Stains have a nasty habit of settling in right before wash day, and a plain toss into the hamper usually does exactly nothing for them. This homemade Pre-Wash Laundry Spray gives you a quick way to pretreat stubborn spots before they turn a favorite shirt into housework attire. It is simple, inexpensive, and about as fussy as a sock drawer on Monday morning.
A comparable store-bought stain spray often runs several dollars for a single bottle, while this batch uses basic pantry and laundry-room staples.
Based on current Walmart pricing for white vinegar, baking soda, and clear ammonia, the consumable cost for this formula comes out to roughly $0.75 for the batch, not counting water or the reusable spray bottle. Making it yourself also lets you skip added fragrance and keep the formula exactly as written, so you know what is going on your laundry.
You only need 4 materials to make this batch: household ammonia, baking soda, white vinegar, and water. The formula is mixed right in a plastic spray bottle, and you will just need that bottle plus a way to measure and pour the ingredients cleanly.
- 🧰 Materials You'll Need
- 🔧 Tools/Equipment
- 🛠️ How to Make Pre-Wash Laundry Spray
- 🛠️ How to Use It
- 🛡️ Safety Information
- 📦 Storage
- 💸 Estimated Cost
- 🛍️ Need Help Finding Everything?
- ❓ Frequently Asked Questions about Pre-Wash Laundry Spray
- 📌 Love this Pre-Wash Laundry Spray? Pin it!
- 🖨️ Print-Friendly How-To: Pre-Wash Laundry Spray
Materials You’ll Need
- 1/2 cup household ammonia
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 gallon water
Tools/Equipment
- Plastic spray bottle
- Measuring cups
How to Make Pre-Wash Laundry Spray
- Combine the household ammonia, baking soda, white vinegar, and water in a plastic spray bottle.
- Keep the mixture away from your face as you fill the bottle.
- Close the bottle tightly and shake well to combine.
This tried and true recipe has been around for years and many old-timers swear by it.
How to Use It
- Shake well before each use.
- Spray liberally onto stained clothing as needed before washing.
- Reapply and wash promptly if you are treating especially stubborn spots.
Be sure to shake well prior to every use as the baking soda settles.
If you like making your own laundry helpers, you might also want to try Make Your Own Laundry Detergents, Stain Removers, Pre-Wash Sprays and More! or this handy Laundry Pre-Treat Spray.
Safety Information
Keep this spray away from your face while mixing and spraying, and use it with good ventilation. Most importantly, never ever combine bleach with ammonia or bleach with vinegar. That combination can create dangerous gases. The CDC also warns never to mix household bleach with ammonia or other cleaners because the vapors can be very dangerous to breathe in, which is exactly the kind of laundry-room shortcut nobody needs when handling bleach safely.
Storage
Store the spray in its plastic bottle and keep it tightly closed between uses. Give it a good shake before each use since the baking soda naturally settles to the bottom.
Estimated Cost
Using current Walmart pricing, this batch costs about $0.75 in consumable materials:
- 1/2 cup clear ammonia from a 64-ounce bottle priced at $2.12: about $0.13
- 1/4 cup baking soda from a 1-pound box priced at $1.42: about $0.18
- 1/2 cup white vinegar from a 64-ounce bottle priced at $2.97: about $0.19
- 1/2 gallon water: not counted
- Reusable 32-ounce plastic spray bottle: not included in project cost
Prices vary by store and region, so treat this as a practical estimate rather than a fixed total.
🛍️ Need Help Finding Everything?
- Great Value Clear Ammonia All Purpose Cleaner, 64 fl oz
- ARM & HAMMER Baking Soda, 1 lb Box
- Great Value Distilled White Vinegar, 64 fl oz
- Great Value Plastic Spray Bottle, 32 oz
- Spray and Wash
- Laundry Pre-Wash Spray
Frequently Asked Questions about Pre-Wash Laundry Spray
This formula is written for a plastic spray bottle, so that is the container to use here. If you are remaking it, stick with the original setup instead of changing containers just to get fancy.
Because the baking soda settles. A quick shake puts everything back into suspension so the spray applies more evenly to the stained area.
Use it liberally, just as the directions say. You want the stained area well covered before the item goes into the wash.
No. Do not mix this spray with bleach under any circumstances. That is the one shortcut that can turn a laundry chore into a dangerous gas exposure.
The formula is presented as a general pre-wash spray for clothes, but the directions do not list fabric-specific compatibility. If you are dealing with a delicate, specialty, or dry-clean-only fabric, check the garment care label before using any pretreat product.
No, this is a pretreat spray. Use it on stains before washing, then launder the item as usual with your regular detergent.
Shake the bottle thoroughly before spraying. If it has been sitting for a while, give it a longer shake so the settled baking soda loosens back up.
You can scale the formula down if you keep the same proportions. Just measure carefully so the ingredient ratio stays consistent.
It is best used as a quick pre-wash treatment for stubborn stains on clothing before the item goes through a normal wash cycle.
📌 Love this Pre-Wash Laundry Spray? Pin it!
Did you try this project? Tell us what stains you tackled first or what you learned after using it on your own laundry pile.
🖨️ Print-Friendly How-To: Pre-Wash Laundry Spray
Pre-Wash Laundry Spray
Equipment
Materials
- ½ cup household ammonia
- ¼ cup baking soda
- ½ cup white vinegar
- ½ gallon water
Instructions
- Combine the household ammonia, baking soda, white vinegar, and water in a plastic spray bottle.
- Keep the mixture away from your face as you fill the bottle.
- Close the bottle tightly and shake well to combine.
- Shake well before each use.
- Spray liberally onto clothes as needed.
- This tried and true recipe has been around for years and many old-timers swear by it.
- Be sure to shake well prior to every use as the baking soda settles.
- Never ever combine bleach and ammonia or bleach and vinegar. This can create dangerous gas.
- Use with good ventilation and keep the mixture away from your face as you fill the bottle.
is this safe on colored clothing?
i have used something close to this on all clothes, white and color. i am a nurse and it works on all my stains.
i made this and use from time to time works good. :stars:
just what i needed. my dogs have been jumping on me for 2 days with muddy paws. Going to try this.
Thank you. I hope it works on this Missouri Mud. (Red Clay):rodeo:
is it good with older stains?
is it efficient with older stains too?