Easy 5 minute diy laundry detergent without borax. There’s no soap grating, it’s really cheap to make, and it’s all-natural. A very effective laundry detergent for sensitive skin.
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Easy DIY Laundry Detergent Without Borax
Laundry.
The never-ending chore.
There always seems to be clothes to be washed, clothes to be folded, or clothes to be put away. And if it’s not clothes, it’s towels or bedding.
And don’t even get me started on laundry during potty-training season. Or stomach flu season.
We spend a lot of time with that washing machine, don’t we?
Upfront honesty: I have no magic secret that makes the chore of laundry disappear. I don’t have 5 tips to never do laundry again (trust me, I wish I did).
But what I can help with is the cost and the quality of the soap you’re using for every. Single. Load.
Hello, Homemade Laundry Detergent!
It all started with my sensitive baby
When my first born was barely 6 months old, he broke out in hives.
Bad.
After talking with his pediatrician and doing a ton of research, we had to change diet, lotions, body wash, and laundry products.
Before this, I never really thought too much about how laundry detergent would affect our bodies.
I never thought about the effect of those detergent products on my skin.
And I never really thought about how our skin absorbs 100% of what we put on it.
What we put ON our skin can impact our bodies similarly to as if we were ingesting it. We can poison ourselves from the outside, in.
Ummm…
Terrifying.
This has changed the game of everything for me. This drives me to DIY products like nobody’s business.
Related Post: How to Make Your Own Antiviral Disinfecting Spray
Related Post: 6 Ways to Tell If Your Essential Oils Are Fake
What’s so bad about store-bought detergent?
Oi.
Unless you’re buying natural laundry detergents, the most commonly used laundry detergents contain components that can cause:
- respiratory illness
- eye irritation
- cancer
- endocrine disruption (causing hormonal imbalance)
I want none of those things for my family, and I doubt you do, too.
That little ingredient called “fragrance” in your laundry detergent alone can cause a myriad of health problems.
“Fragrance” is a word that is used as an umbrella for many companies. They don’t have to disclose what ingredients are in their “fragrance” and it can range from natural to synthetic.
Most large name companies are using synthetic.
According to Dr. Axe, it can be a mixture of unidentified ingredients that are carcinogens, allergens, neurotoxic chemicals, endocrine disruptors, respiratory irritants, and environmental toxicants.
No wonder research is showing that the laundry room is the most toxic room in our households.
That’s just under fragrance.
It makes me so sad that that “clean laundry smell” can actually be killing us.
I seriously cried when I realized this.
The smell of Tide was my favorite.
I’m sorry if I’m ruining your day! It’s OK to cry like I did.
What’s in your laundry detergent?
The Environmental Workers Group has a website found at ewg.org, and it is an amazing resource for finding out how different household products rank for health and environmental issues.
And I love that EWG uses an A, B, C, D, F grade scale. We can all relate to that!
A=Best option.
F=Worst option.
Easy.
So, products that have low concern based on their transparency and disclosure of ingredients get an A. Products that won’t disclose any information on ingredients are have known carcinogens or environmental hazards fare worse.
Unfortunately, a lot of top brands have an F rating. Including Tide (cue tears).
This is very important: just because something claims to be natural, does NOT mean it automatically gets an A.
I was surprised by some of the products that I thought were natural.
Turns out they can get away with a lot under “umbrella words.”
If you find yourself needing to purchase pre-made laundry detergent, I really do recommend using Grove Collaborative. They carry many of the safer laundry options and have competitive pricing.
Not ready to make your own detregent?
This is a great pre-made option that has a grade A.
DIY laundry detergent without borax
Based on researching ingredients through the EWG website and other resources, I’ve created a laundry blend that is safe and effective. Yasssssss!
And did I mention that it’s a powder, so it’s ridiculous easy to throw together?
You don’t have to grate a single bar of soap.
