# I want to make my own launrdy detergent



## xoticsoaps

I've tried making my own powder laundry detergent before with a homemade recipe that said I needed to grate 1 -2 bars of soap (any kind) and mix it with baking soda. Then use the mixture in my next load. So, in my head I'm thinking in a Patrick Star voice, "Wow, is that all I have to do?! Oh boy that will be easy!!" Needless to say, it took *forever* to grate the soap AND the recipe didn't even work! Mind you, it was summer when I tried this recipe. Just imagine it not working on summer laundry. roblem: I mean, the clothes LOOKED sort of clean, but they weren't.

I want to try this again, the right way. I plan on using Oxy Boost -which is an alternative to Oxy Clean- baking soda, a grated laundry soap bar, and maybe borax. 

Do I really need to add washing soda to the mix, though? Am I missing any necessary ingredients?


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## lsg

Here is the formula I use:
http://www.chemistrystore.com/sodium_percarbonate_formulations.pdf


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## Seawolfe

I use my 100% coconut 0.5% SF soap, grated. To every 2 cups by volume of grated soap I add 1 cup borax and 1 cup washing soda (NOT Baking soda). 2 Tbsp of this per wash in my front loader works great, if its a very dirty or white load Ill add a bit of oxyclean (or generic equivalent), and spots get rubbed with small bar of the soap before going in.

I think you really do need to use washing soda. I cant find it at stores here so I get hubby to buy it on Amazon with his prime account. Not even Arm and Hammer laundry detergent uses baking soda, I don't think it does much for cleaning clothes.


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## xoticsoaps

Seawolfe said:


> I think you really do need to use washing soda. I cant find it at stores here so I get hubby to buy it on Amazon with his prime account. Not even Arm and Hammer laundry detergent uses baking soda, I don't think it does much for cleaning clothes.



Using baking soda by itself, no, I don't think it does much of anything for cleaning clothes. But, when you add it to a load with detergent, it works like a booster. Your whites & colors come out brighter. Hence the "sort of clean" look I mentioned during my first DIY attempt. Just be weary of using baking soda with heavy materials like jeans, as the baking soda likes to cling to those for dear life.


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## seahorse117

I made my own (from this link) for the first time and I was really surprised how much I liked it.  I searched and read so many reviews, I have a he front load washer. 
http://happymoneysaver.com/making-your-own-laundry-detergent-worth-the-cost/


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## xoticsoaps

seahorse117 said:


> I made my own (from this link) for the first time and I was really surprised how much I liked it.  I searched and read so many reviews, I have a he front load washer.
> http://happymoneysaver.com/making-your-own-laundry-detergent-worth-the-cost/



I was just about to post this *exact* recipe from this *very* site as one of the two finalists in my internet search for a DIY laundry detergent recipe! 

Here is the other one I found that I think would be more manageable for the size of the container I plan to store the mix in.

1 cup borax
1 cup of baking soda (I added this ingredient to the list)
1 cup Arm and Hammer Washing Soda
1/2 cup Oxy Clean (I'll be using Oxy Boost instead)
1 bar shredded home-made coconut laundry soap 
*Mix together in a large container. Store in a dry location. 

I plan on just buying a coconut oil laundry soap bar from Etsy. I've already sourced a seller I want to try with a pretty good price, including shipping.


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## seahorse117

It was between this one and another one. When I was buying the ingredients I spoke with a lady that used this recipe.  She made it dry (which she used the most) and wet ( for stains) and she swore buy it. I chose to made it dry because of space and time, but I have always used a liquid. I loved the dry from the first wash. I can't stop smelling my towels! Lol  But when you mix the graded soap in a food processor / blender... Mix in the washing soda while blending. And mix in 1-2 cups at a time, not all at once. Dump all the ingredients in a tall trash bag, tie it and flip bag over and over for 2-3 min. It mixes it all up. Have your containers handy and cut a small corner of the bag. It will pour right out of the bag in a small amount so it doesn't spill everywhere. Not as much dust also.


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## Susie

If you can't find washing soda, just stick baking soda into a 400F oven for half an hour, be sure that it is not still producing steam before you remove it from the oven.


