There’s a big problem with your homemade laundry soap, and you’re not going to like it. Read this before doing your next load of laundry!
NOTE: Just a little forewarning that this is a pretty long post – one of my longest, actually. It’s jam-packed with information about this homemade laundry soap issue, so grab a cup of your favourite beverage, get comfortable, and join me for this in-depth discussion…
Also – please note: This is just my experience with this issue. I know many people who are still using – and loving! – their homemade laundry soap, which is awesome. But this post is meant to share my personal experience, in case it’s helpful for anyone who has had similar issues.
One last thing – several readers have mentioned that the liquid version is better than the powder version because it doesn’t cause build up. Or even dissolving the powder version in some boiling water first before adding it to your washer. These are great tips, and if they work for you, awesome!
Ok, on to the post!
I still remember being pregnant with my first baby. I was over the moon excited!
But after the initial shock and thrill calmed down,
things got real.
I realized right at that moment that everything I put in, on, or near my body would affect this precious new baby growing inside of me. Every bite of food, every bath product, every cleaning product…
All of a sudden, my whole house seemed like a toxic no-go zone. Nothing felt safe. Everything was going to kill me. And I couldn’t touch, let alone breathe in, any of the chemicals that were now taking over my house!
Yes, I know I was being a little over-dramatic, but I’ll just blame that on the pregnancy hormones. 😉
Either way, I knew one thing, and I knew it well – when the time came to wash the baby’s new clothes, I was NOT using the same conventional laundry detergent (cough – Tide® – cough) I’d been using since well…pretty much as long as I can remember.
And by that time I was on a small DIY-kick with my homemade non-toxic deodorant, so I was already feeling up to the challenge of making homemade laundry soap. I mean, how hard could it really be?
Turns out, not that hard at all.
Just a few simple ingredients, stir them all up, and you’re on your way to the cheapest, non-toxic homemade laundry soap you’ll ever find.
I washed a few loads to test it out, and it seemed to get the job done. And it really was cheap – I’m talking pennies per load. That’s a huge win in my book!
I later replaced all my other laundry products with a few simple alternatives to help naturally freshen my laundry.
But ever since that day, there’s been a big problem brewing in the background.
Something I’d never considered before. Something so small I didn’t even notice it…at first. Until that small thing started getting bigger, and bigger, and bigger. Until one day I woke up and realized, you know what?
This laundry doesn’t feel right.
Something is wrong here. Something is off. There’s an odd smell coming from the linens. These shirts don’t feel as soft as they used to. And why on Earth is this bath towel not absorbing water like a normal towel?!?
But even after all that? I still pushed these thoughts and feelings to the back of my mind. I convinced myself that the laundry was indeed getting cleaned. I mean look, I put this muddy shirt in the machine, and 20 minutes later it came out clean, see?
Except, it wasn’t clean.
Far from it.
Sure, the mud got rinsed away in the water and it now looked cleaner, but something else was left behind. Something pretty gross, when you really think about it. And after some digging, I finally figured out what it is.
Buildup.
Yep, buildup. Of minerals from hard water. Of the soap flakes in my homemade soap. Of dirt, and grime, and pretty much any particles that ever came in contact with our laundry.
It was all still there.
Building up. Slowly. Over time.
And here I am, five years later, putting it all together for the very first time.
It all started when I read a post from ButterBeliever.com telling me why I needed to stop using my homemade laundry soap.
I must admit, when I first read it I was feeling completely defensive. Like, pshhh my homemade laundry soap is awesome, and there’s nothing you can say to convince me otherwise…
But I was in denial.
Because that post planted a little seed in my mind, which slowly grew and grew, until it became too big to ignore. And when a friend of mine emailed me to ask for my opinion on this same exact issue?
That was it.
I was determined to research the heck out of this buildup issue and get to the bottom of it once and for all.
What is laundry buildup?
Laundry buildup happens when any type of matter becomes lodged in the fibers of your laundry because they aren’t being properly washed/rinsed away. It’s the minerals from your hard water, like magnesium or calcium. It’s the soap flakes in your laundry soap/detergent (homemade or store bought). It’s also dirt, dust, grime, and bacteria. Ewww.
What causes this buildup in laundry?
A few main issues are usually at play here. If you have moderately hard water (most of us do), then the mineral deposits in your water can slowly buildup in the fabrics of your laundry.
And if you’re washing with a good, strong detergent and adding a water softener (like borax or washing soda) that’ll usually do a good job of keeping the buildup issue in check.
But when the buildup is from the soap flakes you used in that homemade laundry soap recipe? Well, then there’s a bigger problem.
What’s the difference between soap and detergent?
The problem comes when we start using the terms ‘soap‘ and ‘detergent‘ interchangeably, when in fact they are not the same thing! I’ve always wondered what the difference is between these two terms, and I finally have a clear, concise explanation.
Bear with me – we’re about to get a tiny bit technical here…
Both soaps and detergents are a kind of surfactant – a compound which breaks the surface tension between a liquid (water) and a solid (dirt). These guys are actually pretty cool, because on one end they attract water (hydrophilic), and on the other end they push away from water and attract dirt and oil, etc. (hydrophobic).
So in your washing machine, surfactants get to work by attaching themselves to the dirt, oils, and other particles on your laundry, as the washer agitates to help loosen them up out of the fabrics and into the water, where they stay suspended until the rinse and final spin cycle flushes them out without the dirt getting redeposited back onto your now clean laundry. Fascinating, isn’t it?
But there’s a major difference between soap and detergent:
- Soaps are made with fats or oils. They’re great for cleaning hard surfaces that don’t have tiny holes and crevices, because they’re scrubbed hard, then rinsed away easily without getting trapped in any fibers. Soaps are not great for soft, porous surfaces because they’re oil-based, they can embed themselves within fibers, and they don’t rinse away easily (hello, soap scum!).
- Detergents are either synthetic or plant-based. They’re better at cleaning laundry in a machine because they’re more soluble, especially in hard water, meaning they won’t bind themselves to the minerals in your water and buildup in the fibers of your laundry. They also rinse away easily, leaving no residue behind on your laundry.
What’s wrong with the homemade laundry soap?
Simple. If we look at the recipe I have here at Nature’s Nurture, you’ll see it uses 4 main ingredients: soap flakes, washing soda, borax, and baking soda.
The washing soda and borax are great water softeners, and either one should be regularly added to your laundry routine, especially if you have hard water. The baking soda is for deodorizing and brightening your fabrics.
But what about the soap flakes?
This is supposed to be the cleaning agent in this recipe. Only problem is we’re not using it to clean a non-porous surface like our hands, or the kitchen counter, or that one wall in the house that the kids have declared their personal Picasso wall.
No, we’re trying to clean soft, porous fibers on our clothing, our towels, and our bedding. And soap? Soap is just not going to cut it. Not unless we have a way to scrub the living daylights out of these fabrics, like say, a 1920’s washboard, maybe?
We need something different from soap. Something that was made for cleaning laundry in a modern day washing machine.
What we need, of course, is a detergent.
And since we can’t make a detergent without an advanced degree in chemistry and a fully-equipped lab, we have to buy one.
I know what you’re thinking…
You’re thinking, “But Sarah, this homemade laundry soap is awesome, and it’s safe, and it costs pennies for each load!”
I know. Believe me, I know. Making this soap every few months was one of my favorite projects ever. But I also know that there’s a delicate balance between the products we can make at home and the ones that we’re better off just buying from the store.
For me, laundry detergent is being moved from my “make it” list to my “buy it” list.
And maybe you’re not quite there yet.
Maybe you’re using the homemade laundry soap, and your laundry is coming out so fresh and so clean. That’s great! If you have softer water (most people don’t), then you might not ever notice a problem with using soap, and I must say, I kind of envy you right now.
But if you have even the slightest feeling that maybe this homemade deal is feeling a little…off? Like it just doesn’t feel quite right? Like your laundry shouldn’t have to feel or smell or look the way it does?
You need to stop using the homemade laundry soap.
And the next step? You need to strip your laundry.
Because your laundry has accumulated a ton of buildup from the water, the soap, and then other particles like dirt and bacteria, you really should do a chemical strip of your laundry in order to remove all of those nasties before going any further. Full details and instructions are at the link below.
>> Learn how to strip your laundry here >>
The first load that I stripped was our light-colored towels and linens. Then I went on to strip a load of dark towels and linens, and then a load of just my and my husband’s whites (and greys).
Take a look at what the leftover stripping water looked like after I soaked each load in the stripping solution for about 4 hours, then wringing out the water from each item:
That was it for me.
This is what finally lit a fire under me and pushed me to get this information out there to you. Because I need to take responsibility for the fact that I’ve been recommending this homemade laundry soap recipe to you for years – YEARS!
