Sharing my natural-as-can-be laundry detergent formula and recipe

[Sascha6990]

I never liked commercial laundry detergents and the thing I hated the most was the incredibly long lasting artificial scents which I now know are estrogenic. For me that was sufficient reason to ditch them and learn how to make my own. Of course, there are a lot of natural laundry detergents available but making your own is cost-effective, satisfying and fun.

I started researching making laundry detergent that is suitable for the washing machine in 2022. Pretty soon into my research I found out using soap flakes is not a good idea because of the buildup on the clothes and pipes. So I found a recipe without soap which only contained a combination of salts (sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, magnesium sulphate and regular salt or sea salt) along with some essential oil. I found it to work great only for clothes that are not very dirty and just need refreshing. I started wondering what could be the problem and I noticed the recipe doesn't contain any actual surfactants, the salts only act as water softeners and deodorizers.

So I made my own formula and I'm sharing it with you because I found it to be effective both at cleaning dirt and refreshing clothes. The formula contains 1% essential oils which although estrogenic, are volatile and will only last until the clothes are dry. Some of them enhance the cleaning power and/or are antibacterial, for example tea tree, lime, lavender, etc.
I chose to use sodium coco sulphate as a surfactant because it is strong, naturally-derived and easily available at natural ingredients suppliers in my country. Increasing its percentage in the formula will increase cleaning power but also foaming. Please note that this formula, although effective in cleaning dirt, is not a stain remover. Commercial detergents contain enzymes (proteases, amylases, lipases, etc.) to break down all kinds of stains. I usually use Marseille soap for stain removal before tossing the garment in the machine. Bovine bile soap is also good, especially for fat-based stains.

I prefer making the quantity needed (50g) for a 5kg load, medium dirty, each time because if you make a lot and keep it in a jar the heavier ingredients will settle at the bottom. For convenience, I also measured approximate volumes which I will give below.

This is the formula, sorry, excel files are not accepted. Suggestions for improving it are welcomed.

Recipe in volumes, standard cooking measuring spoons, leveled:

- 1 tbsp sodium bicarbonate
- 1 tbsp sodium carbonate
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp magnesium sulphate
- 1 tsp sodium coco sulphate
- aprox 10 drops essential oil/s

 

[Peachy]

I never liked commercial laundry detergents and the thing I hated the most was the incredibly long lasting artificial scents which I now know are estrogenic. For me that was sufficient reason to ditch them and learn how to make my own. Of course, there are a lot of natural laundry detergents available but making your own is cost-effective, satisfying and fun.

I started researching making laundry detergent that is suitable for the washing machine in 2022. Pretty soon into my research I found out using soap flakes is not a good idea because of the buildup on the clothes and pipes. So I found a recipe without soap which only contained a combination of salts (sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, magnesium sulphate and regular salt or sea salt) along with some essential oil. I found it to work great only for clothes that are not very dirty and just need refreshing. I started wondering what could be the problem and I noticed the recipe doesn't contain any actual surfactants, the salts only act as water softeners and deodorizers.

So I made my own formula and I'm sharing it with you because I found it to be effective both at cleaning dirt and refreshing clothes. The formula contains 1% essential oils which although estrogenic, are volatile and will only last until the clothes are dry. Some of them enhance the cleaning power and/or are antibacterial, for example tea tree, lime, lavender, etc.
I chose to use sodium coco sulphate as a surfactant because it is strong, naturally-derived and easily available at natural ingredients suppliers in my country. Increasing its percentage in the formula will increase cleaning power but also foaming. Please note that this formula, although effective in cleaning dirt, is not a stain remover. Commercial detergents contain enzymes (proteases, amylases, lipases, etc.) to break down all kinds of stains. I usually use Marseille soap for stain removal before tossing the garment in the machine. Bovine bile soap is also good, especially for fat-based stains.

I prefer making the quantity needed (50g) for a 5kg load, medium dirty, each time because if you make a lot and keep it in a jar the heavier ingredients will settle at the bottom. For convenience, I also measured approximate volumes which I will give below.

This is the formula, sorry, excel files are not accepted. Suggestions for improving it are welcomed.

