Making your own laundry detergent with Marseille soap is an economical, ecological, and effective alternative to the industrial detergents more commonly found in stores. How do you prepare homemade laundry detergent? What natural ingredients should you use? Discover our tips for making your own Marseille soap laundry detergent recipe.
Why do your laundry with Marseille soap?
Having become one of the most popular trends during lockdown, the "homemade" or "Do It Yourself" (DIY) movement is gaining traction in all aspects of daily life. Making your own household products is therefore a further step towards a healthier and more eco-friendly lifestyle. And homemade laundry detergent is no exception! Making your own laundry detergent offers an alternative to commercial detergents, which are often made with chemicals. The advantages are numerous:
- Use natural ingredients that are kinder to the planet, your laundry, and your skin.
- Control the manufacturing process and composition
- Save money by reducing intermediaries, waste and unnecessary additives.
DIY laundry detergent recipes require very few ingredients: water, washing soda, Marseille soap or black soap. Some recipes also include baking soda or white vinegar. These ingredients allow you to make enough homemade laundry detergent to last for over a year!
Marseille soap laundry detergent recipe
As a general rule, homemade laundry detergent made with Marseille soap contains the following ingredients:
- Water, which is used as a base to dilute all the other ingredients;
- Marseille soap, which serves as the main cleaning and softening agent;
- Soda crystals, which act as a degreaser and enhance the cleaning properties of the soap.
Using a 1-liter container of water as a base, the ingredient measurements involve:
- 1 tablespoon filled with washing soda crystals;
- 50g of Marseille soap flakes.
The steps to prepare your homemade laundry detergent
Step 1: Melt the Marseille soap in a saucepan containing 1 liter of hot water. Stir the mixture until the soap is completely dissolved.
Step 2: In another container, fill 1 liter with water and heat it to room temperature. Then mix in washing soda crystals, and optionally baking soda.
Step 3: Once the mixture is homogeneous, pour the contents of the container into the soap pot. Mix everything together, then place a funnel on a laundry detergent bottle to pour the mixture into it. You can add 4 or 5 drops of essential oil.
Step 4: Let your laundry detergent rest overnight before its first use.
This Marseille soap laundry detergent recipe uses a highly concentrated formula. Therefore, you only need 1 to 2 tablespoons of detergent in your washing machine. Occasionally, you can add the equivalent of a glass of white vinegar to the fabric softener compartment of your washing machine to prevent limescale buildup.
Marseille soap laundry detergent recipe: add baking soda and essential oils
A Marseille soap laundry detergent recipe can include optional ingredients, such as baking soda. Marseille soap's stain-removing properties are ideal for tackling stubborn stains on your laundry. In addition, baking soda is an excellent fabric softener and deodorizer. To use it in your homemade laundry detergent, add 2 heaping tablespoons of baking soda to 2 liters of homemade laundry detergent.
Homemade laundry detergents can also contain essential oils. This natural product is an ideal alternative to the synthetic fragrances used in commercial detergents. With just a few drops of organic oil, you can enjoy laundry with a soft, refreshing, and natural scent.
Use Marseille soap flakes to do your laundry
Using Marseille soap for laundry... great, but in what form? Marseille soap flakes (or flakes) are an essential ingredient for making your own homemade laundry detergent. Made from 100% vegetable oils, these flakes contain no parabens or foaming agents. This biodegradable product allows you to make your own laundry detergent in an eco-friendly and affordable way.
Marseille soap flakes or flakes are suitable for machine or hand washing. The composition of this product makes it suitable for use on delicate fabrics. The glycerin contained in the soap flakes has softening and fabric-friendly properties, helping to preserve them during washing.
Laundry detergent flakes are suitable for all types of washing. Effective at any temperature, this household product is also more economical than traditional laundry detergent. A single 1.5 kg bag of laundry flakes can do up to 100 loads of at least 5 kg each!