What I saw in my bathtub seriously freaked me out. To say that I was horrified by this water would be an understatement!
So I’m here to help you. I’m here to save you the trouble of constantly wondering if that homemade laundry soap really is getting your clothes clean, or if that weird dinginess is just all in your head.
Did you know? Conventional laundry detergents and fabric softeners are designed to leave behind a residue on your clothes — even after they’ve been rinsed with water? They contain optical brighteners and conditioners that work by coating fabrics to give them that “whiter than white” look and “snuggly soft” feel.
So even if your laundry has been washed exclusively with conventional detergents and fabric softeners, it would most likely still benefit from a good laundry stripping every once in a while.
But don’t sweat it, because everything will be ok.
It’s simply an adjustment in your routine, and once you find the right product – the right detergent – that works for your family, you can move on and tackle the rest of your home and bath products. One small step at a time.
This is just a little bump in the road. You will get past it, you will move on, and you will have truly clean laundry once again.
What to use instead of homemade laundry soaps?
Here are some alternative options you can try:
- Switch to a safe, non-toxic laundry detergent. These detergents do not contain optical brighteners or conditioners, and are made with safer surfactants. Thankfully, there are plenty of brands making safer options to choose from. You can find a list of my recommended laundry detergent brands here.
- Try soap nuts. Some people swear by soap nuts and love using them in their laundry. Since they are berries with a natural saponin, they are not technically a soap, and seem to be a good option for some. I personally wash most of our laundry in cold water, and didn’t like the extra work involved to make them work for me.
- Use Sal Suds. For a quick and easy alternative that still feels homemade, you can just add some Sal Suds to your machine (1 Tbsp for HE, 2 Tbsp for regular) and wash like normal. Although this method is ridiculously easy, from my calculations, it’s not cheap. So unless you can score a gallon of Sal Suds at an incredible price, this option may not work for your situation.
It’s time to face reality.
If you’re using a homemade laundry soap, chances are your laundry is not getting cleaned properly.
It might look clean. It might smell clean. It might feel clean.
But deep down, within the fibers of your clothing, your towels, your linens – there’s a problem that’s slowly building up. And over time, it’s going to grow and grow until you just can’t ignore it anymore.
So whether you nip it in the bud right now, or you wait until it becomes more noticeable later, the truth is that soap is just not rinsing away completely.
But if you still insist on using homemade laundry soap…
Here are some things you can do to make it dissolve properly and rinse away more thoroughly:
Add vinegar to the rinse cycle. Vinegar works very well to remove hard water deposits like calcium and magnesium. Add 1/2 cup – 1 cup during your machine’s last rinse cycle. You can add it to the fabric softener dispenser or use one of those Downy balls which will release it at the right time. Don’t worry – once your laundry is dry, it won’t smell like vinegar.
Use hot water to wash. Hot water increases the effectiveness of soap, so theoretically, this could work to not only dissolve the soap better, but also to remove dirt better. I’m not sure this applies to the rinsing part, but maybe if you also use the vinegar in the rinse cycle, they can work together as a 1-2 punch.
Soft water is best. Obviously this one is out of your control, as you’re at the mercy of your city’s water supply, but it’s important to keep in mind. If you don’t have hard water, which is loaded with minerals, your homemade laundry soap is probably doing it’s job and you most likely won’t notice a problem.
Boost your detergent. Yes, your homemade laundry soap probably already includes borax and/or washing soda, but when you only add a few tablespoons of the mix to the wash cycle, the amount of borax/soda is negligible at that point. Try adding 1/4 – 1/2 cup of either or both to help soften your water and boost your homemade laundry soap’s effectiveness.
Strip your laundry every once in a while. Again, even if you’re not using homemade laundry soap, you should probably try this out just to see what comes out in the water – you’d be surprised! Full instructions can be found here.
I stopped using the homemade laundry stuff because of that very same reason. My clothes had a certain”stickiness” and became very gross! We did lose a few items due to the ick factor. If you want a good, safer alternative to regular detergent, Kirks liquid Castile soap does amazing things to your laundry and never builds up the crustiness. It is not a cheaper alternative, however. We pick and choose our battles. So, I am thinking of remaking the homemade laundry “soap” and adding a bottle of the Castile in place of the soap flakes and see how that works. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll just throw some Tide into the bucket, finish it off and be done for good. Anyway, thought I’d share that, in case anyone else wanted to give it a try. God bless!
I came here searching for a reason why my laundry has began to stink like a wet dog. I’ve been making my own soap for 6+ months now and thought it was wonderful. Recently— the smell! 🤢 I thought maybe I left them in the washer too long so I rewashed them to no avail. After reading this blog post, it all makes sense now. I will be stripping my laundry and finding a new nontoxic brand to buy. Thank you so much.
Thank you for this post! I’ve been using homemade laundry soap/detergent for a few months now. I have a couple of questions. I make mine with washing soda, baking soda, and young livings Washing soap, cleaner concentrate, and dish soap. I just looked at the laundry detergent that I use in my mixture and it says “laundry soap”. I had no idea until just now that I wasn’t using detergent this whole time.
Something that I have noticed is a smell to my clothes. My towels smell awful after getting wet and my clothes sometimes smells funky too. I really love making my laundry soap and I love using it. Is there anyway to get my clothes to not smell this way? Should I try adding borax? (I definitely want to strip and will do that soon).
And now I’m bummed cause I really wanted to love this laundry soap!
I forgot to add that I use vinegar in every cycle.
Hey Krystal, I know, it can be so frustrating when you thought you’d figured something out only to have to go back to the drawing board. I’m a little confused on the exact combination you’re using and where you mention the “laundry detergent that I use in my mixture”. You can reach out to me by email with some pictures and I can try to help you further.
I make the pure coconut soap myself and do not superfat it, its the superfatted soaps that leave soap scum. You wouldnt use soap that hasnt been superfatted on your body as it would be very harsh for the skin but for laundry it’s great. I also add fruit enzymes and get no residue. Also, as someone else mentioned keep the soap portion lower percentage wise as you do not need much. I would also note that homemade laundry powder is not great in cold water washes as the ingredients need heat to dissolve fully.
Thanks for that input, Hayley! Ahh so the superfat seems to be the key issue here. And you’re right, warm water is definitely needed. I’ve seen some people dissolve the soap in some hot water first before adding to the machine.
Sorry, this comment ‘grew’ slightly as my bugbear led me onto my high horse – but stick with me for some rational commentary on so-called ‘stripping solutions’ and soap-based laundry preparations.
First, let’s look at ‘stripping’ solutions: I have had a good long look at the ingredients people are using for this, and I see they always contain something that actually strips the dye from fabric, and it is this together with the long application time that causes the bulk of the ‘murk’ seen in the water. In this case, the DIY recipe calls for sodium carbonate, which is a great aid in washing as it is alkaline which aids cleaning through its highish pH and also ‘softens’ the water by reducing the rate at which soap binds to minerals in hard water causing insoluble ‘soap scum’. However, when left in contact with dyed fabrics for prolonged periods, it will leach the dye which fades your fabrics – and leaves you with murky water. (I’m not sure why you’re using sodium bicarbonate as well as sodium carbonate/washing soda… sodium carbonate is almost chemically identical to sodium bicarbonate except that it is slightly more alkaline, and therefore slightly ‘stronger’ or more effective for a laundry application – it has the same chemical properties except the latter is more chemically active, so adding both is redundant.)
The commercial preparation you refer to contains both sodium carbonate and sodium percarbonate – otherwise known as laundry bleach. Although this is much less hard on dyes than chlorine bleach, it is not without its effect. GroVia is also supposed to be used strictly in a wash cycle – it is NOT recommended to soak fabrics in it for a prolonged period – almost certainly because sodium carbonate and sodium percarbonate will leach dye and can damage fabrics with prolonged contact.
Other ‘stripping’ potions I have seen around the internets use even stronger ingredients, including ones that contain optical brighteners (of course your whites will look whiter – they’re literally fluorescing in sunlight,) and some that suggest adding washing machine cleaners, which are extremely chemically harsh, never intended for fabrics and leach out dye, damage the fibre content and react with other hocus pocus ingredients….not surprising the water takes on a funny colour!
There are pros and cons to using both soap and detergent-based cleaners. On the whole, liquid detergents are probably the best all-round clothes cleaners for washing machines, but it is very hard to find laundry detergents that are truly fragrance free and not made from petrochemicals. The ones that are are extremely expensive. Liquid detergents are also heavy to transport due to the amount of water they contain and require packaging, adding to the energy consumed per load and waste plastic we are building up. For all these reasons, I usually use a soap-based laundry cleaner – just my own homemade 0% super-fatted coconut soap and an equal quantity of sodium carbonate/washing soda, which softens the water and helps to prevent the formation of soap scum. Does it remove every stain? Of course not! (It also works best in water that is warmer than the cold washes we have got used to that have been leading to a resurgence of pests such as bed bugs.) I spot treat individual stains before washing and all in all I’m extremely happy with the results. I make sure my washing machine runs a cleaning cycle with a limescale remover on a quarterly basis, which we should all be doing anyway, so no build-up of scale, gunge or mouldy smells, and I don’t live in a hard water area, or I would certainly use a detergent instead.