Here’s the break-down of what’s in this homemade laundry detergent
Baking Soda
- Baking Soda is found in crystalline form in nature, making it environmentally friendly
- It is a deodorizer, which, hallelujah, clothes desperately need (at least in my house)
- Baking Soda is a gentle exfoliator, which helps scrub stains out of material
- It softens water to enhance the effectiveness of the detergent
Washing Soda
- Washing Soda is essentially plant ash, called sodium carbonate or soda ash, making it safe for the environment
- It helps to remove grease, oil, and various other stains out of material
- It is abrasive, which is a good thing when getting grime out of laundry
- Washing soda treats hard water, similarly to baking soda, aiding in effectiveness
Baby Oxi-Clean
- It only contains two ingredients (sodium percarbonate and sodium carbonate aka soda ash)which are derived from nature, making it very environmentally friendly
- Sodium percarbonate, which breaks down into hydrogen peroxide, is a natural bleaching and lifting agent that is safe for colors
- Sodium percarbonate also kills germs and lifts blood stains well
- OxiClean also contains soda ash (see washing soda), which we already know has great cleaning power as mentioned above
Sea Salt
- It almost goes without saying, but salt is a naturally derived mineral, making it a healthy option for the environment
- Salt works as a catalyst for other ingredients, boosting their cleaning and deodorizing effectiveness
- It is a scouring agent, giving some good scrubbing and thus softening action to the detergent
- Salt brightens colors, removes yellowing, and helps fade perspiration stains
- It also aids in keeping your washer clean by helping eliminate mildew
On the EWG website, all of these ingredients score an A (except for sea salt…but that’s because they didn’t rank sea salt…because…well…it’s salt).
Cloth Diaper users: We use this homemade laundry detergent with cloth diapers and haven’t had any problems. It does a better job than most detergents I’ve used previously for cloth diapers. If you want to add essential oils into your laundry detergent, I would make a separate container without for cloth diapering needs. There are differing opinions on the use of essential oils
Cost breakdown
OxiClean Baby: $7.82 for about 6 cups
Arm & Hammer Washing Soda: $3.97 for 7 cups
Baking Soda: $7.57 for 24 cups
Sea Salt (purchased in bulk): $1.26 for 6 cups
Total upfront cost of all ingredients: $10.80
BUT WAIT! There’s more. Each item makes at least three recipes. And each recipe does 112 loads.
Cost breakdown per recipe:
OxiClean Baby: $1.30
Washing Soda: $1.18
Baking Soda: $0.63
Sea Salt: $0.42
Total per recipe: $3.53, or 3 cents per load!
I’m pretty ecstatic about them numbers right there.
This homemade laundry detergent is so gentle on our skin, environment, and wallet, AND does a fantastic job cleaning our nasty clothes, too.
I may not LOVE the actual chore of laundry, but I’m pretty much in love with this laundry detergent.
After washing clothes, you can ditch the fabric softener and use dryer balls like these:
DIY Laundry Detergent Without Borax
Easy 5 minute DIY laundry detergent without borax. There's no soap grating, it's really cheap, and it's all-natural--a very effective homemade laundry detergent for sensitive skin.
Materials
- 2 cups baking soda
- 2 cups washing soda
- 2 cups sea salt
- 1 cup Baby Oxi-Clean
- Optional: 15-30 drops of essential oil like lavender, orange, tea trea, or peppermint
Instructions
- Combine baking soda, washing soda, and Oxi-Clean together in a gallon size container with a tight lid.
- Add salt on top and drop in essential oils, if using, in the salt for better distribution and absorption.
- Put lid on container and shake until all ingredients look well combined.
- To use, add 1 Tablespoon per load for front-loaders or 2 Tablespoons per load for top-loaders, following your washer's directions for powder detergent.
- Wash as normal!
Do you have any laundry tips that make your life easier? Help a mama out!
This is a great article. I’m on a kick of making my own all purpose cleaners and I never would have thought to make my own laundry detergent. The cost savings and the health benefits are all the more reason to make your own products.
Thank you!
I am in total agreement with you. The savings and benefits make it so worth it. I’ve started adding extra orange essential oils to my washer’s detergent tray, too, and my clothes are smelling extra good…which is something I’ve missed from store bought!
I love this! Before I make it though, is this recipe safe for HE washers?
