Laundry soap...

[kcsunshine]

So I made my laundry detergent. couple of questions:

should it be "soapy" while it is washing like regular detergent? Mine has no suds

It called for 1 cup soap, I used about 3/4 of a bar of Octagon but I can't imagine that the other 1/4 would make a difference in the suds.

I have only washed 1 load of towels so far and they look clean but have no smell.

Thanks

Mine doesn't suds - I use 1 bar of Fels-Naptha. There are a lot of variations of this recipe, some use 2 cups of the dry ingredients others use 1. I don't think it matters much. If you clothes are clean, it works!

 

[~gd]

did you know that Fels is old german for rock and Naptha means the light fraction of oil (lighter fluid, cleaning solvent, lacqard thinner) and Natpha is no longer used in Fels-Naptha?

 

[amyquilt]

I recently started making my own laundry soap using Fels Napths. I love it, and makes our clothes so soft without using softeners!

Here's some links:

http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm

http://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundry-soap-detergent-recipes/

http://www.soapsgonebuy.com/category_s/24.htm ------>(I use #2 here. I bought my 5gal bucket+lid at WalMrt for less than $3)<------

http://www.duggarfamily.com/recipes.html

 

[vachicks]

So I made my laundry detergent. couple of questions:

should it be "soapy" while it is washing like regular detergent? Mine has no suds

It called for 1 cup soap, I used about 3/4 of a bar of Octagon but I can't imagine that the other 1/4 would make a difference in the suds.

I have only washed 1 load of towels so far and they look clean but have no smell.

Thanks

Mine doesn't suds - I use 1 bar of Fels-Naptha. There are a lot of variations of this recipe, some use 2 cups of the dry ingredients others use 1. I don't think it matters much. If you clothes are clean, it works!

Thanks I couldn't find Fels-Naptha here and the Ivory I had to buy several bars and only wanted one. the Octagon is just soap so I guess it is the same as Ivory, next time I will use Ivory. It all seems clean.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Ooh, I love our homemade soap. We used fels naptha, and I made my MIL a batch with Zote. We keep ours in a 5 gallon bucket next to the washer and use an old plastic jug from store-bought soap. We just dilute the concentate when we put it in the jug and shake before using.

 

[VickiLynn]

I did it!!!
I made laundry soap!

As I was reading through this thread, I realized I have all the ingredients in the house. A few years ago, I found a recipe on the web and bought all the ingredients just in case of an emergency where I couldn't buy detergent. I never thought I'd actually use it.

Then came Sufficient Self, where I get inspired to do all kinds of things I thought I never would. So I dug out the Fels Naptha and the washing soda and the Borax and the all-fabric bleach powder and started mixing. It was so easy!

I usually buy Charlie's Soap, which has natural ingredients, no additives, and doesn't cost much. But I have to order it because it's not sold around here. This might be a better solution.

I wouldn't normally do laundry today because it's raining and I can't hang clothes outside, but I had to try it. So I've got a load in the washer now with my new soap.

 

[big brown horse]

Congrats!! I often think "what would I have done if I hadn't found SS!"

 

[Farmfresh]

Mee too!

Congrats on your new Self Sufficient skill! You will never go back.

 

[schellie69]

one thing homemade laundry soap does not suds like the commercial stuff because of the additives they add to make the soap suds. and someone needed a good dishwasher soap here is the recipe I found it works great and it does not leave a residue
1 cup washing soda
1 cup Borax
1 cup sea salt (this is what i use normally can use regular if you want)
1/2 cup baking soda
2-4 table spoons citric acid (can find at health food store)
mix well
use 1-3 tablespoon for each load
I have used this all the time it works better then cascade

 

[cjparker]

I've been reading about making homemade laundry detergent for a long time but never got around to it until yesterday. After reading all these posts and checking around the 'net, I went ahead and tried it out. I had the perfect test load, too; a bunch of cleaning rags that had started to mildew. They came out smelling clean, but there were still a few mildew stains on some of the rags, as there would have been with any other detergent. A second wash made a big difference.

Based on the reports of the texture of the detergent, I made a small adaption. Here's the recipe I used......1/2 cup washing soda, 1/2 cup Borax, 1/3 bar Fels Naptha, about 1/5th of a bar of a sandlewood soap that I really like the scent of, and an envelope of unflavored Knox gelatin. I was wondering if the gelatin would made a big gluey mess, but the detergent has the consistancy of mayo or pudding, and it disperses well in the water. Time will tell if it changes the "keeping time" of the batch.

This should save my family about $180 a year on laundry detergent!