Recipe in volumes, standard cooking measuring spoons, leveled:

- 1 tbsp sodium bicarbonate
- 1 tbsp sodium carbonate
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp magnesium sulphate
- 1 tsp sodium coco sulphate
- aprox 10 drops essential oil/s

Thanks for sharing and explaining the process! I use a powder enzyme wash but have thought of making my own.

 

[Sascha6990]

Thanks for sharing and explaining the process! I use a powder enzyme wash but have thought of making my own.

No problem. I have never heard of such a product, is it just regular enzyme-containing detergent? Nothing useful came up when googling "powder enzyme wash".

 

[Peachy]

No problem. I have never heard of such a product, is it just regular enzyme-containing detergent? Nothing useful came up when googling "powder enzyme wash".

I use Active Wear or a product called Defunkify.

Active Wear Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda), Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Metasilicate, Sodium Chloride (salt), Sodium Percarbonate, Proprietary Enzyme Blend, Ethoxylated Alcohols c9-c11

I use Biokleen Bac-Out for pre-treating sometimes (and cleaning rugs too)

 

[Peachy]

I’ve also used baking soda and vinegar. It worked well but if I did it again I’d dissolve the baking soda in warm water first. And I’m not sure how great vinegar is for clothes.

 

[freyasam]

Thanks; I might try it. I've been using soap nuts but not sure how effective they are.

 

[Sascha6990]

I use Active Wear or a product called Defunkify.

Active Wear Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda), Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Metasilicate, Sodium Chloride (salt), Sodium Percarbonate, Proprietary Enzyme Blend, Ethoxylated Alcohols c9-c11

I use Biokleen Bac-Out for pre-treating sometimes (and cleaning rugs too)

Thanks. This reminded me of sodium percarbonate, I used to use it along with a commercial natural detergent for coloured clothes, it is effective in stain removing and also makes the colours brighter. I should study its interaction with the other ingredients in the formula and try including it.

 

[Sascha6990]

Thanks; I might try it. I've been using soap nuts but not sure how effective they are.

I have used soap nuts too, I found them to be effective for refreshing, not so much for cleaning dirt, exactly like the salt-based recipe I'm talking about in the post. It also depends on how many you're using per load.

 

[A-Tim]

Thanks Sascha. Make sure to keep us posted and update the thread if you find out anything new, or make any changes over time. I find the subject interesting, but selfishly don't want to do the research myself.

I've always been happy to use whatever has the fewest ingredients, and works "well enough". But my girlfriend is a bit fussier. She wants it to work better than "well enough". And she seems to find it very important for there to be a pleasant scent when she takes the clothes out of the wash.

So I've yet to find something which meets my preference for being non-toxic/harmless, and her preference for very effective and nicely scented. Maybe your recipe will do the trick!

 

[Jennifer]

@A-Tim, have you tried throwing a wool dryer ball scented with essential oils in with your laundry while it’s drying? I like having a pleasant scent too, but use a homemade laundry detergent that doesn’t leave much of a scent and I find the wool dryer ball with essential oils does the trick.

 

[A-Tim]

@A-Tim, have you tried throwing a wool dryer ball scented with essential oils in with your laundry while it’s drying? I like having a pleasant scent too, but use a homemade laundry detergent that doesn’t leave much of a scent and I find the wool dryer ball with essential oils does the trick.

Nope, I hadn't thought of that. Seems easy to do, will give it ago. Thanks

 

[Sascha6990]

Thanks Sascha. Make sure to keep us posted and update the thread if you find out anything new, or make any changes over time. I find the subject interesting, but selfishly don't want to do the research myself.

I've always been happy to use whatever has the fewest ingredients, and works "well enough". But my girlfriend is a bit fussier. She wants it to work better than "well enough". And she seems to find it very important for there to be a pleasant scent when she takes the clothes out of the wash.

So I've yet to find something which meets my preference for being non-toxic/harmless, and her preference for very effective and nicely scented. Maybe your recipe will do the trick!

Hope it helps :) I like feeling a nice scent too, but only when I get the laundry out of the machine, not when I'm wearing them haha. I don't use a dryer. The scented wool dryer ball sounds like a nice idea if you're looking for a more persistent aroma.
As for efficiency, you can try this recipe as it is and if it is not working well enough for her up the sodium coco sulphate a bit, maybe 10%. The percentages must always add up to 100%, so you will remove 3% from something else, for example the sodium bicarbonate.

