Are you looking to ditch commercial detergent and toxic chemicals and use a natural soap instead? This simple powder laundry detergent is for you. It’s made with simple ingredients, takes just 5 minutes, and is the hardest working homemade detergent-fighting stains and odors like a champ.
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I’ve been using this powder laundry detergent recipe and DIY liquid detergent for over 11 years, and my laundry always smells and feels fantastic.
Homemade Powder Laundry Detergent Benefits
- Natural Laundry Soap Recipe – No harsh chemicals in this detergent. You only need 2 bars of natural soap, borax, and washing soda.
- Save Money – Not only is making your detergent a great way to reduce toxic chemicals, it’s also a great way to save money.
- Clean Laundry – The natural ingredients clean clothes, eliminate odors, and even remove tough stains.
- Quick & Easy – This recipe takes about 5 minutes to make.
- 56 Loads of Laundry – Plenty of detergent for a family.
- 12-Month Shelf Life – Store the detergent in a container for up to a year.
Before You Get Started: What You’ll Need
Ingredients
- 2 5-oz castile soap bars – Cleans, removes dirt and grime, fights against stains, and freshens. Castile soap is a plant-based, concentrated soap. It’s the best option for making your own laundry detergent. Dr. Bronner’s brand is easy to find in the grocery store (body/beauty aisle) and has over 20 uses. I also use castile soap to make liquid laundry detergent.
- 3 cups washing soda – Boosts the power and effectiveness of the soap, helping to remove stains and eliminate odors. Also called “soda ash.”
- 2 cups borax – Laundry softener and water conditioner. Boosts the cleaning power of the soap, removes odors, and fights tough stains.
- 30 drops essential oil of choice (Optional) – For a subtle scent. My favorite essential oils for homemade laundry soap are orange, lemon, eucalyptus, lavender, and peppermint. (How to use essential oils for natural cleaning)
Equipment
- Food Processor – To grate the castile soap bars. Alternatively, use a cheese grater and a large bowl.
- Storage Container – Choose a storage container holding at least 6 cups of dry powder.
How to Make Laundry Powder Detergent: Recipe Steps
- Step 1 Cut & Grate Soap Bars – Cut the castile soap bars into small slices or chunks using a sharp chef’s knife and cutting board. Place the castile soap pieces in the food processor bowl. Pulse the soap on high until the soap resembles large crumbs (about 1 minute). If you don’t have a food processor, use a cheese grater and a large bowl.
- Step 2 Add Washing Soda & Pulse – Add 3 cups of washing soda to the food processor. Place a towel over the top of the food processor lid and pulse for 1 minute. After pulsing, the ingredients should be well combined. If you don’t have a food processor, stir the washing soda with the grated soap in a large bowl.
- Step 3 Pour Into Storage Container & Add Borax – Pour the combined washing soda and grated soap into a storage container, stir in 2 cups of borax (or seal the lid on the container after adding the borax and shake the container to combine).
- Step 4 Add Fragrance – If desired, add your favorite essential oil or a couple of essential oils to create a custom scent blend. Stir to combine (or shake the container with the lid on).
The detergent is now ready to use. Read on to learn how to use the detergent for the freshest, cleanest laundry.
Watch & Follow My Recipe Video Tutorial
How to Use DIY Laundry Detergent For Top Loaders, Front Loaders, & HE Machines
- For Top-Load Washing Machines – Add ⅛ cup of laundry powder per load directly to the washer basin/drum, then add linens or clothes. Close the lid on the washer and turn on the wash cycle of choice.
- For Front-Loaders and High-Efficiency Washing Machines – Add 1 tablespoon of laundry powder per load to the washer basin/drum, then add linens or clothes. Close the lid on the washer and turn on the wash cycle of choice.
- Adding Fabric Softener – If you want to use fabric softener, add the liquid softener (vinegar is a great option) to the softener compartment of the washing machine. If you’re using a powder softener (like this salt fabric softener), add the powder (and homemade soap) directly to the washer basin/drum, then add fabrics and wash.
What Temperature Water Should I Use?
- Cold Water Setting is Best – Most laundry detergents and soaps require water that is at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit to work (this is true for both homemade and conventional laundry detergents). The good news is that when you use the cold water setting in your washer, it’s usually a mix of hot and cold water. Hence, the water temperature reaches the ideal 60 degrees needed for a detergent to work correctly. For this reason, you can use the cold water setting without issue for both my liquid soap and this powder recipe.
- Colored Fabrics – The cold water setting is always best for colored fabrics.
- Sanitize Sheets & Towels – If you’d like to sanitize sheets, towels, and bed linens, use this laundry powder and the hot water setting.
Storage & Shelf Life
- Store the powder for up to 12 months in a sealed container.
