Made some homemade laundry detergent...LOVE IT!!!

[DianeB]

I wish I knew about this before now. Making your own laundry detergent. It is cheap, very cheap and environmentally friendly. As, clean better than commercial soap.

After seeing many people post about the cost savings of making their own, I decided to try my hand at it. Used the dry detergent recipe. The ingredients were inexpensive and easy to find (zote sopa, borox and washing soda). Will be making it all the time now. Laundry soap has gotten so expensive and using a lot of it.

 

[NurseNettie]

I started making mine back in March of this year. I make a liquid with Washing Soda, Borax and Fels Naptha soap. So cheap and works so well!! We were concerned about our pond, which lies lower than our septic tank- and then lakes beyond that- so, environment was our first concern. The fact that it's so cheap and works great is a triple bonus!

I wish I knew about this before now. Making your own laundry detergent. It is cheap, very cheap and environmentally friendly. As, clean better than commercial soap.

After seeing many people post about the cost savings of making their own, I decided to try my hand at it. Used the dry detergent recipe. The ingredients were inexpensive and easy to find (zote sopa, borox and washing soda). Will be making it all the time now. Laundry soap has gotten so expensive and using a lot of it.

 

[delia_peterson]

I have been making the dry laundry soap for 4 months now and will never go back to the old way! I cant believe how much money I used to spend on foofoo fabric softener, I use vinegar in my Downy ball now. I have converted 4 people!

 

[DianeB]

I have been making the dry laundry soap for 4 months now and will never go back to the old way! I cant believe how much money I used to spend on foofoo fabric softener, I use vinegar in my Downy ball now. I have converted 4 people!

Using vinegar, too. Also going to make my own dishwashing detergent. Basically the same ingredients as laundry soap except for zote. I have been making my own all purpose cleaner for a while (castile soap and baking soda). This works so well and is completely non-toxic. It is the only thing that got out the bathtub ring.

Discovered that presoaking in castile soap or zote with baking soda also gets everything that much cleaner.

So, glad that I started to make my own cleaners. The commercial cleaners are so expensive, harsh and really don't clean all well as they claim.

 

[SKR8PN]

For those of you using vinegar as a softener.........I had to tell my wife to stop using it.
I work out 3 days a week, and when I do, it is a pretty intense cardio workout, then I hit the weights........
After we started using vinegar in the final rinse, I noticed a very, VERY bitter odor when I'd sweat enough to get my shirt soaked. It was so bad that I really couldn't stand to smell myself and couldn't wait to hit the shower!
We finally figured out it was the vinegar.

 

[DianeB]

For those of you using vinegar as a softener.........I had to tell my wife to stop using it.
I work out 3 days a week, and when I do, it is a pretty intense cardio workout, then I hit the weights........
After we started using vinegar in the final rinse, I noticed a very, VERY bitter odor when I'd sweat enough to get my shirt soaked. It was so bad that I really couldn't stand to smell myself and couldn't wait to hit the shower!
We finally figured out it was the vinegar.

She was probably using either two much or something beside the standard white distilled vinger. It should just was out with the rinse water. If not, you can do rinse cycle twice. Never noticed any problems personally. Have used vinegar for a longtime.

 

[freemotion]

After much experimenting, the solution for the dishwasher that works best for me is one part borax, one part washing soda, and two parts Cascade powdered dishwasher soap. I use a couple of tablespoons per load, and don't close the little soap dispenser compartment, so there are two rinses. Works great....better than the liquid Cascade by itself, which worked best for me before. Just borax and washing soda didn't work at all for me, but works well for some people. So I still have to buy Cascade, but I use FAR less of it, and no longer taste it on my dishes.

I have come to the conclusion that our municipal water is a problem here. I also get a bad odor in our clothes, but it is not the vinegar. If I add a tablespoon or two of very diluted bleach to every load, even darks, no bad smell develops.

 

[DianeB]

After much experimenting, the solution for the dishwasher that works best for me is one part borax, one part washing soda, and two parts Cascade powdered dishwasher soap. I use a couple of tablespoons per load, and don't close the little soap dispenser compartment, so there are two rinses. Works great....better than the liquid Cascade by itself, which worked best for me before. Just borax and washing soda didn't work at all for me, but works well for some people. So I still have to buy Cascade, but I use FAR less of it, and no longer taste it on my dishes.

I have come to the conclusion that our municipal water is a problem here. I also get a bad odor in our clothes, but it is not the vinegar. If I add a tablespoon or two of very diluted bleach to every load, even darks, no bad smell develops.

I saw a detergent recipe that used absorbic acid. It could be used in place of Cascade. I do have some trepidation using borox in dishwashing detergent. Its highly toxic if ingested. Does the dishwasher rinse it off throughly?

 

[2txmedics]

For our Laundry soap recipe I dont IVORY BAR SOAP instead, and I love it!!!

also use washing soda and borax to make dishwashing soap..and I add a cheap package of kool aid for spots...I had alot of problems with spots....and I tried the vinegar to remove them, that didnt work. So far this is the best its gotten.

 

[PunkinPeep]

For our Laundry soap recipe I dont IVORY BAR SOAP instead, and I love it!!!

also use washing soda and borax to make dishwashing soap..and I add a cheap package of kool aid for spots...I had alot of problems with spots....and I tried the vinegar to remove them, that didnt work. So far this is the best its gotten.

Can you say more about how you use kool-aid for spots?

Also, hydrogen peroxide is a great stain lifter, especially for any kind of food or blood stain.