hello! I was just curious what size box or tub you use to store the detergent?(: I’m about to order my supplies and wanted to go ahead and order that too!

      Reply
      • Jane

        September 17, 2020 at 2:20 pm

        Hi Tabby, I didn’t buy my detergent container. I bought a huge jar of pickles from Costco a long time ago and saved the container for the detergent. You can find awesome air tight jars here

        Reply
        • Jenn

          October 02, 2022 at 4:52 pm

          How many cups does the mixture make? So I know what size container I need…

          Reply
  5. Barbara

    March 10, 2020 at 2:51 pm

    Good luck trying to find washing soda in the states at least.

    Reply
    • Bri

      March 14, 2020 at 11:03 pm

      You can get washing soda at Walmart arm & hammer make it and you can also buy it on Amazon

      Reply
    • Terri

      August 06, 2021 at 4:26 pm

      Walmart. Tho I don’t like going there.

      Reply
    • Jeannine J Cox

      October 21, 2021 at 7:55 am

      you can make washing soda, preheat oven 400- put baking soda in large pan, get all the lumps out with your hands spread it out evenly- now put in oven for 1 hour. Stir 3-4 times during baking time. it doesn’t matter if you leave it longer, you can’t over bake it. As soon as it comes out of the oven, put it in a container with a lid.

      Reply
    • Michelle Windle

      May 08, 2022 at 5:19 pm

      Got all of mine off Amazon & Walmart I’m in the states

      Reply
    • SM

      March 27, 2023 at 5:58 pm

      I find it in the cleaning supplies isle, close to laundry soap. I’ve also swapped it out for a giant box of regular baking soda and it worked well, Good luck to you.

      Reply
  6. Brittany Torres

    March 15, 2020 at 10:35 pm

    How much of this are you using per load?

    Reply
    • Lori

      May 03, 2022 at 6:37 pm

      2 Tbsp for a small-medium load, more for a larger load

      Reply
  7. Queenkelz

    April 15, 2020 at 11:28 pm

    I made this yesterday and my daughter in law tried it last night and I tried it today and so far so good we love it. Thanks for the recipe

    Reply
  8. Serena

    July 17, 2020 at 3:40 pm

    Hi! I am wondering if this clumps if I don’t have an airtight container to store it in. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Jane

      July 17, 2020 at 6:35 pm

      Hi Serena, I’ve stored it once in thin plastic containers that are not airtight and it was ok. Didn’t clump. But I recommend using airtight containers most especially if you are living in a humid area.

      Reply
      • Kelsey

        July 07, 2022 at 5:35 pm

        How much of all supplies do you use?? The whole box of washing soda and whole box of oxi clean? And how big are your boxes

        Reply
  9. Heidi

    July 21, 2020 at 5:25 pm

    Trying this for the first time today. I made something similar yrs ago and loved it. Lasted our family of 7 six months. I used this recipe today and also added 2 lbs baking soda to it. No scent booster cause i want to see how i like it first without it.

    Reply
  10. Taylor

    August 17, 2020 at 8:13 pm

    Would it be ok to use an all natural laundry bar instead of fels naptha?

    Reply
    • Jane

      August 17, 2020 at 9:19 pm

      YES! All natural laundry bar is great too!

      Reply
  11. Carol Flint

    November 01, 2020 at 5:19 pm

    How much do you use per load?

    Reply
    • Lori

      May 03, 2022 at 6:39 pm

      2 Tbsp for small-medium load; more fore larger load

      Reply
  12. Texas Nana

    November 03, 2020 at 2:35 pm

    I dont care for the smell of the bar soap you use inthis recipe and substitute zote bars instead (two bars per recipe.) I used borax with no skin sensitivity noted by me or my allergy sensitive daughter. Twelve dollars make 2 gallons of powder. I preferr a finer poeder and used ny blender to make a finer powder .Just blederized powder for 4-5 secongs every 1.5 cups. ) . I use a tablespoon per regular load and two of realy soiled.

    Reply
  13. Christine

    November 04, 2020 at 9:33 pm

    The washing soda makes me itch along with the borax what can I use instead. Please reply.

    Reply
    • Jane

      November 15, 2020 at 7:21 pm

      Sorry for this late reply, Christine. Borax does the same to me. It’s the reason why I didn’t use Borax for this homemade laundry detergent because I have a toddler with sensitive skin. I highly recommend using Oxyclean instead of Borax

      Reply
  14. Michelle

    December 21, 2020 at 12:45 am

    Would this be OK for newborns?

