Homemade Laundry Detergent

In our quest to remove toxic chemicals from our skin, I found this and modified it over the past few years.

Ingredients (~2 litres)

  • ~2 litres Water
  • 100 g Washing Soda
  • 100 g Borax
  • 100 g Castile Soap
  • 0.5 tsp Peppermint Extract

Cost

  • ~$4 for 2 litres
  • 50 ml per load = 10 cents

Tools (optional)

  • 500 ml measuring jug
  • funnel
  • a used laundry detergent bottle

Instructions

  1. Start with 500 ml hot water (approx 60 °C from hot tap)
  2. Dissolve the Washing Soda
  3. Dissolve the Borax
  4. Add cold water to top up to about 2 litres
  5. Now the mix will be tepid (quite cool)
  6. Add the Castile Soap
  7. Add any scent – orange, mint, lavender

What are these ingredients?

Castile Soap is a very pure simple liquid detergent, traditionally it was made from Olive Oil by adding lye (an alkaline called Sodium Hydroxide) and water. Nowadays they may add Coconut or Hemp oils. Read the label – it shouldn’t contain animal fats, synthetic detergents, parabens or SLS. Don’t use it neat, it has to be diluted.
Castile Soap can be tricky to find: $10/kg in The Source if you take your own jam jar to the store, or get 5 litres from Nut Grocer.

Washing Soda is Sodium Carbonate [Na₂CO₃]. Generally it is described as anhydrous, which just means without water. This stuff is strongly alkaline (pH 11) and is very corrosive. Spills: sweep up dry powder first, then neutralise with vinegar and rinse with heaps of water. If you get it on yourself wash with copious water until it no longer feels soapy.
Please do not confuse washing soda with baking soda, which is Sodium bi-carbonate.
It’s pretty cheap in Coles or Woolies: ~$5/kg.

Borax is Sodium Tetraborate [Na₂B₄O₇], it contains the element Boron (B) and is a mineral that can be mined. Borax is gently alkaline.
It’s pretty cheap in Bunnings: ~$6/kg.

Peppermint extract I used Chef’s Choice Peppermint Extract from the cooking aisle in Woolies – it’s pretty cheap and fine for washing clothes. You can sub in a few drops of whatever you want to sacrifice, or skip it.

Explanation: adding the Castile Soap last to tepid water will stop it from curdling, and adding the smell when the water is cold will stop it from evaporating.

Enjoy!