How to Make Homemade Laundry Detergent that Actually Works

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Making homemade laundry detergent can help save you money, not to mention you can eliminate harmful ingredients that can hurt the environment and cause skin irritation. Plus, once you have the ingredients on hand, it’s easy to make.

Dr. Josh Axe, a certified doctor of natural medicine, is founder of the natural health website DrAxe.com. The website focuses on natural medicine and healthy lifestyles and includes a group of credentialed editors, writers and a Medical Review Board. Dr. Axe offers up this simple recipe for homemade laundry detergent.

Ingredients

• 1 bar grated castile soap
• 2 cups washing soda
• 1 cup baking soda
• 15 drops lavender essential oil (optional)
• 15 drops peppermint essential oil (optional)

Directions

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container.

Use 1/4 cup per large load. Just adjust accordingly, especially for high-efficiency washers. You’ll get about 12 to 15 loads per recipe.

Why this Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe Works

Castile soap is made of plant oils and is gentle on skin, yet strong enough to thoroughly clean clothes.

Washing soda or sodium carbonate, is a highly effective natural cleaning agent that is a tough stain fighter.

Baking soda is inexpensive and is an effective non-toxic cleaning agent that is safe on skin and also if ingested.

Lavender essential oil (optional) adds a light fragrance to homemade laundry detergent. Just make sure it’s high quality, 100 percent pure lavender oil. Lavender oil also has antimicrobial properties so it works well as an addition to homemade laundry detergent.

Peppermint essential oil (optional) goes well with lavender and also has natural antimicrobial properties. As with lavender oil, make sure it’s a high quality oil.