So please don’t be fooled by all those silly ‘stripping’ pics lying around the internet to bait us into clicking for the satisfaction of the ‘ewwwww!’ factor: I see so much annoying misinformation about this process and so much lack of understanding from people who must surely have slept en-masse through their school chemistry lessons! Remember, being nerdy is good, being sceptical is excellent, and having a balanced and reasonable approach that is able to apply the advantages and disadvantages of any laundry preparation (or medical intervention or political stance or faith, come to that) is best of all.
😉
First of all, WOW I’d say “grew” is an understatement lol! But rational commentary is always welcome, so I appreciate the time that it took for you to get all of this out. I agree with much of what you say, and yes thanks for clarifying the whole sodium carb/bicarb issue. I have since learned just how similar (and redundant) they actually are but need to go back and update some old posts like this one. I totally see your point on the dye being pulled out of the fabrics, and I agree that a lot of the colour most probably comes from that. But I’m also going to guess that at least *some* of the colour is coming from buildup as well, just because I could literally FEEL a difference in the laundry after I’d stripped it.
I still believe homemade laundry soaps are not for everyone, and that only in certain situations would it work well (as you mentioned, hard water and using warm/hot cycle is a must). And believe me when I say that I’m incredibly happy for those who use it and love it, and find that it works for them. For me, I’ve been happily using a natural detergent for a few years now, and haven’t looked back, and this post is meant to help those who were in the same confused boat as I was.
In any case, I really do appreciate you joining the conversation and offering up your advice and experience!
Several uears ago my sister told me her DIY laundry mix was making her washer smell, but I ignored it and began making my own to save money. I used it off and on for several years seemingly with no problem, but recently after using a new batch, I began to smell a foul odor whenever starting a new load in my machine. I found some blogs that explained why my homemade laundry mix might be causing it. They also said it could be damaging my machine. I scrubbed the tub with vinegar and ran a cycle with just vinegar and hot water, then another cycle with Carbona washing machine cleaner. Then I stripped my towels, and sure enough the water quickly turned dark brown. I’m not sure I want to strip some of my more delicate clothes; I came here looking for how safe the stripping mix would be for more delicate fabrics but haven’t found that info yet. Still I hope it’s not to late to prevent damage to my machine.
I agree, I would be careful with delicates and would probably just skip them and move on to an actual detergent with the hopes that over time the detergent will sort of “strip” them anyway.
I did not strip any of my clothes/linens when I switched back I didn’t even know it was a thing lol! But my laundry quickly went back to normal after stopping the homemade stuff. Hope that helps.
If you’re having buildup on your clothes is because you’re using too much soap in your wash load and you can use 2-cycle rinses if you choose to use a lot of soap but it would save you water if you just use half the soap that you normally used to prevent a lot of usage of water and build up on your clothes I’ve been using it for years I have no problem.
I have been making and using a Borax+Washing Soda+Zote+Fels Naptha+BIZ recipe (adding an enzyme is important touch, when using soaps), in my he front loader, for going on 4 years now, and ours clothes are spotless (stripping doesn’t even get anything off them!), BUT….. We have very, very soft water… My Mom, who has hard water, hasn’t had such luck, unfortunately.
I make home made laundry soap it is Castile soap liquid or a bar I heat it up with water so it melts good then a put 1 cup washing soda and 1 cup twenty mule team borax and about 1/4 bar of Naphta stain removing bar I heat it up till it is liquified in a five gallon bucket and put about 3/4 cup per load and it works fine for me my clothes come out just fine and wash and wear just fine. not sure what home made soap she is talking about but my soap is fine!
I’m so glad you’ve found a solution that works for you, Kim!
Which laundry detergent company paid for this article?
Ha, good one! Sorry to inform you that no laundry detergent company has any idea I even wrote this. 🙂
Hi…I have been making my own liquid laundry detergent for 4 years, and have been very happy & satisfied with the results. I am very picky and cautious about everything I use. I never like powder anyway because it never mix well with water, and builds up all over my clothes. Since I have allergies, store bought irritates my skin, it stinks bad, & I break out in a rash. My homemade liquid soap has a light pleasant fresh smell. When I’m around some people or even my family, I can smell the detergent they use, and it gives me such a bad headache….just like some perfumes. How are they able to wear and smell this?…and especially put on their favorite perfume or cologne on top of that! Ugh! 🤢 .. Yes, I do use Borax in my recipe … but Thank God it doesn’t break me out in a rash. I use vinegar because where I live we have hard water. It takes me 2 days to make…to blend and mix well…and store. It is worth all my time and hard work…and my clothes are cleaner & brighter than ever before. I just put a little in the water and swish mix before I put the clothes in… because its concentrated & it goes a long way. Sometimes I think some people put to much of store bought soap to their wash. My clothes Colors are bright & stains are gone! Well, I also make my own stain remover…and named it “Stain-B-Gone!” and amazingly the stain is gone 😉. The greatest part….I don’t have to put any elbow grease into it….it does all the hard work for me. My clothes look brand new again, I don’t have allergies & break outs, and even my husband is amazed and likes my detergent. I save more money this way! 🙌🙌. I believe they don’t make things like they use to, and the stuff I use are the best of the past. I’m just a wife, mom, & crafter who’s pleased with her soap….my family & friends are too! So, to each their own….it definitely works for me. 🥰😉👍
Thanks for sharing, Janet! I love your enthusiasm, and so glad you’ve found a system that works for you! 🙂
Hi Janet, what is your Stain-B-Gone recipe? If you care to share? Thanks!
Can you please share your recipe for laundry soap?
What if I have a water softener? Would making my own laundry soap still be a bad idea??
Jennifer, I would probably try it out if I had a water softener. You could try adding vinegar in the rinse cycle if you’re still worried about buildup.
So I wash my cleaning towels with lye soap I make myself. I put them in a tub with boiling water and soap power a bit of bleach and let them set overnight then I wash them with a wash board then throw them in the washer and they come out white and soft.
My family has used homemade lye soap with great success for generations. I have read a lot of the recipes for homemade laundry detergent. And I just wanted to laugh because your barley even using anything. Not enough soap to wash the clothes not even the recommended amount of baking soda, borex, washing soda per load as it says on the box. I think the recipes are to blame and how you use the products. My mother always says that if it doesn’t work when your hand washing it won’t work in the washer.
I always melt my soap when I add it to the washer. And vinegar removes buildup by adding a decent amount to the Rinse. This one old woman I knew always told me to add the liquid lye soap until I had a decent amount of bubbles when the washer was turning and add baking soda.
Thanks for sharing, Windy! Yes, I guess “user error” definitely has a lot to do with it. 😉
What is ur receipe please
You state that our only option for using detergent rather than soap is to buy it. My understanding is that the strict definition of a “detergent” (separate from laundry-related things) is a chemical with one end that binds water and one end that binds oils, thus making them get along – i.e., literally mixing oil and water. Lecithin (from soybeans or egg yolks) is a naturally-occurring detergent by this definition, which I’ve found useful in making salad dressings and homemade ice cream. So could this also be used as a component homemade laundry “detergent”, without the buildup issues? Or would this also depend on water hardness and/or other factors? We happen to have soft water in our area so I haven’t noticed problems with my grated Fels-Naptha/Borax/Washing Soda recipe but I’d be interested to know what the chemists here think about substituting lecithin granules for the Fels-Naptha – ?
Very informative post, thank you for sharing! I am new to DIY home and body and I was wondering if anyone could recommend a DIY, clean, non-toxic liquid laundry solution?
I am so SO very glad I read this! I’m trying to convince my partner (who is set in his ways) that Low/ Zero waste green living isn’t going to be invasive and he wont notice it, and since he is in charge of doing the laundry I was about to make some washing liquid and sneak it into the old bottle without him noticing. my plan was to later inform him of the switch and encourage him to try OTHER low waste stuff.
You have just saved me a MAJOR backfire! LOL
Thanks!
LOL!
I am an advocate for using soap in many areas of our daily lives. But ‘many’ does not equates to all areas though! Great write-up on home made laundry soap and possible negating implications. I had never thought about it having been using a similar formula for a while already. Thanks for the heads up!
Hi Sarah,
Thank you for this great post!
Do you have any idea how long it’ll take for the smell of soap to be out of my clothes? Some of them seem to be holding on to soap with no plans to let it go.
Oh man, I’m not sure! Have you done the stripping process to remove the buildup?
