Most laundry detergents contain chemicals that are bad for the planet and bad for our health (see GreenGuide for more info). I had been using Biokleen Laundry Powder, I believe that it is safe, and I am happy with how it works. But to cut costs and harsh ingredients, and be gentle on the planet, I decided to make homemade laundry detergent. Most online recipes call for Fels Naptha Laundry Bar Soap. I emailed the manufacturer to inquire about the ingredients. Response: “[Fels Naptha] is a tallow based bar, and the source of the tallow is beef or pork.” Yum! Who wants cow and pig fat smeared all over their clothes?! So no Fels Naptha for me – bummer cause it is cheap!
Small Batch (18 loads)
½ cup Borax
½ cup Washing Soda
½ bar of Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Organic Pure-Castile Soap grated
Grate the soap with a carrot grater or food processor. Place all ingredients in an airtight container and shake. Use 1 tablespoon per load.
I found that this formula worked fabulously, but I believe results may vary depending on your laundry circumstances. We have soft water and a high-efficiency washer. For hard water and top loading machines, you may need to adjust the recipe and amount used.
Notes:
Borax – also called sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, disodium tetraborate, is a naturally occurring mineral composed of sodium, boron, oxygen, and water. You can find 20 Mule Team Borax in the laundry section of your grocery store. Borax is an ingredient in Mrs. Myer’s and Seventh Generation laundry products and many other brands. Info on safety: Skin Deep, About.com, and Greenfootsteps.
.
Washing Soda – also called sodium carbonate or soda ash, is made from common salt and limestone or found as natural deposits. You can find Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda in the laundry section of your grocery store. Info on safety: Skin Deep and Greenfootsteps.
Grated Soap – many sources state that you can use any bar soap in this recipe, I just like the purity and veganess of Dr. Bronner’s, and Fels Naptha is not vegan.
Cost – cheap, 10¢ per load! Borax $2.95 for 25 batches, Washing Soda $1.79 for 12 batches, and Dr. Bronner’s soap $2.91 for 2 batches. The 5 pound box of Biokleen says that it washes 50 loads (although I am skeptical), at $10.19 for the box that is 20¢ per load. Homemade is at least half the cost.
Scary Stuff – If you read all the info on Borax and Washing Soda, you may decide that this recipe seems too toxic, but if you research every single ingredient in commercial detergent (that is if they fully disclose the ingredients – most don’t), you will find lots of bad stuff. I believe everyone should be an informed consumer, and I am happy with my three little ingredients. If you have a safer laundry suggestion, please comment.
Update 2/16/09: I have cut back on the soap in this recipe a bit. Now, I grate the soap, then process it to a powder using a food processor, which yields about 1 1/4 cups of powdered soap per bar. I use 3/4 cups of this powdered soap to 1 cup Borax and 1 cup washing soda.
Update 5/10/10: Still using and loving this recipe!
Hey I just thought you should know that arm and hammer tests on animals. I make my own soap too and now i may be in a pickle
Ugh, it appears from online sources that Morgan is correct. Arm and Hammer does test on animals. I emailed them to inquire about animal testing. I will let you know their response.
Accoring to a friend, both borax, and washing sodas are carcinogenic. I was going to make this, but I’ll stick to bi-o-kleen liq. soap. 1 ounce per wash.
Thanks for the comment. I spent a lot of time researching Borax because it does seem to have a bad reputation. I have read many research studies on borax, and I believe that it is safe. I plan to write a summary of the research with sources, but have not had time yet. Please ask your friend for the direct source of the information; I would love to read it.
According to the MSDS for 20 Mule Team Borax, “CARCINOGENICITY: None of the ingredients in this product are listed as carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the National Toxicology Program (NTP) or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). “
The response from Arm and Hammer was disappointing. They said that with Church and Dwight’s policy “animal testing has become a last resort, and Church & Dwight has experienced considerable success avoiding such testing through this practice, especially on our Consumer Products.” I replied asking for further clarification, but they did not respond.
