But homemade is best..

[midcentnurse]

I've been trying my hand at home made laundry soap lately. Has anyone else tried it? It's the standard recipe I found on the intraweb.. Grated Fels naphtha soap bar, I use my cylindrical cheese grater, Borax and washing soda. I put the Fels naphtha in the fridge to make it easier to grate.
So far I love it! 2 Tbls in my LG FL, maybe 3 if it's really dirty, been really doing a good job cleaning. Scott's mom loves it, they have really soft water there and she uses a TL, of course every load is cold ,cold, but she says it's cleaning really well..
I may try to add essential oils but idk how to put liquid with dry, and the scent is has is really nice..

 

[midcentnurse]

Scott put some in this tin but I thought that was a bit much

 

[gmmcnair]

You can also make it with Zote soap in the microwave. Cut it into pieces and zap until it puffs up like a big marshmallow. Allow it to cool and it will crumble into a dry powder.

 

[stan]

Hi Brady

The subject of the homemade mix has come up before....

The online formula usually calls for a bar of Fels, a cup of Borax, and a cup of Washing soda.
I've taken that formula apart mathematically before, and things don't add up!
When only using 2 TBSP per load... It ends up being very little of each ingredient (by weight) for each load. If your using a FL machine, 3 TBSP and at least warm water for both wash and rinse, and your water is not too hard, you may be O.K ...for a while. If you continue to use it, I'd suggest you add a 1 or 2 TBLS of STPP in addition, to the 2 or 3 TBSP
And keep in mind that the effects of each of the three ingredients are greatly diminished, if not lost in cooler temps.
(The Borax releases some oxygen during the wash, but only if the water temp is up)

On the other hand...if it's working! Who I'm I to rain on the parade

 

[gmmcnair]

Hi Stan!

Amazingly, I have been using this stuff for years at 2-3 tbsp per load in a standard top loader and it works just fine. I use 1/4 cup vinegar in the final rinse and after 7+ years, my towels are still white, my colors are not dingy and I don't have any "old soap" smell to anything (not even after being stored). There is plenty of "slip" to the water, and not a trace of scum. I also have extremely soft water.

 

[midcentnurse]

I was very skeptical too, it doesn't seem to add up! It really does work well though, our water is pretty hard too. Baton Rouge has water so soft it borders on slimy so it works even better there. I usually add 1/4 cup baking soda just to help no matter what soap I'm using anyway.

 

[midcentnurse]

What is STPP by the way?

 

[artcurus]

@midcentnurse

Sodium TriPolyPhosphate

 

[dustin92]

I've used a similar recipe for a liquid/gel, it worked wonderfully when we had soft well water and a top load washer, but once we got a front loader, even with soft water, it no longer worked. I had made several batches and given it to friends, who all had top loaders and loved it as well. No, it doesn't add up, but somehow it works. I found it to work as well or better than Tide, made no suds, and left clothes soft. Now that I'm using a top loader again, I may try it again, but we have hard water here, so it may not work. I currently have enough Persil for a couple months, so will be a while down the road if I do.

 

[stan]

Hi Mike, how are you!

Water conditions do make a difference..and Mikes got some of the best soft water.

Hard water can de activate even some detergents.. But soap and hard water can be a real problem. That's why a softener is usually needed when using soap. STPP being a non precipitating softener works better than a precipitating softener..AKA Washing Soda, Baking Soda, and Borax.

Brady..
If someone doesn't come along and explain how the STPP works, then I'll try. But let's wait for Mike to come back, or if Sudsmaster, or Laundress stops by, as I know they can explain the benefits of STPP better than I could.
I just know it's what you really want if your going to use soap.

 

[gmmcnair]

Doing Great Stan

Still soaping and still doing commercial construction as my day job! Hope life is treating you well.

STPP is a wonderful non-precipitating water softener. Basically, it keeps minerals at bay without creating a cloudy mess. It also rinses beautifully clean, and is gentle enough to be included in foods. Of course, that is also its downfall. It is so gentle and edible, that algae can feed on it, leading to algae choked lakes and streams in warmer parts of the country.

Other laundry additives like Trisodium Phospate, borax, and washing soda all precipitate the minerals out of the water and leave it milky and cloudy. They can also leave a residue that is very difficult to rinse away. Vinegar gets around much of this, but with really hard water, it's still going to be problematic.

I have a fellow soaper friend who has fairly hard water, and uses a front loader with no issues. She uses 100% coconut oil liquid soap, borax and a vinegar rinse. Zum Clean Laundry Soap (available online) is one such soap but it's incredibly pricey (well not compared with Persil). I make it myself at home for delicates for considerably less.

 

[midcentnurse]

Thanks yall! This is very interesting.. I'm looking at a bag of STPP on Amazon now. I'm guessing a 10 lb bag would go a long way, the standard sized box of trisodium phosphate, which I've used before in cleaning walls etc. before painting, which I loved, was 4.5 lbs I believe. How much would you use in hard water per load? I have a FL..

 

[gmmcnair]

STPP

I would start with a tablespoon or so and adjust from there. If you notice any dinginess, up it a bit. It doesn't take much, especially since you already have borax and washing soda in the mix.

 

[stan]

Agree

with Mike (dosage)
Brady, just make sure your buy sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) not trisodium phosphate (TSP) as they are not the same thing. I don't have a dishwasher, but if you do, I've heard other members here adding a teaspoonful of TSPP along with their dishwashing detergent for improved performance.

@ Mike, yes coconut oil based soaps can hold up better to hard water. At this point for me, any cleaning soap I make, I just do a enhanced Lye Soap (I know you know what I mean) and save the coconut oil as a percentage addition for skin, or Palm Kernel as a percentage (subbing for those who are sensitive to coconut)

 

[gmmcnair]

Stan

My powder mix is "enhanced" by about 5-10%.

Works great even on very dirty and greasy stuff.

I have some cotton sweaters, and some wool blend stuff that I don't want to subject to that much oomph, so I do a cold water liquid (temp controlled cold, and not the pudding/gel stuff on youtube), that I buffer and neutralize with borax. Only place I use a lot of coconut in household soap. It works to make a really effective and gentle cleaner at lower temperatures.

 

[stan]

Oh the secrets

and tricks we soapers come up with LOL
Funny thing is.. Most times their so simple, non toxic and effective.

 

[mich]

Why not add...

Meat Tenderizer. Than, you'd have Enzymes in the mix.

 

Add STPP, Oxygen Bleach (preferably with a TAED), and Soda Ash (Sodium Carbonate) for Alki. And you'd be getting somewhere. 

 

Hell. Buy some of those Laundry Scent Boosters, throw them into a chopper, and add powder scent pearls. 

 

You'd end up with something that rivals store bought powder.  

 

[gmmcnair]

Mich...

LOL...my skin can't handle enzymes but I do soda ash for alkali. Oxygen bleach works better added separately, but I do have fragrance oil that smells like vintage Downey and Snuggle. A little bit of STPP in the mix and it does indeed rival if not exceed most commercial stuff. Plus, it smells exactly the way I want it to smell. It is also cheap to make and use, especially if you make your own soap base.

 

[stan]

That's

"enhancement"