Fortunately, there are several ways to clean your clothes without detergent, helping you get through those situations when you desperately need clean underwear and don’t have any soap.
We’ll cover some of the best laundry detergent alternatives in this article.
Most of the methods below use standard household ingredients that you probably have lying around your home!
You’ll also learn which substances you shouldn’t use in your washing machine, as well as a detergent alternative for sensitive skin.
Laundry Detergent Substitutes To Wash Your Clothes
It’s easy to forget about how essential laundry detergent is.
Whether you like powder or liquid, it’s so simple to add detergent to your washing machine and rely on it to clean your clothes.
But, like all products, your laundry detergent supply will run out or expire, and you may not be able to get to the store in time.
The good news is that several detergent alternatives can clean your garments well.
We’ve listed some tips on laundering without detergent below, as well as some effective DIY recipes for both washing machine and hand washing purposes.
Can You Clean Your Clothes With Just Water?
Some people choose to save costs by only using laundry detergent if their clothes are particularly dirty, but will this method actually clean your clothes?
Well, there may be times when your clothes aren’t that dirty. If you ran these garments on your regular wash cycle without any detergent, the water would still clean them to a certain degree.
However, this will only work on lightly soiled garments. For instance, campers often wash their clothes in a lake or river, then leave them to dry around their tent.
The result is similar to washing your clothes without detergent. Dirty clothes will need extra help, but water may still do the job if your garments are relatively clean.
What Happens If You Wash Clothes Without Laundry Detergent?
If you don’t use laundry detergent, the garments won’t be cleaned as well as they could be. Laundry detergent helps to loosen and eliminate dirt and stains from different materials. Only using water won’t clean your clothes properly.
You don’t need a large amount of detergent to clean your garments, but a small amount is important to eliminate oils, dirt, and stains.
However, if you don’t have laundry detergent, you can use substitutes that will clean your clothes well enough.
These alternatives use common household ingredients, like baking soda, Borax, and vinegar to keep your clothes in good condition. We’ve listed some of the best laundry detergent substitute recipes for you to try at home.
Whether you prefer liquid detergent, powder, or need an option for sensitive skin, you’re sure to find an option that suits you well below!
Detergent Alternative For Sensitive Skin
If you have sensitive skin, you might be wary about using laundry detergent alternatives, especially if you usually buy gentle detergent brands from the store.
This homemade preparation below is free from fragrance and irritating ingredients, making it completely safe for babies and adults with sensitive skin.
This recipe is also safe for High-Efficiency washing appliances.
Use the grater to grate the Castille soap bar into your container, then add the washing soda and Borax. Fasten the lid on the container and shake so the ingredients mix.
Add your laundry to your washer, then pour in ⅓ of a cup of the mixture. Wash your clothes using your standard washing cycle, then dry as usual.
If you prefer, you can forgo this recipe and simply wash your clothes with vinegar. The vinegar works well to get rid of odors and stains, but as it is so gentle, it’s completely safe for sensitive skin.
Simply add half a cup of distilled white vinegar to your washing machine, then launder your clothes as usual. You won’t need to add any other agents or detergents.
Recycling Empty Detergent Bottle
Another simple way to wash your clothes is to recycle your old detergent bottle. All you have to do is add some water to the bottle!
You Will Need
Empty detergent bottle
Half a cup of baking soda
Warm, clean water
Take your empty detergent bottle and fill it with warm water. Shake the bottle so the soapy residue on the inside loosens and mixes with the water.
Pour this mixture into your washer, then add the baking soda. Run the machine on your usual cycle to clean your garments.
Washing Clothes With No Detergent
Oxygen-based bleach is a good alternative if you don’t have any laundry detergent. As long as you follow the guidelines, bleach is safe for colored and white garments.
Oxygen-Based Bleach Cleaner
Empty your washing machine and add half a cup of powdered oxygen bleach to it.
Set the machine to your chosen water temperature, then let the machine fill with water.
Add your clothes to the machine last.
Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent Alternative
Soap nuts, also known as Indian soap berries, are the dried husks from the soapberry nut. These shells are full of an organic soap known as Saponin.
This method is completely natural and a great alternative to harsh chemical products.
You Will Need
20 soap nuts
Six cups of water
Large pot
Container
Strainer
Freezer bag
Fill the pot with the soap nuts, then pour the water on top. Place the pot on the stove at medium heat, then let the mix boil for half an hour.
Keep monitoring the liquid to avoid the solution boiling over the pan.
