Laundry soap...

[me&thegals]

Haha, I just found a recipe for dishwasher detergent. It's equal parts washing soda and borax. There were some major warnings of possible white residue (mostly on newer machines, mine's 11 years old) but I tried it anyway. Turned out great! It was just 1 tablespoon soda and borax. Not heaping, in fact, a bit less than a whole tablespoon.

If I get both dishwashing AND laundry detergent out of my $6.00 worth of products, score!

Hi--I've been using this for months now. I DID find that the actual walls of my dishwasher got a bit stained. The dishes were great--white vinegar for rinse aid--but the dishwasher itself needed a little help. So, I bought storebought stuff and about every 5th load or so, about once per week, I put in some regular stuff with all the extra chemicals to get the dishwasher clean. Still saves me a LOT of money and keeps everyone happy

 

[big bertha]

The dishwasher recipe just didn't work for me.

I use the laundry detergent dry. I have an HE machine and use 1 tablespoon for lightly soiled loads. 2 tablespoons for heavier. I have used 3 tablespoons for REALLY nasty farm clothes (think cow poo). I'm not sure how that translates for the liquid, but it is a significantly smaller amount that I ever used of store bought detergent.

What recipe did you use for your HE machine? I have one too and am rather sick of spending $20 on special detergent... Thanks!

1c. grated Fels Naptha soap
1/2 c. arm & hammer washing soda
1/2 c. 20 Mule Team Borax

I use an old food processor to grate the soap. I mix all the ingredients together and keep it in canning jars. I keep an old coffee scoop (1 T.) with it.

I make several batches at once. I didn't want to give up my fabric softener completely, so I mixed it with vinegar. I use about 2/3 vinegar to 1/3 softener, and I use very little.
I have read where people have such a hard time finding the ingredients. I have never had any problem. It is all always in the detergent aisle. The soap is sometimes with other bar soap, but still in that aisle. The other 2 are on the top shelf, past the detergents, softeners etc. It's up there with the laundry starch, blueing, etc.

I have even noticed that our small town hardware store (olympic / do-it-best) has the ingredients in stock. A little more money than Wal*Mart or Meijer.

Last time I got ingredients (3/14) I paid:
Fels Naptha $1.29 per bar
Washing soda $2.99 per box
Borax $3.99 per box

I made a 3 bar mix for under $10. I usually have some of the washing soda, and borax left. This does laundry for my family of 5 for 4-6 months. I do around 8 loads a week. Some of it pretty dirty (farm, kids etc.)
Hope this helps. My mom just decided to give up her Tide and asked me to buy her ingredients and make some up for her.

 

[TanksHill]

One of my SILs just emailed me last week that she made the homemade liquid laundry soap and the dry dishwasher soap.

She broke out in a rash with the laundry soap, and their dermatologist told them to stop using it. Weve never had problems with the laundry soap, so I dont know what she did - but this SIL is known hypochondriac.

Kinda funny that you said this. I have been using the home made for about a week. I noticed my arms are red and spotty. Reminds me of when I was a kid. Everything made me itch. A couple people told me that this soap recipe was very gentle. I think I may still have issues with it. I did however use the zote not the fels naptha. Not sure if that makes a diff. I guess I will wait and see how my sons feet do. If a soap is to harsh he gets rash from his socks across the top of his feet. Nothing like using your kids as a science experiment.

 

[keljonma]

One of my SILs just emailed me last week that she made the homemade liquid laundry soap and the dry dishwasher soap.

She broke out in a rash with the laundry soap, and their dermatologist told them to stop using it. Weve never had problems with the laundry soap, so I dont know what she did - but this SIL is known hypochondriac.

Kinda funny that you said this. I have been using the home made for about a week. I noticed my arms are red and spotty. Reminds me of when I was a kid. Everything made me itch. A couple people told me that this soap recipe was very gentle. I think I may still have issues with it. I did however use the zote not the fels naptha. Not sure if that makes a diff. I guess I will wait and see how my sons feet do. If a soap is to harsh he gets rash from his socks across the top of his feet. Nothing like using your kids as a science experiment.

My sil only got 6 quarts of soap out of 1/2 a bar of soap recipe. I get ~24 to 30 quarts out of a whole bar soap recipe. So, personally, I don't think she diluted it enough.

I have all kinds of skin allergy issues, so I am glad to report that I am not having any trouble with the homemade stuff. I use the Fels Naptha, Borax and Washing Soda.

Since she said she didn't want to dilute it any, I suggested to my sil to use the stuff she made for washing her walls and vinyl floors. We use our liquid laundry soap for that also and it works great.

 

[breconbcs]

I am allergic to most laundry soaps and fabric softners, mostly due to the perfumes used in them. The only commercial soap I can use is Sunlight and it's always been in liquid form (broke out from the powder) and the oldest son thinks he needs to use 2 - 3 times the amount on the bottle cause "it doesn't look like enough". So what I used with the homemade soap is the Sunlight bars rather than the Fels Naptha (couldn't find it) and tried the dry just for ease of storing (I had the containers already). I just take the bars and grind them up in an old coffee bean grinder that was collecting dust. I haven't had any problems with my HE machine, using 2 tablespoons for regular loads and 3 for dirtier loads. The soap has gotten some old stains out of my younger ds shirts which has been an added bonus, now he has more "good" clothes.

 

[TanksHill]

The recipe I used had one bar of soap to a 5 gallon bucket and then you dilute it again when filling smaller container. I am happy to say my arm is not read today. Could have been something totally different. You know with the cost savings I'll put up with the red arm. I am never buying commercial again.

 

[gettinaclue]

FOUND WASHING SODA at True Value Hardware in the pool section!

Next batch will be with this instead of baking soda.

 

[Wifezilla]

True Value! I think that is the only place I didn't look. Thanks for the heads up

 

[gettinaclue]

Welcome!

I went to small town USA today and passed it. It suddenly struck me that it was probably in there!

Good luck!

Sodium carbonate! Doesn't say washing soda.

 

[Farmfresh]

I have been using basically Big Bertha's recipe the dry laundry powder - basically the same as for the liquid laundry soap and chopping it up in a food processor or blender.

1 C grated Fels Naptha laundry soap or homemade simple lye soap
1 C borax
1 C washing soda
1/2 C baking soda

You only need 2-3 T for a large load, so it goes a LONG way. It is not as much trouble to store or as much work to make.

I also substitute my plain homemade Homestead soap for the Fels Naptha. I make it several batches at a time and store it in a big Ziplock or other plastic container (Gatorade bottles?) that way I save the mess and just clean up once.

If I need a bleach in a load (color safe or regular) I just add it when I need it.

Clothes are clean, soft and smell great!