Hi everyone. First of all, excuse my english, I’m not a native speaker😊. Please don’t use borax, it is very toxic. And for God sake avoid vinegar in the receipe , it just reverse the saponification process and leave you with fatty acids. I used to make my own cold process soap (100% palm kernel oil, not more 2% superfat, just to avoid having extra lye in my bars), and the cloths became harsh. So i’m wondering if usine a liquid soap will do the job….by liquid I mean with potassium hydroxide …has anyone tested such a formula??? Thank you for answers
A few years ago I made my own homemade soap, much like your recipe. After about six months of using it, my laundry straight up stunk and it didn’t feel clean. I ran everything through the ultra-hot “sanitizing” cycle using Tide for the detergent and that made my laundry feel squeaky clean and fresh like it hadn’t in ages. Fast forward a couple of years and I started learning to make my own lye soap and I read one tiny obsolete little article about how lye soap is horrible for your laundry and I flashed back to my own nightmare laundry fiasco. I thought, why do blogs keep touting the superiority of their homemade soap when it obviously doing more harm than good? I came across your article today and feel like, “ha, I told you so!” Seriously just use a real detergent. Honestly I only use a couple of tablespoons rather than the amounts recommended by the bottle and it still works just fine. I’ve made a blog to provide information regarding the products I made and I would like to write an article about why my soap, and soap in general, should not be used to replace your laundry detergent.
Excellent, Anna! Would love to read that article!
I’m not convinced by this article. It’s seems to be recommending the same laundry ingredients used in usual DIY laundry recipes but presenting it as somehow different.
Hmm, I’m not sure I understand. I’m not recommending you use a DIY recipe at all. I’m actually recommending that if you’re having trouble with your DIY recipe, then maybe it’s time to switch to a detergent, as opposed to a soap.
Laundry soap build up is real. And it can be removed easily by using dish liquid.
Try soaking laundry in a bucket of water with a little dish soap, then laundering in the machine without any soap added.
If you do this after every 6-8 regular loads your laundry will be clean and free from buildup
Would putting white vinegar in the final rinse (or maybe as an extra rinse cycle) solve the build up problem?
It would certainly help, but you’d have to try it for a few washes before knowing for sure.
Some assumptions are not not science based. Soap is made from oil+lye. But if made in equal amounts neither the oil or lye remains. 100% is soap. Even if you superfatted the soap, and some oil exists, it still is plant based. Fixed Oils that are used in soap are plant based, e. g. Coconut, palm, olive etc all are plant based. Essential oils like those derived from citrus actually help break up dirt and grease and are great for cleaning. Detergents are often chemical based, but manufactured Soap can be too! Mineral buildup is real but it doesn’t come from soap, it comes from hard water. Always good to question, but the goal should be to get at the facts.
Thanks for the extra insight, Greta!
I make my own liquid homemade detergent without a problem! I use a gallon container & use distilled water. I warm up 4 cups of water on my stove top add 1/2 cup of washing soda, 1/2 borax till they dissolve, add to my gallon container, then i fill it up with the rest of the water. Last i add 1/2 cup of Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds. For non HE washer you use 1/2 cup- HE washer 1/4 cup. I also make my own laundry stain remover & homemade scent booster! I’ve been using this in my HE front load washer 2 years without no problem. This method works great for me & my family. Sal Suds is a biodegradable cleaner, It’s all i use to clean my home. Google it you will be amazed & save money just using it
Sal Suds is a great cleaner! And it’s also a detergent, which is why it works well in your homemade laundry detergent recipe. I’ll have to try out your recipe one time. Thanks for sharing!
Did you ever try Sal suds? It has SLS in it, so like Dr Bronner’s daughter said in one article on it, it creates “copious suds.” That’s not good for laundry or HE machines. I have soft water & suds from SLS never clear even w several rinses.
Haven’t used it in laundry, but I use it for cleaning around the house. It’s super concentrated, so a little definitely goes a long way!
I just made up my first batch of homemade laundry soap. Do you have any suggestions on what I can do with it? Before I end up having to strip the clothes. I wish I found your article before I made it.
If it’s already made and ready to use, I would go ahead and use it. One batch probably wouldn’t do too much damage, if you use warm water to wash, and add some vinegar to the rinse cycle. If you’re still worried, you can add a small amount of non-toxic laundry detergent or even some Sal Suds so that you have a bit of actual detergent in the mix.
I’m up in Canada and I use a product called Nature Clean (I use the powder) and it is very good.
I also never use cold water, but always warm. I always had the thought that, as you said, cold water cannot dissolve the soap or detergent.
I also use white vinegar instead of fabric softener and it makes everything virtually static free (the more you use, the less static) and soft.
So we do what we can.
I’m in Canada too, and I LOVE Nature Clean products! I still wash some stuff in cold water, especially if I’m worried about shrinkage. And yes to vinegar in the rinse cycle!
Fro. Dri Pak.co.uk Almost one in five Brits never clean their washing machine, putting them at risk of bacteria such as E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus, a recent survey by Glotech repairs has found. The problem is compounded by liquid detergents and low temperature washes. Of course, low temperature washes are better for the environment as they use less energy.
But more people are realising that it pays to care for your washing machine and there is now a big growth in dedicated ‘washing machine cleaners’.
But don’t take everything at face value. Our lab technicians have tested the acidity of a new Washing Machine Cleaner that’s recently been launched from a big brand. One of its claims is ‘Limescale Removal’ yet the acid is so weak it will have negligible effect….but limescale can’t be seen in the machine! Citric acid has 10x the acidity in the wash drum.
There are many posts on the internet about using bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar, but this ISN’T the best way. Any GCSE Chemistry student will tell you that the alkali and the acid will cancel each other out.
There are two particular tasks required to keep your washing machine in good health:
Cleaning – Low temperature washes and liquid detergents in particular aren’t always effective at removing build up. This encourages the growth of bacteria, with the resultant odour.Limescale Removal – Mineral deposits can build up on internal components, particularly the heating element. Limescale reduces the efficiency of your machine and may reduce its service life.
We advise the following for a trouble free washing machine:
Every wash
Add Soda Crystals to every wash. Use the soft water dose of your regular detergent and make up the difference in Soda Crystals. You can even use Liquid Soap (formerly Liquid Soap Flakes) instead of your usual powder/liquid detergent. Particularly useful if you have a baby or people with sensitive skin in your family. Liquid Soap is also recommended for cleaning delicate and waterproof clothing.
Use the following amounts of Soda Crystals, depending on your water hardness:
Medium – 25gHard – 50gVery Hard – 75g
Obviously put the crystals in the drum if you put the liquid in the drawer, or vice versa.
Soda Crystals soften the water to help prevent limescale building up on internal surfaces. It also helps with the cleaning of your laundry. For tough stains, use Soda Crystals Laundry Boost. It also helps flush out residual detergent and grime. All three can act as a breeding ground for bacteria, which cause the smell.
You can also use white vinegar in place of conditioner. This also helps keep the machine clean and free of limescale.
Monthly
Run an empty hot wash of 500g of Soda Crystals, placed in the main drum, to eliminate gunk and clean out any bacteria. If you’ve not done this before, it may take more than one cycle. If the smell gets worse or you see black bits, it’s a sign that the gunk has been lifted and needs flushing out. Hence the need for a second run with Soda Crystals.
Use White Vinegar to clean the detergent drawer and door seals, where bacteria and fungus can accumulate.
Here’s a video showing you how to clean your washing machine.
If you live in a hard water area
If you have hard water, you can alternate your monthly maintenance clean by using Citric Acid instead of Soda Crystals. Although if you have exceptionally hard water, you may want to carry out these maintenance washes fortnightly.
On alternate months, run an empty hot wash with a box (250g) of citric acid to remove limescale. Not only does limescale build up mean higher energy bills, it can cause corrosion of the heating element. It also can provide a breeding ground for bacteria.
These simple steps will help keep your machine clean, odour and limescale free.
Very interesting article about difference between soap and detergent.
I’m a chemist, and yes I use my own laundry mix(es) with great success. The reason mine works so well is simply understanding what’s happening in the wash. I have run numerous stress tests and tested the bacteria in the laundry as well as “stripping,” and, well, my laundry is cleaner than with store bought detergent – pick a brand, any brand. I have thoroughly tested all formulas I’m about to give out. If anyone uses them with success and blogs them, all I ask is for a nod, so to speak. I have not personally seen these percentages posted anywhere.
My main “laundry mix” is simply Washing Soda, Borax, and Table Salt (yes, salt – plain ole table salt). Each of these agents are both cleansing and water softening agents. Though they are generally considered laundry boosters, they break down in such a way that they offer significant cleaning power in their own right and are sufficient to clean most of our clothing – including when my husband has been out on the tractor or using a chainsaw getting grease on his clothes. I rarely even spot treat, and the clothes come out clean, though I would suggest to others to go ahead and spot treat any time you’re unsure.
