# Laundry soap confusion



## ilovedoxies (Apr 12, 2009)

I've been researching home made laundry detergent and I've found the basic ingredients to be:

Soap: grated 0% super fat
Washing soda
Borax
Baking Soda

The quantities vary sometimes omitting the baking soda all together.  Does anyone know what specifically does each ingredient add to the final product?  More borax, less washing soda make what??  Is it best to use equal quantities of each and what does the Baking soda do?  

Does anyone know if it fades your clothes at a faster rate than store-bought?

Thanks


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## heartsong (Apr 12, 2009)

*x*

 hi there!

i know baking soda is used as a water softner )for those of us who have hard water!) it also works as a deoderizer.

borax was explained to me like this:  is is a booster-it doesnt clean your clothes-it helps you soap clean more effectively.

the rest is a mystery.  i've never made laundry soap before, but i'd love to find one that:

1. wont hurt my septic system
2.  the soap bits will actually disolve in the washing cycle!
3. will work in cold/warm water and rinse completely out
4.  will be non-reactive to bleach (optional)

also i would like to know where i could get washing soda!  no one around here has ever heard of it and it's not in the stores around here.  i believe someone here once said you could get it at a pool supply?

anyway, i'll keep you company until someone comes along and can clear this up!  :shock:  LOL!

monet


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## ilovedoxies (Apr 12, 2009)

Thanks for that information.  I'll definately add the baking soda, you can always use a deodorizer.

I see that you're in the states, do you have a Kroger?  That's where I found mine.  It was the only place that has it around here.  You can order it online, Arm & Hammer makes it.  

I think it was only like $3 or so.  If you don't have any luck you can send me a check and I'll mail a box to you.  Shipping may be a little high because it's a three pound box.  

I tried the pool store and he said he had soda ash, but it only comes in 50lb bags.  Uhh... don't think so.


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## Lil Outlaws (Apr 12, 2009)

*Re: x*



			
				heartsong said:
			
		

> hi there!
> 
> i know baking soda is used as a water softner )for those of us who have hard water!) it also works as a deoderizer.
> 
> ...



I said that!

I make a powdered detergent of washing soda (PH+ in the pool supply), baking soda, and oxyclean.. no borax or soap.


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## Guest (Apr 18, 2009)

I made the recipe from the soapmakers companion.I love it .I make the bars , let them cure for a day or two , then shred it , let that dry fairly well. You can use the shreds while it is drying , I have a front loader and they dissolve totally. Then when it is good and dry I put it through the food processor to powder it and add 1/2 cup washing soda .I added 1/2 cup oxyclean too . I  keep it in a canning jar.I was buying Charlies Soap online and I think this works better.
Here is the recipe if anyone wants to try it.

224 grams lye
19 oz distilled water - 3/4 of a cup ( set aside)
4 TBSP borax
1/2 TBSP salt
1 TBSP sugar
2 TBSP ammonia (optional , I used it)
16 oz coconut oil
21 oz veg shortening
14 oz palm oil
4 TBSP baking soda - sift through a strainer

Right after dissolving the lye in the water , dissolve the borax in the lye solution. Bring the 3/4 cup water to a boil and add the salt and then the sugar, when both have dissolved add the ammonia and stir well.
 When your oils and lye are at your desired temperature , warm the salt,sugar and ammonia to 100 degrees .Add your lye to your oils stir well and add the sugar salt ammonia mixture and stir to trace . As the soap reaches light trace add the baking soda and blend well.Continue stirring until you reach your desired trace level and pour into mold.

Kitn


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## Guest (Apr 18, 2009)

Washing soda is a booster and stain remover .You can use it to wash greasy walls , counters etc.


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## CapeCodDan (Jun 5, 2009)

*Laundry Detergent*

Hi,

Washing Soda works as a deoderizer, also it floats the dirt so it does not settle back on on your clothes. I make a liquid laundry detergent, but you can make a powder as well. It costs me $3 for a five gallon pail and you ad what ever oil frangrence you like or you can use fabric softener with each load. The problem is that the use of bar soap in my formula makes the liquid clumpy and you have to stir or shake it after you pour it off into a smaller container. Here is the best workable recipe I have found:

2 Cups washing soda 
2 Cups Borax
1 Bar of soap grated. What ever brand you have in the house will work.
5 Gallon Pail

In a large pan ad all of the above. Fill 3/4 with water. Do not boil, but heat until everything is disolved (you will have some very soapy water). Pour into a 5 gallon pail and fill the pail almost to the top with hot water. Let sit overnight to cool. You will find a bucket of slime in the morning. Mix with a long spoon or I use a hand blender. Pour off smaller amount into a smaller container for easy use. Use 1 1/2 cup per load.


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## lovethyscent (Jun 18, 2009)

I found a recipe the other day that you make the liquid laundry soap with lye. It slowly thickens over a few days. It was so easy too. I hope it works out.


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## CapeCodDan (Jun 18, 2009)

*Laundry Detergent Soap Problem*

I found another article on this site for making liquid hand soap. They use potassium hydroxide to keep it in a liquid state. I will try some soap made with that instead of bar soap with sodium hydroxide.


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## nickjuly (Jun 18, 2009)

*Re: Laundry Detergent*



			
				CapeCodDan said:
			
		

> Hi,
> 
> Washing Soda works as a deoderizer, also it floats the dirt so it does not settle back on on your clothes. I make a liquid laundry detergent, but you can make a powder as well. It costs me $3 for a five gallon pail and you ad what ever oil frangrence you like or you can use fabric softener with each load. The problem is that the use of bar soap in my formula makes the liquid clumpy and you have to stir or shake it after you pour it off into a smaller container. Here is the best workable recipe I have found:
> 
> ...