Thanks for being here! YES! It is safe for HE washers. I use it in my front loading HE washer with no problem. 🙂
Can I ask your cloth diaper wash routine with this detergent?
Absolutely!
I wash my diapers in my HE frontloader on cold for a quick wash. I usually use 1/4 cup of baking soda or vinegar in with them, but no soap. Then I run them on warm for a regular wash with this detergent. If they’re extra stained I may put them in a bowl with baby oxi clean and warm water before running the regular load. Does that make sense? I hope this helps! Let me know if you need clarification.
Does it have to be sea salt or does kosher salt work?
Thanks for your question. Kosher salt should work absolutely fine!
What are your thoughts on adding castile soap? Is there a reason you don’t? Is it unnecessary? Could I use a squirt of liquid castile soap, or some grated bar soap, along with this?
Super good question! You can use castile soap, but from my research and experience it isn’t necessary. I don’t use liquids, since I find the powder is powerful and way too easy to make! Also, I would imagine the castile soap would make it less friendly for cloth diapers, as castile soap is made from oils. The washing soda and Oxiclean really work great at deep cleaning! I personally avoid grating soap, but if you want to, you certainly could add some! I haven’t tried this, but I would guess that you could halve the washing soda and replace the rest with finely grated soap it would work. If you try it, let me know how it goes!
Do I have to add salt if I’m not adding essential oils?
Thanks for your question! You don’t have to. I often leave it out. It’s a great fabric softener, though, plus it also helps to boost scent if you DO use essential oils. But again, nope. Not a must-have 🙂
Thanks for sharing this I have very sentizitive skin. An my girls do also. An I’m trying to find stuff to wash our clothes. An us use on our body’s. That want lead us to be itch. Can u if u have the liquid kind . Could u tell me how to make it. An i can’t stand my clothes not to smell clean an they have to look it or I keep washing until they do. Can u help mee.
Hi Tammy!
We’re a family of sensitive skin over here, too! This laundry detergent is extremely good for sensitive skin. I like to add lemon and orange essential oils to the load to boost the scent (about 4 drops of each).
Personally, I was not a fan of DIY liquid detergent because it turned out to be more work to make, but didn’t work as well as this powder. Everyone is different, though! This is one I’d recommend trying if you want to go that route: https://wholefully.com/homemade-borax-free-laundry-detergent/
Let me know if you have more questions! I love talking about natural cleaners 🙂
Hi, I just made the mixture and I’m excited to be saving money and making something safer for the family. But, I’m stuck on how much to use per load? Do you use a certain amount? Thank you in advance
Hey Tara! I’m so glad you made this (and yuuuup, it’s such a healthy money saver!). It depends on the type of washer you use. If it’s a front loader, use 1 tablespoon per load. If you have a top loader, you’ll use 2 tablespoons per load.
Let me know if you have any other questions! 🙂
Could you use Epsom salt instead of sea salt?
Do you use exactly a Tb. spoon for measuring this? And do you throw it right on into the water? Instead of the tray?
Also does this recipe make clothes get any build up that require stripping later?
Thanks so much for the recipe I’m making it as I type this haha.
Hi Dina! Great questions! I personally use exactly one tablespoon for each load. I put it in my tray of my front loader, but if you have a top loader you would put it in with the water. I have had zero build up using this laundry detergent (and I’ve been making it for nearly 8 years haha). I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Do you leave the essential oils out for cloth diapers? And do they smell still after washing? I am 20w pregnant with my first and want to make this, but I have people saying making your own wont clean them/ make them not as absorbant…. But if no soap, it should be fine?
Hi Julia! Congrats on that little person coming soon!
Good question. I chose to leave the essential oils in because I never had any issues with it. Some people say to not add them because the oil can build up on the cloth, making them less absorbent. I found that adding such a small amount to the detergent didn’t equate to oil build up. I also used dryer wool balls and added a couple drops of essential oils to that (lemon is my favorite). Others might disagree with it, but I had no issues. Apparently I’m a rebel.
It’s really up to you.
