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Plain Jane Laundry Detergent

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There are plenty of reasons to avoid commercially available laundry detergent.  Popular brands tend to be loaded with chemicals, such as petroleum by-products, sulfates, phosphates and other ingredients that are linked to a host of health issues, such as: skin allergies and irritations, respiratory illnesses, reproductive and developmental toxicity and even cancer.  And there is no question that most brands are just not safe for our water treatment plants or environment.

I started making my own laundry detergent about three years ago, when my skin irritations and all-over misery began.  My first instinct was to switch brands and soon, I switched to an 'all-natural' commercial laundry detergent.  But I quickly realized three things: 1) 'all-natural' labeling is not always truthful, 2)  'natural' detergents are not always better than their conventional counterparts and, 3) products labeled as 'natural' can be expensive!

After using this homemade detergent, my family realized just how overpowering commercial detergents (and fabric softeners!) are.  So, my recipe is truly a Plain Jane one, without any added essential oils.  However, feel free to add several drops of your prefered essential oils, from a reputable source, to the finished detergent before storing.

There are many recipes for homemade laundry detergents online that involve a fair amount of elbow grease and heating on a stovetop but as you know by now, I prefer easy, easy, easy.   I sometimes procrastinate on making our household and personal care products and when we run out, I need to be able to make up a batch really quick!

I use a food processor to shred my soap but a food grater can be used instead.  I recently saw a blog post (which I can no longer find) where someone shredded a cut-up soap bar, along with additional ingredients, in a high-powered Vitamix blender.  I have a Vitamix but never thought to use it for this! Maybe next time...

Plain Jane Laundry Detergent
  • 5-6 oz bar natural soap (Dr. Bronner's, or homemade - Ivory soap bar works well in a pinch)
  • 1 1/4 cup washing soda (not the same as baking soda and it should be available in the laundry aisle of the grocery store)
  • 1 1/4 cup borax (should be available in the laundry aisle of the grocery store)
  • 20 drops essential oils for fragrance, optional (I really like lemongrass essential oil for this!)

Using a food processor fitted with the grating attachment, shred the soap bars.  A cheese grater can also be used to shred the soap.

Mix in the washing soda, borax and essential oils (if using) and store the finished detergent in a container with a tightly fitting lid.

To use, add 1-2 tablespoons of detergent per load of laundry.  Safe for standard and HE washers.

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