P.S. If anyone wants the excel file with the formula, pm me your email address.

 

[Sascha6990]

@A-Tim, have you tried throwing a wool dryer ball scented with essential oils in with your laundry while it’s drying? I like having a pleasant scent too, but use a homemade laundry detergent that doesn’t leave much of a scent and I find the wool dryer ball with essential oils does the trick.

Could you share the recipe you're using, please? Maybe we can combine ideas and make the world's greatest homemade detergent recipe hehe

 

[Jennifer]

Nope, I hadn't thought of that. Seems easy to do, will give it ago. Thanks

You’re welcome. :)

Could you share the recipe you're using, please? Maybe we can combine ideas and make the world's greatest homemade detergent recipe hehe

The recipe is similar to yours, minus the sodium coco sulphate. I was using a natural laundry powder called Molly’s Suds, but the formula is so basic I decided to make my own and found this recipe that calls for the same ingredients:

• 1/2 cup magnesium sulphate
• 1 1/2 cups Sodium Bicarbonate
• 1 1/2 cups Sodium Carbonate
• 1/4 cup Sea Salt
• 20–25 drops of essential oil (optional)

I save the essential oils for the wool dryer ball, only because I use two (Tahitian gardenia and vanilla) that are on the expensive side
and I find that their scent disappears if I use them in the laundry powder. I use 1 heaping tablespoon of laundry powder per regular load, and 2 heaping tablespoons for heavily soiled or larger loads.

And for anyone who doesn’t feel like making their own, here’s the Molly’s Suds laundry powder:

Amazon product ASIN B09HL551VZView: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09HL551VZ/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_6?smid=A1FUPZWT4RJSOD&psc=1

 

[Sascha6990]

You’re welcome. :)



The recipe is similar to yours, minus the sodium coco sulphate. I was using a natural laundry powder called Molly’s Suds, but the formula is so basic I decided to make my own and found this recipe that calls for the same ingredients:

• 1/2 cup magnesium sulphate
• 1 1/2 cups Sodium Bicarbonate
• 1 1/2 cups Sodium Carbonate
• 1/4 cup Sea Salt
• 20–25 drops of essential oil (optional)

I save the essential oils for the wool dryer ball, only because I use two (Tahitian gardenia and vanilla) that are on the expensive side
and I find that their scent disappears if I use them in the laundry powder. I use 1 heaping tablespoon of laundry powder per regular load, and 2 heaping tablespoons for heavily soiled or larger loads.

And for anyone who doesn’t feel like making their own, here’s the Molly’s Suds laundry powder:

Amazon product ASIN B09HL551VZView: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09HL551VZ/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_6?smid=A1FUPZWT4RJSOD&psc=1

Ahh, haha, that's the recipe I was using before adding the sodium coco sulphate! Is it effective for you? For me it didn't remove dirt so well, especially from socks
On another note, tahitian gardenia eo sounds divine, I'm going to look for some.

 

[Jennifer]

Ahh, haha, that's the recipe I was using before adding the sodium coco sulphate! Is it effective for you? For me it didn't remove dirt so well, especially from socks
On another note, tahitian gardenia eo sounds divine, I'm going to look for some.

I found it to be effective, yes. I wonder if the water makes a difference or even the type of washing machine? I have well water with a water filtration system and a top loading machine.

I think Tahitian gardenia eo smells pretty divine. Haha! It smells even better on skin, IMO. I use Monoï oil (Tahitian gardenias macerated in virgin coconut oil) on my body and it develops this soft, exotic vanilla-like scent. I get the Tahitian gardenia eo here:

Tiare Absolute Oil Organic - Tahitian Gardenia taitensis

Buy Tiare Tahitian Gardenia Absolute Oil at Bulk Wholesale Prices. Gardenia taitensis. Certified USDA Organic. 100% Pure and Natural Therapeutic Grade.

www.natureinbottle.com

 

[akgrrrl]

Vinegar is the great neutralizer. Even restoration of vintage textiles like tatted or string crochet linen napkins, tea sets, doilies, where a bleach bath is required to lift tannins or oils, a plunge in vinegar water stops the action of bleach. For clothing, sheets and towels where skin oils permeate and accumulate, vinegar in the prewash or rinse cycle will strip oils. This is the same reason a warm vinegar rinse on the hair is good every so often--- it strips accumulated soap, hair products residuals, and even ones natural oils, dust, dander, and environmental particulates, brightening and shining hair color.

