The Dirt on Clean: How to Easily Make Your Own Eco-Safe Dishwasher and Laundry Detergents

As part of our commitment to providing you with eco-safe solutions that go beyond our products, we’re excited to share this no-cost value add for our community. Whether this is your first time exploring these ideas or part of a growing tradition, we aim to provide practical, easy-to-implement tips to benefit your home, health, and planet.

You load up your dishwasher, press start, and let it work its magic. Or you toss your favorite sweater in the laundry and hope it comes out as soft and fresh-smelling as an alpine meadow (as promised by that marketing slogan). But have you ever stopped to think about what’s really in those commercial cleaning products? Spoiler alert: it might be more than you bargained for.

As a Tall Earth customer, we know you’re already interested in eco-safe, non-toxic solutions that are simple, effective, and easy to use. With that in mind, let’s explore how you can take your commitment to healthier living one step further by making your own non-toxic dishwasher and laundry detergents.

Why Go Homemade?

1. Safer for Your Health: Many commercial detergents contain toxins like phosphates, synthetic fragrances, and artificial dyes. These aren’t just unnecessary — they’re potentially harmful. Fragrances, for instance, often contain phthalates, which can mess with your hormones. Artificial dyes? Think about those nuclear red “powerball” pods — they’re not just eye-searing but could also pose carcinogenic risks.

   Many of these ingredients are new to the current generation, meaning the cleaning products of yesteryear that we grew up on may be very different from what our kids are exposed to today. The impact on their young, growing, maturing bodies is still largely unknown.

2. Eco-Friendly: When you use homemade solutions, you’re cutting out the nasty chemicals that end up in our waterways. That means less harm to aquatic ecosystems and a happier planet. Plus, you’re reducing packaging waste. Commercial detergents are often excessively packaged in plastic bottles, pods, and boxes. By making your own, you’ll cut back on single-use plastics and contribute to a more sustainable lifestyle.

3. Cost-Effective: A bottle of premium “eco-friendly” detergent can set you back $15 or more. Meanwhile, making your own costs just a few cents per load, and the ingredients stretch much further.

4. Residue-Free Living: Whatever you wash your clothes and dishes with doesn’t just rinse away. Detergent residues linger on your dishes (and by extension, your food) and seep into your clothing fibers, which sit against your skin all day. Making your own ensures you’re not inadvertently ingesting or absorbing harmful chemicals.

The Recipes

DIY Dishwasher Detergent

Say goodbye to chemical-laden pods and hello to sparkling dishes with this super-simple formula.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup washing soda
• 1 cup baking soda
• ½ cup citric acid (helps break down food particles and fights hard water spots)
• ½ cup kosher salt (works as a natural scrubbing agent and water softener)

Optional: 10-15 drops of essential oil (like lemon, tea tree, peppermint, or lavender) for a light, natural fragrance.

Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients together in an airtight container.
2. Use 1 tablespoon per dishwasher load. For extra-large or particularly dirty loads, use 1½ to 2 tablespoons as needed.
3. For an extra rinse boost, add white vinegar to the rinse aid compartment.

DIY Laundry Detergent: Powder Option

Gentle enough for delicates yet tough on stains, this recipe is your new laundry go-to.

Ingredients:

• 1 bar castile soap or unscented natural soap made from vegetable oils (like olive or coconut) without synthetic additives, grated
• 1 cup washing soda
• 1 cup borax

Optional: A few drops of essential oil (like eucalyptus, peppermint, or lavender) for scent.

Instructions:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl until fully combined.
2. Store the detergent in a glass jar or any airtight container.
3. Use 1 tablespoon per load for high-efficiency machines (or 2 tablespoons for older non-HE machines).

DIY Laundry Detergent: Liquid Option

For those who prefer liquid detergents, this option is just as simple and effective.

Ingredients:

• 1 bar castile soap (or 1 cup liquid castile soap for a quicker alternative) or unscented natural soap, grated
• 1 cup washing soda
• 1 cup borax
• 4 cups hot water (to dissolve ingredients)
• Additional water to fill a gallon-sized container

Optional: 10-20 drops of essential oil (like lavender, tea tree, eucalyptus, or peppermint) for scent.

Instructions:

1. Dissolve the grated soap in 4 cups of hot water over medium heat, stirring until melted.
2. Add the washing soda and borax, stirring until fully dissolved.
3. Pour the mixture into a gallon-sized container and fill the rest of the container with warm water.
4. Shake well before each use. Use ¼ cup per load for high-efficiency machines (or ½ cup for older non-HE machines).

A Few Things to Keep in Mind

1. Skeptical of Borax? Some people prefer to skip it due to debates about its safety. You can replace borax with baking soda in your laundry detergent if you’d like.

2. Hard Water? If you have hard water, increase the amount of citric acid in the dishwasher detergent for extra effectiveness.

3. Label Everything: Always label your containers so you don’t accidentally mistake your homemade dishwasher detergent for sugar. (It’s happened.)

The Hidden Costs of Commercial Detergents

Still not convinced? Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: what goes into store-bought detergents. Beyond the ingredients we’ve already discussed, these products often include:

• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS): A known skin irritant.
• Triclosan: Found in “antibacterial” detergents and linked to endocrine disruption.
• Optical Brighteners: Chemicals designed to make clothes look cleaner but can cause allergic reactions and bioaccumulate in the environment.
• Synthetic Fragrances: A cocktail of undisclosed chemicals that may include phthalates, which can interfere with hormonal balance.

Small Steps Toward Big Impact

Switching to homemade detergents is a simple way to reduce toxins in your home while saving money and minimizing your environmental footprint. It’s a small change, but one that contributes to a healthier lifestyle and a cleaner planet.

Are you ready to ditch the commercial stuff? With these DIY recipes in your arsenal, you’ll be scrubbing and sudsing your way to a greener future.

Share Your Experience!

We’d love to hear how these recipes work for you. Snap a photo of your sparkling clean dishes or fresh-smelling laundry and tag us on social media. Let’s inspire others to embrace eco-safe living, one load at a time.

Happy cleaning!