Main Laundry “detergent” Mix:
Washing Soda – 40%
Table Salt – 32%
Borax – 28%
There are many calculators to make measuring for the amount you wish to make much easier. The percentages won’t turn out to be even numbers, so it is okay to round the amounts up or down accordingly. The rounded amounts will work the same. Amounts needed are based on soil levels, load sizes, and hardness of water. A “normal” load of casual clothing needs only 1 Tablespoon in a front loading machine. It works best in warm or hot water.
The only mix I use that has soap in it is my pre-wash mix, which is mostly soap (Dove, actually – yep), grated, then ground in a coffee grinder with Borax into a very fine powder. This mix is exactly what is says – it’s for the pre-wash and should go into the pre-wash compartment with the pre-wash setting.
Pre-wash ingredients:
68% Grated Soap
20% Borax
12% Table salt
For most loads, only 1 tablespoon added to the pre-wash is sufficient. Heavily soiled loads may require 2. When using the pre-wash formula, 1-2 tablespoons of the ‘laundry mix” should still be added to the normal wash compartment.
Now, for the most important part:
Softening. By adding the soap mixture to the pre-wash, then using the main “laundry mix,” most of the soap will get washed away. However, the softening step has a couple of options. If you want all residue removed from the laundry, 1-3 teaspoons of plain citric acid in the rinse will convert everything left on the clothes and the minerals in the water into salts that rinse completely away. The laundry is then is about as clean as it can get. It won’t be as soft as with traditional softener, and it converts all residue left behind and rinses it away so well that the clothes generally come out smelling like nothing at all, even if fragrance has been used.
If a person wishes to use another natural fabric softener, plain baking soda is actually a pretty good option. Though it is on the alkaline side, it does not behave like alkaline detergents. It can be fragranced (or not), and the clothing will come out softer than if citric acid or no softener at all had been used.
Using the formulas here, buildup is virtually eliminated, smells are eliminated, and bacteria buildup in the washing machine is reduced tremendously.
Thanks for sharing, Sarah!
So I just made a whole bucket of homemade detergent and really don’t want it to go to waste. If I melt it first will that be better until it runs out?
If it’s already made and ready to use, I would go ahead and use it. One batch probably wouldn’t do too much damage, if you use warm water to wash, and add some vinegar to the rinse cycle. If you’re still worried, you can add a small amount of non-toxic laundry detergent or even some Sal Suds so that you have a bit of actual detergent in the mix.
Wow – thank you! Isn’t dumping salt into the waterways an environmental issue however? For those of us with soft water (or even without), is salt really necessary? Concerned about upsetting the PH balance of streams and rivers etc.
I started using this laundry detergent mix and my clothes feel cleaner than when I was using grated soap in my laundry mix. In time we will see how it affects my clothing fabrics. Thank you.
Washing Soda – 40%
Table Salt – 32%
Borax – 28%
Can you elaborate in measurements to your percentage so others can make it?
Sarah –
Do you always use the pre-wash mix? Or is that only optional?
This article challenge some of my assumptions, and your comment, Sarah , is extremely useful! Many Thanks. Table salt is a very interesting idea. I am completely onboard. I guess it kills bacteria and stuff. My question is how do you use baking soda as softner? Do you put in the fabric softener part? Do you mix with water first to create a solution?
This is fascinating, I have very soft water & haven’t been able to rinse the smallest amounts of regular detergent. Does the salt not wear out the clothes faster? I’m concerned about colors as salt is used to fade for DIY distressing projects…also items that are screen printed & delicates.
That sounds wonderfull Sarah Anne !
I do have a question:
Do I still have to remove the build up in my laundry BEFORE I will start washing my clothes with your formula?(because I have washed it for a long time with DIY soap!)
This is fabulous advice, thank you!
The recipe I use contains Fels Maphta bar soap, grated and melted.in hot water, then mixed with borax and washing soda. This is the recipe our grandmothers used for years as Fels Naptha is really equivalent to Gramdma’s Lye Soap of olden days. The lye is a surfactant that releases.dort and oils. I also ad 2 tbsp cheap Oxyclean knock off I buy at Dollar Tree or Dollar General. Were our water hard I would also add 2 tbsp Calgon water softener. Many who use the Fels Naptha recipe have. Even using it for years, many with using cold water.
I saw a different recipe of laundry soap and for me it looks interesting. First they make a 100% coco oil hydrogenated base soap . This soap has a -5℅ of down fat (I’m not sure how to say that in English since l’m a French quebequer; it’s the opposite of super fat). And then they mix it with the other stuff we know. In short, they use their own diy soap (where all the fatty acid had react with the alcali, and none is left) instead of commercial one. That’s it, I wanted to share this with you all and if you want, I’d appreciate widely to know what you think about that. Thanks a lot
What about using fels naptha as the “soap”? Is that better since it’s a laundry soap or still an issue cause it is soap? Or what about pure Castile oil? Though, I feel that ends up being just as pricey…🤷♀️
That’s interesting as I make my own laundry soap with 100% coconut oil and use 0% supper fat but I can see if you increases the lye content to -5 % supper fat it would guarantee there would be no unsaponified oil left in the soap, even coconut oil at 0% supper fat is pretty harsh but is very cleansing, if you use more lye than is needed in the saponification process it’s called lye heavy soap with a high pH, I might try that next time.
I agree that using a homemade soap with 0% or -% superfat makes an amazing soap! I make mine with home rendered lard from the pigs we raise for meat to feed the family. Years ago I tried using the commercial Fels-Naptha but the results were horrible. Since making the cold-processed soap myself w/ 0% superfat and mixing with homemade washing soda (baking @400F for 45 minutes) and citric acid, it is working beautifully. We have well water which is very hard. I’ve found that doing a 1:4 ratio of citric acid-washing soda keeps the pH and alkalinity balanced and doesn’t lower the effectiveness of the soap. Washing in water above 55F is also needed to get best results.
Oh Dear.. just wanted to say that museums all around the world use soapwort for their precious fabrics. I don’t know what went wrong with your laundry, but soapwort is one of the best natural soaps there is and it does not buildup. Vinegar is very good for laundry too. I’m guessing your laundry machine pipes might have gathered some chalk, very normal problem for hard water. There also might be zeolite from the laundry detergent’s you have udes before. That usually makes the laundry smell’s bad. So, just wanted to point out that the problem might not be the toxic free soap you have used lately but all the buildup in your laundry machine your natural soap has loosened from previous use 😉
Thanks for the insight, Ursula!
Soapwort is not soap (“soap” is the substance created by reacting an alkali with a fatty acid). Soapwort is a plant that contains saponins, which are naturally occurring compounds that have surfactant-like properties due to their amphipathic structure.
I have to agree with this! Because my mother-in-law uses regular detergent and her washer always has a really bad odor and she cleans it regularly with the recommended washer washing detergent And her dish towels always stink when they come out of the dryer! Where is our use my dish rags for longer days without washing and they still smell OK.
Wonderful article, I have learned a lot, thank you. Please what can I add to my hand made laundry soap to increase the cleaning strength? I only have add caustic soda to Palm Kernel oil to produce soap.
Can anyone assist me with a recipe, using Palm Kernel oil. Thank you.
Thank you, I’m glad you got some benefit from the article. I’m sorry but I personally can’t provide help in this area though.
What about using Fels Naptha as the “soap”?
Did you ever try using vinegar as a fabric softener? Like with shampoo bars, vinegar rinse gets rid of the soap build up/film. You can add a drop of essential oil for scent and the vinegar smell disappears completely when the laundry is dry. Just a thought.
Yep, I’m a huge advocate of using vinegar in the rinse cycle to soften fabrics and remove build up. But after many years of doing both (laundry soap and vinegar) I still ended up with buildup issues, unfortunately. I’m sure our water hardness has a lot to do with it, in addition to water temperature.
Wow! I love your honesty. I am just about to launch myself into home made stuff for all cleansing, home and me, but there is such a raft of info available, and few of the problems. I have also learned that washing hair in castille based shampoo upsets the ph, so needs rinsing in apple cider vinegar. This is where reading round personal blogs, etc, – wins out over trade pages.Keep up the good work.
Thank you! Glad I could help 🙂
Sorry spelling errors (predictive spelling!) in my message . Should read Bio Classic washing detergent . Plus the word hose should read house!