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## xoticsoaps

seahorse117 said:


> It was between this one and another one. When I was buying the ingredients I spoke with a lady that used this recipe.  She made it dry (which she used the most) and wet ( for stains) and she swore buy it. I chose to made it dry because of space and time, but I have always used a liquid. I loved the dry from the first wash. I can't stop smelling my towels! Lol  But when you mix the graded soap in a food processor / blender... Mix in the washing soda while blending. And mix in 1-2 cups at a time, not all at once. Dump all the ingredients in a tall trash bag, tie it and flip bag over and over for 2-3 min. It mixes it all up. Have your containers handy and cut a small corner of the bag. It will pour right out of the bag in a small amount so it doesn't spill everywhere. Not as much dust also.



Thanks for the tip, seahorse! I don't have a food processor so I was planning to grate the soap by hand. But I can mix in the washing soda as I'm grating the soap. I've always preferred powder detergent to liquid because I just think it cleans better in general.




Susie said:


> If you can't find washing soda, just stick baking soda into a 400F oven  for half an hour, be sure that it is not still producing steam before  you remove it from the oven.



Thanks for your tip, Susie! I can get washing soda from my local Walgreens, but if I'm ever in a bind this tip will definitely come in handy. Not to mention I'll totally look like a brainiac.


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## seahorse117

A friend of mine just fine graded (with the aid of her teenager) the soap and she was pleased with the results. Mine looked like shredded cheddar ( I gave up using the small holes after 10 min) LOL and I used my blender.  The fels naphtha soap smells very strong but it had better reviews than other suggested soaps. After it was mixed in it wasn't as strong smelling. I like that the ingredients have been around for over a hundred (or close to) years. I felt like my grandma would approve. I would be curious about the coconut soap though.


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## Seawolfe

I've used both Fel's Naptha and my 100% coconut oil soap. I don't see a difference in cleaning, but there is a scent with the Fels Naptha and hubby likes scent free.


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## twinkiesmommy2009

We're using soap nuts and love them!    NaturOli is where we get ours!


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## xoticsoaps

twinkiesmommy2009 said:


> We're using soap nuts and love them!    NaturOli is where we get ours!



I've tried soap nuts before, the trial size from EcoNuts, and maybe it was just me or perhaps it wasn't enough soap nuts in the trial pack, but I thought they were just, okay. Glad you like them though, soap nuts are about as natural as you can get!


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## xoticsoaps

I've decided to make some adjustments to the recipe after doing a little more digging on borax, which I wasn't sure about from the beginning and I didn't like what I found.

So, here is the new recipe for Borax-Free Homemade Laundry Detergent if anyone is interested:

4 cups baking soda
3 cups washing soda
2 cups of grated laundry soap bar (about 1 bar)
1 1/2 cups of Purex Complete Crystals (Optional)

I edited the amounts from the original recipe so that I could make less of the mixture. But you can see the original amounts here.


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## sfnelson67

This is my version.  I apologize in advance for the long post.

 Super Amp Laundry Powder with Tide® Power
By Suzanne Nelson
I spent hours on the internet looking for the best DIY laundry detergent recipe. I'm rather thrifty and didn't want to waste time or money and be left with something that didn't work. I took lots of notes and tried many different recipes, powder and liquid. I live in SC with red dirt and work in a school kitchen. I needed something heavy duty. I wanted to combine the savings of DIY detergent with the cleaning power you get from the enzymes found in Tide Laundry Detergent.  You still save a whole lot of $$ without sacrificing super clean clothes.  Here's what I came up with...

1 - box Borax
1 - box Washing Soda
5 - cap fulls Tide Liquid Laundry Detergent (I found Tide Coldwater on sale for $4.00.  Any Tide Liquid will do. It doesn't have to be HE.  Once combined with the Washing Soda, there are barely any suds)
2 - bars Fels Naptha and 1 bar Zote ( I use both cuz it's purty)
1 - 6 lb tub Sun Oxygen Powder
**OPTIONALS: 
1 - bottle of Purex Crystals (your scent choice, I like Fresh Spring Waters)
1 - box Baking Soda (it won't hurt if you have it but isn't a deal breaker if you don't.  From the research I have done, it's really not needed when there is Washing Soda.  But if you feel you must... please feel free)  I had it, so I tossed it in.

Grate soap bars and set off to the side to dry out.  The dryer the soap the easier to turn into powder.  I usually let them sit a day or two after I have grated them.  Once they are dry and crumbly I run them through my spice grinder and turn them into a fine powder. Set aside until it is time to combine all ingredients. I have found I can get a finer powder when the grated soap is ground by itself rather than grinding after it's mixed with everything else.  You can add a few spoons of Borax to make the soap grind dryer and too keep it from clumping. Set this mixture off to the side for later.

