liquid laundry soap

[hqueen13]

I just wanted to add something here... I'm not sure if it's been covered or not, but since I don't see it online much, I just wanted to add that if your laundry detergent separates, all that you need to do is re-cook everything and it'll come out like it's supposed to.

Or just shake your jug

 

[Bettacreek]

There are two different separations. One you just shake the jug, the soap is still dispersed in the liquid, but it's not "perfect". The other separation is when the soap all floats to the top and it is nothing like laundry detergent. It's the latter that needs to be cooked. The former is just normal and just needs a quick shake of the container.


ETA: I know I've mentioned it before, but I noticed that Walmart has unscented fabric softener. I'm going to look for some nice manly scents for George. I've been looking for his old spice scent for soaps, but figured what the hey, if I buy the fabric softener in unscented, I can put some of that fragrance into a small batch for his clothes yet too. I'll obviously be using a different scent for my own clothes, and I'll have to get a unisex scent for when I've got clothes that are a mixed bag of both of our clothes. But, I'm excited. When you just take a square of cloth and dip it into the fabric softener, then wring it out and toss it into the dryer with your clothes, you use FAR less softener than using it in the wash cycle. You can also let your cloth dry and then it can be used for several cycles before needing to be infused again. I personally prefer the wet method though, as it's quicker, less messy and provides more softness for your clothes, but that's just personal preference. Using them dry gives more boost than the store-bought disposable dryer sheets, wet method provides a lot more.

I'm also looking into the dryer balls... Those balls of wool that you toss in with the clothes. It's said that you can infuse these with scents or fabric softener as well.

 

[dma1974]

I just wanted to add something here... I'm not sure if it's been covered or not, but since I don't see it online much, I just wanted to add that if your laundry detergent separates, all that you need to do is re-cook everything and it'll come out like it's supposed to.
I've also learned that if you recook it and all that good stuff, do NOT use a stick blender once it's cooled, because it'll just cause it to separate again, then you'll have to cook it a third time... Ask me how I know, lol.


As for potassium hydroxide, the whole thing just irritates me. Everyone says that you should only use KoH for liquid soaps, but it's just not true. I've used my NaOH for liquid soaps without issues. MANY people who say to use KOH tell you to add salt later to thicken it up... Why? Why use the more expensive KOH to make soap, then "render" it into a NaOH soap?! Just start out with the NaOH and go from there.

So, if I get the soap at the top (which I have), I could pour it all into a large pot on the stove and re-cook it? By the time it does this, I've already added all of the water I'm going to until it goes in the wash. So, it's a considerably larger volume than it was when I first made it.

I've had both separations, so I know what you mean about that. The easy one just makes a nice foamy detergent after a good shake.

 

[BlueMountain]

Just a suggestion to those having issues with whites being dingy -- one word -- bluing. Aunt Lydia's Liquid Bluing is what I use I get it at the grocery store in the laundry section. Add a bit to the load when doing whites, follow the instructions on the bottle. Bluing is one of the ingredients in commerical soaps and is what gives them the ability to make whites look so good. Our 19th Century predecessors (and my grandma whom I learned this trick from) rountinly used bluing in laundry back in the day. The soaps and such used for ingredients in the homemade detergents are what cause the fabric to get dingy and yellowed to begin with (the fats used in the soap production specifically), the bluing provides an optical illusion that the human eye translates as whiteness. Hope this helps.

 

[so lucky]

I may have to get some of that. Dingy whites was the reason I quit using the home-made detergent. I still have about 3 gallons of it pre-mixed, in a closed bucket. (hope it hasn't solidified!)
I finally figured out that using white vinegar in the wash, when I do dish towels and such, gets the "old grease" smell out of them. We are cursed with really hard water, and I am continually fighting it.

 

[Boogity]

Just a suggestion to those having issues with whites being dingy -- one word -- bluing. Aunt Lydia's Liquid Bluing is what I use I get it at the grocery store in the laundry section. Add a bit to the load when doing whites, follow the instructions on the bottle. Bluing is one of the ingredients in commerical soaps and is what gives them the ability to make whites look so good. Our 19th Century predecessors (and my grandma whom I learned this trick from) rountinly used bluing in laundry back in the day. The soaps and such used for ingredients in the homemade detergents are what cause the fabric to get dingy and yellowed to begin with (the fats used in the soap production specifically), the bluing provides an optical illusion that the human eye translates as whiteness. Hope this helps.

Yup.

 

[Emerald]

I have hard water and add salt to the laundry soap. just bought some of the salt for water softeners and put half cup in quart jar and poured hot water over it. and desolved it( my spell check is gone awol) and added it to the water for the laundry mix.. the clothes come out much whiter.. but I switched to zote soap that says it has optical brighteners too.

 

[~gd]

ok great! Now what if I were to open up a small stand when it gets nicer? Do you think people would prefer if it "looked" blended or if it were powdered/grated lol? To me it makes no difference...as long as it was "mixed up" then its good

The problem with dry blends is that they tend to seperate on their own. even if well blended at your stand by the time the customer drives home with it and carries it to the washing machine the first scoop out is going to be richer in soap than the last scoop will be because soap is light and will tend to 'float' to the top of the blend either chunks or grated. I don't expect you to beleive me on this but it is true.~gd

 

[~gd]

I am having trouble with whites as well. Specifically, stains. Like chocolate and other foods. I also made a batch of homemade soap yesterday and doubled the Fels, borax and washing soda, but not the water. It was in a 5 gallon bucket overnight and it gelled solid all the way to the bottom. I scooped half out into another five gallon bucket, added warm water, used my husband's paint stirrir thingy on the drill and mixed it back together. In a bit, I will put what I can into the six or seven store laundry bottles and be done.

I think I just made soap back in January... but I was nearly out. Maybe, I just use too much as sometimes I try to pretreat the stains by using the soap and then I put the regular amount in. I add a glug of vinegar to the wash water and the rinse water if I make it in time for the rinse. Maybe I should also add the washing soda to the wash (even though it is in the soap) I used to, but thought that it didn't matter. and maybe skip the initial glug of vinegar.


any thoughts.

Yep washing soda is a base vinegar is a acid when mined together they tend to neutralize each other. I am not a huge fan of vinegar but if you want to use it add it to the rinse only, there it might remove some of the soap scum that is turinig your laundry dingy or yellow.~gd

 

[~gd]

I just wanted to add something here... I'm not sure if it's been covered or not, but since I don't see it online much, I just wanted to add that if your laundry detergent separates, all that you need to do is re-cook everything and it'll come out like it's supposed to.
I've also learned that if you recook it and all that good stuff, do NOT use a stick blender once it's cooled, because it'll just cause it to separate again, then you'll have to cook it a third time... Ask me how I know, lol.


As for potassium hydroxide, the whole thing just irritates me. Everyone says that you should only use KoH for liquid soaps, but it's just not true. I've used my NaOH for liquid soaps without issues. MANY people who say to use KOH tell you to add salt later to thicken it up... Why? Why use the more expensive KOH to make soap, then "render" it into a NaOH soap?! Just start out with the NaOH and go from there.

It works like this patassium salts are more soluble than sodium salts and you are right if you are making a fairly dilute solution both soaps will dislove but the Ksoap will dissolve faster. Often K soaps will not make bars, it depends on the fat being used. In a strong soap solution the Na soap may jell up nicely while the K soap is a nice liquid. For some strange reason people think a thick solution is stronger so salt is added as a thickener{no cleaning ability but it might make the suds last longer. so you are right. ~gd