- Store at room temperature.
How to Prevent Soap Residue on Clothes
- Avoid The Laundry Soap Dispenser – Add powder laundry detergent directly to the washing machine basin/drum. Do NOT add the powder to the laundry soap dispenser. Adding the clothes directly to the washing machine and then adding the clothes on top will ensure that water reaches the powder and dissolves it without getting caught in the folds of clothing and linens, which can leave a residue on clothing.
- Try the Laundry Soap Dispenser in Certain Machines- Every washing machine differs. If adding the powder directly to the wash basin/drum isn’t working, try adding the laundry soap to the dispenser. Some machines have a small drawer where you can move from liquid to powder, which is specifically made to help circulate the powder during the wash cycle.
- Soften Hard Water – Castile soap can leave a residue on dark fabrics if you have hard water, even after trying the tricks above. The borax in the recipe helps to soften water and should eliminate residue issues. The case may be hard water if you still have soap residue issues. You can try using an additional water softener (like white vinegar or a salt solution).
Best Essential Oil Blends For a Clean Scent
The best part about this recipe is that you can customize it to create your scent. Essential oils, a natural fragrance, offer a lovely, clean scent without the harsh chemicals and scent additives.
Here are a few of my favorite essential oil combos to create various scents (use 15 drops of each). Of course, you can also use individual essential oils, like lavender, orange, or lemon to create a fresh scent.
- Orange & Lemon
- Eucalyptus & Lemon
- Peppermint & Orange
- Rosemary & Peppermint
- Learn how to use essential oils and make homemade cleaners in this article. And listen to my in-depth podcast about using essential oils safely in the home.
Recipe FAQs
- Can I use the fels-naptha bar instead of the castile soap bar? Yes, you can. Use 2 bars fels naptha bars, grate in the food processor (or use a cheese grater and bowl), then add the remaining ingredients.
- Can I use an ivory soap bar instead of the castile soap? Yes, some recipes online use ivory soap bars instead of castile soap. I haven’t tried this substitution option, but you can test it.
- Can I use baking soda instead of washing soda? No, baking soda and washing soda have two different chemical compositions. You’ll need to use washing soda to make the best product. Washing soda is also called soda ash (source).
- Is it safe to use the same food processor used to make food to grate the soap? Yes, it is. Just wash the food processor well with soap and water after use.
- Does this recipe work with hard water? Yes, it does. See my tips above under “How to Prevent Soap Residue on Clothes” to learn more about hard water and this detergent.
- Does this recipe work in a high-efficiency washer? Yes, it does. Add the soap directly to the washer basin/drum, then add clothes and wash. Use 1 tablespoon of powder per load and the cold water setting.
- Can I make this recipe without borax? For a borax-free laundry powder, make this recipe.
The Best Natural Laundry Detergent Brands: I’ve researched and tried many different laundry soap brands and narrowed down the best 11 brands!
More Natural Products For Clean Laundry
- Stain Remover Spray – Remove tough stains with this simple formula made with castile soap, hydrogen peroxide, and lemon essential oil.
- Wool Dryer Balls – Soften laundry naturally with these easy-to-make wool dryer balls—a great alternative to dryer sheets. Add a few drops of essential oils to boost the scent in the dryer.
- Liquid Laundry Detergent – Combine castile soap, borax, washing soda, and water to make my popular liquid laundry soap.
- Powder Laundry Detergent – Make a powder variation of my popular liquid laundry soap using this simple recipe.
- Laundry Softener – Use vinegar to make this simple liquid laundry detergent.
DIY Homemade Powder Laundry Detergent Recipe
Clean clothes, eliminate odors, and fight stains with my homemade laundry powder. I've been using this powder laundry detergent recipe and DIY liquid detergent for over 11 years, and my laundry always smells and feels fantastic.
Cost: $9
Equipment
- 1 food processor or use a cheese grater and large bowl
- 1 storage container with lid that holds at least 6 cups of dry powder
Ingredients
- 2-5 oz lavender castile soap bars any scent variety or unscented
- 3 cups washing soda also called "soda ash"
- 2 cups borax see notes below for a borax-free recipe
- 30 drops essential oil optional for scent, such as: lavender, peppermint, orange, or lemon
Instructions
- Cut & Grate Soap Bars – Cut the castile soap bars into small slices or chunks using a sharp chef's knife and cutting board. Place the castile soap pieces in the food processor bowl. Pulse the soap on high until the soap resembles large crumbs (about 1 minute). If you don't have a food processor, use a cheese grater and a large bowl.
- Add Washing Soda & Pulse – Add 3 cups of washing soda to the food processor. Place a towel over the top of the food processor lid and pulse for 1 minute. After pulsing, the ingredients should be well combined. If you don't have a food processor, stir the washing soda with the grated soap in a large bowl.
