🧺 DIY Plant-Based Laundry Detergent
Plant-based, biodegradable, and made with what you already have at home.
Most store-bought detergents are packed with synthetic fragrance and fillers that build up on our clothes — and our skin. I wanted something simpler. This recipe uses a few pantry staples, a little soap, and essential oils that actually clean instead of coat. It’s affordable, biodegradable, and just as satisfying to make as it is to use. Maybe it’s time we rethink what “clean” really means.
Click here to download a printable recipe.
Ingredients
5.3-quart glass jug (I used one from IKEA)
10–11 cups hot water (not boiling, just hot enough to dissolve)
1¼ cups washing soda
⅔ cup baking soda
2 tablespoons Epsom salt
⅓ cup Sal Suds or Castile soap
Essential oils (optional): lemon, tea tree, eucalyptus, peppermint, rosemary
½ teaspoon Polysorbate 20 or 80 (or a splash of soap to help oils mix evenly)
Instructions
Fill your jug about halfway with hot water.
Add washing soda, baking soda, and Epsom salt. Stir until smooth and slightly bubbly.
Let it cool for about five minutes.
In a small cup, mix your essential oils with polysorbate or a bit of soap — this helps them blend instead of floating.
Once the base has cooled, pour in your Sal Suds or Castile soap.
Add your essential oil blend and stir gently to combine.
Top off with the rest of your warm or room-temp water and mix again.