Homemade laundry detergent seems like the perfect way to do laundry inexpensively and without harmful chemicals. But homemade laundry detergent has a big problem. It just doesn’t work.
Ah, laundry.
The never-ending job that leaves all moms mystified as we try to figure out how such a limited number of people could produce so many mounds of dirty towels, outfits, and socks.
Single socks, of course. They never come in pairs when its laundry time.
Doing so much laundry requires a lot of laundry detergent, and last time I went to the store, detergent wasn’t free. But we mommas tend to be a frugal bunch. Maybe even a little scrappy. We like finding cheaper ways to get a job done.
Enter homemade laundry detergent. It seems like the perfect idea!
It’s easy to make with three or four simple ingredients that you can find at most big box stores (borax, washing soda, shaved bar soap, and sometimes baking soda or oxygen bleach powder). You know exactly what’s in it, so there aren’t many safety concerns or online scavenger hunts to learn about the ingredients.
Best of all? It’s cheap. Like pennies-per-load cheap.
Easy, (usually) nontoxic, and cheap. This all makes homemade laundry detergent look like the ideal DIY project for families. But is it?
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When Microfiber and Homemade Laundry Detergent Meet
Years ago I started a collection of microfiber cleaning cloths from Norwex. I loved them! Our windows and mirrors had never been cleaner, dusting was a breeze, and water had never worked so well as a cleaning solution.
I knew that you weren’t supposed to use fabric softener with them when washing because it could clog up the microfiber and cause the cloths to repel water. No big deal; I didn’t use fabric softener.
I knew that you weren’t supposed to wash them with regular cotton towels or anything else that produced a lot of lint, because the lint could do the same. Easy enough. I followed that advice.
My only instructions were to wash them with something free of fillers and something that didn’t leave residue on the laundry. Awesome! Homemade laundry detergent clearly fit the bill.
Except it didn’t.
I mean, things went well for a few months. The cloths were all-stars and I even got rid of my big stash of classy cleaning rags (you know the ones… the single socks, worn out t-shirts, ratty towels).
But then my beloved cloths started repelling water. They didn’t soak up spills like they used to and I could watch the water run right off of them when I put them under the faucet. Our Norwex washcloths became stiff and hard, completely opposite of how they came.
I started asking questions and began hearing from friend after friend who experienced the same thing, or knew someone else who did. Those pricy microfiber cleaning cloths? Ruined.
And homemade laundry detergent was the culprit.
Laundry Detergent vs. Laundry Soap
The reason that homemade laundry detergent doesn’t work is that it isn’t detergent at all. It’s a soap, and the difference between soap and detergent really matters.
Soaps and detergents are both surfactants, which means that they reduce water’s surface tension so it cleans more thoroughly. In a sense, they make water “wetter” by preventing water molecules from sticking together.
For many of us, soaps seem more appealing because they can be made with natural ingredients and even produced at home. They are milder surfactants, too. Detergents are much stronger, often made with synthetic ingredients and may not be biodegradable, potentially harming our families and the environment.
But here’s the problem: soaps leave a film, especially in hard water. You know the old ring-around-the-bathtub that needs scrubbed off when you clean the bathroom? You can thank soap and washed-off grime for that.
Detergents, on the other hand, rinse out completely. They’re designed to not leave a residue, even in hard water.
I thought my Norwex cloths would be safe because we have a whole-house water filtration system. Our water is about as soft as can be, but over time the laundry soap still built up a residue that left some of my cloths useless.
What Was Lurking on My Laundry?
Even after my cloths were ruined, I wanted to believe there was a way to keep using homemade laundry detergent (which is actually laundry soap).
Part of me wondered if I could somehow have done something else wrong. I really hated the thought of giving up a crunchy momma, ultra-frugal, easy DIY project and returning to the laundry aisle.
White flags of defeat can be traumatic, you know?
So I decided that I’d wash cloth diapers and microfiber cloths in laundry detergent, but wash our other clothes in homemade laundry soap.
Now I had the perfect solution. A brilliant compromise that would still save us money but wouldn’t cause my cloth diaper and Norwex stash to repel water.
Because I also learned the hard way that homemade laundry soap is as bad for cloth diapers as it is for microfiber.
But then I saw some pictures, and all I could think was “EWWW!!!”
