I’m not proud to admit it, but there was a time that I would’ve rather shoved toothpicks under my fingernails than be bothered with making my own homemade laundry detergent. Are you kidding me? Why on earth would I do that? I’m happy to live in modern times, not the stone age for goodness’ sake!

Oh my, how arrogant and ignorant I was. And deeply, horribly in debt to prove it.

Long story short, I learned how to cut expenses—to scrimp where it doesn’t matter in order have what matters most. And yes, I most willingly learned to make my own homemade laundry detergent for cheap—less than a nickel a load, giving up spending $ .35 or even $.50 a load for the ready-made options. And I got out of debt—paid off a massive amount of credit card debt, now happily debt-free with more joy than I can possibly express.

Look, I’m not saying that making laundry detergent is going to get you out of debt. That one move on its own will, at best, make a small dent in your weekly grocery tab. But add that to hundreds of other changes (hang around me with and I’ll teach you), and your life will change in dramatic ways. Just think about it.

In the meantime let me show you how quick and easy it is to do this:

Liquid Laundry Detergent

To make one-gallon liquid laundry detergent, you need these items:

1-gallon container with a lid
3/4 cup borax
3/4 cup washing soda
water
3/4 cup blue Dawn

Borax

You can find Twenty-Mule Team Borax, or any brands of borax, in the laundry aisle of your supermarket or a department store like Walmart or Target. Also online.

Washing soda

Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (sodium carbonate) is the brand of washing soda available in many supermarkets and stores like Walmart and Target and online.

An alternative to branded washing soda is soda ash (also sodium carbonate). Soda ash is the generic form and exactly the same thing as washing soda (not to be confused with baking soda) and is used in swimming pools to fix the ph. It’s readily available in pool supply stores or even larger department stores that carry pool chlorine and so forth, or online.

Blue Dawn

Readily available just about in any store, there are numerous versions of Blue Dawn. You’ll see it sold as “Original,” “Ultra Concentrated” and most recently, “Ultra Advanced Power.” While any version of Blue Dawn will work in this recipe, you need to know that Ultra Advanced Power Blue Dawn contains enzymes that will make your own laundry detergent even more awesomely powerful.

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MORE: How to Make the Best Homemade Powdered Laundry Detergent

Step 1:

Pour 3/4 cup borax and 3/4 cup washing soda (or soda ash as I am using in this tutorial) into the empty one-gallon container.

Step 2:

Add about 3 cups water. You’ll see a few bubbles form, but nothing to be concerned about.

Step 3:

Apply the lid and shake the container vigorously until the powdered ingredients appear to be dissolving. Give yourself a little workout here and shake it well so it looks incorporated and milky like this.

Step 4:

Fill the container with tap water to within about an inch of the top, more or less depending on the shape of your container. You want to leave enough room for the Dawn which is coming up.

Step 5:

Pour in 3/4 cup Blue Dawn dishwashing liquid.

Slowly …. you don’t want to create a lot of suds or bubbles.

MORE: 23 Remarkable Ways to Use Blue Dawn Outside the Kitchen

Step 6:

Once you’ve poured in all of the Dawn, fill that measuring cup with more water so you can top off the container and rinse out the last of the Dawn.

Now, if you still have room, add more water until you are about 1/2-inch from the top.

Step 7:

Apply the lid. This should be quite easy because you will not be contending with suds or bubbles. Notice how the dawn is not fully mixed up. That’s fine. Just get that lid on tightly.

Step 8:

Instead of shaking it now just put the container on its side and roll it around a bit to get everything mixed.

Notice that without any kind of cleaning up at all, the counter is dry with no mess, no suds—quite clean and tidy, don’t you think? Yay! We’ve overcome the suds-to-infinity problem so many of my readers encountered with earlier instructions.

Take a moment to admire your beautiful homemade product and then let’s get to the laundry room where you will need your gallon of laundry detergent and a 1/4-cup measure.

Measure out 1/4 cup detergent, more or less depending on the size and type of washer you have, and the hardness level of the water where you live. I know that sounds nebulous. Understand that you will need to experiment to find exactly the right amount for your individual conditions.

The photos in this tutorial go back to when I had an LG Wave Force top-loading HE machine. I routinely used 1/4 cup of this detergent in that washer where I lived in Orange County Calif., where the water is very hard—17 grains!

Now, I live in Colorado, where the water is not as hard and I have a front loading GE washer—which uses very little water. I can’t believe how little! One-quarter cup is way too much for this machine. I know that because when I use that much, the result is stiff, dingy results! In my HE machine, with medium-hard water, I use about 1 tablespoon of this liquid laundry detergent per load.