Mix Borax and Washing Soda together. Then add the Tide Liquid to the mix. Blend until the powders and liquid are fully incorporated and no individual clumps of white or blue are showing.  Let this mixture dry over night.  If mixed well, you should have a dry, fluffy powder the next day.  If any hard clumps are found they can be taken care of when everything goes through the food processor for a final spin. 

Making sure that all powders and mixtures are completely dry with no moisture remaining, combine all ingredients. Your grated, powdered soap bars might get gummy if exposed to any liquid.   It is extremely important to wait and add the oxygen powder last to the thoroughly dried mixture. Once the oxygen powder comes into contact with liquid it is activated and will then lose it's cleaning power after a very short time making it useless.

I run everything through the food processor, as mentioned above.  This ensures no clumpy bits, all ingredients are dispersed evenly, and will dissolve in water (including cold) more effectively.  Make sure you have good ventilation and wear a painter's mask.  All this processing produces some very fine dust.

Use 2 to 3 Tablespoons depending on the wash load.  I save my bottles from the Purex scent crystals and store some of my finished powder in those.  The little cap measures out the perfect amount I need and its handy for traveling. 

This recipe makes enough to last for a really long time.  I can't be sure if it's actually a year's supply. My friends and family that started out as my lab monkeys keep bringing back their original test sample jars for refills. I still have plenty left after 6 months, which is still a considerable savings from just one $4.00 sale jug of Tide.

When washing I always follow with a 1/4 cup Vinegar rinse to make clothes soft and get any residue that tries to sneak past.  No odor of Vinegar is left behind. DO NOT USE VINEGAR RINSE IF YOU USED CHLORINE BLEACH IN THE WASH LOAD!!!

My tweaked recipe is a bit more time consuming, but in the end the finished product is worth the effort.  It is every bit as effective as store brands at a fraction of the cost. And it's fun to make.


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## batty

I use the same recipe that others have posted here. I make it with Ivory, Borax and Washing Soda. I got the washing soda at WalMart. I had to ask them to help me find it, it's  kind of in an odd place. I also add some gratings of some of my soaps, and essential oils. My last batch I added grapefruit soap (no scent left) and grapefruit EO, and it smells so good. You can smell it after they are washed, but not after they are dried.

Oh, and the recipe I used had a trick for grating up the Ivory- you microwave it for 1 min. It puffs up like a giant marshmallow, and then once it is cool to the touch, it just breaks up really easily. You can just put it in the blender with the other ingredients and blend. No grating!!


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## littlehands

I'm picking up supplies next week to make this. If I want to add a fragrance, am I better to scent my coconut oil soap, or should I leave it plain and mix it with the powders? I think I might get a stronger scent with option 2, but thought it might be mixed better with the first choice. ??


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## Seawolfe

I have to admit, I grate my soap on the big grater holes of my box grater, and I just kinda mix it by hand with the powders. No grinding or anything, just grate like cheese and mix. Maybe we are blessed with cooperative water, but this has no problems dissolving in my front loading machine at any temp. For a while I was obsessively looking for evidence of undissolved soap to punish me for my lazy, lazy ways, but I haven't found any yet...

And I'm actually developing a bit of a cult following for this laundry soap mix - I can tell when the guys at work need more when they start asking how my soap making is going.


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## CanaDawn

My understanding of the chemistry says yes, you need washing soda.  Borax only works well in hot water and can be omitted if you use cold water as it won't dissolve well.  Baking soda doesn't work as a cleanser, and isn't as strong a water softener as the washing soda (which is super easy to make in the oven).  (Honestly, washing soda and soap are quite effective, with a vinegar rinse if you want to soften.  The commercial washing powder I bought last seems to contain a very high amount of washing soda)

If you grate soap that is fairly fresh, it is easy, or use a food processor with the shredding disc.  It will be more like cheese than powder, but if you let it dry, you can powder it in a blender or processor if you want (avoid inhaling the dust it produces in great quantity if you do this)


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## CanaDawn

I got a lot of information from here, which matches what I have found myself, but sums it up nicely: http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/2012/05/ten-things-laundry.html


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## santimar

Hi, I also make my Laundry powder detergent but I have a questions, which is the best way to add fragrance to it ( adding fragrance when making the coconut oil soap or after the detergent is done adding drops to the finished powder)? I have added Lavender Essential oil to the finished laundry powder detergent but I can't smell it after the clothes are washed and I hate the smell the fels naptha soap have and I can smell it after I wash my clothes so I don't use it anymore I make my own 100% coconut Oil.
thank you so much....


