Eucalyptus Orange Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

Learn how to make this eucalyptus orange homemade liquid laundry detergent in just a few simple steps and enjoy enough detergent for months of busy wash days! This laundry detergent not only offers you a customizable alternative to conventional laundry detergents, but it is also very budget friendly and more natural than many “clean” brands at the grocery store. Whip it up in a few minutes and have it ready to use the next day!

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I know… won’t homemade laundry detergent make my laundry stink? Nope! This detergent is packed full of cleaning and odor busting power that will keep your clothes fresh and clean. My husband is a blue collar worker, and doing his work laundry is quite the job. This homemade liquid laundry detergent does a great job of removing sweat and grime. I have used this recipe for many months without any issues regarding odor, grime, discoloration, etc.

Tips for Making Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

• Grate the soap and dissolve fully before adding more ingredients
• Use VERY hot water to help everything dissolve properly
• Wear protective gloves to prevent burns
• Take your time to mix everything thoroughly

Ingredients for Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

Laundry Soap – This is the base ingredient for having fresh and clean clothing. I suggest using a soap that has natural ingredients and no artificial fragrances. If you make your own soap at home like I do, then go ahead and use it in your laundry detergent! I use an orange scented laundry soap that compliments the added essential oils beautifully. See the “shop this post” section below for a natural soap option!

Borax – Borax is a powerful cleaning agent that helps remove strong odors and greasy stains. It also bonds with calcium ions to help soften the water.

Washing Soda – This is not to be confused with baking soda. Washing soda adds a boost to your laundry detergent by disinfecting and softening your laundry. It is also a good natural stain remover.

Oxi Clean – There is not much that compares to oxi clean’s odor and stain fighting abilities. This is one conventional product that I do not plan on taking out of my cleaning closet. It is packed with stain fighting ingredients that also combat strong odors. You do not need to add this ingredient to your laundry detergent, but I highly recommend it because of its strong cleaning power.

Baking Soda – Baking soda really steps in with neutralizing strong odors. It is invaluable to your laundry detergent recipe. Consider bringing this ingredient in for other areas of household cleaning as well!

Essential Oils – Essential oils bring in a beautiful natural fragrance that most of us want for our detergent. If you want an unscented laundry detergent, just leave them out of this recipe. I do enjoy finding new oil combinations that work well together and are nice for different seasons. Play around with your favorite blends or go with what I recommend in the recipe!

Tools You May Need

• 5 gallon bucket (food grade)
• Stainless steel spoon (with a long handle)
• Box grater
• Measuring cups
• Half gallon mason jar
• Plastic lid for mason jar

Scroll to the end of this post to find the recommended tools that I use (or similar options).

How to Make Eucalyptus Orange Homemade Laundry Detergent

1. Boil water
2. Grate laundry soap into 5 gallon bucket
3. Pour in boiling water and mix thoroughly. Be careful not to splash hot water onto yourself.
4. Add hot water to bucket. Mix again.
5. Measure out borax, washing soda, oxi clean, and baking soda. Pour into bucket and mix thoroughly. Make sure there are no clumps.
6. Add in essential oils. Mix again.
7. Let sit on the counter all day. Mix every few hours as you think of it. Leave out overnight. Laundry detergent will be ready the next morning.
8. The next day, mix the detergent one more time and transfer a portion into a half-gallon mason jar. Add 1/4 cup of detergent for regular loads of laundry. 1/2 cup should be plenty for extra dirty loads. You are good to go!

It is perfectly normal for the detergent to separate slightly after a few days. There may be a “cloud” of soapy gel at the top of the jar, but that is nothing to worry about. It works just the same way.

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Shop This Post

• Water kettle
• 5 gallon bucket
• Long handled spoon
• Box grater
• Measuring cups
• Half-gallon mason jar
• Plastic lid for mason jar
• Bar of laundry soap
• Borax
• Washing soda
• Oxi clean
• Baking soda
• Essential oils

I like to buy my products in bulk so that I can get a cheaper price per gallon for this laundry detergent. If you are trying to make things as affordable as possible, I suggest you do the same!

Eucalyptus Orange Homemade Laundry Detergent Printable Recipe

I hope you found this post helpful. I know it can be hard to find natural and economical swaps to use in your home, but this one really is a gem. No more paying $20+ for a container of laundry detergent. If you found this post interesting or helpful, please share it and comment your thoughts below!