Like me, my friend Sarah from Nature’s Nurture was all about the nontoxic, frugal way to do laundry. She didn’t want to believe it could go wrong, either. But once she noticed that their laundry didn’t look, feel, or smell right, she started digging. The culprit was, of course, her homemade laundry soap.
She stripped her family’s laundry to get rid of the residue, and the results are jaw-droppingly gross. Grime, dirt, oils, and soap buildup was coating their “clean” laundry.
That sounded so familiar. And I learned too big of a lesson with my no ‘poo fiasco to be stubborn and not heed a warning.
Sarah’s pictures were the last straw. I was done with homemade laundry soap. (And I’m going to get the GroVia Mighty Bubbles stuff she used to strip her laundry to try on my Norwex cloths since nothing else has worked!)
Modern Washing Machines or a Kettle Over a Fire?
I think if we all still washed our laundry in a massive kettle over a fire, boiling the clothes, stirring them down with a giant stick, then rinsing and scrubbing on a washboard, homemade laundry soap could work just fine.
But our modern washing machines can’t possibly heat, scrub, and agitate our laundry enough to make homemade laundry detergent rinse out thoroughly. And I’m not hanging up a washing kettle anytime soon.
There will always be a film, even if it takes years to build up enough to notice.
I had to resign myself to the fact that if I wanted to use a modern appliance to wash our clothes, I also had to use a modern cleaning solution in it.
Options Instead of Using Homemade Laundry Soap
I know, it’s hard to go back to spending more money on a cleaning product when you thought you found the ultimate DIY way to keep it cheap. But you don’t have to shell out big bucks every month on laundry detergents.
You have a few options. You could:
- Buy budget brand detergents to save money, and just ignore the artificial fragrances and questionable ingredients because you can only do so much;
- Or, spend a little extra on free & clear brands that may not be totally natural, but at least lack the questionable fragrances and dyes;
- Or, opt for eco-friendly brands that are free of artificial dyes and fragrances, have better, plant-derived ingredients, and cost a bit more than the other two options.
Now listen, I’m not here to guilt you into spending more on laundry detergent than you comfortably can. But I will tell you how I do the third option for a reasonable cost, and how you can, too.
I’m a customer with Grove Collaborative and have their VIP membership (psst… this usually costs $39.99 but is only going for $19.99 right now!). With it, I get a monthly shipment of the cleaning products that I can’t easily make at home for a great price and free shipping.
In every shipment, I get a bottle of laundry detergent and some dishwasher tabs. The Seventh Generation 4x Free & Clear is my favorite detergent right now and the bottle usually lasts our big family all month. Once in a while, I grab something fun or extra, and five times a year Grove sends me something for free for being a VIP.
This has made buying nontoxic and naturally-based laundry detergent so much simpler. I save money doing it this way, too.
Special Grove Offer
If you live in the continental US, Grove has a special offer for new customers! From Tuesday March 13 through Sunday March 18, new customers can receive a FREE spring cleaning set containing:
- Mrs. Meyers dish soap in peony, lilac, or mint
- Mrs. Meyers hand soap in peony, lilac, or mint
- Mrs. Meyers multi-purpose spray in peony, lilac, or mint
- Grove kitchen towel (my favorite kitchen towels!)
Here’s how it works:
- Visit Grove Collaborative
- Fill up your cart with $20 of products you already use and need
- This free spring cleaning set will automatically appear
- and you get a 60-day VIP membership trial which gives you free shipping!
If you’re already an enthusiastic Grove customer, you can get a free walnut scrubber sponge by clicking here.
You can also find Seventh Generation 4x Free & Clear on Amazon, as well as other options like this two-pack, these laundry detergent packs (helpful if your kiddos are doing laundry), and this economical option from Biokleen.
Momma, as long as people are living in your house, there’s going to be laundry. And probably lots of it. Using something that doesn’t clean well and causes buildup on your clothes over time won’t help you, no matter how easy, nontoxic, and cheap it seems at first. I learned the hard way, but you don’t have to.
Homemade laundry detergent isn’t worth the trouble.
What do you think about homemade laundry detergent?