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## Saponista

What recipe do you use seawolfe?


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## Saponista

I add sweet orange EO to the finished powder which you can still smell when it comes out the machine, but it doesn't smell at all once the clothes have dried.


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## santimar

I use 2 cups of grated soap, 1 washing soda and 1 borax.....


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## Seawolfe

santimar said:


> I use 2 cups of grated soap, 1 washing soda and 1 borax.....



This is exactly what I use. 2 parts grated soap to 1 part borax & 1 part washing soda.

I have chunks of the laundry soap for stain sticks, and sometimes add oxyclean if. But 90% of the time its just 2 tbsp of the laundry powder.


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## sfnelson67

CanaDawn said:


> I got a lot of information from here, which matches what I have found myself, but sums it up nicely: http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/2012/05/ten-things-laundry.html



That's where I got the most informative info myself.  The components of making laundry detergent were broken down and it was explained what was necessary and what was not.  I think she posted she was going to make her own enzymes to go with.  I wasn't feeling that froggy..lol

Many are going by recipes that really don't work.  My mother tried to make her own using Dove...big big "no no".  That lasted a few months before she noticed her clothes were dingy and she had a disgusting ring inside her washer.  She didn't know about the importance of not using superfatted moisturizing soap bars or the vinegar rinse.  Me, I'm a known sceptic and Google-aholic.  So I dug and researched until I was completely satisfied I found what I wanted.  I also tested out a few myself.

I know many are looking for more natural alternatives but I look at it this way, you can't  breathe without inhaling something that might be a carcinogen.  I'm eventually gonna kick the bucket and I want my clothes to smell and look good when I do.  JMO


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## jade-15

A (possibly) silly question...
I am out of coconut oil and I have a lot of PKO... would a 100% PKO soap work as well (or nearly as well) as a 100% CO?
I know in most cases they can be substituted for on another, but I was wondering if a laundry soap is a different sort of case? (Also I'm assuming it's not going to work for salt bars too...)


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## The Efficacious Gentleman

I make mine with no borax, as it is less common than hen's teeth here.  I do add in baking powder to each wash, but next time I make a batch it will be added in to the mix already.

I think it is an idea to scent the soap, but maybe HP so it keeps it a bit better.  At the moment we keep a wee bottle of Lavender EO by the washing machine and put about 10 drops or so in per load


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## lenarenee

Can someone clear this up for me; I can't find a definitive source of info, even at company websites for borax and washing soda.

I thought using washing soda in laundry soap wasn't needed if you have softened water (which we do). I use 50/50 lard/co, borax. Biz for whites.   I don't rinse with vinegar because I though soft water rinsed well.

Does washing soda contribute to cleaning? Does Borax? (if you have soft water)


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## jade-15

As far as I'm aware, washing soda has morning to do with water softness but with pH. Soap is a high pH which can cause problems over time with your clothes (increase wear and tear). Washing soda helps keep the pH lower and so better for clothes.
If you click on the link above there is lots of useful information about the different ingredients.


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## DeeAnna

I think the gal writing the littlehouseinthesuburbs (LHITS) blog makes some good points. I'm re-thinking my laundry soap recipe based on what she has to say. Here are a few tidbits from my own notes:

Sodium Borate (borax, Na2B4O7·10H2O), whitens, cleans, deodorizes. pH 9.5. 
Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda, NaHCO3), fabric softener, pH buffer, odor neutralizer, secondary water softener. pH 8.1. 
Sodium Carbonate (washing soda, Na2CO3), primary water softener, stain remover, degreaser. pH 11.

The LHITS blogger is pretty firm in her conclusions about what makes an effective laundry soap, and it really does sound like she's done her homework. Her conclusions: First, a liquid laundry soap should be soap + borax. Second, she says a dry laundry soap should be soap + sodium carbonate (washing soda, WS) blended in a 50:50 mixture. Third, there's no point to using baking soda at all in laundry soap.

