Homemade Laundry Detergent Safe for Little Ones

It’s amazing what having children can do for you. Our daughter has shaped and changed our lives in so many wonderful ways. When I was a kid, I actually remember my mom making her own laundry detergent. Now with a daughter myself, I’m putting her first. I’m not one who is constantly worrying about what is in products that we use. But trust me, it crosses my mind quite often.

A few factors led me to making my own laundry detergent. First, my husband and I started budgeting. Sure we always tracked our finances but we never ‘budgeted’ or limited where funds go. Making me on a mission to save money anywhere I can, no matter how small. Second, I started thinking about cloth diapers and using Dreft. Dreft is one of the more pricey baby detergents (and most well known). But, so many families are against using Dreft for cloth due to the price, scent, and there are better options out there.

Also, I had a detergent and softener for my husband and I, then completely separate ones for the baby. I really wanted something that was more natural and simple that all three of us can use. After a lot of research I have come across this fairly simple recipe that is great on the budget. I ran to target and returned $130+ of liquid detergent and softener. I picked up all the ingredients for the homemade detergent for $26.67 and it will last 178 loads, yup only $0.15/load of laundryd

After some research on homemade detergent and cloth diapers, I have decided that it is just not enough. Rather than Dreft, I have switched to Seventh Generation liquid detergent for a more natural approach for cloth diapers. 

As for the baby clothes and everything else, we have opted to use the homemade detergent. I also encourage to shop around, Amazon is not always the cheapest. I’m guilty of the quick convenience Amazon provides, but some things are over priced. Not to mention Target has free pickup in 2 hours.

Alright, enough chit chat. Let’s get to the real reason you’re here.

• 55oz Box of Borax
• 55oz Washing Soda
• 3 lb Bag Baking Soda
• 2 Bars Castile Soap (scent of your choice)

Dr Bronner’s Castile soap bars come in an abundance of scents. I decided to do one unscented baby, and one Rose scent. Some scents sold at Target are Unscented, Rose, Lavender, Tea Tree, Peppermint, Almond, citrus, and Eucalyptus.

At Target a box of Borax was $6.29, Castile soap was $4.99 per bar, and baking soda was $3.39. The washing soda was a bit harder to get ahold of, Amazon sold it for $15.99 but my local Ace Hardware sold it for $6.99 with pickup in 15 minutes.

As you make the laundry detergent, I recommend mixing it together outside (but not on a windy day).

Grade the bar soap by hand or blend it in a food processor. First chop it into smaller pieces before blending. Once it is in finer pieces, put everything into a large bowl and mix well.

Use 1-2 tablespoons per load of laundry depending on the size. Put the detergent in before the clothes and wash as you normally would.

If you are looking for a homemade liquid detergent, you can buy liquid Castile soap and omit the baking powder. 

Start by boiling 6 cups of distilled water in a large pot, then turn off the burner. Add in one cup of washing soda and one cup of borax. Stir to dissolve. Then add 9 cups of room temperature distilled water and 1 cup of liquid Castile soap. Stir and cool before placing in a container. Store liquid detergent up to one month. Since this is a high concentration soap, use 1-2 tablespoons for a load of laundry. 

I tend to lean towards the powder detergent since there is no shelf life and the added baking soda gives and extra boost.

I hope you found this recipe helpful in saving your family money and leaning towards more natural ingredients. What a great start to 2024, Happy New Year!