Anyone know of a company that doesn’t test on animals and makes baking soda?
Thanks for the information on Borax. I have found a cleaner that pretty much covers all I need for “all” my cleaning needs and wow, the savings$$$ add up quickly. I use this cleaner for laundry, windows, floors (marble, granite, hardwood), you name it it can do just about everything. It is the most effective and safe product I have found! And as an added bonus it has the ability to destroy mold and keep it from coming back unlike bleach and other bio-sides that are typically used, not to mention toxic and have xenoestrogen containing ingredients/properties.
If you have an interest in learning more I will be happy to send you more information.
To Your Highest Potential, Amy
i’d like to know about the cleaner amy. i want non-toxic, not tested on animals and environmentally friendly. saving money is great too!
peace,
christy
Bob’s Red Mill makes Baking Soda – and as far as I understand, it is not tested on animals.
I emailed Bob’s Red Mill, and here was their response: Bob’s Red Mill is a food company that does not have any relationship to companies which test on animals. Our Baking Soda is vegan and cruelty free. It actually comes from a source in Colorado which uses a closed-loop process to mine the sodium bicarbonate. The surrounding community is virtually untouched. Water is used to extract the sodium bicarbonate and no chemicals are used.
They sell baking soda in 25 pound bags for $19.28. I am going to try to order it through my local natural food store.
When you say “any bar” of soap, do you literally mean ANY soap, or does it need to be a laundry soap?
Also, I do have hard water and a top loader. Does anyone have any idea how I might need to adjust the recipe? This is going to be my first attempt at making my own soap.
Thanks!
Also, does anyone know anything about Cal Ben Soap Co? I know they make a natural laundry detergent as well. I have put in an email to them asking about animal testing and bi-products. I’ll let you know of my results when they respond.
Brownie,
I do think any bar soap will work because Dr. Bronner’s is just soap, not laundry soap. Extra fancy moisturizing soap may cause issues, but cheap plain old soap should work. For hard water, try increasing the Borax and Washing soda. Also, use more of the mix, maybe a quarter cup per load. Let us know how it goes. I don’t know anything about Cal Ben Soap.
Kathy
Cal Ben Soap Co. wrote me back. Made in the USA, no animal testing or bi-products. They do use washing soda but no borax. They have a full line of products and I have heard good things about them. Just thought I’d let you know. Thanks for answering my questions.
Thanks for the Cal Ben Soap Co info. I am curious as to how many loads one could get from the 25 pound box at $42.00.
actually 20 Mule Borax is from the Dial Company- which DO test on animals and arm and hammer backing soda do also. Bobs Red Mill does a great backing soda but I have not found an alternative to Borax yet. I think your intention of doing a healthy vegan site is wonderful but you should make sure you find out about the status of these companies before you post it. If someone takes this information as true they would be very upset to actually learn that these companies DO test on animals.
Kim,
Thanks for the info. In my mind, being vegan doesn’t automatically mean avoiding products tested on animals. To me being vegan means we do not consume animal products and do not purchase products with animal ingredients. I would argue that Borax is vegan – no animal ingredients. Of course I would prefer to avoid animal testing.
This brings up an interesting debate – can a product tested on animals or with ingredients once tested on animals or from a company that tests on animals be vegan? What do you all think?
Disclaimer: I do my best to provide good information, and I hope people reading this blog are working toward being informed consumers taking my blog and others as a starting point for making their own careful decisions. I don’t claim that all of the ingredients in my household products are from companies that do not test on animals. We are working toward this though. To the best of my knowledge, all ingredients are animal product free.
[...] to Michele at Frugal Granola’s recommendation, I have found this vegan laundry detergent using all natural ingredients and Dr. Bronner’s bar soap (use whatever flavor you desire!). I [...]
Amy, Please tell me about the all purpose cleaner that you mentioned.