I used to use homemade laundry soap. We have very soft water and make it with zote soap washing powder and borax. Things looked great but it turned out it wasn’t rinsing out the small pollen and all that my daughter was allergic to. We went to so many appointments with her dermatologists appointments had her get a biopsy and all and it actually turned out the laundry soap was so gentle it never got the pollen out. So I had to switch. I just started using the detergent I used for my diapers for everything. It’s call foca. I know it’s not all natural but it’s affordable and my daughter never had an allergy to it.
I’ve never heard of this happening before, Kathy, but it makes perfect sense! I’m sorry your daughter had to go through that but glad you found a simple solution to her pollen trouble. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
I disagree with this. I have NO problem with residue or build-up using homemade laundry soap. Were you using Oxi-Clean with yours? If not, that may have been the problem.
Hi Cate. I occasionally used (and still use) powdered oxygen bleach with homemade laundry soap. I don’t see how it would effect build-up, though, since it’s purpose is to brighten clothes and lift stains. It doesn’t do anything to make rinsing more effective. I’m glad you haven’t had any trouble with build-up because it’s a real pain to fix! However, I do hope you’ll take a couple moments to read the comments of other ladies who didn’t notice residue until they’d used homemade laundry soap for years (sometimes 5 or more) or check out some of the links I have in the post. This isn’t just me or my idea. Best wishes!
Haha! Go figure, I just made my very first batch of homemade laundry soap. I will probably just use up what I made and go back to the store bought stuff. Thanks for the post!
You’re welcome, Grace! Glad you won’t have years of buildup clogging up the fibers of your laundry. 🙂
Hi I am a mother of 5 boys . I just read your article on the home made detergent that it doesn’t work.
Well I’m sorry but you are so wrong. Yes ma’am it does work and it works AWESOME!!! I have very sensitive skin but I do not use borax nor fels napatha soap. I use rock salt instead of Epsom. Rock salt is so much better. But yes I am here to disagree on it being said that home made detergent does not work. Cause it does.
Seventh generation had some studies on it to. Not what they put it out to be.
Save money and make your own. I do liquid and add my homemade thieves oil to mine. It’s AWESOME and smells wonderful.
Thanks for your input
Jennifer
Mom of 5 boys
Hi Jennifer. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It sounds like we’re talking about two entirely different formulas, so to say that I’m wrong isn’t really an argument you can make. I’m talking about the typical homemade laundry detergent recipe that uses bar soap of some kind, with borax and washing soda. This does cause problems, though it can take years to build up enough for the problems to be noticed.
I’d be glad to hear your recipe if you’d like to share. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of one using rock salt and no soaps of any kind. I’m glad it’s working for you.
Yes, I have been finding several diy things that just dont cut it . Homemade while very good for many things, isnt always the best and somethings really only work because they are machine made. Being very cautious now and researching things before jumping in! What do I do with this lovely smelling stuff? Used wonderfully scented goat milk soap shreds instead of other soap. But what can it be used for with the borax & washing soda already in it? Any thoughts?
Ah, Lynn! No way can you let that goat milk soap go to waste! Hmm… Okay, here’s an idea. You could dissolve a couple tablespoons of it in really hot water, then add that to a spray bottle with more water for an all-purpose type of cleaning spray. It would be similar to the castile soap spray in this post on cleaning sprays with essential oils. You could probably use it to clean tile and linoleum floors, too. Hopefully you come up with a good plan for it so nothing goes to waste!
Oh, Thank you – Thats a great thought of using it for the householdy cleaning stuff instead! I will give that a try, because this stuff does smell really nice!
Also did you have any results on your Norwex microfiber cloths coming cleaner with the Grovia Mighty Bubbles ?
Thanks!
You know, I wish I could say they made a huge difference, but they sadly didn’t. 🙁 I haven’t tried using them in a big bowl or other container, though. I added the Mighty Bubbles to the washing machine and let them soak in there. Maybe I need to try in a big stockpot with really hot water? Though I’ll be honest… I’m kind of over trying to save them. I’ve tried so hard!
Thank you so much for the is post. I have been making laundry soap for many years & couldn’t figure out why our clothes were so dingy! Hubby kept buying new under shirts. 😣. Now, this makes sense! Stopping the soap right now!!!!!
Blessings, Janet Kiessling
You’re welcome, Janet! I’m sorry to hear your clothes have been getting as clean as they should have, but now you know you weren’t doing anything wrong. Hopefully after some detergent and maybe a little laundry stripping, everything will be back to normal in no time!
