Homemade Laundry Detergent

 

I’ll be the first to admit it—I never thought I’d be the type to make my own laundry detergent. But leave it to my cousin to casually drop a game-changer into my life, and now I’ll never go back to store-bought.

She swore by this homemade blend and gave me that “just try it” look, and well… here we are. Not only is it simple and cost-effective, but it smells heavenly and actually works better than most store brands I’ve used. Plus, it just feels good knowing exactly what’s going into each load of laundry.

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own:

 Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe

• 1 box of Borax (4 lbs)

• 1 box of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (3 lbs)

• 1 box of Pure Baking Soda (2 lbs)

• 2 cups of Epsom Salt

• 1 cup of Salt

• Fragrance – We used Tyler Candle Company’s Diva scent (added the whole bottle – 454g), but you can use any fragrance oil or laundry-safe scent you love. Add as much or as little as you like depending on how strong you want it!

Mix all ingredients together in a large container (we used a 5-gallon bucket with a lid), and give it a good stir or shake. It makes a lot, so we poured some into a smaller container to keep by the washer and stored the rest in airtight containers for later.

 How to Use It:

Use about 2–3 tablespoons per load, depending on size and soil level. Works in both regular and HE machines!

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Honestly, it’s little things like this that make life feel a little more intentional. A little more “me.” Big thanks to my cousin for influencing my domestic era—next up, maybe I’ll try homemade dryer sheets? 

If you’ve ever wanted to dip your toes into homemade cleaning products, this is an easy (and great-smelling) place to start.

Let me know if you try it!