Very interesting . I have just started using soda ash in my washing machine and can’t believe how “dirty” the water is compared to what I normally see. Was doubtful that using it in a cold water cycle it would make any difference but it sure does. I do soak half a cup of soda ash in hot water before I add it to the main cold water cycle wash. I have no hot water near my washing machine so can never do a hot wash😣😣 I have never used home made laundry powder/detergent ,I use Bio Tax commercial washing powder now with soda ash. I also have a water softener attached to our water system which feeds the whole hose. I use half a cup of vinegar in the softener dispenser as sta soft. Cleans the washing machine beautifully. However I would love the smell of sta soft in my clean washing. You say add a few drops of one of the fragrant oils? Will this mix /dissolve in the vinegar. Can you give me the exact name of the fragrance you add .
Love reading any home made kind of diy things to save money that really work!
Thanks for your honesty and explanation about the washing detergent.
Regards
Wendy
My water looked same with regular detergent. it’s just dyes coming off as they do in every wash.
Interesting, so you did the whole laundry stripping process? Just wondering which product you used to strip them?
I’m wondering about the recipes that use dawn liquid as an ingredient. Is the same risk of buildup present? Also, what if I dissolve my powdered diy laundry soap in hot water then add to the washer. Will this still cause buildup?
You’re on the right track, Heather. So Dawn is a strong detergent, and you’re right – it should not cause buildup like recipes that call for soap. And yes, it’s recommended to dissolve powdered soap in hot water first, if you’re washing in cold water. This will help the soap disperse properly and not get stuck on the clothes. It might help with buildup, but really it depends on your water quality and the minerals present in your water.
What about using ammonia in place of detergent. I have been for two years lemon scented ammonia leaves no scent to my laundry and removed the old soap buildup from my towels. My darks whites and colours all come out clean and fresh. Now I’m concerned!
I have never used ammonia, as it’s a very harsh ingredient, so I can’t comment that personally.
What if you take take out the soap out if the recipe snd only use borax and soda wash?
Borax and soda wash are just water softeners and detergent boosters. They will not clean your laundry.
Your laundry soap recipe is missing a very important ingredient. Vinegar. 😊
You mean in the actual soap recipe? Or during the rinse cycle? Because I add it to the rinse.
Yep, I use vinegar also and no problems.
I have been making liquid laundry soap for years. After using it for several weeks I noticed my whites were looking dull. I read an article about hard water’s effects on laundry soap, so I increased the amount of borax by 1/2 cup. This solved the problem. Borax softens the water AND brightens the clothes. If you have hard water, all the borax is used up in softening the water, which necessitates using additional borax for brightening the laundry. I haven’t had any problems since.
Thanks for sharing, Barbara!
Oy, i just made detergent. Add water. Balances the hydrophilia.
Yes, I’m having the same problem and after a while the white clothes are not coming out white. They are dingy looking. Some of them could be washed using a little bleach to whiten them but so many of them have other colors too not just white. My problem is that I live on a VERY limited income so buying even a safe detergent is just about out of the question. (Food or clean clothes?…you get the picture.) What makes an ingredient be a detergent as opposed to a soap? If there is a detergent that is safe why can’t it be made in your kitchen? I’m sure that you probably know the answer. And yes…my water is very hard.
Hi, what about Sal Suds?
Sal Suds is a detergent (it contains SLS), so might be a good choice, although I haven’t personally used it for laundry.
I use one to two tbls of SalSuds with 1/4 cup baking soda per load, with a white vinegar rinse. I can’t believe how much cleaner, brighter, and softer our clothes and linens are as opposed to either homemade laundry soap or commercial detergents. Our clothes, linens, and towels are an investment and we want them to last a long time. So investing a bit in the right ingredients at laundry time will pay off.
Fabric softeners are a major culprit in reducing the absorbancy of towels. Don’t use dryer sheets with your towels. The fabric softener–which stays on the towels–reduces the ability of the towel to absorb water.
Absolutely, fabric softeners are one of the biggest scams in the laundry industry…that’s just my humble opinion lol 😉
Wool dryer balls with some essential oils and a couple of balls of crumpled aluminum foil do the trick for soft, wrinkle-free, reduced static clothes. 🙂
I have used liquid homemade laundry soap for over 7 yrs. my clothes have never looked better. I think a large part of the problem is not using warm water. Which is recommended in HE machines.
There simply isn’t enough water to wash away dirt, hair etc.. I use an extra rinse on almost every cycle and I add vinegar instead of fabric softener to my machine.
I also hang my clothes outside as much as possible, weather permitting. It does help whiten your whites. I am a mother of 5 boys and I do a minimum of 10-15 loads a week.
Thanks Lisa, for sharing your story! It’s so good to hear the homemade laundry soap is working so well for you, and for so long!
I’d really love to hear your liquid homemade soap recipe~ 🙂
could you tell me, please????
Lisa Seatle, I would love to hear what your recipe is as well. We are a farming family with three boys. We have lots of very dirty clothes. I am trying to find something that will get those dirt/grease/fuel etc. covered clothes clean but also be gentle enough on our delicate and regular washes.
Would you please share what you use?
Thank you!
Sara
Has anyone tried stripping clothing washed in store bought detergents? I’m wondering if it would result in the same yucky brown water.
I’m looking for this too!
Me, too. I use homemade detergent a lot. Occasionally, I get lazy, busy, whatever and buy a container of commercial detergent. We use that until it is gone. I do like that fresh laundry smell – which I know is chemically made and everyone freaks out about, but I still love it. The closest I have found to duplicating with homemade soap it is adding a small amount of commercial softener (mayb 2 T) to each load. This is till cheaper than commercial detergent. Obviously I have clothes that have been washed in both – so I would love to hear about this. Maybe a friend who doesn’t use and never has used homemade laundry soap?
I did the stripping method on my clothes after getting a weird smell from our washer using regular detergent, it looked the same…
Thanks for sharing, Lindsey! So in the years since this post was originally published, I’ve learned a lot about how laundry detergents work. And based on that, I now realize that it makes sense that your wash water looked the same as mine…conventional laundry products are made with ingredients that are actually designed to stay on your fabrics! Which means they will also build up in your fabrics overtime…
Problem I have with this article is the person said they used soap flakes. I melt the borax, super washing soda and, and soap flakes I water so it is liquid.
You’re right, Noneya, although I’ve used the liquid soap in the past, I’ve mostly used the powdered soap. If the liquid is working for you, without any problems, that’s awesome! This post is meant to be a way to help anyone who’s going through the same issues I was having and needing some answers.
Hi there, just read your article. Very interesting! I’ve been using a homemade recipe for quite some time. When I first made it, I completely forgot the soap and it’s stayed that way ever since. I use Vinegar, arm & hammer washing soda, borax, and then a sprinkle of dried peroxide. I was thinking of finally trying out that soap I forgot so long ago but I’m glad I read this before I did as we have such hard water! Do you by chance have any tips for adding some natural fancy scents? I tried rosemary once but the nice smell didn’t stay in my clothes.
That’s interesting! I’m glad whatever you’re doing is working for you. As for scents – I gave up on that a long time ago. No matter what I do, the scent just never stays and it’s a waste of essential oils. The only hope you have is working with the dryer, if you use one. You can find some tips here at this post.
I had just bought ingredients for DIY powdered laundry “detergent” when I started to read about all this residue left behind in the fibers and the washing machine… Would you have any idea what I can do with the “pure soap flakes” that I ordered and can’t return? There must be another use for them somehow, somewhere! Thanks for your input 🙂
Isabel, I’ve been thinking about this as well! I’m working on a post to help us out on this.
And here I thought I had found the recipe that I was looking for and went out and bought everything needed
I know it’s so frustrating, Rudy. Personally I’ve stopped making and using homemade laundry soap, but I know there are lost of people who still swear by it! So this post was meant to share my personal experience, in case anyone has had similar issues.
We’ve been using soap nuts for our laundry detergent and have been very pleased!
That’s great, Lori! Just curious, do you usually use warm or hot water to wash?
Do you have any suggestions for detergents? We have had to keep switching as companies keep changing their ingredients and my kids have sensitivities. We have been using Honest and before that Ecos baby, bir now have to find something else. I can’t seem to find anything that isn’t full of junk of have things my son is allergic to. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Amber, check out my free guide to non-toxic laundry detergents. It should help point you in the right direction. I’m so sorry you’ve had a tough time finding the right detergent, but I hope you find something soon! By the way, interesting tidbit: ECOS and Honest are actually made by the same manufacturer, which is probably why they both didn’t work for you.
As someone with loads of skin sensitivities and not a lot of time to make my own detergents I use Arm & hammer laundry detergent. It’s the only one that keeps me from breaking out in hives. Hope this helps!
This is absolutely true. People are trying to eliminate toxic and save money, forgetting the chemical process of soap and detergent is different. I personally never had homemade detergent as mentioned in many blogs. What I did was making a mix of regular detergent and washing soda with ratio of 60:40 to tame hard water, and added 10% of powdered hydrogen peroxide in a tight container. I also use citric acid in rinse compartment. Works wonder to me everytime.