Pour it in the way you have always added detergent to your washer. If you have a little detergent dispenser, that’s where this tidy 1/4 cup of beautiful liquid goes.

HE Compatible

This liquid laundry detergent is absolutely suited for HE (high efficiency) machines because when diluted even further in the wash load, it produces no suds, which is the difference between traditional and HE detergents.

Pro-tip. Between uses, the container of liquid laundry detergent will appear to be separating. No worries. Just make sure you shake the container well before each use. In time, “crystals” will develop in the bottom of the container. No worries, just shake before use and as you get to teh end, use the “crystals.” It’s all the same

Close-up Of Female Hands Pouring homemade laundry detergent In The Blue Bottle Cap

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4.25 from 33 votes

Liquid Laundry Detergent

Step by step instructions for how to make laundry detergent is easy, cheap and effective in standard and HE washers. Save money and avoid harsh chemicals with this ORIGINAL recipe and procedure for liquid homemade laundry detergent. It is so good and costs less than 5 cents per load.

Prep Time10

Cook Time0

Total Time10

Course: Housekeeping

Cuisine: Laundry

Servings: Loads

Ingredients

3/4 cup super washing soda, like Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (Note 1)
3/4 cup borax, like Twenty-Mule Team Borax (Note 2)
3/4 cup Original Blue Dawn (Note 3)

Instructions

Measure and pour washing soda and borax into the one-gallon container.
Add 2 to 3 cups cool tap water
Apply the lid and shake the container vigorously until the powdered ingredients appear to be dissolving. Give yourself a little workout here and shake it well so it looks incorporated and milky like this.
Fill the container with tap water to within about an inch of the top, more or less depending on the shape of your container. You want to leave enough room for the Dawn which is coming up.
Measure out and pour in blue Dawn dishwashing liquid. Slowly .... you don't want to create a lot of suds or bubbles.
Once you've poured in all of the Dawn, fill that measuring cup with more water so you can top off the container and rinse out the last of the Dawn. If you still have room, add more water until you are about 1/2-inch from the top.
Apply the lid. This should be quite easy because you will not be contending with suds or bubbles. Notice how the dawn is not fully mixed up. That's fine. Just get that lid on tightly.
Instead of shaking it now just put the container on its side and roll it around a bit to get everything mixed. Notice that without any kind of cleaning up at all, the counter is dry with no mess, no suds—quite clean and tidy, don't you think? Yay! We've overcome the suds-to-infinity problem so many of my readers encountered with earlier instructions.
To Use: Measure out 1 tablespoon (front loader) to 1/4 cup detergent (older top loading), more or less depending on the size and type of washer you have, and the hardness level of the water where you live. I know that sounds nebulous. Understand that you will need to experiment to find exactly the right amount for your individual conditions. If you have front-loading HE washer, start with just 1 tablespoon! That type washer uses very little water, so you want to make sure the detergent will be well rinsed out on the last rinse cycle.

Notes

Note 1: Washing soda is the commercial name for soda ash, which is much cheaper than branded Arm & Hammer Washing Soda. Caution: Washing soda is not the same as baking soda. Washing soda is definitely not edible!

Note 2: Find it in the laundry product aisle of most supermarkets or stores like Walmart and Target.

Note 3: Blue Dawn only, please. Other colors or "brands" do not contain the proprietary formula that makes Blue Dawn a fabulous degreaser, even in this highly diluted state.

Note 4: You may notice your detergent developing "crystals" in the bottom of the container, as the detergent ages. These crystals are completely harmless, if only slightly annoying. One of the properties of borax, which is a naturally occurring mineral mined from underground, is that it clumps easily when exposed to humidity. The clumping or hardening action is hastened with heat.

Pro-tip: If you end up with a clump of crystal in the bottom of the container, whack it with the end of a wooden spoon or some other implement to break it up. Then use it up as if it were completely liquified—crystals and all. Your laundry will still come out clean and lovely. If you are still bothered by these crystals, consider making smaller batches of laundry detergent that you will up more quickly.

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4.63 from 16 votes

Powdered Laundry Detergent

Making laundry detergent is easy, cheap, and effective in standard and HE washers. Save money and avoid harsh chemicals with this ORIGINAL recipe and procedure for making powdered homemade laundry detergent. It is so good and costs less than 5 cents per load.

