liquid laundry soap

[Laureli]

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.

 

[snapshot]

I have problems with over gelling also. I am cutting back on washing soda next time. Should that do it?

 

[hqueen13]

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.

I add the vinegar to the spot where the fabric softener goes instead of fabric softener. It helps to get the soap out (though with our hard water, apparently it doesn't do as good of a job as it should), and it would probably help keep things whiter. I haven't had an issue with the whites being dingy.

 

[Bettacreek]

I've never had a problem with the homemade stuff. I always put vinegar in the fabric softener thinger too. I've actually given some to other people who say that the homemade stuff has gotten stains out of clothes that had been there for months (children's clothing). I haven't used any in awhile, because I wanted to start using my own stuff and now it's just sitting downstairs not being used.

 

[dma1974]

I've been adding vinegar to the fabric softener thingy and I think that's helping. Also added some baking soda straight to the wash a few times and that helped. But- fo rthe white-whites, I did add some bleach to a load, it was socks and a t-stirt or two.

I think too that it oculd be the lighting in certain parts of my house. It's not the best in some places, especially in the laundry area. So I think the whites are picking up the tones of the dark walls sometimes. I turned the light on and it looked better. LOL!

 

[whaTType]

I've been debating on trying some of my clean cotton scent, but haven't gotten that far yet.

and why? stop debating with people on cotton scents..

 

[Icu4dzs]

Hi folks, having had some training in chemistry, it is occurred to me that one of the questions that was originally asked on this thread was how to make liquid laundry soap.
It is also important to understand that when you want to make solid laundry soap or any solid sort for that matter, you use sodium hydroxide. However, what you want to use to make a liquid type of soap is potassium hydroxide in the place of sodium hydroxide.
Potassium hydroxide can be produced by burning Hard wood deliberately and filtering it with distilled water through the ash to collect a relatively high concentration of potassium hydroxide but it will give you some sodium hydroxide. Then you mix it with fats the usual way to make your specific type of soap. The other possibility, is to heat potassium carbonate to a very high temperature and let the carbon dioxide escape leaving potassium oxide which you next mix with water to make potassium hydroxide.
Hope this helps!
Trim sends
//BT//

 

[~gd]

Hi folks, having had some training in chemistry, it is occurred to me that one of the questions that was originally asked on this thread was how to make liquid laundry soap.
It is also important to understand that when you want to make solid laundry soap or any solid sort for that matter, you use sodium hydroxide. However, what you want to use to make a liquid type of soap is potassium hydroxide in the place of sodium hydroxide.
Potassium hydroxide can be produced by burning Hard wood deliberately and filtering it with distilled water through the ash to collect a relatively high concentration of potassium hydroxide but it will give you some sodium hydroxide. Then you mix it with fats the usual way to make your specific type of soap. The other possibility, is to heat potassium carbonate to a very high temperature and let the carbon dioxide escape leaving potassium oxide which you next mix with water to make potassium hydroxide.
Hope this helps!
Trim sends
//BT//

sorry trim but I must disagree with your seperation method. Since Sodium is much more available in nature than potassium, wood ash is not likely to be as rich in potassium asit is with sodium. The classic way was to USE CALCIUM HYDROXIDE in the leached water which which causes the sodium hydroxide to fall out of solution along with the calcium salt. otherwise you were fine.

 

[Bettacreek]

I've been debating on trying some of my clean cotton scent, but haven't gotten that far yet.

and why? stop debating with people on cotton scents..

Huh?!


As for the clean cotton scent, I have used it. I made a few gallons of laundry detergent with the 100% coconut oil bars (clean cotton fragrance) and it cleans well and the scent lingers through the washing and drying. I might try some other scents with it... Probably most likely a lavender.

 

[Bettacreek]

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.