Laundry Detergent Recipe


I made a batch of laundry detergent in January and haven’t had to make a new batch until today!

Here’s what I do:

64 oz. box of baking soda
55 oz. box of washing soda
76 oz. box Borax
3 bars Kirk’s Castille soap

I grate up my bars of soap in my Cuisinart then mix the baking soda and Borax together with it in a big bowl.  I then pour my detergent through my canning funnel on top of my old pickle jar.  I use about 1 T for each load, but if it’s a light load (rarely happens around here!) then I’ll use a bit less.  Sometimes I’ll pour in a little extra Borax if it’s a really dirty batch (like dirty, sweaty outdoor work clothes), but most of the time 1 T. will do it.

I use vinegar for my fabric softener.  Less than 1/4 cup will do just fine for a regular load.  The clothes don’t smell like vinegar after they’ve been dried, either.

I use Kirk’s Castille soap because it’s a natural soap and great for the sensitive skin of a few of our children. 

Total cost: less than $10 for the bar soap, the baking soda, and the Borax.  That’s less than $1.70 a month for our laundry detergent!  And figuring that we usually do about 12 loads a week that’s about 3 cents per load!

*I edited this to add 1 55 oz. box of washing soda.  I found it got clothes cleaner and made the recipe go further.  Those bars of Castille soap are expensive!


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