Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap Recipe That Works Wonders

Laundry detergent can be expensive, filled with harsh chemicals, and sometimes ineffective on tough stains. Making your own liquid laundry soap at home offers a simple, affordable, and eco-friendly alternative that cleans clothes just as well, if not better. I developed a homemade liquid laundry soap recipe that has consistently delivered excellent results for my family. This post will guide you through the process, explain why each ingredient matters, and share tips to get the most out of your homemade soap.

**If you do not wish to make this, please reach out and we can get you the concentrate through LBN so that way, all there is left to do is add water.

Homemade liquid laundry detergent soap in a glass jar on a wooden ledge.

Why Make Your Own Liquid Laundry Soap and What is the Difference?

Store-bought detergents often contain synthetic fragrances, dyes, and chemicals that can irritate sensitive skin or harm the environment. Detergents are synthetic cleaners designed for stronger stain removal and typically compatible with all water types. By making your own soap, you control the ingredients, reduce plastic waste, and can be gentler on fabrics AND your skin. Homemade soap is also customizable—you can adjust the scent, texture, and cleaning power to suit your needs.

Many people worry that homemade soaps won’t clean as well as commercial products. In my experience, this recipe has tackled dirt and odors effectively, even on heavily soiled clothes - it just takes understanding of the ENTIRE process, not just the making process.

Ingredients You Will Need

This recipe uses simple, natural ingredients that you can find at most grocery stores or online:

• Washing soda (sodium carbonate): A powerful cleaner that softens water and removes stains.

• Borax (sodium borate): Boosts cleaning power and disinfects laundry.

• Bar soap or Castile soap (unscented): Provides the cleaning agents and helps lift dirt. I recommend using a pure, unscented soap like castile or a natural laundry bar. (I prefer castile soap)

• Optional essential oils: For fragrance and additional antibacterial properties.

  
  

Why These Ingredients?

• Washing soda breaks down grease and grime.

• Borax enhances stain removal and deodorizes.

• Soap creates suds and helps lift dirt from fabric.

• Essential oils add a fresh scent without synthetic chemicals.

  
  

Step-by-Step Recipe

What You Need

Makes approximately 1.2 gallons liquid soap

• 1 cup washing soda

• 1 cup borax

• 1 bar of soap (about 4-5 ounces) or 1cup of Castile soap (castile soap is my preferred as a busy mom)

• Up to 18 cups of water (instructions on split below)

• Optional: 20-30 drops of essential oil (lavender, lemon, or tea tree)

  
  

Instructions

1. Grate the soap bar using a cheese grater or food processor until it becomes fine flakes. If you are using castile soap, you'll add this in at the end.

2. Add 6 cups of water and bring to a slight boil.

3. Add Borax & Washing Soda and stir.

4. Once fully liquid and smooth, add 9 cups of water warm water

5. Add in Castile soap, stir.

6. Let sit overnight as it will gel overnight.

7. Add in 2-3 more cups of warm water until it's the liquid you'd like.

   
   

This recipe makes a lot of liquid soap so adjust as needed.

How to Use Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap

Before dispensing, you may find that you will need to stir before grabbing the amount needed. This is normal and OK! Use 2 tablespoons of this soap per regular load. For heavily soiled clothes, increase to 3 tablespoons. This detergent works well in warm, or hot water cycles.

• Always pour the liquid soap directly into the bottom of the empty drum. Never use the dispenser drawer.

• Fill the fabric softener drawer to the "MAX" line with 5% distilled white vinegar for every single load. This should keep things running smooth! Don't worry, your clothes will not smell of vinegar after drying (whether outside or inside).

Tips for Best Results

• Front-Load Machine Routine

  Front-load machines use very little water (often only 3–5 gallons per cycle) and rely on the tumbling action to drop clothes into the water. This means soap scum concentrates quickly.

  🏳️ Whites

  • Cycle: Regular / Normal or Heavy Duty.

  • Temperature: Hot (crucial for melting castile fats and activating sodium percarbonate/borax).

  • Settings: Select "Extra Rinse" and High Spin.

    
    

  🪨 Darks

  • Cycle: Normal or Casual.

  • Temperature: Warm. (Cold water will cause the washing soda and borax to leave white, powdery streaks on dark fabrics).

  • Settings: Select "Extra Rinse". Remove clothes immediately when done to prevent sour damp odors.

    
    

  🚴 Workout Gear & Heavy Grease

  • Warning: Synthetic athletic fabrics (spandex/polyester) trap castile oils tightly, causing a permanent sour smell over time. Soaking with 1 part white vinegar and 4 parts cold water will help release those odors.

  • Cycle: Heavy Duty or Sanitized.

  • Temperature: Warm for workout gear (hot can melt elastic); Hot for heavy mechanic grease.

  • Settings: Select "Heavy Soil" and "Extra Rinse".

• Top-Load Machine Routine

Top-loaders submerge clothes in a deep pool of water and use an agitator or impeller. The higher water volume helps dissolve your DIY soap powders, but the lack of tumbling means heavy residue can sink and settle under the agitator.

🏳️ Whites

• Cycle: Normal or Whites.

• Temperature: Hot.

• Settings: Select "Deep Fill" or "Deep Water Rinse" if your machine has it, plus an Extra Rinse.

  
  

🪨 Darks

• Cycle: Normal or Colors.

• Temperature: Warm.

• Settings: Ensure the machine utilizes a Deep Rinse rather than a spray rinse to thoroughly wash away the alkaline powders from dark threads.

  
  

🚴 Workout Gear & Heavy Grease

• Cycle: Heavy Duty or Bulky.

• Temperature: Warm (workout clothes) or Hot (heavy grease).

• Settings: Select the "Heavy Soil" option. This adds more agitation time to help the castile soap lift stubborn mechanical greases.

🧽 Mandatory Machine Maintenance

Because of the natural ingredients, you must strip the machine's internal parts once a month to prevent a structural clog or mold outbreak.

1. The Monthly Purge: Empty the machine completely. Add 1 cup of citric acid powder directly into the drum.

2. The Cycle: Run the "Tub Clean" cycle (or a Normal cycle on Maximum Hot water).

3. The Wipe Down: For front-loaders, pull back the rubber door boot gasket and wipe out the trapped gray sludge with a microfiber cloth dipped in vinegar. Leave the machine door open after every single wash so the interior dries out completely.

**For those dealing with Heavy Auto Grease (Mechanic / Engine Oils) -> you'd have to do a highly concentrated synthetic surfactant like Blue Dawn Dish Soap which would be applied to area(s) and sit for 20min before adding to wash with liquid soap.

**For those dealing with Stubborn Underarm Odors (The 'Gym' Funk) -> baking soda should work. For this you would drop in your liquid soap then a 1/2 cup of pure baking soda on top, then your workout clothes. Again, don't forget the white vinegar.

Benefits Beyond Cleaning

Making your own soap reduces plastic waste since you can reuse containers. It also lowers your exposure to chemicals that can irritate skin or cause allergies. As always, I recommend doing your own research to see if this is a fit for you before moving forward. Machine washers are literally made for synthetic detergents, so using something outside of that will take patience and regular maintenance with your machine.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

• Sediment/Separation of liquid: Not a problem, simply stir before each use of the liquid

• Residue on clothes: Use less detergent or add an extra rinse cycle. Don't forget your white vinegar

• No scent: Increase essential oil drops or add a few drops directly to the wash.

  
  

ENJOY!

If you wish to have the concentrate made for you - contact: labellenaturelle@yahoo.com