How To Make Non Toxic Laundry Detergent | Three Recipes

Most store-bought detergents contain synthetic fragrances, phosphates, and surfactants like sodium laureth sulfate and 1,4-dioxane that you don’t want near your skin or washing into waterways. The fix is a ten-minute mixing session with three or four ingredients you can buy in bulk once and store for months. Here are the three most reliable formulations, from simplest to most traditional.

Powdered Detergent Without Bar Soap

This is the fastest recipe — no grating, no simmering. Mix dry ingredients, shake, and scoop.

• Ingredients: 1½ cups baking soda, 1½ cups washing soda, ½ cup Epsom salt, ¼ cup sea salt, 20–25 drops essential oil (optional).
• Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a glass bowl or jar, stir or shake thoroughly, and store in an airtight container.
• Usage: 1 heaping tablespoon for a regular load; 2 tablespoons for heavily soiled clothes.

The Epsom salt softens fabric and prevents residue; the sea salt adds mild whitening. Skip the essential oils entirely if you prefer absolutely no scent — the detergent works the same way without them.

Powdered Detergent With Castile Soap

Adding grated bar soap boosts cleaning power for tough stains. This version is the closest to most DIY laundry recipes on the web, backed by the David Suzuki Foundation’s earth-friendly laundry guide.

• Ingredients: 1 bar (4 oz) unscented Castile soap, 1¾ cups borax, 1¾ cups washing soda, 1½ cups baking soda, 1¼ cup OxiClean Free (or 5 tablespoons sodium percarbonate).
• Instructions: Grate the soap bar finely using a box grater or pulse in a food processor. Add the remaining powders and pulse until uniform. Store in a glass jar with a tight lid.
• Usage: 2 tablespoons directly into the washer drum (1 tablespoon for high-efficiency front-loaders).

Borax is controversial in strictly non-toxic circles — some avoid it due to irritation concerns. If you want the strictest formulation, drop the borax and increase the washing soda by one cup. The detergent still cleans well.

Liquid Detergent (High-Efficiency Safe)

Powder is simpler, but some prefer liquid for top loaders or colder water washes. This version takes about 15 minutes of active time and works in any machine.

• Ingredients: 1 cup washing soda, 1 cup baking soda, 1 cup liquid Castile soap (unscented), 13 cups hot water.
• Instructions: Heat 6 cups of water to near-boiling. Dissolve the washing soda and baking soda in the hot water, stirring until clear. Add the remaining 7 cups of cold water to bring the temperature down, then stir in the liquid Castile soap. Pour into a container with a secure lid. The liquid will gel slightly as it cools — shake before each use.
• Usage: ¼ cup per load. For heavily soiled loads, use ½ cup.

Don’t add vinegar to the same cycle — it neutralizes the cleaning action. Instead, put 1 cup of white vinegar in the rinse cycle’s fabric softener dispenser if you want softer clothes.

Ingredients To Pinch Or Skip

• Washing soda (sodium carbonate): The real cleaner. Avoid skin contact directly; it’s more alkaline than baking soda. Essential.
• Baking soda: Softens water and lightly scrubs. Choose aluminum-free brands.
• Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate): Prevents residue and softens fabric. Completely optional — skip it if you don’t have it.
• Essential oils: Only for scent. Most are fine, but avoid any with synthetic dyes or “fragrance oil” labels that don’t list plant sources.
• Castile soap: Must be unscented — scented versions often contain the synthetic fragrances you’re trying to avoid.

That’s a fraction of premium non-toxic brands per load.