No, making your own laundry detergent is not complicated. Yes, it is quick, far better for our health, for the environment and for our budget. We were doubtful ourselves before reading up on it, giving it a go and then adopting this simple recipe, which is very satisfying to make!
To begin with, and to reassure you: we are going to keep it simple. No mysterious recipe that has to simmer for hours. Then we will try to explain to you the why and the how of the shop-bought detergents that are dangerous and harmful to our health.
Let us get to it: how is it done?
The equipment you will need:
a grater + a saucepan + glass bottles to store the detergent in. (Remember to keep glass fruit juice bottles; they will be perfect.)
The ingredients to make 3 litres of detergent:
- 150 g of Marseille soap
- 2 tbsp of bicarbonate of soda
- 2 tbsp of washing soda crystals
- 3 litres of tap water
AND the option to make your laundry smell really good: add a few drops of essential oil.
- 10 drops per litre, so 30 drops for this recipe.
-> lavender, so your laundry smells of Provence
-> petitgrain bigarade or tea tree, to freshen the laundry and give it an invigorating note!
Update, following your comments : better to go for a fragrance, more eco-friendly than essential oil, which is very concentrated.
Step by step:
1. With your own two arms, grate 150 g of Marseille soap. Well done! You can also buy it in flakes if that takes too long.
2. Melt the grated soap over a low heat in 3 litres of very hot water.
3. Stir well.
4. Add 2 tbsp of bicarbonate of soda and 2 tbsp of washing soda crystals. Stir again.
5. Leave to cool
6. Then add the drops of your chosen essential oil
7. Bottle it, and remember to shake the bottle before every use, as the oils will not spread through the water.
Important: the detergent can set solid; simply warm it over a bain-marie before using it. Lastly, you must choose a good-quality Marseille soap (which you can buy at the market, loose). If you know good suppliers of Marseille soap, do tell us in the comments!
We want to know more: why make it yourself?
First of all, we warmly recommend reading the thorough and very well made articles by C l'air du temps on the subject. They explain everything, and you will find a whole host of tips and documentation on other subjects too.
Because it is more eco-friendly.
The chemical make-up of shop-bought detergents amounts to an explosive cocktail of components that are bad for our skin and our health and that then pour out with the water from the machine. Be aware that they can be very irritating to the skin, that they may contain endocrine disruptors and toxic agents that add to the pollution of our homes when the laundry dries, homes that are often already five times more polluted than the outside air!
"The regulations do not require makers of household products to state the composition of their products."
L'alchimist
Because it is cheaper
And because you will never again run out at the last minute on a Sunday evening. You can make several litres in advance and keep the bottles. The biggest costs will be buying a genuine unprocessed Marseille soap and essential oils (optional), which still comes to far less than the price of supermarket detergents.
"The cost price of home-made detergent is about 1.50 € a litre : that is 2 to 4 times cheaper than a shop-bought product (excluding, of course, discount products)."
C l'air du temps
Because you will be taking care of yourself
By knowing exactly what is in your detergent, you will know exactly what your laundry and your skin need. No longer keen on that scent, not comforting enough for winter washes? Change the essential oil! Your laundry not soft enough? Instead of fabric softener, add a little white vinegar. No more skin irritation? We told you so: making your own laundry detergent has nothing but good about it!
Do tell us in the comments which recipes you would like to learn next for an eco-friendly home. Home-made washing-up liquid, household products... We are listening :)