According to her, washing soda is a more effective cleaner than borax, so ideally you'd use WS in all laundry soap formulations, but WS is not stable in a liquid formulation. So borax is the next-best option if you want a liquid laundry soap.

A tip -- if you can't find washing soda, you can easily make your own from baking soda. From David Fisher at about.com:

Preheat your oven to approximately 390° - 400° Fahrenheit. (200° C) Pour a box (or a few cups) of baking soda (not baking powder) onto a baking sheet, and put it in the oven. Bake the baking soda from 30-60 minutes. I've seen reports of people baking it as little as 30 minutes - and people baking it as long as 2 hours. It doesn't appear that over-baking it is a problem...so I'd recommend 45-60 minutes just to assure that the chemical reaction is completely complete. After pulling the baking sheet out of the oven and letting it cool, store the washing soda in aclearly labeled airtight container. The washing soda can "convert" back into baking soda if it's exposed to air. Source: http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/tipstricks/ht/How-To-Convert-Baking-Soda-To-Washing-Soda.htm

Speaking from experience, the converted washing soda will weigh about 2/3rds the weight of the baking soda you started with, so buy about half again as much baking soda so you have enough washing soda for your project.


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## jade-15

DeeAnna, so does sodium carbonate/washing soda NOT lower the pH of regular soap?  That pH of 11 just looks higher than I thought it would be - I haven't done much research into this topic at all though!


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## lenarenee

No disrespect to the writer of the Little House blog, but I don't see any facts in her article.  She uses phrases like "I guess, this may, may not, etc." The link in the article isn't working, so I can't see what info was in the database; she does describe it as a list of commercial formulas. If all it contains are lists of ingredients, then she makes a lot of suppositions solely based on those.  Unless she has obtained facts from another source, then her blog is full  guessing. That's not the kind of information I'm looking for.

We live in a semi-arid, and drought ridden part of California with a huge population and a shrinking water supply from the Colorado river. I'm trying to use only the necessary parts of a laundry formula to limit stress on the water system. 

DeeAnna, thanks for sharing your notes. Right now, it seems to me that borax brings more to the formula than washing soda since the ws seems to be more a softener than cleaner.  Our water is softened. I haven't been using my laundry soap long, so I will see how it works over the next month and re-evaluate the formula is necessary.


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## Saponista

I'm mulling over the idea of making some plain soleseife (brine soap) and using this as laundry detergent as it lathers beautifully. Not sure how effective it would be though.


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## Seawolfe

Lots of lather is not desirable for laundry soap in washing machines, especially not in HE ones. Which I guess makes it counter intuitive that I use 100% coconut oil soap, but its just a Tbsp or less of grated soap per load.

But I do wonder what salt would bring to the laundry party?


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## Dorymae

Interesting!  Salt is a water softener so it could conceivably be a welcome addition.  It also cuts down suds which could help if you use a he washer.

Oh no....I feel another experiment coming on....mwahhhhhhh


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## lizflowers42

I'm pretty sure that the Purex Crystals added in the recipe would be similar to using brine soap, since the Purex Crystals are primarily salt and fragrance. http://happymoneysaver.com/homemade-fabric-softener-crystals-recipe-just-2-ingredients/

Someone did point out though that using epsom salts is not the same as sodium chloride, soooo..keep that in mind


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## Saponista

Are HE machines the ones that use less water rather than the massive ones with a flap on top that use loads of water? I think all EU machines are required to use less water and be efficient so we don't really define the difference. Mine also has the ability to detect too many suds and rinses more water through so too many suds won't cause a problem. I may give it a go and compare the cleaning power of the 100%CO I normally use.


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## DeeAnna

"...No disrespect to the writer of the Little House blog, but I don't see any facts in her article...."

I'm a skeptic too, so I am always on the lookout for "blue sky" theories and wishful thinking. What I was able to find to corroborate her point of view made me think this gal really has done a decent job of researching her topic. 

"... The link in the article isn't working...."

The link opened up for me without any trouble to the National Institute of Health database for household products. When you go to the laundry detergent subset of the database ...

http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.go...nside+the+Home&purpose=laundry&type=Detergent

... there is a long list of laundry detergents available to research. Given that the database is from a reputable source and covers a wide variety of laundry detergents, I'm inclined to think the conclusions she's drawn about what works and what doesn't in a laundry soap are based on concrete data. Here are a couple of examples:

Here's Tide laundry detergent, powder, with bleach. I did a quick translation of the ingredients.