Nice blog btw, been reading yours for years.
Cheers
Thanks Andin! Never heard of using citric acid in the rinse, only ever used vinegar and it’s great.
I love your site! I use homemade soap, grated, any old recipe, even superfatted and use essential oils to make the scents I like. I use HOT water to wash whites and heavy natural fabrics with and dissolve the soap in hot and use warm for the rest. My hot water is 140 degrees F. I also double rinse on warm. Always, and hang dry. My towels absorb like crazy, my laundry is clean. The big difference? I soak clothes, sometimes overnight but always for at least an hour in the washer. Every stain comes out withe the soaking procedure in my natural soaps. I have skin that does not like detergents. My laundry is way cleaner than when I was using tide. I hang whites in the sun and colors in the shade. I now love doing laundry with my soap. Just soap no borax, no washing soda. And I don’t use too much, that could be part of the problem with build-up. Water is fresh untreated mountain spring water. Sometimes the water is effervescent. In the bath I never have felt as clean as with this water. Soaps, shampoos etc rinse off completely in the bath. It may be your water that causes the problem, not your soap. And no, everywhere does not have hard water 🙂 Love living in the Mountains!
Oh, and made that silly soap from soapwort or Bouncing Bet. Doesn’t work. there is more to soap than saponins.
Wow, thanks for all the helpful tips and advice, Anne-Marie! It must be lovely living in the mountains <3
Thanks for the great post! I will definitely strip my laundry and microfiber cloths. I am wondering. What can I use to make my microfiber cleaning rags smell better. I use an unscented laundry soap. I make a scented homemade powder I add with the laundry detergent. I make one with salt to which I add essential oils and use that for regular laundry. The other one is Epsom salts with essential oils like lavender and orange for microfiber. I cannot use scented fabric softeners or dryer sheets due to allergies. With white rags I use a little bleach. I get a lot of rags due to my profession cleaning houses. Ideas are welcome. What I do works but I love other ideas.
Hi Lori, try some of the ideas in this post.
Never use vinegar makes them to soft the cleaning rags
What would you think about adding a powdered natural detergent in place of the soap in the DIY recipes? Then you would still be getting the benefits of the other ingredients, as well as a cost savings because your not using a large amount of detergent exclusively. Just a thought.
In essence, that’s what I’ve ended up doing. I still very much like what the washing soda and borax do for my laundry, so in addition to my natural detergent, I add a small scoop (maybe 1-2 spoons) of each to the wash cycle. 🙂
I am so going to strip my laundry. I have only ever used detergent. I read this to make my decision . And i am curious as well. Hopefully I can find this and post pics!!!
YES! Please do and send me pics. You can even email them to me – sarah (at) naturesnurtureblog (dot) com
You know your stuff! The way you explained the difference between soap, and detergent was excellent. So easy to understand.
Thank you!!
Have you any comment on Beekman’s Goat Milk laundry detergents sold through Evine?
Just checked them out, and their recipe is pretty much the same as the homemade versions out there, with the exception of using goat milk soap instead of Castile soap. Personally I wouldn’t use it, as it’s still soap-based product, and I know that I haven’t had much luck with those. That being said, it looks like a very good and safe product for sure. But if you’re looking to get away from the homemade laundry soaps, this products is not a good pick.
I’ve moved to a hard water area. Our water tastes delicious but presents laundry issues.
I began to research making my own laundry soap and discovered the issue you’ve addressed.
Soap based products turn cloudy in hard water as they bind to calcium and magnesium. I used a castile soap to test my water. Upon contact with soap , my water turned cloudy.
Im using Arm and Hammer laundry detergent, one of three listed for hard water, addding vinegar to the rinse cycle.
I’m researching a non salt based water softener as I dont want to remove the calcium and magnesium from our spring water.
Great insight, thanks for sharing that, Dee! That might explain why some have no issues with using soap in their laundry, and the rest of us are seeing problems. Good luck on your water softener search!
You don’t have to stop making homemade laundry detergent – just replace the soap with a detergent. SLS, SLSa, SCI – many kinds are available on Amazon, bulk apothecaries, chemical supply stores. Just because you can’t make detergent molecules at home doesn’t make your recipe any less “homemade” – I’m sure you purchase other ingredients (washing soda, borax, baking soda, vinegar) from somewhere.
I just read your posting on homemade laundry soap. I use a mix that does not include soap, but does use Dawn dish soap 1 cup in a mix of washing soda, and borax and water to make a gallon. So far I am happy with the way the clothes come out. It maybe less pure than using soap only, but the costs are so low, I use 1/4 to 1/2 C per load, a gallon lasts a long long time. I would imagine that this removes the risk of any build ups in the machine.
That sounds interesting, Susan, and I haven’t heard of this idea before, though I can see why it would work. Dawn dish soap is made with SLS and SLES, which are very effective detergents. I’m glad you’ve found something that works for you. 🙂
Susan-
Any chance I could get ahold of your recipe? I am determined to make a homemade recipe for environmental reasons. I have read about soap build up that many homemade recipes create. I am curious how you mix powder with liquid. Thank you kindly.
Have been using DIY laundry soap for about 1 year . Almost always add white vinegar to rinse cycle. Do you think stripping necessary before I change to store purchased organic laundry detergent?
That’s going to have to be a personal call for you, Sharon. Does your laundry “feel” like it needs to be stripped? Is it becoming rough, holding onto to smells, and just feeling a bit “off”? If not, then you’ll probably be ok to just switch to a different detergent and be fine.
Don’t use Borax! Seriously, it’s not good for your skin (and it’s definitely not good for infants’ skin). Use washing soda if you must, but don’t use Borax. No where in history has Borax been used in laundry until just recently, and actually laundry soaps were originally made with animal fats (i.e. lard), which as it turns out, washes away easily.
I agree, Mel, borax should not be used on anyone’s skin. There is much to be said, however, about it’s benefits in the wash to help boost the cleaning power of your detergent – that is, of course, only if your detergent is actually being rinsed out of your laundry properly. But you do bring up an interesting point about animal fats in laundry soap, thanks!
Hi Sarah what do you think about ingredients in these:
https://www.youngliving.com/en_CA/products/thieves-dish-soap
https://www.youngliving.com/en_CA/products/thieves-laundry-soap
https://www.youngliving.com/en_CA/products/thieves-household-cleaner
Thanks!
Hey Marine,
The dish soap and laundry soap look good to me. The household cleaner doesn’t list the ingredients, so I can’t be sure without seeing a full list.
It seems to me that you are describing the build up that happens when you are not using the homemade the way it should be used. I had a similar problem when I first started using it.
1. It is supposed to be low suds. People have a tendency to use too much. Use less . It’s hard to come to grips with this one it seems to go against nature 🙂
2. Don’t overload your washing machine.
3. Rinse well. I started using the the Rinse plus on my machine.
4. Add vinegar to final rinse.
I have been using homemade for many many years. I use cold water . The soap flakes are already dissolved in the liquid I make. Another big bonus to using a homemade washing liquid is your machine will last a lot better. My machine was three years old when I bought it 10 years ago and still going strong with no repairs, just the occasional run through hot with baking soda and vinegar. I have 15 year old wool mix jumpers, sweaters, that are soft and have always been washed in a machine with a homemade mix. No Borax in mine. That is toxic.
All Detergents are chemicals ! If they weren’t they wouldn’t be detergents. 🙂
Thanks for commenting, Di, and I’m glad to hear that your homemade soap has been working great for you for all these years! There are so many moving parts in all of this, that it’s hard to find one thing that will work for everyone. I know for me, personally, homemade just isn’t right for us anymore. But I really am happy to hear wonderful success stories like yours. 🙂
Can you describe how you make the homemade laundry washing liquid?
Would you mind sharing your recipe for the sake of curiosity? 🙂
What is your recipe please?
I have many allergies and have been making my own laundry detergent for about four years now. One thing I do that is different then most of the recipes that I have found on the web is that I make my own lye soap to use in my laundry detergent. ( I have made goats milk soaps and soaps that use different oils and fats, for personal use…supper soft skin anyone??) My soap that I make to use with my borax and washing soda for laundry is made with “Crisco”, which by the way is plant based and was originally created to use in the process of making soap until someone discovered you could substitute it for food fats. I also put vinegar in the rinse. You mentioned things being or smelling “off” My front load washer was the worst smelling, when I was using those detergents made especially for front load machines, before I changed to my own. That was the first thing I noticed when I changed to home made detergent, that and no rash, was the deal sealer for me.
Lots of good insight, Loretta. Very interesting about Crisco being originally made for making soap? Never heard that before! I’ve always used Dr. Bronner’s castile soap, which is made with sodium hydroxide, and if I’m not mistaken, that’s the same as lye, right? I’m glad you’ve found that it actually works better for you! I’m sure there are other factors that we’re not aware of as well. But a note on the front loader smell – oh my goodness, I know that smell from one of our rentals a few years back…horrible!
