kenmorefreak
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- May 19, 2008
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I found this recipe on youtube.com. you can use any kind of bar soap and borax and washing soda instructions are om you tube.
Homemade Laundry detergent
- Thread starter kenmorefreak
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pturo
New member
So,where's the recipie?
...???????????
gmmcnair
Well-known member
I've Used Those Recipes on YouTube...
along with several other recipes for homemade laundry "detergent" from the internet. Nearly all of them are based on bar soap, washing soda and borax.
They range from totally ineffective to marginally all right in soft water, but they're a sure ticket to dirty smelly clothes in hard water. There isn't enough chemical to do an adequate job, and the hardness minerals combine with the soap, soda and borax to form scummy, dingy stuff on your clothing....dingy stuff that has an odd odor to it.
I've been playing around with a combination of a couple of recipes, however, and I have found a combo that does work pretty well (I'm enzyme sensitive). It's the combination of the recipes from the dri-pack soapflakes site, and a recipe book I own. Here's what I use. This one has enough soap to do some good, and is easy to store.
Washing Powder
2 4-5 oz bars grated pure soap such as Ivory
1 1 lb box of baking soda
1 cup washing soda
1 cup borax
Mix ingredients and pulverize in a blender or food processor. Store in tightly sealed container until ready to use.
Use about 1/2 cup for a full load in a top loader. Vary amount depending on water hardness, soil level, and machine type. 1 tablespoon of STPP also helps.
1/2 cup of vinegar in the final rinse will aid in removing any soap film.
Please note: This is still not in the same ballpark as regular detergent, but it works well in soft or softened water. It will not perform well if you have hard water, and you're going to end up with dingy, smelly clothes.
Another one I've had success with is old fashioned soap jelly, which is simply a pound of soap grated into a gallon of water, and heated until dissolved. Store in a bucket and use anywhere between 1/2 - 1 1/2 cups per load....again depending on the conditions. (Note: This one does a nice job on hand wash delicates, and gives you squeaky clean hand-washed dishes if you happen to run out of Dawn!)
Have a nice day!
Mike
along with several other recipes for homemade laundry "detergent" from the internet. Nearly all of them are based on bar soap, washing soda and borax.
They range from totally ineffective to marginally all right in soft water, but they're a sure ticket to dirty smelly clothes in hard water. There isn't enough chemical to do an adequate job, and the hardness minerals combine with the soap, soda and borax to form scummy, dingy stuff on your clothing....dingy stuff that has an odd odor to it.
I've been playing around with a combination of a couple of recipes, however, and I have found a combo that does work pretty well (I'm enzyme sensitive). It's the combination of the recipes from the dri-pack soapflakes site, and a recipe book I own. Here's what I use. This one has enough soap to do some good, and is easy to store.
Washing Powder
2 4-5 oz bars grated pure soap such as Ivory
1 1 lb box of baking soda
1 cup washing soda
1 cup borax
Mix ingredients and pulverize in a blender or food processor. Store in tightly sealed container until ready to use.
Use about 1/2 cup for a full load in a top loader. Vary amount depending on water hardness, soil level, and machine type. 1 tablespoon of STPP also helps.
1/2 cup of vinegar in the final rinse will aid in removing any soap film.
Please note: This is still not in the same ballpark as regular detergent, but it works well in soft or softened water. It will not perform well if you have hard water, and you're going to end up with dingy, smelly clothes.
Another one I've had success with is old fashioned soap jelly, which is simply a pound of soap grated into a gallon of water, and heated until dissolved. Store in a bucket and use anywhere between 1/2 - 1 1/2 cups per load....again depending on the conditions. (Note: This one does a nice job on hand wash delicates, and gives you squeaky clean hand-washed dishes if you happen to run out of Dawn!)
Have a nice day!
Mike
launderess
Well-known member
While one has found the additon and or use as a pre-spotting agent vintage Fels and Kirks Borax soap, cannot understand why so many wish use pure soap for wash day.
Do understand those who wish to do so because of reactions to chemicals in modern laundry products, but there is a reason modern detergents displaced soap for doing laundry; soap just does not do the same across the board job as chemcial surfactants.
Read any vintage laundry manual, commercial or domestic and one gets the general idea of all the horrors and bother using soap(with or without borax, washing soda and or phosphates), entailed.
Pure soap was the reason for all the boiling, soaking and scrubbing, unless one used soaps containing petrol such as Fels.
Do understand those who wish to do so because of reactions to chemicals in modern laundry products, but there is a reason modern detergents displaced soap for doing laundry; soap just does not do the same across the board job as chemcial surfactants.