Amy or AnnMarie, We are interested in the all purpose cleaner mentioned. We would like more information about the all purpose cleaner. Thanks.
Ok am I just retarded or can I not add? it might just be me but the cost of this is not making sense to me!!! yours only makes 18 loads, so if I double that and use 1 cup of borax and 1 cup washing soap, AND 1 whole dr. bronners bar grated then that should make 36 loads, is that right? and how are u figuring $2.91 for the dr. bronners? one bar of soap cost between $4-$5? so if I use 1 bar to make 36 loads costing around $5 plus baking soda and washing soda and it only makes 36 loads then wouldn’t a $10 box of biokleen cost LESS @ $10 for 50 loads!?! LOL sorry its just not adding up for me, I can’t figure it out.
Kelly,
The cost of my base ingredients are cheap here. I buy Dr. Bronner’s soap for $2.93 per bar (it went up 2 cents since I first posted this entry) at Savemart in Lancaster, PA. I believe that you can use any bar soap so to reduce the cost, you could try a different soap. But even if you are spending $5.00 per bar plus about 20¢ for a cup of borax and 30¢ for a cup of washing soda, that is $5.50÷36=15¢ per load versus $10.00÷50=20¢ per load. Right?
Also, I have experimented with cutting back on the soap. Now, I grate the soap, then process it to a powder, which yields about 1 1/4 cups of powdered soap per bar. I use 3/4 cups of this powdered soap to 1 cup Borax and 1 cup washing soda, which reduces my cost further – yay!
Kathy
Thanks for explaining that.
I can grate the soap in my food processor but can u tell me how u made it into a powder? that sound like it would be even better. I would love to try this and still stick to the dr bronners as its just more natural. but instead of grating the soap and everything, i would love to just have a mix of the borax and washing soda that I can scoop and then add some liquid dr bronners to the wash. that just seem even easier 
if u ever try to do something like that, please let me know how much soap u used.
HE washers use less soap then non HE washers don’t they? do u know? I can’t remember.
not sure what u use for fabric softener but I make my own and I can give u the link to the site i found it on if u want
thanks again for your help.
Kelly,
HE washers use less soap. I only use one tablespoon of my recipe in my HE.
To make soap powder, first I shred the soap with the grater attachment (like to shred carrots). Then I put in the regular food processor blade and run it for a while. It turns to a coarse powder. I usually food process at least 3 bars of soap in one session so that I have plenty of soap powder. I use it in my dishwasher detergent too. Once I have a big container of soap power, I can mix my laundry detergent in less than one minute. As I said above I use 3/4 cup of this powder, 1 cup borax, and 1 cup washing soda.
I have never tried using liquid. If you try it, let us know. I don’t use fabric softener, but would still like to see your recipe. thanks
Kathy
Amy,
I, too, would like to know about the cleaner you found.
I have a frontloading machine, too. I have used Biokleen liquid for years because by my calculations it is cheaper per wash. I get the 5 gallon liquid for $60. That does 1,280 loads using 1 tablespoon per load. I keep the large bottle in my storage room and use it to refill a 32 ounce bottle I bought when I first tried it. The 5 gallons last my family of 8 about a year and a half. I like the fact that we are reducing waste and polution by using much less packaging than all those little boxes, not to mention I never have to worry about running out and it take so little space to store. I make alot of things homemade to save money, but at 5 cents a load I’ll stick with Biokleen and save the trouble.
Janet,
That sounds great! Where do you get a 5 gallon jug?
Kathy
A few of you requested info from Amy about her cleaner. I contacted her via email and found out that she was referring to Thieves Household Cleaner.
Kathy emailed me recently regarding the cleaning product that I referred to. I did send Kathy information on this product, which included my why for chosing this product and even a cost comparison. If you still have an interest you can contact me through my website: http://www.moldrx4u.com/back2oils.