Enzyme(s)
Surfactant(s) <--detergent
Sodium carbonate <-- *washing soda*
Sodium aluminosilicate <--anti-caking agent
Sodium carbonate peroxide <-- oxygen bleach
Alkyl (C10-C16) benzenesulfonic acid, sodium salt <--detergent
Sodium C12-18 fatty alcohol sulfate <--detergent

Here's Tide liquid detergent. I translated some of the ingredients.

Fragrance(s)/perfume(s)	
Fatty acids (unspecified)	
Alcohol ethoxylate
Ethanol/SD Alcohol 40
Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA)	
Citric acid
Monoethanolamine (MEA)
Sodium Formate	
Calcium formate
Sodium tetraborate anhydrous <-- *borax*
Laureth-9 <-- detergent
Diaminostilbene disulphonate disodium salt	<-- optical brightener
Water		
Amylase <-- enzyme
Proteinase	 <-- enzyme
Dimethicone <-- silicone
Sodium cumenesulphonate	<-- viscosity modifier, solubilizer
Alkyl benzene sulfonate <-- detergent
Mannanase <-- enzyme
Liquitint Blue <-- color
Alcoholethoxy sulfate
Diquaternium ethoxysulfate

I don't see baking soda (NaHCO2) on either ingredient list. I do see borax on the liquid and washing soda on the powder, but I don't see washing soda in the liquid nor borax in the powder.

Speaking for myself, I have to say the Tide powder has fewer ingredients that are more straightforward -- detergents, oxygen bleach, washing soda, enzymes, and an anti-caking agent -- compared with the liquid. I also note the ingredients in the powder are not greatly different from many of the homemade laundry soap recipes floating around, especially the ones that don't use borax or baking soda. 

But, as always, YMMV.


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## Dorymae

Saponista said:


> Are HE machines the ones that use less water rather than the massive ones with a flap on top that use loads of water? I think all EU machines are required to use less water and be efficient so we don't really define the difference. Mine also has the ability to detect too many suds and rinses more water through so too many suds won't cause a problem. I may give it a go and compare the cleaning power of the 100%CO I normally use.




Yes HE (high efficiency) washers are the front loading washers that use small amounts of water.  I think you can get them here with the sensor as well (for suds) but mine is an older one and doesn't include it.


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## lenarenee

Thanks for that DeeAnna.    

I don't think I explained myself well. I was trying to figure out how to formulate homemade laundry soap for softened water, but can't find a qualified source. I know that the company that makes Tide does not sell the same Tide formula here in California that they sell in the upper Midwest (and other places) The formula is individualized to the customer's region.  The water chemistry of the region is one of the major reasons for that individualization.  (that information comes from a scientist that work for Tide)

Since we have a water softener, we don't need to add that to our laundry soap. I was told that washing soda was added solely as a softener. Soft water cleans better. However, I've recently heard that it's borax that's for softening, and the washing soda is for cleaning.  

So when the Borax website says Borax boosts cleaning, I want to know if it's because it softens - therefore improving cleaning, or if there's another factor that contributes to cleaning. The same for washing soda.

Wish I'd explained that better earlier.


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## DeeAnna

"...Salt is a water softener..."

Not sure about that. It is true that salt (NaCl, sodium chloride) is used in water softeners, but the salt is not used directly to soften the water. 

A water softener uses a special tank filled with resin that looks like tiny plastic beads. Sodium ions taken from the salt are attached to the resin. Unsoftened household water flows through the resin tank. When a "hard water" ion such as calcium or magnesium floats close to a resin bead, it is attracted to the bead and forces the sodium ion off and takes its place. The hard water ion is thus trapped on the resin and stays there. The "soft" sodium ion takes its place in the household water.

When the resin is full of hard water ions, the beads are soaked in a strong solution of salt and water. The concentrated salt solution reverses the situation -- it forces the hard water ions off the resin so the sodium ions from the brine can stick back onto the resin. The salt solution with the displaced hard water ions is washed down the drain. The regenerated and washed resin bed is put back into service softening the household water.


