How to Make Your Own Homemade Cloth Diaper Detergent
Homemade powder laundry detergent is inexpensive to make and can work really well on cloth diapers, whether you have a high-efficiency or standard washing machine. I've been using this powdered laundry detergent for about a year on my son's cloth diapers, as well as on the rest of the family's laundry. This detergent also works great on other baby laundry, and removes stains nicely.
There are many, many detergent recipes available on the internet.
Most uses various combinations of the same ingredients. This recipe is one I've adapted over time that works best at our house. I prefer a scented detergent, and no one in my family has any fragrance sensitivities. If your baby has sensitive skin, you will need to change out some ingredients, or switch to a store-bought, fragrance-free detergent.
The type of water you have, the type of washing machine you have, the style and brand of diapers you use, and your baby's own body chemistry can all affect how well a detergent works. Although this detergent recipe works perfectly in my home, it may require some tweaking for yours. Before using any detergent, homemade or not, you should check the manufacturer's instructions for your cloth diapers. Some detergent ingredients could void your diaper warranty, and some manufacturers may want you to avoid certain ingredients because they say they could damage your diaper components. As I've said, this detergent has worked very well for me and has not damaged my cloth diaper stash, but your experience could be different.
To begin, you'll need to gather your ingredients. I use:
Grating Soap for Homemade Cloth Diaper Detergent
Using a sharp knife and cutting board, cut the bars of soap into cubes, then place the cubes in a food processor. Chop them in the food processor until you have a coarse powder.
If you don't have a food processor, or prefer to do this step by hand, an old-fashioned cheese grater will work just fine, too. The Dr. Bronner's soap is fairly hard, so it might be difficult to grate it by hand.
Dr. Bronner's soaps come in a variety of essential oil scents.
I prefer to use one bar of lavender and one bar of tea tree, but I've also used the citrus and eucalyptus scents. You can customize the scent of your own detergent by combining these soaps.
Measure out 2 cups of borax and 2 cups of washing soda. Add them into the food processor with the grated soap. Turn on the food processor until the ingredients have blended into a consistent powder. You may need to turn off the food processor in the middle and scrape the soap flakes away from the bottom and sides of the bowl.
If you've grated your soap by hand, just add the 2 cups of borax and 2 cups of washing soda to your bowl of soap and mix well with a big spoon.
You can also toss the ingredients together in your detergent container, put on the lid, and give it a shake to mix.
Choose a container with a lid to store your homemade detergent. My container is from Target and has a lid that seals, so the detergent doesn't spill if it gets bumped in our busy laundry room. Don't forget to add a label of some sort so others can easily tell what kind of powder is in the container.
To use this homemade cloth diaper detergent, add about 1/8 cup to your washer and use your normal diaper washing cycle.
I've tested this amount in high-efficiency and regular washers with good results. These ingredients don't suds up very much, so I have not had any trouble with them in my HE washer. However, you should check to be sure your washer manufacturer approves of their use in your own machine.
The great thing about this detergent is that it works on all household laundry, not just the cloth diapers. I use 1/8 cup and an extra rinse for other baby laundry, and slightly more for towels and my husband's grimy work clothes. He actually prefers the homemade detergent over store-bought for cleaning oil and heavy dirt out of his clothes.
Have you tried making your own homemade laundry detergent for cloth diapers or baby laundry? Tell us about it, and share how you wash cloth diapers to help other parents perfect their laundry day routine.
Homemade powder laundry detergent is inexpensive to make and can work really well on cloth diapers, whether you have a high-efficiency or standard washing machine. I've been using this powdered laundry detergent for about a year on my son's cloth diapers, as well as on the rest of the family's laundry. This detergent also works great on other baby laundry, and removes stains nicely.
There are many, many detergent recipes available on the internet.
Most uses various combinations of the same ingredients. This recipe is one I've adapted over time that works best at our house. I prefer a scented detergent, and no one in my family has any fragrance sensitivities. If your baby has sensitive skin, you will need to change out some ingredients, or switch to a store-bought, fragrance-free detergent.
The type of water you have, the type of washing machine you have, the style and brand of diapers you use, and your baby's own body chemistry can all affect how well a detergent works. Although this detergent recipe works perfectly in my home, it may require some tweaking for yours. Before using any detergent, homemade or not, you should check the manufacturer's instructions for your cloth diapers. Some detergent ingredients could void your diaper warranty, and some manufacturers may want you to avoid certain ingredients because they say they could damage your diaper components. As I've said, this detergent has worked very well for me and has not damaged my cloth diaper stash, but your experience could be different.
To begin, you'll need to gather your ingredients. I use:
- 2 bars of Dr. Bronner's Pure Castille Soap (Compare Prices on Pricegrabber.com)
- 1 box 20 Mule Team Borax
- 1 box Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (not baking soda)
Grating Soap for Homemade Cloth Diaper Detergent
Using a sharp knife and cutting board, cut the bars of soap into cubes, then place the cubes in a food processor. Chop them in the food processor until you have a coarse powder.
If you don't have a food processor, or prefer to do this step by hand, an old-fashioned cheese grater will work just fine, too. The Dr. Bronner's soap is fairly hard, so it might be difficult to grate it by hand.
Dr. Bronner's soaps come in a variety of essential oil scents.
I prefer to use one bar of lavender and one bar of tea tree, but I've also used the citrus and eucalyptus scents. You can customize the scent of your own detergent by combining these soaps.
Measure out 2 cups of borax and 2 cups of washing soda. Add them into the food processor with the grated soap. Turn on the food processor until the ingredients have blended into a consistent powder. You may need to turn off the food processor in the middle and scrape the soap flakes away from the bottom and sides of the bowl.
If you've grated your soap by hand, just add the 2 cups of borax and 2 cups of washing soda to your bowl of soap and mix well with a big spoon.
You can also toss the ingredients together in your detergent container, put on the lid, and give it a shake to mix.
Choose a container with a lid to store your homemade detergent. My container is from Target and has a lid that seals, so the detergent doesn't spill if it gets bumped in our busy laundry room. Don't forget to add a label of some sort so others can easily tell what kind of powder is in the container.
To use this homemade cloth diaper detergent, add about 1/8 cup to your washer and use your normal diaper washing cycle.
I've tested this amount in high-efficiency and regular washers with good results. These ingredients don't suds up very much, so I have not had any trouble with them in my HE washer. However, you should check to be sure your washer manufacturer approves of their use in your own machine.
The great thing about this detergent is that it works on all household laundry, not just the cloth diapers. I use 1/8 cup and an extra rinse for other baby laundry, and slightly more for towels and my husband's grimy work clothes. He actually prefers the homemade detergent over store-bought for cleaning oil and heavy dirt out of his clothes.
Have you tried making your own homemade laundry detergent for cloth diapers or baby laundry? Tell us about it, and share how you wash cloth diapers to help other parents perfect their laundry day routine.