Homemade laundry powder
Three ingredients, fifteen minutes, and enough powder for about 50 loads at a few cents each.
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Time
- 15 minutes
- Cost
- About $15 for supplies that make several batches
- Region
- Anywhere
- Safety
- Medium: can hurt you if done wrong
This guide is a draft and hasn't been reviewed yet.
Store-bought detergent is mostly filler and fragrance, and you pay for the jug and the ads. This powder is soap plus two minerals from the laundry aisle.
[AI illustration: a glass jar of white laundry powder with a scoop, beside a bar of laundry soap and a grater]
What you need
- 1 bar laundry soap, 4–5 oz (115–140 g), such as Fels-Naptha or Zote
- 1 cup (235 ml) washing soda (sodium carbonate). It’s in the laundry aisle, not the baking aisle.
- 1 cup (235 ml) borax
- A box grater, a bowl, a spoon and an airtight jar
- Gloves
Make it
- Grate the soap on the fine side of the grater. Fine flakes dissolve better.
- Mix the flakes, washing soda and borax in a bowl. Stir gently.
- Store in an airtight, labeled jar with a scoop. Damp air makes it clump.
Use it
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) per load. Use 2 for very dirty or large loads.
- High-efficiency (HE) washers: 1 tbsp (15 ml). The powder makes few suds, which HE machines prefer. Check your washer’s manual first.
- Cold water: dissolve the scoop in a cup of hot water before adding it, or the soap can leave specks.
- Stains: rub a wet bar of the same soap into the stain before washing.
Good to know
- It’s soap, not detergent. In hard water, soap can build up and leave clothes stiff or dull over time. If that happens, add ½ cup (120 ml) of white vinegar to the rinse.
- Leave out the borax if you prefer. Soap and washing soda alone still clean. Use 1½ cups (355 ml) of washing soda instead.
- Cost per load: a few cents, against 20 cents or more for many store brands. [placeholder: check prices at your local store]