Once the time is up, position a strainer over the container and pour the solution through it. Leave the mixture to cool to room temperature.
Fasten a cover on the canister and store it in the fridge until you are ready to wash your clothes.
Every batch will provide around four cups of detergent. Each laundry load will need roughly two tablespoons of soapnut solution, though you might need more or less depending on the size of the load.
You can place the leftover soap nuts into a freezer bag to use later. These can be reused up to three more times to make more detergent.
Soap-Based Powder Detergent Alternative
Bar soap is another good laundry detergent alternative.
Adding other household ingredients, like washing soda and Borax, creates an effective detergent that eliminates dirt and stains.
You Will Need
Three cups of washing soda
Two cups of Borax
Ten ounces of bar soap
Cheese grater
Food processing appliance
Container with lid
Use the cheese grater to grate ten ounces of bar soap into the food processing appliance. Blend the soap until the mix turns into a powder.
Add the powder into a container, then pour in the washing soda and Borax. Fasten the lid on the container, then shake so all of the ingredients mixes.
A High-Efficiency washing machine will only need a tablespoon of this mix, while regular washers will need two tablespoons. Wash your clothes on your usual cycle, then leave them to dry.
Soap-Based Liquid Detergent Alternative
If you don’t like using powder detergents, you may prefer this liquid laundry detergent alternative.
This is a simple adjustment from the last recipe, as it swaps bar soap for liquid soap.
However, don’t use this method for High-Efficiency washers, as dish soap can create a lot of foam, damaging the appliance in the process.
You Will Need
A cup of white vinegar
Two teaspoons of dish soap
Place your laundry into your washer, then add one or two teaspoons of your dish soap. Don’t add any more than this.
Pour in a cup of white vinegar and run your machine on your usual wash cycle.
White vinegar is a great fabric softener and works well at deodorizing garments. It also works well at eliminating hard water buildup and stains (like Matcha).
Using Vodka To Clean Your Clothes
You might not believe it until you try it, but vodka can clean your clothes well without leaving alcohol odors behind.
Vodka doesn’t just clean your clothes, but the alcohol content makes it great at eliminating mildew odors.
Try this method when you next wash your shower curtains and see how it makes a difference!
You Will Need
A cup of water
A cup of vodka
Spray bottle
Let your washing machine fill with water, then add a cup of vodka to the appliance while it fills.
Place your laundry in the machine then run your usual cycle.
You can also disinfect your clothing by hand by spraying vodka on your garments.
Fill the spray bottle with a cup of vodka and a cup of vodka. Hang your garments up and spray on both sides.
Remember to always dilute your vodka with water, as the alcohol may be too strong for some garments.
Things You Shouldn’t Use In Your Washer
If you run out of laundry detergent, it can be tempting to throw a bunch of household ingredients in your machine and hope that they clean your clothes.
This should be avoided at all costs, as some soap varieties can produce too many suds, which may make your machine struggle in the process.
Here are some things you should avoid adding to your washing machine.
Never add automatic dishwasher detergent to your washing machine.
These substances are a lot stronger than typical laundry cleaning products. They can lead to your clothes fading or bleaching, and may irritate your skin.
Don’t use household cleaners or ammonia in your machine. These products are very harsh on textiles and can ruin High-Efficiency washers.
Bubble baths, body wash, and shampoo may be suitable for your skin, but they can produce a lot of bubbles and suds, particularly in High-Efficiency machines.
The Bottom Line
If you don’t have laundry detergent on hand, many household items work well at cleaning your clothes!
Popular products like white vinegar, Borax, and washing soda are amazing laundry detergent substitutes. You can try some of the recipes above and see which ones you prefer.
Remember to avoid using household cleaners, automatic dishwasher tablets, or body wash in your washer.
These can produce lots of suds that can damage your machine and stop it from pumping out water.
Hi, my name is Shauna Stone and I love improving my home to make it perfect. Researching new cleaning techniques is one of my favorite things to do - have you ever fallen into the rabbit hole that is cleaning TikToks?
I think my love of cleaning and home pride came from my time at college. I know that college kids are meant to be messy - but some of my roommates were on another level altogether. I don’t even want to recount the images I saw throughout college… *shudder*
A tidy house is a tidy mind, after all, and I cannot get anything done if my house is a mess. I like to think of it as my safe haven, and I don’t want my safe haven to be anything less than perfect!
If you’re like me and want to improve your home through cleaning and DIYs, I hope you’ll love my website. I want to impart my knowledge to anyone who finds cleaning to be as therapeutic as me - enjoy!
