DIY All-Natural Laundry Detergent

Here's the recipe you have been waiting for! 

DIY ALL-NATURAL LAUNDRY DETERGENT

Do you hate buying detergent from the store because you dont know what's in it? The cost isn't outweighing the "good" smells and ease of use? WELL! What I have for you here is going to change your life, and your bank account will be happy too!

This detergent can be made in bulk or in smaller, more realistic amounts (thats the recipe below)! 

This 4-ingredient detergent is amazing! It cleans my clothes, brightens my whites, and smells great too! PLUS, you get added benefits by adding PURE essential oils to the mix! 

RECIPE: 

3 cups Baking Soda

3 cups Washing Soda

1 cup Kosher Salt

1 cup Borax

25 drops On Guard Protective Essential Oil Blend

20 drops Lemon Essential Oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl or your airtight container. Mix well. Add in essential oils (you can use any oils of your choice, but we love On Guard and Lemon for their added cleansing and protective benefits). Mix in your oils. Use as desired and instructions below!

This mix is safe for most washing machines. It makes enough detergent for about 64 loads (I typically double this recipe and get 128 loads).

TO USE:

IN THE LAUNDRY BASIN NOT THE SOAP DRAWER: Add 2 TBSPs per regular sized load. 3 TBSPs for towels, comforters, or whites.

These ingredients can be found in the laundry and cooking sections of your regular Supercenter store (Walmart, Target, etc.). 

BENEFITS OF NATURAL INGREDIENTS:

BAKING SODA: Baking soda can be used in laundry for a variety of purposes, including softening and freshening fabrics, removing odors, and pretreating stains.

WASHING SODA: Washing soda, also known as sodium carbonate or soda ash, is a chemical compound that can be used in laundry for a variety of purposes including pretreatment. You can also use washing soda to help eliminate odors and brighten clothes.

**Before using washing soda, you should always test a small, hidden area of the fabric to make sure it's colorfast. You should also handle washing soda with gloves because it's caustic and can injure your hands. Avoid using it on things you don't want to scratch, like aluminum or fiberglass.

KOSHER SALT: Salt can be used in laundry to remove stains, brighten colors, and prevent armpit discoloration. You can try these methods for using salt in laundry

BORAX: Borax can be used in laundry to brighten clothes, remove odors, and soften hard water. It can also help with stains, water pH levels, and prevent dirt from redepositing.

The benefits of this homemade laundry detergent supersede all "benefits" of store-bought detergent. By making your own detergent, you are guaranteeing what is actually in your laundry room, what goes on your clothes, and what in turn goes in your body (through your skin). Store bought laundry detergents are not as regulated as you'd think they'd be. Industry standard does not require all ingredients to be on the bottle if they are less than 2% of the container. You might be thinking, "okay? its 2%, who cares?", but you should care. Some of those "less than 2%" ingredients include formaldehyde (used to embalm bodies in a mortuary)... Honestly, I think that’s reason enough, but I'll keep going...  phosphates (used to soften water but are linked to serious health concerns), optical brighteners, Dioxane (known carcinogen), Nonylphenol Ethoxylate (endocrine disruptor in humans and animals), phthalates (used to keep materials flexible but are connected to hormonal and reproductive issues), dyes, Benzene (skin and eye irritant), and synthetic fragrances. And that is just to name a few... There's TONS more!

By switching to an all-natural laundry detergent, you are lessening your exposure to these crazy chemicals and in turn lessening your side effects that these chemicals bring with them.

If you're not into the DIY, I HIGHLY recommend DoTERRA's On Guard Laundry Detergent! It is free of all the things I mentioned before. It's also a liquid concentrate so you use significantly less than the store bought. Find the link to purchase here!

This picture has THIS DIY DETERGENT, On Guard Detergent, My Dryer Spray (You can buy this from my shop), and Wool Dryer Balls (you can buy a set from my shop)

This DIY is easy, affordable, and lasts longer because you can use less each load, and spend less overtime! 

This has been the staple laundry detergent in my household for just about a year and I've only made it 3 times and we do laundry weekly! 

I hope you find this recipe helpful and consider switching over! 

Happy Laundry! 

XO, KO

** Some of these links are affiliate links and I could make a commission off of your purchase.

HELPFUL LINKS:

Washing Soda: CLICK HERE

Baking Soda: CLICK HERE

Kosher Salt: CLICK HERE

Borax: CLICK HERE

** On Guard Laundry Detergent: CLICK HERE

** On Guard Protective Essential Oil Blend & Lemon Essential Oil: CLICK HERE