I highly recommend experimenting 🙂
This detergent worked great for me (even 4 kids later with most of the same cloth inserts). The cloth inserts will still need to be stripped every so often after baby is eating solids, but that’s usually necessary with any cloth diaper detergent.
Hope this is helpful. Let me know if you have any other questions. I’m here for YOU, mama!
I’m going to make this over the coming weekend! I’m so excited! How does this do at getting stains out of whites? Also, could you mix a bit with water to pretreat bad stains? Or do you have any other suggestions for dealing with either issue? I’m really trying to start making healthier decisions for my family and save money.
Hi Danielle! So glad that you’re here and choosing to go more natural <3 You're on the money here--You can absolutely pre-soak with this mixture for tough stains. Add a tablespoon to a large bowl of water and soak any stains for 2 hours. Then wash like normal. I have two boys who like to demolish clothes outdoors, and this takes care of most staining brilliantly! Alternatively you could also use the baby oxiclean by itself as a pre-soak.
Whites are interesting, because what we know as "white" is often an artificial blue colorant in laundry detergent and clothes dye to make it appear brighter. To get the blue-white that we're used to, you might want to look at a natural blue dye to add. I have not personally used this, but I've heard good things about Liquid Bluing by Mrs. Stewart. It’s natural and biodegradable. And you only add a tiny bit per load, so one bottle should last a good long while.
Another option, and what I personally do, is to use hydrogen peroxide (just the brown bottle of 3% that you can find anywhere) in a 16oz spray bottle with lemon essential oils. This is a natural bleach. I spray yellowing towels/sheets/undershirts with it and let them sit for as long as I can (1/2 hour-2 hours) and then wash like normal on a hot cycle.
Hope this helps! Please let me know if you have more questions. Totally here for you, cheering you on.
Hi! Do you use fine ground sea salt?
Hi Amy! Yes, I use fine ground sea salt. Good clarifier!
i’m going to give this a try. i’ve been making a liquid recipe with liquid castille for over 13 years, but….it has borax in it. i started using this after i broke out with recurring hives, and i still have flare ups after 13 1/2 years. i’m really hoping this may be the last thing to do away with. i made a lot of substitutions pretty quickly because i was suffering so much. thanks for this recipe!!
Cindi, I’m so sorry about the hives. Ugh. I’m all too familiar with skin issues. I hope and pray this solves the problem for you! It has worked really well for our family and is so easy to make. I wish you the very best 🙂
Hi! I was wondering if you could use regular oxi clean instead of the baby oxi clean. I have super sensitive skin but have used the regular with no problem. Since I already have that on hand, it would definitely save some money. Thanks!
Yes! You can definitely use regular if that’s what you have on hand! The baby one is great because it has less ingredients in it and is even more environmentally and sensitive skin friendly. But use what works for YOU, of course 🙂
Is the salt necessary? Will it work fine if I leave that out? Thank you for sharing this. I’m looking forward to making it.
Hi Barbara!
The salt is not necessary. It adds some scrubbing and softening power, but I have left it out before and still had great success 🙂
Hi! I was just wondering what the purpose of leaving out the borax? I just made another recipe and it was the only ingredient I was sort of uncomfortable handling as I was making it while my 1 year old was around. It would be a lot more peace of mind and much less hassle is the borax truly isn’t necessary.
What a great question!
I leave out borax for a couple reasons. 1) I try to keep my cleaning products to a minimum. Less is often more. So it’s one less thing to buy. 2) There is enough research to show that it’s not safe to ingest borax at all. In a household of children, I ESPECIALLY minimize products that could be lethal for them. I don’t want to use it on anything they might lick (so dishwasher detergent and household cleaning sprays are a no-go).
That’s why I leave it out. When my kids are older I might incorporate it again because it IS a great cleaner and can be multipurpose when you don’t have little people in the house who lick everything hahaha This article is great in the debate about borax if you want more info. 🙂
Any issue using this with cold water?
Hi Sarah, I have no issues using this with cold water. Everything dissolves well and seems just as effective.
So excited to find an EWG approved recipe. the store options are so expensive!
Brooke, so glad you found this recipe! I’m totally with you! The store bought brands are crazy expensive. Yikes!
