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A large glass jar with a metal lid filled with powder laundry detergent. A metal scoop is leaning next to the jar. Pottery filled with dried eucalyptus and a bag of wool dryer balls are in the background.

DIY Powder Laundry Detergent

5 from 1 vote
Making your own homemade powder laundry detergent will leave your clothes fresh and clean without all of the harsh chemicals.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 128 loads

Ingredients
  

  • 4 C borax
  • 4 C washing soda
  • 4 C baking soda
  • 2 bars castile soap grated
  • 30-60 drops essential oil (optional)

Equipment

  • 1 Grater
  • 1 Large bowl
  • 1 Large storage container
  • 1 Measuring spoon

Method
 

  1. Grate both bars of soap finely.
  2. Combine your grated soap with the borax, washing soda, and baking soda in a large bowl. Mix everything together thoroughly.
  3. Add essential oils if desired. Mix thoroughly again.
  4. Transfer the finished mixture to an enclosed container to store.
  5. Use 2-4 tbsp per load.

Notes

  • A gallon size container works well to store this powder laundry detergent.
  • Mix all the ingredients together very thoroughly before transferring to your storage container so that each load of laundry gets a little of each ingredient.
  • This recipe makes approximately 16 cups of powder laundry detergent. If you use ¼ C (4 tbsp) per load of laundry, this should last you 64 loads. If you use 2 tbsp per load, this should last you 128 loads.
  • You can easily half or double this recipe, depending on how much you want to make at one time and how big your storage container is.
  • I recommend using at least warm water with each load so that the grated castile soap can easily melt and wash away.
  • Most instructions for powder laundry detergent recommend either 1 or 2 tablespoons per load, depending on the product or recipe. Even though my DIY recipe works really well, I usually use 3-4 tablespoons per load.
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