Homemade Essential Oils Laundry Detergent
Making your own laundry detergent is one of those things that sounds harder than it actually is. Once you try it, you'll wonder why you ever spent money on store-bought detergent. This recipe is simple, cost-effective, and the essential oils make your laundry smell incredible without any synthetic fragrances.
I've been using this detergent for over a year now, and my clothes have never been cleaner or softer. The best part? I know exactly what's in it—no mystery ingredients, no fillers, no harsh chemicals.
Ingredients
- 1 bar grated castile soap (Dr. Woods or Dr. Bronner's)
- 1 cup washing soda (sodium carbonate)
- 1 cup borax
- 20 drops lemon essential oil
- 15 drops lavender essential oil
- 10 drops tea tree essential oil
- Large container for storage
Instructions
- Grate the bar of castile soap using a cheese grater. A fine grate works best for dissolving quickly in water.
- In a large bowl, combine the grated soap, washing soda, and borax. Mix well.
- Add the lemon, lavender, and tea tree essential oils. Stir thoroughly to distribute the oils evenly throughout the mixture.
- Transfer to an airtight container for storage.
- Use 2-3 tablespoons per load of laundry. For heavily soiled loads, use a bit more.
Tips
Lemon essential oil is a natural degreaser that helps lift stains, while tea tree oil adds antibacterial properties. Lavender gives everything a fresh, clean scent that's never overpowering. This detergent is low-sudsing, which means it's safe for high-efficiency (HE) washing machines. If you have hard water, you might want to add an extra tablespoon of washing soda per load. This recipe makes enough for about 30-40 loads and costs a fraction of what you'd pay for commercial detergent.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.