Homemade laundry care is one of my favorite ways to get the toxins out of my home.
No more chemical-filled detergents or perfumey dryer sheets for my family.
It’s so easy (and cheap) to make my own laundry detergent, dryer sheets (or balls), stain remover, and fabric softener.
Hope your family loves these essential oil laundry recipes and tips as much as mine does.
Best Essential Oils for Laundry 
Due to their excellent deodorizing, antimicrobial, antifungal, antibacterial, and cleaning properties, many essential oils work great for use in the laundry. Here are some favorites to add to your natural laundry recipes.
- citrus essential oils like lemon, orange, mandarin, bergamot, and grapefruit are great at cleaning dirt & grime, deodorizing, and adding a fresh, clean, uplifting scent.
- tea tree essential oil is great for immune support as well as fighting against mold & mildew. Tea tree is great to use when cleaning clothes, sheets, and towels whenever someone has been sick. Due to its antifungal nature, tea tree is also great to use when you’ve accidentally left a load in the washer for too long it’s developed that awful moldy, mildew scent.
- eucalyptus essential oil has a refreshing clean, fresh scent that’s also very calming and relaxing. Combine it with lavender or spearmint and not only will your clothes be clean, they’ll also smell like you’ve just been to a luxury spa.
- lavender essential oil is very calming and relaxing. Add some lavender to the wash/dryer when cleaning sheets and blankets for a great night’s sleep.
- chamomile essential oil – like lavender, chamomile is also very calming. It’s great on its own or combine it with bergamot or another citrus oil for an uplifting, balanced scent.
- peppermint or spearmint essential oils are energizing with a fresh, crisp aroma. They blend well with most other essential oils listed here, giving the mixture a clean, cool aroma. They also pack a powerful punch in the laundry due to their antimicrobial, antibacterial, and antiviral properties.
- lemongrass essential oil has a soothing, comforting spa-like scent.
- rosemary essential oil helps disinfect and boost immunity due to its antimicrobial, antifungal, and antibacterial properties.
- basil essential oil has a fresh, crisp scent that pairs well with lemon.
And here a few essential oil combinations to try (also see recipes below for more ideas and specific # of drops of each oil):
- lemon & lavender
- orange, bergamot, and lemon
- lavender, lime, and a touch of spearmint
- lemon, basil, and spearmint
- eucalyptus & spearmint
- lemon & tea tree
- lemongrass, lavender, and eucalyptus
- grapefruit, orange, and lemon
- spruce, tea tree, and cypress
- cypress & orange
- rosemary, peppermint, and lemon
- chamomile, lavender, and orange
Best Essential Oils Recipes for LaundryÂ
1. liquid laundry detergent (recipe here)
This is an easy-to-make liquid laundry detergent that actually gets your clothes clean!
It works in high efficiency (HE) front-loading washing machines as well as regular top-loading washers.
One batch makes enough for 64 loads (so if you do 2 loads of laundry a day, it makes enough for an entire month).
click here for the recipe and printable label
2. powder laundry soap (recipe here)
Here’s an easy to make natural laundry soap powder that really works.
I had tried for years to make a great DIY powder laundry detergent and was unsuccessful. Every homemade washing powder I tried either (1) was filled with harsh chemicals, artificial fragrances, and dyes or (2) didn’t really get clothes clean- the clothes may have looked clean, but when I soaked those “clean” clothes in a sink or tub, the water would turn a dirty brown from all the gunk that was still on those “clean” clothes.
I kept trying to create a recipe that would actually work. And after years of experimenting and failing many times, I finally figured it out. And I’m so excited to share it with you.
It’s free from harsh chemical, artificial fragrances, and dyes.
And it brightens whites & colors, removes stains, and actually gets clothes clean!
3. remove grease stains
Did someone in your family drop French fries on their shirt or accidentally smear their sleeve in olive oil? Whatever the grease stain it can probably be lifted out. Just act quickly!
Put a few drops of lemon essential oil on the grease stain, gently rub the essential oil in to start to break up the grease and toss it into the wash.
Be sure to check the clothes when they come out of the wash to make sure that the grease stain is all gone. If it is, great! Put it in the dryer as normal. But if a little grease remains, repeat with a few drops of lemon essential oil, rub in and rewash before putting it in the dryer.
4. dryer balls (to replace toxic dryer sheets)
Disclaimer: Please know that this website contains affiliate links. This means that should you click on certain links, and then subsequently purchase a product, I will receive a small commission. The price is exactly the same for you as it would be without the affiliate link. Â
Dryer balls help cut drying time and reduce static cling- all without the toxic chemicals found in most dryer sheets.