This is the one I use but only use 1 cup per load and does wonderfully!


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## kittywings (Jul 5, 2009)

I think the baking soda is kind of overkill... the washing soda (from my understanding) is like a much more hardcore version of baking soda (that's why it's also by Arm & Hammer).  

My only difference from the above posted recipe is 1 cup of washing soda and borax for the whole thing instead of 2 each.


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## rubyslippers (Jul 14, 2009)

I make my own laundry detergent & will never go back to commercial detergent; here's my recipe that I found online (can't credit the source because I don't remember where I got it :cry: ) but it works wonders.
1/3 bar of grated FelsNaptha soap + 6 cups hot water.  Bring to a low boil until soap is melted.  Add 1/2 cup washing soda and 1/2 c borax to water mixture & boil for 15 min.  Pour into a 3 gallon bucket.  Add an additional 6 cups hot water and stir well to blend.  Then add 1 gallon + 4 more cups of cold water.  Let it sit overnight & it will turn into a gel.  Stir well & transfer to smaller bottles so it is easier to handle.  You will need to shake the bottle before each use because it has a tendency to separate but it does a beautiful job on the clothes.    

I have found that it even softens my clothes and I no longer use a fabric softener.  With $ saved on what I spent on commercial detergents & fabric softeners, I can now spend on my soapmaking supplies


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## rubyslippers (Jul 14, 2009)

Whoops - forgot to say that I use 1/2 C per load.  Also, I have a front loader & there is some debate as to whether or not this should be used in a front loader.  Have read that unless it is HE detergent it could ruin the pump.  I just dump the detergent on my clothes in the machine (do not put it in the dispenser) and since it does not suds, I reason that it would be the same as HE.  Comments anyone?


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## lunchlady2009 (Jul 22, 2009)

I've been using this recipe for almost a year now! LOVE IT! My sister has an HE washer and she has had no issues.


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## Kerye (Aug 12, 2009)

*Regarding Laundry soaps....*

About 10 years ago, I was making my own liquid laundry soap, no lye, just the borax, washing soda, and a bar soap plus water. We had extremely hard water at the time and it left a nasty film on the washer and clothes, so I quit making it.

For the past six months I've been making powdered soap, we live in a different house with town water + a softener. I love this soap!!! It dissolves very nicely, has a clean fresh scent, and doesn't leave any sort of film on anything. Even before we had our water switched to town water, it did not react negatively with bleach.  

I use 1 bar grated Fels Naptha soap, 1 cup of borax and 1 cup of washing soda. 

Now, of course making my own soaps I would like to use my own bar soap instead of the Fels Naptha. Anyone know if this would work? I have a plain OO 80, CO 20 I would like to try. I was wondering though if maybe a lard soap might clean better?


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## fireweed (Sep 23, 2009)

Wouldn't Borax make up for the hard water issue?

I have really hard water, and I just use hard, tallow/CO soap with Borax and washing powder.  It seems to work well, clothes smell fresh, and most stains come out (I now rub dish soap or hard soap directly into stains now and it seems to be working).  I LOVE not having to haul around big cardboard boxes of crappy smelling detergent home all the time!


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## MikeInPdx (Sep 24, 2009)

fireweed said:
			
		

> Wouldn't Borax make up for the hard water issue?
> 
> I have really hard water, and I just use hard, tallow/CO soap with Borax and washing powder.  It seems to work well, clothes smell fresh, and most stains come out (I now rub dish soap or hard soap directly into stains now and it seems to be working).  I LOVE not having to haul around big cardboard boxes of crappy smelling detergent home all the time!



It depends on how hard your water is......in the vast majority of cases, what you're doing is perfect. For some really bad water, there is always STPP (sodium tripolyphosphate). It's illegal to use in commercial detergents now, but you can still find it at The Chemistry Store.  It's non-toxic, heck it's edible.....the reason why it contributes to algae growth in large, still, warmish bodies of water.

Of course, it's a non-issue if your treated waste water doesn't drain into a lake that's prone to algae (mine doesn't), and it blows borax and washing soda away as far as performance.


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## Guest (Oct 9, 2009)

*Re: Regarding Laundry soaps....*



			
				Kerye said:
			
		

> Now, of course making my own soaps I would like to use my own bar soap instead of the Fels Naptha. Anyone know if this would work? I have a plain OO 80, CO 20 I would like to try. I was wondering though if maybe a lard soap might clean better?



Whatever turns out not sellable from different experiments is used by my husband and I. Plus I use a cheese grater and grate it into my laundry. I use goat milk, lard and tallow in most of my soaps along with soybean, canola, coconut and pk. We had really hard water in MT and fairly hard water here in ID and I haven't had a problem in the last 10 yrs I've been making soaps.
Laura


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## johnsonlisa (Jan 8, 2010)

*Laundry soap in HE front loader*

Can I use the homemade laundry soap recipes I found here in a front loader HE machines?

Lisa


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## CapeCodDan (Jan 8, 2010)

*"Soap recipes I found here in a front loader HE machine*

I use the liquid form in my new front loader with no problems. You could also use the powder version, both are low suds. For bar soap I use Ivory because it is cheap and works., but have used the Fels Naptha with no problems and it adds a scent to the clothes.


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