I make my own and yes there was some trial and error. I formulated my own cold pressed soap designed specially for my laundry needs as I have intense hard water. I then use part of the bar to make a liquid soap with borax, washing soda. In addition I add homemade enzymes, soap nuts, and the most important sodium citrate. I convert my own from citric acid and it is a must for real cold pressed soap users as it solves the hard water and soap scum issues. I add it to all my products. It is a natural chelator. It grabs the excess minerals so the soap can do its job. I think you gave up too soon, That chemical stew you used to strip is so far from nature I feel bad for the pipes.
Hey Nancy, very cool to see that you’ve got it figured out!
I am new to this subject and was all enthusiastic about making my own detergent until warned away because of the effect soap based laundry ‘detergents’ leave soap scum in the washer tubs and parts. I appreciate that you admitted to what happened to you after 5 years using yours. And that you added that you also did use white vinegar in the rinse, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the problem, because I was thinking maybe that would do it.
I talked to someone online, who had taken apart a used machine that she just bought from someone who had used homemade detergent for a year and there was soap scum all over it. She scraped out a 3gallon pail of it. So it’s not just what you can see in the clothes or in the tub of your washer. This has worried me enough to decide not to try the home made detergent and glad I knew it BEFORE I tried it because I have a new machine and I’d like to keep it that way.
But – leaving it there – is frustrating. I’ve been researching non toxic laundry detergent for a couple of weeks and I still haven’t come up with one that I’m happy with. Spent a lot of time on the EWG site. I identified a handful of commercial detergents that had a benign list of “A” graded ingredients, but then most reviews online suggest they don’t do the job.
And that’s where I’m at. Today I am trying ‘Better Life’ detergent which has an ingredient list I can be happy with, but, I’m not expecting a lot. I’m also researching which detergents rinse out completely – and aside from someone’s guess, it’s hard to pin that down.
I found the comments suggesting people had altered the recipe to eliminate the build up of soap scum, but… sounded a little complicated and needed more discussion. Also how do you KNOW it is actually rinsing out and not creating a buildup?
One last thing – these recipes using Borax? Borax? According to EWG – they are very anti-Borax. That ingredient doesn’t get a good rating on their site. I found a recipe for homemade detergent using Castile soap, baking soda, washing soda and OxiClean. And she suggested using Epsom salts if you had hard water. She had soft water and after 3 years felt she had no soap scum problem. But, someone else told me adding Epsom salts would form some salts that would contribute to the build up. …
So – I am going around in circles it would appear. Anyone who has a link to information that would clear up this dilemma, I would love to read it. Thanks
Oh, and I would love it if you put the date the article was written and the date of the comments on your site as well.
Hey Liz, yes it really is frustrating. And I hadn’t even considered that it would be building up in the machine as well – yikes! You sound like you are where I was at not too long ago, and I hope you find a solution that works for you soon. Have you downloaded my Buyer’s Guide for non-toxic detergents? It’s linked in this article, and has a list of several detergents that I would recommend to try, based on extensive research on their ingredients. Hope it helps.
Also, a note on borax – because I get this comment a lot – I’ve done a good amount of research on this over the years, and I’m comfortable using and recommending borax. Here are my thoughts, taken from an email response I sent to another reader recently:
There’s a lot of controversy out there about borax, most of which is a mixture of myths and confusion. Borax, aka sodium borate, is a naturally occurring mineral (although just because something is natural doesn’t make it safe). The confusion comes from the studies that are cited to support the claim that borax is supposedly toxic: these studies often use boric acid, or a combination of borax and boric acid. Now boric acid, aka hydrogen borate, is actually toxic at much lower concentrations when ingested, and is not the same as borax (though they are related). See, confusing, right? 😉 All that being said, would I rub borax in my eyes, swallow cupfuls of it, or slather it on my skin? Heck no, but the same would apply for baking soda, vinegar, and many other safe products that we use everyday. So long story short, borax is perfectly fine for cleaning, but don’t use it in food or cosmetic products. Hope that helps clarify a bit!
Can i just say that i So admire how sweet and informed and so cool even when ppl get Super defensive( whicj2is so funny cause you said yourself you felt the same way when researching all this) thank you so much for all this information, i adore your style of writing , humor mixed with so much information is the absolute best!!! YOUR THE BEST!!!! THANK YOU!!!
Catherine, YOU’RE the best! Thanks for making my day. I’m glad my writing resonates with you. 🙂
hi, have you looked at http://www.MyGreenRefills.com? Their detergents have enzymes, and are completely non-toxic, are chemistry-sophisticated, and the founders are really awesome people.
Nancy,
Could you share your recipe and please? I’m not giving up either!😜
how do you make homemade enzymes?
I have tried your clothes stripping exercise, but I’m pretty confident that an acidic rinse agent/fabric softener will effectively remove soap residue from clothing. This canNOT be combined with your soap/washing cycle. It must be added in the rinse cycle only. I believe most newer washers have a dispenser cup that holds fabric softener until the rinse cycle; this is where you would put your acidic rinse. I fill mine with white vinegar.
The reason I believe this method works, and again, I have not tried your stripping method to verify, is because when you use a true soap to wash your hair and then rinse with an apple cider vinegar rinse, it will remove all of the soap residue from your hair.
I have had that residue build-up with homemade dishwasher detergent too, until I started using white vinegar as the rinse aid.
Great points, MChard, and I regularly use vinegar in the rinse cycle of my laundry (as well as my dishwasher!). So I’m afraid even when using the vinegar with each cycle, it still wasn’t enough to combat the soap residue that was building up on my laundry. That’s a great theory though, because you’re right – I’ve heard it does help with rinsing hair, but it just didn’t seem to transfer over into the laundry situation. :-/
Vinegar actually shouldn’t be used in washers. It eats away the seals.
I’ve used vinegar for over 20 years in my washing machines. My first laundry machine was 30 yrs old and still worked beautifully. Replaced it with a low water machine. I’ve used vinegar in that machine for 10 yrs and no problems. And I do close to 20 loads a week.
Can you please share which laundry detergent you decided to use in your household. Looking at the EWG group list does not seem to be as helpful as it should. Many of the A list detergents contain Sodium Laurel Sulfate.
Donna, I’m using a detergent from a Canadian company called Nature Clean. But I’m also working on a guide for you to help dig through all the confusing info out there and confidently choose a non-toxic detergent.
P.S. Although sodium lauryl sulfate comes with its list of hazards, it’s usually ok for most people to use, as long as the detergent rinses completely out of the laundry. For example, many of the conventional, mainstream detergents you’ll find at your supermarket contain ingredients that are meant to stay on the clothing and coat the fabrics – so these are detergents that do not rinse completely out of the laundry. Meaning your skin repeatedly comes in direct contact with those chemicals on a daily basis, which leads to sensitivities and allergies.
check out http://www.MyGreenRefills.com. it get my laundry clean every time. they are legit chemists but don’t use any toxic ingredients. the products have enzymes. the powder comes in paper packets and you add it to a jug of water…so no more plastic jugs going in the landfill either….
tried to follow the above link, but couldn’t get there. a bit of google searching led me to https://mygreenfills.com/ think this might be it. Not just maybe a good alternate choice, but a way to reduce the plastic waste, too! (and for the philanthropic, they offer a way to provide laundry service for homeless?!?) Taking sharing to a whole ‘nother level, and WORTH investigating further, imho.
(and btw Sarah, thanks for sharing not only your successes, but the truths about your learning… My dad taught me that “mistakes” are not “failing” as long as we find and learn the lessons within them. YOU take it a step further by letting US learn from your ‘mistake’. THANKS!)
That is so cool, thanks for sharing, Laura! And your kind words went straight to my heart. Thank you <3
Hi sarah,
I just use soap nuts for my laundry….will i be facing the same problem?
You know, Rachel, I’ve been wondering this myself and haven’t found a definitive answer. I’ve used them in the past, but not long enough to be able to see how they work in the long run. They’re technically a naturally-occurring surfactant, so definitely different from a standard soap, but I’m just not sure. If you do start to notice something “off” about your laundry somewhere down the line, then you know where to look for the cause…
What if you take take out the soap out if the recipe snd only use borax and soda wash?
That’s a great question, Jennifer, and actually something I asked as well. But the problem with that is borax and washing soda are really just water softeners. That’s it. They’re not cleaning agents at all. They’re added to the washer to help boost the detergent’s cleaning power because they soften the water, allowing the detergent to work more efficiently. So if you used borax and washing soda to wash your clothes, once or twice, sure they might seem to come out clean. But do it for a longer period of time, and you’ll still have old, built up dirt and grime because the laundry isn’t being properly cleaned to begin with.