    Reply
  15. Jill

    December 29, 2020 at 11:40 pm

    Can I add laundry scent beads to this?

    Reply
    • Jane

      December 30, 2020 at 12:46 pm

      I’ve not tried it but I believe you can. Just make sure to store the detergent in an airtight container and keep in a cool place. 🙂

      Reply
      • Jill

        January 08, 2021 at 12:58 am

        Thanks!

        Reply
  16. Elizabeth

    January 05, 2021 at 3:38 pm

    Can this recipe be used to make laundry tabs by adding vinegar?

    Reply
  17. Julie

    February 27, 2021 at 1:12 am

    How much do you use per load? Thank you so much!!

    Reply
    • Lori

      May 03, 2022 at 6:43 pm

      2 Tbsp for small-medium loads; more for large loads

      Reply
  18. Valerie L Kotrc

    March 05, 2021 at 9:21 am

    I have made this and works wonderful. I did add the scented beads to it along with a 1/2 container of OxiClean. 1-2 Tablespoons per load and you’re off the to races.. Works Great!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  19. Kay Schuler

    March 19, 2021 at 2:17 am

    I have used a recipe almost identical to this for years and love it! I wouldn’t go back to store bought for anything. My teen daughter that is allergic to almost every brand in the stores can easily use this. I also use it in a front load machine (Missy) without issue. I just put it in with the clothes instead of the top cup. It tends to get crusty with any powder soaps so I just make that alteration and it works great. I also love a few drops of Dawn liquid for set in grease stains. A few drops, rub a bit and drop it in the wash. It works fabulously!

    Reply
    • Jane

      March 19, 2021 at 7:49 pm

      Adding a few drops of Dawn liquid is a great idea! Thanks!

      Reply
    • Shelly

      October 18, 2022 at 2:33 pm

      What is it that you use in your laundry soap cuz I have cancer and very sensitive skin and my son has psoriasis so is their a different way I can make it?

      Reply
  20. Diane Harroff

    July 15, 2021 at 3:56 am

    I have made this recipe and found that I can put whatever bar soap I use in the microwave for a minute or two, and it kind of foams up and becomes very crumbly. Then I simply crumble it up into the mix. Works great and saves my arthritic hands from the grater.

    Reply
  21. Ana

    December 01, 2021 at 10:13 pm

    How much detergent do you use per load?

    Reply
    • Lori

      May 03, 2022 at 6:46 pm

      2 Tbsp for small-medium load; more for large load

      Reply
  22. Linda

    April 13, 2022 at 10:51 pm

    Can I use essential oils in the recipe to boost the smell? Or, has someone already tried this…..would like your opinion.

    Reply
    • Jane

      April 22, 2022 at 12:45 pm

      Hi Linda! Yes, you can. I use essential oils as well and it works wonders!

      Reply
      • Jamie

        September 24, 2022 at 11:35 pm

        Do you add essential oil to the entire amount when you first make it, or are you adding the drops per load as you do laundry?

        Reply
  23. Tanis

    April 26, 2022 at 3:49 pm

    Looking forward to trying this. Would you get the same results by omitting the oxyclean? I plan on using Sunlight laundry bars instead of the Fels Naptha. TIA.

    Reply
  24. Beckie

    October 30, 2022 at 12:41 pm

    What is everyone using now that Fels naptha has been discontinued?? Kirks Castile is available but doesn’t get the job done very well. Looking for ideas. TIA

    Reply
    • MacKenzie

      November 13, 2022 at 5:49 pm

      Zote Brand bar soap is what I’ve always used!

      Reply
  25. MacKenzie

    November 13, 2022 at 5:47 pm

    I just wanted to let you know that I have been using this recipe for over 2 years now and I absolutely love it! I refuse to use anything else as it doesn’t compare! I do however use the Zote brand laundry soap bars.

    Reply
  26. Vira

    December 09, 2022 at 12:14 am

    I made an eighth of the full recipe to try it (didn’t want to waste ingredients in case it didn’t work well). Well, I liked it so much that I just made a whole big container of it. I also added about 50 drops of Lemon Essential oil to it this time. It works well and I feel good about the ingredients. I’ve been looking for a natural laundry detergent for a while and now I can stop looking! Thank you so much for this!

    Reply
  27. Sommer

    December 29, 2022 at 3:32 am

    How big of a container do you need?

    Reply

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