Store-bought detergent gets expensive fast, especially when you wash a lot of clothes and still end up paying for a bottle that is mostly water. This homemade liquid laundry detergent keeps the formula simple, stays low sudsing, and turns out a softening wash soap that makes a full 2 gallons. It also smells great, which saves the laundry room from that sad, dusty-cleaner vibe (a real thrill, I know).
Making it yourself can cost noticeably less per batch than buying a comparable scented liquid detergent or adding a separate fragrance booster. Using recent Walmart prices, 1 cup of Purex crystals, 1/2 cup washing soda, 1/2 cup borax, and 1/3 bar of Fels Naptha works out to roughly $2.35 for 2 gallons, while many commercial liquid detergents cost several dollars for far less volume. You also control the scent by choosing your own laundry softener crystals instead of being stuck with whatever landed on the shelf.
You only need four materials for the detergent itself, plus hot and cold water to bring everything together. This batch uses a saucepan for melting the soap, a spoon for stirring, and a 2 gallon bucket for mixing and resting the detergent while it thickens.
- 🧰 Materials You'll Need
- 🔧 Tools & Equipment
- 🛠️ How to Make Liss' Favorite Liquid Laundry Detergent
- 🛠️ How to Use It
- 🎨 Customization Ideas
- 🛡️ Safety and Care
- 📦 Storage
- 💸 Cost Breakdown
- 🛍️ Need Help Finding Everything?
- ❓ Frequently Asked Questions about Liss' Favorite Liquid Laundry Detergent Recipe
- 📌 Love this Liss' Favorite Liquid Laundry Detergent Recipe? Pin it!
- 🖨️ Print-Friendly How-To: Liss' Favorite Liquid Laundry Detergent Recipe
Materials You’ll Need
- 1/3 bar Fels Naptha soap, grated
- 1/2 cup washing soda
- 1/2 cup borax
- 1 cup Purex laundry softener crystals, any scent you like
- 1 quart hot water
- Cold water, enough to fill the bucket
Tools & Equipment
- 2 gallon bucket
- Saucepan
- Stirring spoon
- Grater
How to Make Liss’ Favorite Liquid Laundry Detergent
- Dissolve the grated Fels Naptha in about 2 cups of water in a saucepan over low heat until completely smooth.
- Add the washing soda and borax, then stir until the mixture thickens.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat.
- Pour 1 quart hot water into a 2 gallon bucket, add the soap mixture, and mix well.
- Dissolve 1 cup of Purex laundry softener crystals in the soap mixture, stirring well.
- Fill the bucket with cold water and mix well.
- Set the mixture aside for 24 hours, or until it thickens and gels.
How to Use It
This mixture will use 1/2 cup per load. Because the recipe is low sudsing, it works well when you want cleaning power without a sink full of foam.
If you like trying different homemade wash formulas, take a look at Liquid Laundry Detergent Recipe #2, Hard Water Laundry Detergent, or this handy Laundry Pre-Treat Spray for stubborn spots.
Customization Ideas
This recipe already gives you one easy way to customize the batch: choose any scent you like for the Purex laundry softener crystals. That lets you keep the same base formula and switch the fragrance to match your household preference.
- Fresh everyday laundry: Use a clean linen or fresh scent crystal.
- Stronger fragrance: Pick a bolder crystal scent if you want the smell to linger more on stored clothes and linens.
- Light fragrance: Choose a milder crystal scent if you prefer just a hint of fragrance.
Safety and Care
Store the finished detergent where children and pets can’t reach it, and keep the container clearly labeled so nobody mistakes it for anything else. For basic laundry product safety, the American Cleaning Institute recommends keeping laundry products out of reach of children and pets and closing containers right after use.
Storage
Keep the detergent in the 2 gallon bucket or transfer it to another clearly labeled container with a secure lid. If it sits for a while and the texture separates or settles a bit, stir it before measuring out the next load.
Cost Breakdown
Using current Walmart pricing as a rough estimate, this batch costs about $2.35 in consumable materials:
- 1/3 bar Fels Naptha from a 5-pack: about $1.07
- 1/2 cup washing soda: about $0.39
- 1/2 cup borax: about $0.34
- 1 cup Purex laundry softener crystals: about $0.55
That estimate will vary by scent choice, package size, seller, and local pricing, but it still keeps this batch firmly in the budget-friendly column.
🛍️ Need Help Finding Everything?
- Fels Naptha laundry bar at Walmart
- Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda at Walmart
- 20 Mule Team Borax at Walmart
- Purex laundry softener crystals at Walmart
- 2 gallon bucket at Walmart
Frequently Asked Questions about Liss’ Favorite Liquid Laundry Detergent Recipe
Use 1/2 cup of the finished mixture per load. That is the amount this recipe specifies.
This batch makes 2 gallons of liquid laundry detergent.
Yes. Set it aside for 24 hours, or until the mixture thickens and gels.
Yes. Use any scent you like for the Purex laundry softener crystals. That is the built-in customization option for this recipe.
Melting the grated Fels Naptha over low heat helps it dissolve smoothly before you add the other ingredients. That gives you a more even mixture instead of little stubborn soap bits floating around forever.
After about 24 hours, the mixture should thicken and gel. If it settles a bit in storage, give it a stir before using it.
Yes, as long as the container is clean, clearly labeled, and has a secure lid. Keep it where children and pets can’t get into it.
Yes. This is a low sudsing liquid laundry detergent recipe.
Absolutely. If you want to compare formulas, try a hard water version, another liquid variation, or a separate pre-treat for stained clothes. Sometimes the best recipe is simply the one that matches your laundry habits.
📌 Love this Liss' Favorite Liquid Laundry Detergent Recipe? Pin it!
Did you try this laundry detergent recipe? Tell us which crystal scent you used and whether you kept the batch in the bucket or transferred it to another container.
🖨️ Print-Friendly How-To: Liss’ Favorite Liquid Laundry Detergent Recipe
Liss' Favorite Liquid Laundry Detergent Recipe
Materials
- ⅓ bar Fels Naptha soap grated
- ½ cup washing soda
- ½ cup borax
- 1 cup Purex laundry softener crystals any scent you like
- 1 quart hot water
- Cold water enough to fill the bucket
Instructions
- Grate 1/3 bar of Fels Naptha soap.
- Dissolve the grated soap in about 2 cups of water in a saucepan over low heat until completely smooth.
- Add the washing soda and borax.
- Stir until the mixture thickens, then remove it from the heat.
- Pour 1 quart hot water into a 2 gallon bucket.
- Add the soap mixture to the bucket and mix well.
- Dissolve 1 cup of Purex laundry softener crystals in the soap mixture, stirring well.
- Fill the bucket with cold water and mix well.
- Set aside for 24 hours, or until the mixture thickens and gels.
- Use 1/2 cup of mixture per load.
- https://www.budget101.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/liss-favorite-liquid-laundry-detergent-recipe-.jpeg
- https://www.budget101.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/liss-favorite-homemade-liquid-laundry-detergent-recipe.jpg
- Estimated cost is based on recent Walmart pricing for consumable materials only and does not include reusable tools.
- Store the finished detergent in a clearly labeled container out of reach of children and pets.
- If the mixture settles during storage, stir before use.
