Learn how to make homemade OxiClean. You can make this magical laundry booster and stain fighter yourself with household items like washing soda and hydrogen peroxide. OxiClean is great as a pre-treatment for stains and a great laundry booster but it’s expensive! I’ll show you how to make your own for just pennies a load.
EDIT** Yes you can use this on colors (just do a test patch) and use hot water to mix the ingredients and also when soaking your laundry.
The four main ingredients in OxiClean are:
Sodium carbonate is also known as soda ash, and is sold separately as washing soda. It’s like baking soda’s cousin that you sometimes hear about and is often used as an ingredient in all natural cleaning recipes and as a laundry booster on it’s own.
Some DIY OxiClean recipes call for baking soda but you need to use washing soda. It won’t be nearly as effective with baking soda.
When you mix sodium carbonate (washing soda) with 3% hydrogen peroxide you get sodium percarbonate (the main ingredient in OxiClean)
Sodium percarbonate must be added to hot water to be activated. When activated, it breaks down back into hydrogen peroxide and sodium carbonate. The release of oxygen molecules creates bubbles and loosens stain molecules from fibers so they can be rinsed away.
Mix all ingredients together and store in a dark spray bottle.
To use: Spray on soiled laundry and let it sit overnight.
If you have a number of clothes that are soiled, you make up a batch of this and soak them in it overnight. Then, launder as usual.
Before and after stains on my daughter's Taekwondo uniform.
Hydrogen Peroxide and Blue Dawn 50/50 is easy to mix on the spot and a great cleaner and spot remover, works on many surfaces.
Thanks for the tips.
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
After this mixture is made, how long will it last?
I have heard you can make washing soda by spreading baking soda on a cookie sheet and bake it for 1 hour at 250 degree oven.
Can it be used in the washer??