I also have been playing around with developing a safe, non-toxic window cleaner that actually works with-out streaking or leaving a film. It includes Lemon Essential Oil and white vinegar. If you would like the recipe let me know:)
I just wanted to put this out there. I use a vinegar and water mix for all of my house cleaning…floors, windows, toilets…everything. It works great!! Simple, cheap and safe.
Lemon
is it ok to use baking soda instead of washing soda? (I already have a ton of it!) what’s the difference?
Laura,
I think it is a good idea to try baking soda since you already have it, but it may not work quite as well. Washing Soda is related to baking soda, but it is processed differently. It is much more strongly alkaline which makes it a better solvent. If you try baking soda, let us know how it works. thanks
Kathy
ok thank you kathy. i will let you know
I have done a lot of research but still can not find washing soda or borax that has not been tested on animals or alternatives to these products. I want to make my laundry detergent. I already make the soap so I just need the washing soda and borax to make laundry detergent but I do not want to buy from companies that test on animals. Please HELP!
Has anyone tried using just the liquid Dr. Bronner’s soap as a laundry liquid? It is vegan and it works wonderfully. You only need a small amount in a high efficiency washer. I’m not sure if it’s as cost effective, but if it’s vegan you’re after it is that. My clothes came out soft and smelling yummy.
Luka : )
This brand of borax powder is cruelty free. I contacted their customer service to make sure and all the products they sell are cruelty free.
http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/search/search.php?refine=y&keywords=borax
Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog.
Cheers! Sandra. R.
[...] to use Borax in your homemade laundry detergent? According to a comment left on Healthy Vegan Blog: Skye: According to a friend, both borax, and washing sodas are [...]
I LOVE Mountain Rose Herbs, and they carry both borax and baking soda. I buy my tea and echinacea and herbs from there. Zero-Waste company and high quality organic goods. They’re tops for me
I was wondering if this recipe is safe for baby laundry as well as adults? Also, I use lavendar as a natural calming agent (I have huge ammounts of stress and anxiety) and was wondering; if I were to add lavendar extract powder to the recipe, how much should I add? Thanks
Jennifer – I think this recipe would be completely safe for baby laundry. I have a friend who uses it for baby laundry including diapers. I would use unscented Dr. Bronner’s soap; it is called Baby Mild. I do not know how much lavender powder to add. Start with a tiny bit and add until you get the desired effect. Let us know how much to add if you figure out a good ratio.
Thanks for the info on the Fels Naptha soap, I just started digging around for homemade laundry detergent recipes and saw that brand mentioned on all of them. I had no clue it was made from that but I figured it probably had some animal product sneakily mixed in.
What a shame that the main borax brand is tested on animals, can’t say I’m surprised though. I plan on making this recipe using up the box I just bought and buying from Mountain Rose Herbs after that. Or I might try this recipe next, which doesn’t require borax: http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2009/05/homemade-laundry-detergent-charlies-soap-nuts.html
I’d say from the sounds of it, the Homemade Vegan Laundry Detergent would be safe for baby laundry as well as adult.
BTW – Who else is totally peeved about U2 playing at Glastonbury? Fury!
Yes in my opinion, this recipe is safe for babies.
I tried the Homemade Vegan Laundry Detergent on both baby as well as adult clothing and can confirm that was safe for both. And boy, I must say, I haven’t seen my whites whiter and the colours brighter in years!
Josie, I agree, I’m not sure what the organisers of that festival were thinking?! Then again, at least Bono’s doing his bit for saving our planet – he’s been following a strict vegan diet for the last 30 years…and, as much as I find his music irritating at best, you’ve got to take your hat off to him for doing his bit for the environment, don’t you!
Borax is made by Dial & Dial test on animals. Just fyi.
I was wondering if Kirk’s Castile Soap would be a “cheaper” alternative to Dr. Brommers….. (it does say that it has no animal byproducts and that it is vegetable based…)
Any bar soap without added moisturizers should work in this recipe.