Add a couple of drops of your favorite essential oil to a dryer ball- use 3 dryer balls for small loads and 5-6 balls for large loads.
Trying to reduce static? Try these natural solutions:
- use natural wool dryer balls (like these)
- some people have success by pinning a safety pin on the dryer balls (the metal in the safety pin dissipates the electric charge that can build up in the dryer)
- remove clothes from the dryer when they are still slightly damp. Over drying clothes allows the static to build up, so take the clothes out of the dryer just before they are fully dry. It won’t take them long to finish air drying and you won’t have to deal with all that static cling.
5. laundry fragrance booster
This one couldn’t be simpler to make.
- Just add about 30 drops of essential oil for each pound of rock salt (this is ice cream salt like this, NOT Epsom salt).
- Then mix well
- store in a jar with a lid
- Sprinkle the salt/oil mixture onto clothes in the washer at the start of the wash cycle. Use about 1/4 cup for small to normal size loads and about 1/2 for larger loads.
The rock salt helps soften clothes, and the essential oil adds a great natural scent- all without harsh toxic chemicals.
Not only is it super easy to make, it’s also much less expensive than the store-bought scent boosters.
6. fabric softener (recipe here)
This easy 2-ingredient natural, non-toxic homemade fabric softener is better than store-bought versions.
Here’s why I love this one:
- it’s cheap
- it’s easy to make
- it gets clothes cleaner than detergent alone
- it makes towels soft, fluffy & absorbent
- it helps prevent static cling
- it smells great!
click her for the recipe and free printable label
7. cure for laundry neglect
Do you ever forget and leave your laundry in the wash for too long? I know I do.
Simply add 2-3 drops of lemon or tea tree essential oil to the laundry and re-wash.
And voila, laundry is as good as new! Not only does it smell fresh and clean, but it IS fresh and clean.
8. fabric refresher (click here for recipes)
Prolong the life of your sweaters and other delicate clothes by not washing them after every wearing. Instead freshen them with this easy-to-make, natural fabric refresher. Just give garments a few light sprays and let it air dry. Clothes are fresh and ready to wear again.
click here for Linen spray recipe with 21 essential oil variations
9. homemade dryer sheets
To make:
- Cut up reusable cleaning wipes (like these) into squares about 6″ by 6″ (or whatever size you like)
- Then place those wipes in the fabric softener from recipe #5 above.
- Let the wipes absorb the fabric softener.
- That’s it.
To use:
- add 1-2 dryer sheets to the dryer along with clothes.
- To help reduce static cling, remove clothes from the dryer when they are still just slightly damp.
- Put used dryer sheet back in the fabric softener jar. It will reabsorb the solution and be ready to go again for a future load of laundry.
10. homemade bleach alternative to whiten clothes
Mix together in large dark bottle (you don’t want hydrogen peroxide to be exposed to light)
- 1 cup hydrogen peroxide
- 4 cups distilled water
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 20 drops lemon essential oil
To use: add 1 cup of the homemade bleach alternative to washer to whiten clothes
11. Get rid of mold & mildew in HE washer (recipe here)
Front-loading washing machines are notorious for growing mold & mildew in the rubber gasket that seals that door shut tight. Yuck!
Use this powerful natural homemade mold &mildew spray to destroy mold & mildew and help prevent it from coming back.
tip: to try to cut down on mold and mildew from growing in your HE washer, leave the door open after every wash cycle. That helps to allow the door gasket to fully dry and not be a breading ground of mold & mildew.
Yep, I added one. So now there are 12 favorite essential oil laundry recipes.
12. dry cleaning hack
Do you have clothes that need to be freshened up, but you don’t want to send them through the wash?
Put a few drops of lemon essential oil on a clean cotton washcloth and toss that washcloth into the dryer on along with the clothing to be freshened.
Run through dryer on fluff cycle and your clothing will be as fresh as if you just picked it up from the dry cleaner.
here are a few other essential oil posts that I think you’ll like:
homemade “Lysol” disinfecting spray
streak-free window & mirror glass spray
kitchen & bathroom cleaning wipes
Please join us…
click here to sign up our email newsletter
Please note: Products mentioned in this article have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products and information on this page are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This website is not a substitute for professional care. Always consult your medical doctor regarding your medical care. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
Disclaimer: Please know that this website contains affiliate links. This means that should you click on certain links, and then subsequently purchase a product, I will receive a small commission. The price is exactly the same for you as it would be without the affiliate link. Â
Do you know any oils that will smell like dove soap?
Sorry, I don’t.