 

[Jennifer]

Vinegar is the great neutralizer. Even restoration of vintage textiles like tatted or string crochet linen napkins, tea sets, doilies, where a bleach bath is required to lift tannins or oils, a plunge in vinegar water stops the action of bleach. For clothing, sheets and towels where skin oils permeate and accumulate, vinegar in the prewash or rinse cycle will strip oils. This is the same reason a warm vinegar rinse on the hair is good every so often--- it strips accumulated soap, hair products residuals, and even ones natural oils, dust, dander, and environmental particulates, brightening and shining hair color.

Yes!

 

[cdg]

I never liked commercial laundry detergents and the thing I hated the most was the incredibly long lasting artificial scents which I now know are estrogenic. For me that was sufficient reason to ditch them and learn how to make my own. Of course, there are a lot of natural laundry detergents available but making your own is cost-effective, satisfying and fun.

I started researching making laundry detergent that is suitable for the washing machine in 2022. Pretty soon into my research I found out using soap flakes is not a good idea because of the buildup on the clothes and pipes. So I found a recipe without soap which only contained a combination of salts (sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, magnesium sulphate and regular salt or sea salt) along with some essential oil. I found it to work great only for clothes that are not very dirty and just need refreshing. I started wondering what could be the problem and I noticed the recipe doesn't contain any actual surfactants, the salts only act as water softeners and deodorizers.

So I made my own formula and I'm sharing it with you because I found it to be effective both at cleaning dirt and refreshing clothes. The formula contains 1% essential oils which although estrogenic, are volatile and will only last until the clothes are dry. Some of them enhance the cleaning power and/or are antibacterial, for example tea tree, lime, lavender, etc.
I chose to use sodium coco sulphate as a surfactant because it is strong, naturally-derived and easily available at natural ingredients suppliers in my country. Increasing its percentage in the formula will increase cleaning power but also foaming. Please note that this formula, although effective in cleaning dirt, is not a stain remover. Commercial detergents contain enzymes (proteases, amylases, lipases, etc.) to break down all kinds of stains. I usually use Marseille soap for stain removal before tossing the garment in the machine. Bovine bile soap is also good, especially for fat-based stains.

I prefer making the quantity needed (50g) for a 5kg load, medium dirty, each time because if you make a lot and keep it in a jar the heavier ingredients will settle at the bottom. For convenience, I also measured approximate volumes which I will give below.

This is the formula, sorry, excel files are not accepted. Suggestions for improving it are welcomed.

Recipe in volumes, standard cooking measuring spoons, leveled:

- 1 tbsp sodium bicarbonate
- 1 tbsp sodium carbonate
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp magnesium sulphate
- 1 tsp sodium coco sulphate
- aprox 10 drops essential oil/s

Assume you could also add a little Methylene Blue for brightness. But be careful not to use too much or you'l spend all day removing it from everywhere

 

[AspiringSage]

Have you considered adding a little bit of borax? I wouldn’t use it in excess, but it might be useful especially in loads of whites.

In humans the results of oral consumption are mixed and a little controversial in the literature I’ve read. Before the early 1900 various forms of boron were added to food in great excess as a preservative. I believe that it displaces fluoride, boosts testosterone and also estrogen to an extant. I am not sure if the latter effect is a direct estrogen boosting or simply a side effect of boosting testosterone (additional substrate for conversion via armotase). I am also not sure how much of the common salt forms in borax pass through the skin.

But from a practical matter a little borax is good at cleaning fabrics and removing smells. I think large amounts of borax were widely used a mild bleaching agent before the widespread availability of chlorine based bleach. I avoid using chlorine based bleach so I sometimes toss a little borax in the washer when my lighter clothes need a deep cleaning.