Kathy,
Can you use Dr. Bronners liquid soap instead of the bar soap? Your recipe is the only one that I have found for a powder form but I don’t really care if it in a powder or gel like liquid.
Janny,
I have never tried liquid soap, but when I was first creating my recipe for detergent, I remember reading about other people who made liquid detergent. Maybe you could google it and adapt this recipe? If you come up with a good formula, let us know. Good luck!
Kathy
Okay thanks Kathy! I am trying it now but I do think I still have to boil some water to get all of the ingredients to blend well. If it works ill let you know! Thanks for trying to help anyway.
Okay, I made the laundry soap and it worked!
1 cup dr.bronners liquid soap
1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda
2 gallons water
boil 1 quart or more of water. mix borax and washing soda together dry. then add liquid soap and boiling water. mix till all powder is dissolved. add rest of water.
this wont set up for a couple of days. it should be watery and gel like substance.
i have been using 1/3 cup to do a full load.
Janny – Thanks for sharing the recipe. Sounds great! I wonder what the cost comparison would be. Do you think it is cheaper to make liquid? How many loads do you get out of that recipe?
Are you kidding us, Kathy?
“being vegan doesn’t automatically mean avoiding products tested on animals. To me being vegan means we do not consume animal products and do not purchase products with animal ingredients. I would argue that Borax is vegan – no animal ingredients.”
I don’t know any vegans that use animal-tested products. FYI, animal testing isn’t bunnies trying on eyeshadow…what do you think they do with them after they mutilate them? I would rather eat meat that is killed for a purpose than to have an animal suffer unecessarily (as is animal-testing). Why are you vegan if you’re not cruelty-free? *mind boggles*
Frances,
Thank you for your comment. I do not condone testing on animals. Since I make my own cleaning and beauty products, it is rarely an issue for me. But I stand by my quote about the definition of vegan (a strict vegetarian who consumes no animal products). And it is very difficult to avoid products that were ever tested on animals. The chemical compound that makes up Borax (sodium borate) was tested on animals years ago. It is now an ingredient in many, many laundry and dish washer products. I make a conscious choice that making my own detergent with the ingredients listed above is better for the environment, animals, and my family than any other option out there (other than beating my clothes against a rock in a stream). What do you use for laundry detergent?
Kathy
i am new to vegetarianism, and still gotta use what i currently have to become full on vegan. (working on it tho)
i have a recipe floating around somewhere for laundry detergent, and i’m just looking for the cruelty free alternatives and thanks to this website i think i got it all.
thank you everyone, i can’t wait for all the nasty stuff to be out of my home and start living a complete vegan life
Kelly,
I just bought a Dr. Bonner’s peppermint bar soap from whole foods for $2.49 but I checked their website and it’s $5.00 so I recommend shopping at whole foods for this.
Ana
Hi Kathy,
I noticed in one of your comments that you used the soap powder in the dishwasher too? I was wondering if you meant the soap powder only or the soap powder mixed with washing soda and borax for the dishwasher?
Thanks,
Lauren
Lauren, I have a recipe for dishwasher detergent at http://chetroy.com/healthyvegan/?p=225. I am not currently using the recipe because I had trouble finding citric acid that kept its fizz. But when I had good citric acid, the recipe worked well. -Kathy
Wow. Kathy, thank you for sharing your ideas. I’m astonished at those who are poking holes in you and your calm, positive responses. Questions I understand, but some of the “tones” make me cringe. I’ve been wondering about this recipe a lot (I’ve see it with Fels Naptha & Dr. Bronners)…I’m considering just using the Dr. Bronners as someone noted up above. I said all that to say, thanks for sharing and I’m sure there are many who appreciate all that you do. Be well.
Tiffany, Thank you for your comment and kind words. Just using Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap may work really well, especially with soft water and a high efficiency washer. Please let us know. I would be curious how much would be needed because it is a bit expensive. -Kathy