5 from 1 vote

This DIY Diva laundry detergent dupe is easier to make than you think! With just a few simple ingredients like borax, washing soda, bar soap, and Diva-type fragrance oil, you'll have a budget-friendly, effective laundry powder that smells like the popular Tyler Candle Company Diva scent.

large glass jar of diy laundry detergent on a counter, surrounded by laundry supplies.

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One of my favorite splurges is to buy powder laundry detergent at the candle/fragrance boutiques that have been so popular lately. It's such a nice little "life upgrade" to have fabulous smelling laundry!

One problem: it's not cheap. With most higher-end laundry detergents (think Diva Laundry Detergent, which I do love), you're paying upwards of $0.75-$1.00 per load.

Not in this economy, friends.

Today, I thought I'd show you an incredibly easy way to make this laundry detergent at home at a fraction of the price. I've been doing this for almost a year now and don't miss the boutique detergent at all!

Why You'll Love This Diva Laundry Detergent Dupe

Get that boutique laundry detergent, without the boutique price tag. We're going to make a dupe that costs about a quarter of the price of those higher-end boutique detergents.
Works just as well (maybe better?) than the original. I still get compliments on how our clothes smell all the time!
Makes a ton of detergent. I got over 6 months of use out of the last batch of this I made. It takes maybe 10 minutes to mix and lasts so long.

Ingredients

2 bars fels naptha soap - This is the only ingredient that requires any pre-prep. Using a cheese grater or a food processor, you'll want to grate this into fine shreds. (I have a Kitchenaid Cheese Grater Attachment that makes this part really easy!)
1 box washing soda - Look for the Arm & Hammer brand in the yellow box.
½ container Oxi-Clean (2.5 pounds) - This is not an ingredient you'll find in most other recipes and is very optional, but I've found it adds a lot of stain-fighting power to your detergent.
1 box borax
3 oz fragrance oil - This optional ingredient adds that boutique fragrance. I like a strong scent, so I use 3 oz of Diva-type fragrance oil in this batch. Always check the fragrance oil's current IFRA certificate for its maximum usage rate in laundry detergent before adding it to your recipe.

Where to Buy Fragrance Oil

For the closest Diva laundry detergent dupe, I recommend choosing a fragrance oil specifically labeled "Diva type" or described as inspired by Tyler Candle Company's Diva fragrance.

There are two main places online that I would recommend buying your fragrance oil: Nature's Garden Candles and Lone Star Candle Supply (you can get $10 off a $50 purchase by clicking that link!). You can find fragrance oils almost anywhere - Amazon, Walmart, you name it - but if you want high-quality fragrance oils with published usage guidelines, these two websites are your best bet.

You can find a lot of really popular dupe scents at these sites, too. Check out the name-brand imitations at Lone Star and the comparable fragrances at Nature's Garden for those dupes...there are hundreds! My personal favorite is Diva from Lone Star (that's what I'm using today), and I know Narcissist from Nature's Garden is a really popular scent as well.

(NOTE: Some fragrances are soap-safe, some are not. See each individual scent for more information, and check to see if there is an IFRA certificate for that scent; that should tell you if it's safe and how much oil you can use in each recipe. I used the recommended 3oz of Diva oil in this recipe.)

What does each ingredient do?

Each of these ingredients serves a different purpose in the cleaning process...

fels naptha soap - This is a great ingredient for removing stains & grease from clothing. Tip: keep a bar of fels naptha by the washer for quick stain removal; just rub it into the stain!
washing soda - This will make your soap work more effectively. It raises the PH of the water (which we desperately need in our area), allowing the grime to stay in the water after washing. This is also great for knocking out smells in dirty clothing.
Oxi-Clean - The best stain fighter out there! If my load of laundry is especially dirty, I'll add another half scoop of just Oxi-Clean - but typically all a regular load needs is what's in this recipe.
borax - Similar to washing soda, this is going to soften that hard water, allowing the detergent to neutralize stains and reduce odor in your laundry.

How to Make DIY Laundry Detergent Powder

grated fels naptha soap in a container on a counter, next to a soap wrapper.

ingredients for diy laundry powder in a large container, before stirring.

stirring diy laundry detergent together with a wooden spoon.

pouring fragrance oil into laundry powder.

Use a cheese grater or food processor to shred your 2 fels naptha bars into very fine shreds. Get the pieces as close to a powder consistency as possible.
In a large container, mix together all ingredients besides the fragrance oil. I like using a big, shallow plastic container for this - all you need to do is cover and shake it to blend everything.
After the powder elements are mixed, slowly (an ounce or two at a time) pour the fragrance oil over the powder and kind of mash it in using a spoon until the clumps are broken up. I pour this in slowly, mix well, and make sure it's blended before adding any more.

How to Use This Detergent

Amounts: Most sources recommend using 1-2 tablespoons of this detergent per load (for high efficiency machines) and 2-3 tablespoons per load (for regular machines). Personally, I've found that just under ¼ cup (about 3 tablespoons) works best for my laundry load size.

I suggest starting with a couple of tablespoons and adjusting as needed to find the right amount for your machine and soil level.

To Use: Add about half of your laundry to the washer drum, sprinkle the detergent evenly over it, then add the rest of the load. Wash on a regular cycle with warm water.

To Pre-Soak Stubborn Stains: Add ¼-1/2 cup of powder detergent to 4-6 cups warm water and dissolve. Add any stained laundry and soak for an hour before washing.

Want to simplify laundry for your whole household? Learn how to create a family laundry routine that saves time and keeps everyone on track!

looking down at a large jar of diy laundry detergent powder.

Helpful Tips & Tricks

This detergent should be stored (covered) in a cool, dry place. I recommend a countertop or cabinet, not on top of your dryer - the heat from the dryer can degrade it.
You'll need roughly a 2-gallon storage container to store this amount of detergent. I have this jar from Walmart - pretty and inexpensive! You can also just store it in the plastic container you used to mix it.
If it sits for awhile (especially in humid areas), it tends to clump. Just stir it occasionally with a wooden spoon to prevent this.
As of publish date, I've calculated the cost of this recipe to around $31. That includes the $10 price of 3oz of fragrance oil - without it, you're looking at a significantly cheaper project.
All in all, you'll get roughly 12 pounds of laundry detergent from this recipe. That translates (very loosely) to about 168 loads if you use ¼ cup increments, or about 20 cents per load!
Just as with any other detergent, grime can build up in your washing machine over time. I suggest occasionally cleaning your washing machine to combat this.

I hope you love this money-saving home hack! If you give it a try, I'd love for you to rate and review the recipe below. And make sure to follow along for the newest recipes (edible and non-edible 😉) from the blog!