How to Make Laundry Detergent: Best Tested Recipe

By Amara Johnson · June 27, 2026

Why Make Your Own Laundry Detergent?

I've been making my own soap for six years. Store-bought jugs are heavy, expensive, and packed with synthetic fragrances that trigger my husband's eczema. When you figure out how to make laundry detergent at home, you strip away the fillers. You get pure cleaning power. I'll be honest, the first batch I made turned into a solid block of goo because I didn't stir it enough. But once I nailed the technique, I never looked back.

If you have kids who track mud everywhere or a dog that rolls in unknown yard debris, you need heavy-duty cleaning without the $25 price tag per jug. This recipe cuts my annual laundry budget by roughly $180. It's also incredibly gentle on sensitive skin. I used to haul those massive 150 oz plastic jugs of Tide up my apartment stairs. It was a nightmare for my lower back. Plus, those thick plastic containers rarely get recycled properly. By switching to this DIY method, I reuse the same glass mason jars indefinitely. My recycling bin is practically empty now.

Ingredients & Tools

You don't need a chemistry degree to pull this off. I buy my supplies at the local Walmart or order them from Amazon. Here is exactly what you need for a 5-gallon batch (which yields about 10 gallons of liquid detergent once diluted).

1 Bar (5.5 oz) of Fels-Naptha or Zote Soap: Fels-Naptha is my go-to for heavy stains. Zote works great if you prefer a pink, slightly softer bar. Don't use Irish Spring or Dove; they contain moisturizers that will ruin your clothes.
1 Cup of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda: This is not baking soda. Washing soda (sodium carbonate) has a higher pH and cuts through grease. You'll find it in the laundry aisle, usually in a yellow box. If your local store is sold out, you can actually make it yourself. Just spread regular Arm & Hammer baking soda on a baking sheet and bake it at 400°F for 30 minutes. The heat changes the chemical structure, turning it into washing soda. I've done this twice when supply chain issues hit my town.
1 Cup of 20 Mule Team Borax: Borax softens hard water and boosts the soap's cleaning power.
Optional: 2 Cups of OxiClean Versatile Stain Remover: I add this when washing my kids' baseball uniforms. It keeps the whites blindingly bright.

Tools: A standard cheese grater, a large stockpot (at least 8 quarts), a 5-gallon bucket with a lid, and a heavy-duty wire whisk. I also recommend a dedicated wooden spoon so your food spoons don't end up tasting like laundry soap.

Step-by-Step Recipe

Set aside about 45 minutes for active prep, plus 24 hours for the mixture to rest.

Grate the Soap: Grab your cheese grater and shred the entire 5.5 oz bar of Fels-Naptha. It takes me about 4 minutes. The shreds should look like fine parmesan cheese. If the chunks are too big, they won't melt properly.
Heat the Water: Pour 4 cups of tap water into your 8-quart stockpot. Turn the burner to medium-high. Bring the water to a gentle rolling boil, which usually hits around 212°F (100°C).
Melt the Shreds: Dump the grated soap into the boiling water. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Stir continuously with your wooden spoon for 10 to 15 minutes. You want the soap completely dissolved. If you see floating clumps, keep stirring.
Mix the Powders: While the soap melts, pour 3 gallons of hot tap water into your 5-gallon bucket. Add the 1 cup of washing soda, 1 cup of Borax, and the optional OxiClean.
Combine and Whisk: Carefully pour the hot melted soap mixture into the bucket. Grab your wire whisk. Stir vigorously for 3 full minutes. I'll be honest, this takes some elbow grease. You need to ensure the powders completely dissolve into the liquid.
Top Off and Rest: Add enough hot tap water to reach the 5-gallon line on the bucket. Give it one final stir. Put the lid on and let it sit undisturbed for 24 hours.
The Final Blend: The next day, the mixture will look like a thick, gelatinous blob. This is normal. Use an immersion blender (I use my KitchenAid hand blender) to break up the gel. Blend for about 2 minutes until it reaches a smooth, creamy consistency.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Sometimes the soap separates into a weird, cottage-cheese texture. This usually means your tap water is extremely hard. To fix it, add 1/4 cup of Epsom salt during the final blending stage. The magnesium helps bind the minerals. Another issue is a lack of suds. Remember, suds don't equal clean. Commercial brands add chemical foaming agents just to make you feel like the soap is working. Your clothes are getting clean even if the water looks flat.

