Non-toxic laundry detergent was something I was always sceptical of. After using it for about 8 years, here are my thoughts and recipe that works for me.

I was a sceptic myself. How could something I make at home from natural ingredients be just as good as store bough detergent? I was soon to realise that it was the smell of super market detergents that was tricking me into thinking it was somehow working harder and making my clothes cleaner. But I have since concluded that it is the synthetic chemicals they use that allows it to have that ever so potent ‘clean’ smell.

Now, what didn’t sit right with me was the use of petroleum based ingredients and other products I couldn’t pronounce, in store bought detergent, going on my skin. I always wash new clothing to rid them of chemicals and dyes from the manufacturing process, but I was washing them with yet, more chemicals. Seems a bit contradictory to me.

As someone who is on an individual health journey and trying my best to promote happy hormone health and reduce endocrine disruptors in my home, making the switch to natural detergent was an easy choice and something that would impact me everyday, through my clothing.

I have tried different variations to this recipe and honestly it depends what works best for you, your family and lifestyle. This low suds recipe works well for my top loader washing machine and I have also used the same in an HE front loader.

Disclaimer: please do your own research to see if this natural detergent is suitable for your machine.

Ingredients:

2 cups washing soda
2 cups baking soda
2 cups borax
1/2 bar Castile soap
20-30 drops essential oils of your choice

Recipe:

Combine washing soda, baking soda and borax in your preferred container
Grate 1/2 a bar of your favourite Castile soap or your favourite bar soap
Mix ingredients and simultaneously mix your essential oil in to avoid clumping
Add 3 tablespoons to you washing, 4 tablespoons for a heavy soil, and wash like normal

Basic tools to put everything together! Clean thoroughly after use.

I like to grate my soap into pea sized flakes/curls, they dissolve just fine.

Complete! 20 drops of lemongrass essential oil for me in this batch!

Notes:

Please be mindful, although these are naturally derived ingredients, you still want to avoid contact on your skin due to potency of the elements
Some great essential oils for laundry I gravitate to most as lavender, lemongrass or rosemary! Find your preference and make sure its safe for any fuzzy friends
I love to match my essential oil and bar soap for an extra potent smell
Use a stain remover soap instead of Castile for high traffic households
Mix your ingredients with a metal spoon or a silicone spatula; nothing wood here for easy cleaning

Now this is a guideline, a little more or a little less of any one ingredient won’t soil your batch. Sometimes I add an extra cup of borax if I have it, however it tends to be the most expensive of my ingredients so I tend to gravitate to one cup. I even recommend doubling, or tripling this recipe to reduce the frequency in which you have to make it.

Pro Tip:

Switch your softener to vinegar for an easy, affordable, non-toxic switch. I have done this for years, my clothes are soft and never smell like vinegar, even after line drying. You can add a few drops of essential oil too if you wish, but truly not necessary.

Let’s be honest with each other, sometimes you may have a period in your life where you cannot afford, fathom or be bothered to make your own detergent. Buying store bought is okay and I do too when I need to. Life is about balance and a journey to a less toxic or non-toxic household is not linear, so we do our best when we can and that’s what we strive for here.

Non-toxic Laundry Detergent