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## coffeetime

DeeAnna said:


> "...Salt is a water softener..."
> 
> Not sure about that. It is true that salt (NaCl, sodium chloride) is used in water softeners, but the salt is not used directly to soften the water.
> 
> A water softener uses a special tank filled with resin that looks like tiny plastic beads. Sodium ions taken from the salt are attached to the resin. Unsoftened household water flows through the resin tank. When a "hard water" ion such as calcium or magnesium floats close to a resin bead, it is attracted to the bead and forces the sodium ion off and takes its place. The hard water ion is thus trapped on the resin and stays there. The "soft" sodium ion takes its place in the household water.
> 
> When the resin is full of hard water ions, the beads are soaked in a strong solution of salt and water. The concentrated salt solution reverses the situation -- it forces the hard water ions off the resin so the sodium ions from the brine can stick back onto the resin. The salt solution with the displaced hard water ions is washed down the drain. The regenerated and washed resin bed is put back into service softening the household water.




Thank you! We have a lot of people on wells here with water softening systems and I have always wondered how it worked but never got around to googling it.


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## DeeAnna

"...I was told that washing soda was added solely as a softener...."

It is true that soda ash/washing soda/sodium carbonate does soften water...

Na2CO3 + Mg++ --> MgCO3 (solid precipitate) + Na+
and ditto for the calcium ion Ca++

...but my understanding is that washing soda also buffers the pH in the laundry water so the pH will stay high enough for the soap to do its work best. 

Washing soda also acts as a detergent itself to remove greasy dirt from fabric. It can actually saponify fats, although the process is slow and not as efficient as lye.


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## sfnelson67

If you read the whole blog on LHITS, she is a retired chemist.  That's was actually how I found her site because I believe I Googled DIY Laundry Detergent by Chemist.  When I was looking for my recipe, I thought who better to know how to make laundry detergent than a chemist.  Another site that breaks everything down by each component is http://askannamoseley.com/2013/05/the-best-homemade-laundry-detergent-and-why/.  These were the two sites that I got my basic recipe from then I went on and made my editions.

FYI, for those that want to use a super lathering soap such as coconut, once you put it with the washing soda, it loses it's lather.  I also found a dishwasher detergent recipe that uses Dawn dish detergent in the same way I use the liquid Tide®, by mixing it in with the washing soda and borax.  There are no heavy suds produced once combined.  It works great also.


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## Saponista

I have made a batch of 0% superfat brine soap today with 50% tallow 50% CO. 


I am going to trial it as laundry soap.


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## roseb

Seawolfe said:


> I use my 100% coconut 0.5% SF soap, grated. To every 2 cups by volume of grated soap I add 1 cup borax and 1 cup washing soda (NOT Baking soda). 2 Tbsp of this per wash in my front loader works great, if its a very dirty or white load Ill add a bit of oxyclean (or generic equivalent), and spots get rubbed with small bar of the soap before going in.
> 
> I think you really do need to use washing soda. I cant find it at stores here so I get hubby to buy it on Amazon with his prime account. Not even Arm and Hammer laundry detergent uses baking soda, I don't think it does much for cleaning clothes.



I use the same recipe as above, except I add a cup of Oxy Clean to it.  After grating the soap I add a little washing soda to it and run it thru the blender until I have a fine powder.  I've been using this recipe for years and it works great!


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## summerflyy

I am interested in this and would just like to ask. My mum handwashes the clothes because she doesn't like using the washing machine. I have soft water here and I would like to ask if I could just make a 0% superfat  100% coconut oil bar soap. 

I know you guys add borax or washing soda when using the washing machine, but is it necessary if my mum handwashes the clothes ?


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## Susie

summerflyy said:


> I am interested in this and would just like to ask. My mum handwashes the clothes because she doesn't like using the washing machine. I have soft water here and I would like to ask if I could just make a 0% superfat  100% coconut oil bar soap.
> 
> I know you guys add borax or washing soda when using the washing machine, but is it necessary if my mum handwashes the clothes ?



If you have soft water, it is not necessary.  You do, however, need to tell her to use some vinegar in the rinse water.


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## summerflyy

Susie said:


> If you have soft water, it is not necessary.  You do, however, need to tell her to use some vinegar in the rinse water.




Thank you Susie for the information ! May I ask why is vinegar used in the rinse ??


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## Susie

I can't give you a scientific explanation, but your clothes will get dingy looking if you don't.  Something to do with neutralizing the alkalinity of the soap.  You can't neutralize soap and have it remain soap, so you put 2-4 oz vinegar in the rinse water.  Easy fix.


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