I’ve been using it for a week or so and towels are coming out very scratchy and rough and don’t smell clean. I know they won’t smell like detergent with scent. We usually use scent free for sensitive skin. What am I doing wrong? I don’t use a dryer ball or anything in the dryer. I like the idea of this detergent but was hoping for better results. Any suggestions? Thank you!
Aw, I’m sorry to hear that. It may have to do with the kind of tap water. I would try add a cup of white vinegar to each load of towels to see if that helps.
I personally love dryer wool balls, especially for towels to add some fluff.
Hi!! I’m going to try making your recipe this weekend!! My husband breaks out in hives all the time and I’m sure it’s from the detergent. I read through all of the comments on this post and I love that you replied to everyone’s questions!! Thanks for sharing this great recipe, I figure if it can clean up cloth diapers then it should be able to stand up to my 4 boys!! 🙂
I hope this works well for you and helps with your husband’s hives! This recipe is still what I use…almost ten years later and five kids in. May it hold it’s own againt your boys 😉 haha
Does 2 tablespoons really work to get clothes clean?
It works for us in our HE washer! Definitely experiment and see how it works for you. 🙂
Is this recipe for laundry detergent “septic safe”. Made me wonder, especially with adding the salt.
I just discovered you from Pinterest. LOVE your candor and helpfulness!
I am excited to try making this. We really need this for health issues. Wish I had pursued this years ago……!
THX for how detailed that you answer questions on this blog! I have learned ALOT IN 5 MINUTES!
Does this work well for grease? My husband is a mechanic so his clothes are always covered in oil and grease.
I like to make a large batch. Was wondering if you have used the whole container of oxi? Trying to figure out the measurements for the other ingredients if I did it that way.
Does this dissolve in cold water? I like to wash some clothes in cold water.
I use it with cold loads and have no problem with it dissolving. Works great because it’s all biodegradable. Hope this helps 🙂
I love the ingredients in this detergent and the cost but I’m having a couple issues. It is leaving splotches on some of my clothing, almost like a light tie dye. I know that soda ash can make clothing more open to dying, so is it making the dye in the cloth wash out? If I’m just using too much, I can back off because otherwise I love it!
How weird. I have never experienced this issue, but I’m sorry you’re having a problem with it! Is it possible there’s a bleach effect from another source?
What about stains. I want to also get away from using plastic bottles and chemicals.
What can we use instead of Baby Oxiclean? I live in California and we can’t even get it delivered to our state. I have not found it in any stores.
Thank you for the great explanations and a wonderful article!
I made this recipe and I love it! It works great to wash my clothes. The only issue is that it clumped up in my glass container. Every time I try to take a scoop, I need to break it down and I ended up breaking my tablespoon and had to replace it. Why is it clumping up so bad? Any advice?
Hello,
Can I use Epsom salts in place of the salt? Or would regular salt be better?
Hi Hannah! Thanks for your question. Epsom salts are not necessary, but would have a softening effect as well. I often leave out the salt from this recipe and it still works wonderfully.
I already have a water softner and soft water in my home. Will this still work or will it make my water “too soft”?
This should still work well, but you may be fine leaving out the salt from the recipe. 🙂
Can you use regular oxiclean, I can’t find baby oxiclean
Hi Debbie! Great question! I use the Baby OxiClean because of it’s natural ingredients (only 2!). Regular OxiClean has added things in it that I prefer not to use. But if it’s what you can find, it will absolutely work in this recipe. It’s just not as “clean” in the ingredients.
I started using natural detergents after smells smelled BAD to me post-Covid and everything made me itchy after I was sick! The first one I found was similar but didn’t have oxiclean, and the oxiclean does help my son’s stinky work out clothes! This detergent doesn’t leave any smell. I do have a front loader HE, and I put vinegar in the pre-wash for fabric softener. I can’t smell it by the time the load is done, and I hate vinegar smell
Btw, adding a little epsom salt to each load or 1 cup in the whole mixture can help with fabric softening too (besides doing the vinegar in the pre-wash)
I definitely want to give your recipe a try. It is nice to know exactly what is going into my detergent!