Read any vintage laundry manual, commercial or domestic and one gets the general idea of all the horrors and bother using soap(with or without borax, washing soda and or phosphates), entailed.
Pure soap was the reason for all the boiling, soaking and scrubbing, unless one used soaps containing petrol such as Fels.
My mom did just fine with pure soap flakes, as did her mom etc etc without much soaking or scrubbing, or any boiling as far as I can remember. Petrochemical-based detergents have their place, but the fact is, many (maybe even most) people simply don't need them.
Also, people who try (or go back to using) pure soap flakes are usually amazed at how soft and comfortable the results are, compared to harsh detergents.
Also, people who try (or go back to using) pure soap flakes are usually amazed at how soft and comfortable the results are, compared to harsh detergents.
launderess
Well-known member
Laundry is "soft" after laundering with soap because it does not totally rinse out of fabric. Both soap and most fabric softeners contains the same main ingredient, tallow and or some form of fats and or oils. These substances do not rinse out are the cause of the soft feeling spoken of.
L.
L.
gmmcnair
Well-known member
I'm Somewhere in the Middle
I prefer using natural soap in laundry because I like to experiment with new things, and I like the fact that I understand the ingredients in natural soap. I also have an interest in making my own soap, so it's a good use for scraps, parings, and semi failed batches. Add my sensitivity to enzymes, and I'm motivated.
I find natural soap a delight to use in soft water like we have. The washing powder recipe I listed above performs very well for our laundry, which can get pretty wretched. It works much better than the commercial bargain powders and liquids without enzymes...such as Sun or the Kirkland Institutional (which are what I'm stuck with using). In addition, it's cheap if you buy the soap and products from the discount store. Just keep in mind that Tide with Bleach it is NOT.
I understand the point Launderess is making, and agree....soap DOESN'T do as well as chemical surfactants across the board, and it's not fun in hard water. It's hard to rinse off of skin under those conditions; try and get that scum out of clothing fibers....no thanks. I would probably do my best and remember my water softening friends: ammonia, borax, washing soda, and STPP, but I'm glad I don't have to worry about it. I'm just glad I finally found something that cleans the clothing well, that doesn't give me a rash.
I prefer using natural soap in laundry because I like to experiment with new things, and I like the fact that I understand the ingredients in natural soap. I also have an interest in making my own soap, so it's a good use for scraps, parings, and semi failed batches. Add my sensitivity to enzymes, and I'm motivated.
I find natural soap a delight to use in soft water like we have. The washing powder recipe I listed above performs very well for our laundry, which can get pretty wretched. It works much better than the commercial bargain powders and liquids without enzymes...such as Sun or the Kirkland Institutional (which are what I'm stuck with using). In addition, it's cheap if you buy the soap and products from the discount store. Just keep in mind that Tide with Bleach it is NOT.
I understand the point Launderess is making, and agree....soap DOESN'T do as well as chemical surfactants across the board, and it's not fun in hard water. It's hard to rinse off of skin under those conditions; try and get that scum out of clothing fibers....no thanks. I would probably do my best and remember my water softening friends: ammonia, borax, washing soda, and STPP, but I'm glad I don't have to worry about it. I'm just glad I finally found something that cleans the clothing well, that doesn't give me a rash.
launderess
Well-known member
Personally have found, if one must use and or likes to use soap, better to combine a good "detergent" and soap a la Persil avec Savon de Marseille. The right detergent will take care of softening water/dealing with hard water minerals, keeping soils and muck away from laundry and so forth, allowing the soap to do it's thing without many of the drawbacks.
Did several loads of linens the other day in my Miele using vintage Biz (2 tablespoons), 1tsp of STPP, and 1/2tsp of powdered Fels soap, or same amount of soap flakes, or hot water with a vintage bar of Kirkman Borax soap swished about (sorry don't know the exact amount), and the results were wonderful.
Mainly use vintage Fels because nothing removes oil and grease like Naptha. Lux soap flakes, Savon de Marsielle, and Kirkmans soaps all have oils which keep down sudsing, and well just smell so darn good! *LOL*
L.
Did several loads of linens the other day in my Miele using vintage Biz (2 tablespoons), 1tsp of STPP, and 1/2tsp of powdered Fels soap, or same amount of soap flakes, or hot water with a vintage bar of Kirkman Borax soap swished about (sorry don't know the exact amount), and the results were wonderful.
Mainly use vintage Fels because nothing removes oil and grease like Naptha. Lux soap flakes, Savon de Marsielle, and Kirkmans soaps all have oils which keep down sudsing, and well just smell so darn good! *LOL*
L.