- Pour Into Storage Container & Add Borax – Pour the combined washing soda and grated soap into a storage container, stir in 2 cups of borax (or seal the lid on the container after adding the borax and shake the container to combine).
- Add Fragrance – If desired, add your favorite essential oil or a couple of essential oils to create a custom scent blend. Stir to combine (or shake the container with the lid on).
- The recipe is now ready to use.
Storage:
- Store in a container with a lid for up to 12 months at room temperature.
How to Use:
- For Top-Load Washing Machines – Add ⅛ cup of laundry powder per load directly to the washer basin/drum, then add linens or clothes. Close the lid on the washer and turn on the wash cycle of choice. For Front-Loaders and High-
- Efficiency Washing Machines – Add 1 tablespoon of laundry powder per load to the washer basin/drum, then add linens or clothes. Close the lid on the washer and turn on the wash cycle of choice.
- Pre-Treat Tough Stains – Before washing garments with tough stains, pre-treat the item with my stain remover spray. Then wash with this detergent.
Video
Notes
- For a borax-free laundry powder, make this laundry detergent recipe.
- For more homemade laundry recipes, check out my guide: How to Go Natural in the Laundry Room.
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!
Hello! I have been making this recipe for years, but reading your blog just learned about how cold water is best. Will definitely give that a try. I had difficulty the last time I used fels naptha soap. I have a dedicated microwave that i zap the bar soap in because it grates beautifully into powder after microwaving. Last time however my results were disappointing, the soap shrank weirdly and burned a little. My guess is the formulation changed. I was going to try Castile soap bars next time. Is there any other bar soap that could be used? I thought the fels naptha was the whitening ingredient in this mix. Is there anything else that could be added for whitening?
Hi Laura, I’m so thrilled you’ve been making this powder laundry detergent for years and love that you’re experimenting with cold water—great move! The cold setting usually mixes enough warm water to get the job done, so I think you’ll be happy with the results. I’m sorry to hear about the Fels-Naptha mishap in the microwave—that sounds frustrating! You might be right about a formulation change, as commercial soaps like Fels-Naptha can shift ingredients, and microwaving can cause burning or shrinking with certain blends. Switching to Castile soap bars, like Dr. Bronner’s, is a fantastic idea—they’re natural, gentle, and grate beautifully (especially with your microwave trick, though I’d test a small piece first to avoid burning).
For other bar soap options, you could try Zote (great for stains, though less natural), Ivory (super mild and easy to grate), or Kirk’s Castile Soap (similar to Dr. Bronner’s). Just steer clear of moisturizing soaps with heavy oils, as they can leave residue. Fels-Naptha isn’t actually the whitening ingredient—it’s great for grease and stains, but the washing soda and borax in the recipe do the heavy lifting for brightening and cleaning.
For grating, a food processor might be safer than the microwave to avoid any burning issues, but if you stick with microwaving, let me know how Castile works out! I’d love to hear how the new soap and whitening boosters go for you. Thanks for being such a loyal reader!
Can I make this without a food processor?
I don’t feel like my mix is cleaning my clothes.. my clothes are still coming out dirty and stains are still on it. What is your recommendation!
An additional question: what is your opinion on soaking your sheets In the tub before washing them? I have looked up recipes but it is saying to put ingredients in and also laundry detergent.. but my naturally laundry detergent is the ingredients I should add in on top adding the laundry detergent.
Hi Lauren, thanks for your questions and for trying the laundry detergent! Sorry your clothes aren’t getting as clean as you’d like—let’s fix that!
For Better Cleaning:
If your water’s hard, add 2 tbsp washing soda or borax to the wash to help the soap work better.
Use Enough Detergent: Try 2 tbsp per load (3 tbsp for big or dirty loads). For HE machines, 1–1.5 tbsp.
Treat Stains: Rub stains with a paste of the detergent and water, let sit 15 min, then wash. For tough stains, add 1–2 tbsp sodium percarbonate (oxygen bleach) to the wash.
Wash Smart: Use warm water for dirty loads and don’t overload the washer. Clean your machine with 2 cups vinegar in a hot cycle to remove buildup.
Soaking Sheets: Soaking sheets is awesome for deep cleaning! Since our detergent has borax and washing soda, just dissolve 1/4 cup in a tub of warm water, soak sheets for 1–4 hours, then wash with 1–2 tbsp detergent. For stains, add 2 tbsp sodium percarbonate; for odors, add 1 cup vinegar. No need for extra borax or soda unless stains are stubborn.
For a top load, what size load does 1/8cup cover?
Hey Don Joe, It will cover a standard size load in a washer. You can always add more if needed.