8 Non-Toxic DIY Laundry Recipes To Help You Save Money

There are tons of laundry products available at the store, so why even bother making your own?

Well, there are plenty of reasons. First, the popular laundry products contain dozens of potentially harmful ingredients, including petrochemicals, carcinogens and optical brighteners, which linger on clothing, cause skin irritation and are toxic to marine life. Second, they are way more expensive than a homemade version. And third, most of them have a very strong smell, which is not only unpleasant but also unhealthy for your lungs and skin.

Here are the eight super easy and effective laundry recipes that will make your life easier and healthier and will help you save money.

Laundry Detergent Tabs

Found from The Krazy Coupon Lady

This laundry detergent is all natural and very effective. The main ingredients are Epsom Salt, washing soda, and grated bar soap, white vinegar, and hydrogen peroxide. It works in both hot and cold water and makes your clothes very clean without the added fragrances or harmful chemicals.

Borax-Free Detergent

Found from the Realistic Mama

Borax, aka Sodium Tetraborate, is often touted as a wonder ingredient for natural cleaning in recipes like homemade cleaners and even in homemade beauty products as a preservative. Although it’s normally considered safe, it may irritate the skin. If you’re very sensitive, you may consider this alternative recipe, consisting of baking soda, washing soda, castile soap, and water.

Detergent with Oxyclean and Scented Crystals

Found from How She Does It

If you want your laundry to smell clean and fresh, this recipe is for you. You will need some washing soda, Oxyclean, baking soda, and Pure Crystals fabric softener to make this detergent. It’s very effective at removing stains and leaves a pleasant scent on your clothes.

No-Grate Liquid Laundry Detergent

Found from One Good Thing by Jillee

If you prefer the liquid form for your detergent, this one’s for you. It also requires no soap grating, which is a pain for some people (unless you have a food processor which you can use). This recipe calls for borax, washing soda, dish soap, and hot water.

Soap Nuts Liquid Detergent

Found from The Eco Friendly Family

Soap nuts are a natural, biodegradable and petroleum-free laundry soap alternative. Basically, it’s a dried berry shell that naturally contains soap and it requires no manufacturing, thus is the most eco-friendly detergent alternative. You can use the whole soap nuts (add four or five of them, in a small cloth bag, to a load of dirty laundry) or make this liquid detergent for a more convenient use.

Fragrance Enhancer

Found from Bren Did

If you want to scent your laundry without all the chemicals, use this homemade fragrance enhancer. You will need some vegetable glycerin and essential oils of your choice. It’s definitely easy to make! 

Homemade Bleach Alternative

Found from Don’t Waste the Crumbs

If you need to whiten your clothes or linen but do not want to use the toxic chlorine bleach, make this alternative using hydrogen peroxide (3% solution), lemon juice or citric acid, baking soda, water, and essential oils. You can also use this solution for disinfecting surfaces, cleaning, and washing produce.

Stain remover

Found from Live Simply

Out of many laundry stain remover recipes out there, this one seems to be the most effective. It’s also very easy to make and super inexpensive. You will need vegetable glycerin, hydrogen peroxide, castile soap, essential oil, and water. Keep it in a spray bottle or glass jar, and give it a shake before using, as the stain remover separates after sitting for awhile.

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Whether you want to avoid using toxic commercial brand detergents or simply want to save money, start making your own laundry products. These easy and effective recipes will get you started.  If you have any questions about these tips, let me know in the questions below, I’d love to help you out!