The Best Natural Laundry Soaker Recipe – Plus Alternatives
This post was last updated in 2024
Hello there my eco-conscious warriors 😊
Let me tell you about a little experiment that officially changed my laundry game.
I was on the hunt for the ultimate natural laundry soaker. You know, something that wouldn’t just pretend to lift stains but actually deliver without the chemical overload. So I went on a hunt for a natural laundry soaker recipe and I ended up documenting every decent recipe I found in this blog post: How to Whiten Clothes With Bleach – Naturally!
Then I took every natural soaker recipe in that blog post and tested them out to work out the best recipe out there. What I found surprised me.
The best natural laundry soaker recipe is one by Going Zero Waste. It’s a simple recipe where you mix 4L hot water with 2 tb hydrogen peroxide, 1 tb castile soap and juice of one lemon. It’s the best not because all other recipes are rubbish – my testing showed they all worked just as well. The Going Zero Waste recipe is the best because not only does it work, but it is the cheapest one to put together.
In this blog post, you will find more details about my experience, as well as a list of brands that sell eco-friendly laundry soakers, in case you don’t want to make your own. Here are the topics covered:
Let’s get into it 🚀
The best natural laundry soaker recipe
As mentioned, this one from Going Zero Waste is the best:
- 4L of very hot water
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide
- 1 tablespoon of castile soap
- Combine all ingredients in a bucket.
- Submerge your stains items and let them soak.
- Agitate them and rinse them under cool running water
- Hang them to dry in the sun.
If you don’t have castile soap on hand, other recipes that use alternative ingredients may work better for you (check out this blog post for details).
As I will show below, all recipes work just as well – the one above is the best only when it comes to cost.
Show me the results
Here are some before and afters using the recipe above, where I left the clothes to soak overnight before washing them using a normal wash cycle.
It should be noted – I have tried to clean these clothes before in a normal wash load but the stains JUST WOULD NOT BUDGE. Even if I put a mixture of oxygen bleach and washing soda in my wash load, yellowing stains and sweat marks would not come out when washing. It took this soaking recipe to work its magic and finally remove stains I have been living with for ages.
I’m not the best at taking photos but I promise you, it worked so well on these stained whites. Again these were stains that would not come out through normal washing – it needed a bleach soak.
I also tried this on colours to see what it would do and I would caution you against using this on colours – it completely lightened a top I had. Mind you, not in a bad way and weirdly enought, it lightened the ugly yellowing that was going on and made the coloured patterns brighter and pop more:
Meanwhile, with this pink top, it did go a shade or so lighter and that’s not what I would have wanted. It’s only a shade or two different but still noticeable. But hey, at least the yellowing under the arms is gone:
There was one instance (in the many times I have tried this recipe) where it didn’t work as well as I would like. There is the smallest stain on this top that I just can’t get rid of through soaking. Soaking it did get rid of most of the colouring but I still see a shadow of the former stain:
I cover how the other recipes performed below. As mentioned, the results were pretty much the same. They just lifted off the stains, no sweat.
Natural laundry soaker cost comparison
Since it turned out that all recipes tested worked, the choice came down to cost.
The table below summarises each of the recipes tested, how much each ingredient costs for the qualities listed and the total cost for the DIY recipe. The recipes below are based on adding 4L of warm/ hot water and full details for these recipes can be found in this blog post: How to Whiten Clothes With Bleach – Naturally!
The cheapest by far was recipe no. 4 which comes from Going Zero Waste. And it is no surprise that it’s the cheapest because it uses the least amount of hydrogen peroxide. It turns out 2 tb is all you need in 4L of water to get stains out of clothes.
Other amazing natural soakers you can buy
If DIY isn’t your thing, I totally get it. Here are a few Australian-made faves that are great choices if you don’t want to make your own:
Kin Kin laundry soaker
Packed with washing soda, oxygen bleach, and essential oils. It’s super concentrated, so a little goes a long way. Plus, it’s made in Queensland by a lovely family-run biz.
Key ingredients: Koala Eco’s laundry soaker is plant-based, featuring enzymes like amylase, protease, and lipase to target various stains, plus surfactants derived from coconut and sugar. Essential oils like lemon-scented eucalyptus and rosemary add a fresh, natural fragrance.
Price: Approximately $13.95 AUD and up, available in refillable, recyclable packaging
Reviews: Customers rave about the delightful Australian-inspired scents and effective stain removal. Parents especially appreciate the safety for sensitive skin and young children’s clothes. Many note the fresh scent lingering post-wash and commend the eco-friendly packaging.
Resparkle
This powder is plant-based, smells divine, and comes in refillable packaging. Perfect for those looking to ditch plastic.
Key ingredientsThe powder is made from plant-based ingredients such as sodium carbonate (cleaning agent), sodium percarbonate (natural bleach), coconut-based surfactants, sodium citrate (softener), and a blend of natural enzymes for breaking down stains. It also features an essential oil blend for a refreshing scent or is available fragrance-free.
Price Resparkle’s laundry powder is priced at $18 AUD for a 600g pack, providing up to 55 washes.
Reviews Users appreciate the powder for its effectiveness in removing stains while being gentle on sensitive skin. Many highlight its pleasant natural scent and its cost-effectiveness due to its high concentration.
Ecostore laundry soaker
Ecostore, a New Zealand-based company, produces a laundry soaker that doubles as a stain remover and whitener. Affordable and stocked pretty much everywhere. It’s gentle, effective, and free from nasties.
Key ingredients The eco store laundry soaker includes oxygen-based bleaching agents like sodium percarbonate, biodegradable surfactants, and plant-based ingredients that are free from optical brighteners and synthetic fragrances.
Price A 1kg tub typically costs around $14 AUD, depending on the retailer.
Reviews Customers frequently commend Ecostore’s soaker for its gentle action on fabrics and its ability to tackle stubborn stains naturally. It’s often recommended for families with sensitive skin or those prioritizing eco-friendly choices.
Results from other DIY recipes
Just to show that I tried other recipes out and the results were pretty much the same here are some terribly photographed before and afters.
Honestly, if you’ve got some hydrogen peroxide and lemons lying around, give the Going Zero Waste recipe a go. It’s cheap, easy, and surprisingly satisfying to watch those stains vanish. But if you prefer a ready-made option, Kin Kin, Resparkle and Ecostore sell some really good products.
Either way there is no excuse for using chemical bleach. The natural stuff works and it is better for our waterways to be using these products. It’s a small action but through these conscious choices, we can collectively work towards a more sustainable future 🌎
xxx Tahsin
References:
- https://koala.eco/pages/reviews
- https://mumsgrapevine.com.au/2022/12/koala-eco-cleaning/
- https://www.nourishedlife.com.au/products/resparkle-natural-laundry-powder
- https://resparkle.com.au/products/natural-laundry-powder
- https://www.thewellstore.com.au/products/kin-kin-laundry-soaker-and-stain-remover-2-5kg
- https://thelittleorganicco.com.au/product/kin-kin-laundry-soaker-stain-remover/
- https://www.ecoaussie.com.au/products/kin-kin-naturals-laundry-soaker-stain-remover
A Heads Up: This post may contain affiliate links that earn me a small commission at no additional cost to you. Also as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I only recommend products and services that will help you take steps towards a more sustainable life and will not recommend anything that does not align, in some way, with these values.