Prep Time20

Total Time20

Course: Housekeeping

Cuisine: Laundry

Servings: wash loads

Ingredients

1 bar (5 oz.) Fels-Naptha laundry bar (Note 1)
2 cups (14 oz.) borax (Note 2)
1 3/4 cups (14 oz.) washing soda (Note 3)

Instructions

Grate the entire bar Fels Naptha (or other laundry bar soap (Note 1) using the fine side of a cheese grater.
Pour grated soap, borax, and washing soda into a large mixing bowl.
Stir to mix well then transfer mixture to quart-size or larger container (Note 4). Apply the lid and label clearly.
To Use: Add 1 tablespoon powdered laundry detergent to the wash load. You may need to adjust depending on your conditions and washer size. You will not need much to produce excellent results.

Notes

Note 1: Or ZOTE, Dr. Bronner's Castile Bar, or Ivory.

Note 2: Twenty-Mule Team Borax is one brand, which is available in the laundry products aisle of most supermarkets and stores like Walmart and Target.

Note 3: Super Washing Soda is a brand name by Arm & Hammer. The product is sodium carbonate (not the same as baking soda). Soda ash is its generic name and much cheaper! Buy soda ash in swimming pool supply stores, or online for a fraction of the cost.

Note 4: Alternatively, you can pour the mixture into your blender or food processor to create a fine powder that will dissolve more readily in a cold water wash cycle. It's a messy process because you'll create a lot of dust needs to settle before proceeding. Be careful not to breathe that fine powder that will be produced.

Pro-tip: This recipe for powdered laundry detergent multiples well. Shake or stir it a bit before each use to keep everything evenly distributed.

First published: 5-13-13; Most Recent Update: 1-10-21

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Please keep your comments positive, encouraging, helpful, brief,
and on-topic in keeping with EC Commenting Guidelines

John B says:

April 17, 2024 at 11:25 am

I read a response that you wrote to a reader about how much laundry detergent to use. In the response you wrote she should use one tablespoon of detergent. Is that commercial detergent. I’m asking that because in your recipe you say to use 1/4 cup of the homemade detergent; 1/4 cup is 4 tablespoons.
John B.

Mary Hunt says:
April 17, 2024 at 12:55 pm

I can understand why you’re confused, John! Here’s the deal: When it comes to how much laundry detergent to use, there are myriad variables, i.e. washer capacity (standard size, extra large, etc.) specific cycle selected (small load, large load) and the condition or “hardness” of water where you live. Then there’s the detergent you’re using. So many commercial laundry detergent’s these days are highly concentrated. Then there are detergent pods and even the new detergent sheets. As for our homemade detergent that contains Blue Dawn, are you using original Blue Dawn or is it Ultra 4x or Ultra Platinum 5x (indicating how concentrated it is!). My advice to the reader for 1 tablespoon (as I recall) was a place to start, then increase or decrease as needed. If using our homemade version, yes 1/4 cup is recommended for the original recipe. And even then it’s difficult to take into account the size washer. Whew! That’s a long explanation and still I have not answered your question, so here it is. Experiment, erring on the side of using too little rather than too much. As you may know I highly recommend borax as an additive to every load regardless the type/brand of detergent you’re using. Let me share my situation. I just got a new large capacity Electrolux Washer/Dryer set. I assumed I would need to increase the amount of detergent due to larger loads, but surprisingly, no. I’ve settled on this routine: 1/3 cup borax plus 1 tablespoon EC Homemade Liquid Detergent made with Blue Dawn Ultra 4X. Then I add 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar to the last rinse (pouring it into the washer’s liquid softener reservoir, which gets released into that last rinse cycle). Hope that helps!

Karen says:

January 25, 2024 at 11:02 am

I’m having a hard time getting the borax and washing soda to dissolve. I’ve been shaking for 1/2 hour and I still have undissolved crystals. I tried adding more water but still not dissolving. Any ideas?

Mary Hunt says:
January 26, 2024 at 12:11 pm

Don’t worry. Leave them as is and proceed. If there are crystals left at the end just throw the into the machine/load.

Help! I Get Clumps of Crystals in My Homemade Laundry Detergent

anonymous says:

December 10, 2023 at 12:16 am

You have a fantastic eye for information! You always recognize just how to make me feel better.

Mary says:

August 30, 2023 at 4:34 pm

Howdy! I made this a few days ago and have done a few loads of laundry (1/4 cup liquid). I assume it works as good as Tide. I hated seeing it separate; Dawn was on top and the rest was cloudy water with crystals covering the bottom of the one gallon jug. Tonight I will take the idea of not adding water. Let it dry overnight and break it up using ONE TABLESPOON per load. I think that will be way easier. I might end up keeping it in a Tupperware depending on the moisture content.

How to Make the Best Homemade Laundry Detergent—Liquid and Powdered

Liquid Laundry Detergent

Borax

Washing soda