I had been on the search for a good DIY eco-friendly natural laundry detergent recipe for quite a while. I was trying various store-bought plant-based laundry detergents. And while they worked just fine, I really was hoping to find something that was as basic as possible, with only a few ingredients, and inexpensive. Turns out, that doesn’t really exist when you’re buying tubs of detergent at the store!
So, with a little research, I discovered a really simple recipe for creating my own DIY eco-friendly laundry detergent. It would be bio-degradable, easy on my sensitive skin, easy to make, and inexpensive!
*NOTE: After I created this first batch, I realized that not all of my ingredients were cruelty free – which is something I strive for in my every day life as much as possible. I had no idea that Arm & Hammer tested on animals. So, what you see in the photos is not representative of a cruelty free option, although it is eco-friendly. I found cruelty-free brands before writing this blog post, so you can find links to those brands within the post. If you aren’t concerned about cruelty free products, you can find everything you need at your local grocery store, Walmart, or Target. Click here to read about SWEET & SALTY HEALTHY DESSERT BARS – PLANT BASED DESSERT RECIPE.
You’ll also notice there is no Borax in this DIY eco-friendly laundry detergent recipe. Many other DIY detergent recipes call for it, but the fact is that Borax is not as eco-friendly or sensitive-skin friendly as we might think! So I opted out of using it in this recipe, and it has worked great without it!
Also note that this recipe is safe for HE washers
SO WHAT’S IN IT?
Kirks Castile Soap
Kirks Castille Soap is extremely inexpensive and also, about as simple as you can get when it comes to soap. Its hypoallergenic, bio-degradable, 100% cruelty free & animal by-product free. It also has no Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, no parabens, no phthalates, no EDTA, no synthetic detergents, and no gluten. The packaging is easily recycled as well!
As a substitute, you could also use Dr. Bronner’s Bar Soap, although this stuff is less expensive.
BAKING SODA
Although easily purchased at your local grocery store for very inexpensive, what you’ll find there isn’t typically cruelty-free. Bob’s Mill makes a cruelty-free baking soda option you can check out here. A little more expensive, but worth it to know you’re buying from a great company.
WASHING SODA
You might be wondering what the difference is between baking soda & washing soda and why we need both.
The difference between baking soda and washing soda is literally just water and carbon dioxide. Using a combination of washing soda and baking soda raises the pH of water for perfect cleaning conditions, while deodorizing and breaking down stains.
Now here’s the interesting thing about Washing Soda – you can actually create your own by heating up baking soda in the oven (google for a recipe if you so desire). But, its also relatively inexpensive & easy to find. As I mentioned previously, Arm & Hammer is not cruelty-free, so if you would like to purchase cruelty free washing soda, I would recommend Pure Organic. It’s going to be less expensive to purchase this organic, cruelty-free brand, than to purchase Bob’s Mill baking soda and try to make your own washing soda from it if you are looking for cruelty-free options. (I haven’t found any other cruelty-free baking soda brands yet).
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