Are any of the "Natural--Hippy Dippy" detergents good?
peterh770
Well-known member
The only homemade laundry detergent I want to use is Jon Dash! Where, oh where has Jon gone to?
I've used a few of the natural detergents...
It's hard to say for sure how well they work. I haven't had any complaints. But then, I don't have high demands either.
I have a sense the cleaning performance is probably, overall, not as good as a "normal" detergent. But there are variations. Trader Joe's and Seventh Generation powder (which both may be the same exact product) are OK. BioKleen somehow seemed to work better.
A friend has tried a couple of natural detergents. She's far pickier than I am about fabric care. She hated the one Trader Joe's sells. But she's using a Purex formula now that she really likes.
It's hard to say for sure how well they work. I haven't had any complaints. But then, I don't have high demands either.
I have a sense the cleaning performance is probably, overall, not as good as a "normal" detergent. But there are variations. Trader Joe's and Seventh Generation powder (which both may be the same exact product) are OK. BioKleen somehow seemed to work better.
A friend has tried a couple of natural detergents. She's far pickier than I am about fabric care. She hated the one Trader Joe's sells. But she's using a Purex formula now that she really likes.
gmmcnair
Well-known member
Natural "Hippy Dippy" Detergents
I've had good luck with the Seventh Generation....does an excellent job of cleaning. However, it's pricey stuff.
Bi-O-Kleen is also pretty respectable and low sudsing, as is Trader Joe's "Next To Godliness" powder. The TJ's liquid, however, is poorer than the cheap Xtra, which is mainly water. I have had no luck with it whatsover.
I played around last night a bit with my new vat of STPP. I added a tablespoon to some of the gel soap I had re-batched for laundry, along with some borax for deodorizing, and WOW! The dingy comforter (which had been previously been washed in commercial detergent) is no longer dingy. I also added about a teaspoon of pure lavendar essential oil to a quart of vinegar, shook it up, and added that to my final rinse. Washer, comforter, and guest bedroom smell like heaven!
I've had good luck with the Seventh Generation....does an excellent job of cleaning. However, it's pricey stuff.
Bi-O-Kleen is also pretty respectable and low sudsing, as is Trader Joe's "Next To Godliness" powder. The TJ's liquid, however, is poorer than the cheap Xtra, which is mainly water. I have had no luck with it whatsover.
I played around last night a bit with my new vat of STPP. I added a tablespoon to some of the gel soap I had re-batched for laundry, along with some borax for deodorizing, and WOW! The dingy comforter (which had been previously been washed in commercial detergent) is no longer dingy. I also added about a teaspoon of pure lavendar essential oil to a quart of vinegar, shook it up, and added that to my final rinse. Washer, comforter, and guest bedroom smell like heaven!
A happy soap customer
I've been using soap for laundry for 28 years. Since soap flakes and powders are no longer available in the local supermarket, I roll my own. To one large large bar of grated Zote soap, add 1 1/2 cups of borax and 1 1/2 cups of either baking or washing soda. It makes a lovely pink powder. This recipe works well for me. If you have an electric grater (mine is an attachement for a KitchenAid Mixer) let your soap bars age awhile. Open both ends of the wrappers, and let them sit in the closet for a month or more. You will get a very fine powder when you grate them. If you are grating by hand, do it while the Zote is fresh and soft. If you put the shredded soap in a zip top bag and let is sit for a couple of weeks, it will crumble into a powder just by crunching the bag with your hands. I use oxygen bleach for whites, and nothing is dingy. A little bluing ocassionally brighten things up too.
I've been using soap for laundry for 28 years. Since soap flakes and powders are no longer available in the local supermarket, I roll my own. To one large large bar of grated Zote soap, add 1 1/2 cups of borax and 1 1/2 cups of either baking or washing soda. It makes a lovely pink powder. This recipe works well for me. If you have an electric grater (mine is an attachement for a KitchenAid Mixer) let your soap bars age awhile. Open both ends of the wrappers, and let them sit in the closet for a month or more. You will get a very fine powder when you grate them. If you are grating by hand, do it while the Zote is fresh and soft. If you put the shredded soap in a zip top bag and let is sit for a couple of weeks, it will crumble into a powder just by crunching the bag with your hands. I use oxygen bleach for whites, and nothing is dingy. A little bluing ocassionally brighten things up too.
whirlcool
Well-known member
Did Jon ever come up with a home made product like Dash? The last I remember he was working on improving the formula.
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