How to Use It

Because this recipe lacks the chemical suspension agents found in commercial brands, it behaves a bit differently in the wash.

Standard Washers: Use 1/2 cup per regular load. Pour it directly into the drum before adding clothes.
HE (High Efficiency) Washers: Use 1/4 cup per load. I own a Samsung HE front-loader, and this amount produces the perfect amount of low suds. Always pour it into the drum, not the dispenser drawer. The thick gel can clog narrow dispenser tubes over time.
Safe Surfaces/Fabrics: This works beautifully on cotton, polyester, denim, and everyday linens. I use it on everything from bath towels to my husband's greasy mechanic work shirts.
Surfaces to Avoid: Don't use this on silk, wool, or leather. The high pH of the washing soda can degrade protein-based fibers. Stick to a dedicated delicate wash for your expensive cashmere sweaters.
Cloth Diapers: A lot of parents ask me about cloth diapers. I highly recommend avoiding this recipe for baby diapers. The Fels-Naptha and washing soda can build up in the microfibers over time, causing repelling issues and ammonia smells. Stick to a dedicated, plant-based diaper detergent for those. But for regular baby onesies and burp cloths? This recipe works wonders and removes spit-up beautifully.
Pre-treating Stains: Scoop a dime-sized amount of the gel directly onto grass or food stains. Rub it in with an old toothbrush and let it sit for 15 minutes before washing.

Storage & Shelf Life

I store my bulk batch in the 5-gallon bucket in my garage. For daily use, I decant it into 32 oz glass mason jars or repurposed glass soap dispensers. Plastic is fine, but glass doesn't absorb the scent over time.

Keep the detergent in a cool, dry place. It has a solid shelf life of 6 to 8 months. Since there are no artificial preservatives, extreme heat can cause it to spoil or grow mold. If your laundry room gets above 85°F in the summer, keep the bucket in a climate-controlled hallway closet.

You'll notice the liquid separates after a few weeks. The water floats to the top, and the thick soap sinks to the bottom. Don't panic. Just give the jar a vigorous shake for 5 seconds before every use. It mixes right back together.

Cost Comparison: DIY vs Store-Bought

Let's look at the actual math. I calculated these prices based on my local grocery store receipts from last month.

Brand / Type	Cost per Load	Annual Cost (300 loads)
Tide Liquid (100 oz)	$0.19	$57.00
Persil ProClean (100 oz)	$0.22	$66.00
Seventh Generation (100 oz)	$0.24	$72.00
ScrubNook DIY Detergent	$0.04	$12.00

The DIY batch costs roughly $10 to $12 in raw ingredients and yields about 320 ounces. That's enough for 300 standard HE loads. You're literally saving $45 to $60 every single year. Over a decade, that's a nice vacation fund just from changing your soap.

FAQ

Will this homemade detergent ruin my HE washing machine?

No, it won't ruin your machine as long as you use the correct dosage. High-efficiency washers require low-sudsing formulas, and this recipe produces very few suds. Just stick to 1/4 cup per load and bypass the dispenser drawer to prevent clogs.

Why did my laundry detergent turn into a solid block of gel?

This happens when the mixture cools too quickly or isn't stirred enough during the 24-hour resting phase. Don't throw it away! Simply use an immersion blender or a heavy wire whisk to break up the gelatinous mass until it's smooth again.

Can I add essential oils to make it smell better?

Yes, but you must add them at the very end of the process after the 24-hour rest. I add 30 drops of lavender or lemon essential oil during the final blending stage. Keep in mind that the scent will be very faint on dried clothes compared to synthetic commercial fragrances.

Does this recipe work well in hard water areas?

It works, but you might need a slight adjustment if your water hardness exceeds 15 grains per gallon. Add an extra 1/2 cup of Borax to the recipe, or pour 1/4 cup of plain white vinegar into your machine's fabric softener dispenser to help soften the rinse cycle.