Wow, thank you for this! I’ve made our homemade laundry detergent for probably 7 years now or so….this past year I was beginning to wonder if it really was doing the job. We’ve had some clothing items that just didn’t smell right and it seemed that some of the guy’s jeans and our jean skirts were wearing thing over time (not sure if the detergent is the culprit for that or not). I just used up the last of our bucket and was putting off making more and this came in my email just in time!
Isn’t it crazy how we can think something is working so well for so long and then realize… uh oh… that didn’t work out like I thought it would! You might want to consider stripping your clothes of the residue, especially towels if they aren’t smelling right. I’m going to get these for our Norwex cloths that still repel water (even though I’ve tried stripping them with every homemade option under the sun): http://amzn.to/2sTgAEK
Yes, we found the same thing with Homemade Laundry Soap too. My Hubby was the one who says, Hey, My jeans seem to be getting “ate up” by this soap!!” So that was that… 😂
That’s so interesting. I wonder if something with the buildup causes the denim fibers to break apart more quickly?
Thanks for the post Kristen! I love grove and am also a VIP. Thanks for the walnut scrubber. I was wondering, how did you strip your clothes of the stuck on grime from the natural laundry soap?
Hi Kari! I actually didn’t strip all of our laundry. I stopped using the laundry soap before I noticed any build up on our clothes or towels. Now my microfiber cloths, on the other hand… those are another story! I’ve tried stripping them with vinegar, baking soda, washing soda, borax, and Norwex’s special laundry detergent, all to no avail. A few cloths got better, but even after all this time, some still repel water. It’s been so frustrating! I just learned about a product for stripping cloth diapers and other laundry from GroVia called Mighty Bubbles, and I might give that a try on the cloths that still repel water. That’s what my friend Sarah used to strip their laundry. And since we use cloth diapers, it might be handy to have around. At this point, I don’t have anything to lose!
I’m no expert with homemade vs. commercial laundry detergents, however I think it odd that you tried to strip your cleaning cloths and towels with the very ingredients in the homemade soap you say caused the build up in the first place. I have been making my own laundry soap for almost a full year now and our clothes have never been cleaner. I use a vinegar rinse and wonder if this is the difference maker? I’ve noticed that whether I hang dry in the sunshine or toss the clothes in the dryer, the clothes look and smell fresh and clean. Also, I’ve been shocked to find stains that I knew wouldn’t even come out with strong pre-treatments and commercial detergents (beets, chocolate, cranberry sauce, grape jelly, etc.) have all washed out just fine with my homemade stuff – and that without any pre-treatment! I just wanted to make the case that perhaps not all homemade laundry soap experiences are negative.
Hi Prudence. I think there’s a little misunderstanding. 🙂 The borax and washing soda in the homemade laundry detergent aren’t the problems. They are basically water softeners that help to boost the laundry soap’s ability to clean. The problem is the soap used to make homemade laundry detergent, because after time it will coat the fibers in your clothes and other laundry. The soap is what clogged up my microfiber cloths, and I didn’t use soap to try to strip them. That definitely wouldn’t have worked well!
Vinegar can help a little, but it’s too diluted in the wash to be able to fully get the soap out. You may not see problems for years. Some readers and friends are reporting that it took 5, 7, even 10 years before they noticed their clothes were smelling funny, repelling water, looking dingy, etc.
I used to love my homemade laundry soap, too, so I understand feeling really happy with it! I think all of us that ended up with laundry problems loved our homemade detergent at one time, some of us for years. I’m not trying to convince you to stop using it if you’re happy with it, but maybe just keep this tucked in the back of your mind for future reference. 🙂
Another DIY money saver down the drain? Is there anything DIY that DOES work? 🙁
I had the homemade shampoo debacle too. I’ve been noticing some issues with my washing machine lately & I’m wondering if it’s the DIY soap. *sigh* how disappointing.
I hear you, Sandy! I was so disappointed when I saw what this stuff was doing. I’ve just decided that modern appliances will likely need modern cleaning products. I hope your machine is working better soon. The only thing I’ve heard about washing machines and the laundry soap is that you can get buildup inside the machine (like a ring around the washing machine) and clogged drains. Not sure if that helps, but I thought I’d mention in case.