# First Laundry Soap



## topofmurrayhill (Jan 9, 2016)

Finding uses for my excess CO 92.

Okay, I know there's not much to see here. I'm psyched anyway because I've never gotten around to making laundry soap before. This is the 2 parts soap, 1 part washing soda and 1 part borax recipe.

The soap is 100% CO 92. It's made with 0% lye discount and 40% lye concentration. I also added sodium acetate by using vinegar for some of the lye water. That was in hopes of making the soap more brittle and crumbly to help with pulverizing it.

With the soap still warm, I dismembered it using the shredding disk in the food processor. I spread it out and let it sit a while, then I chopped it and mixed it with the other ingredients with the food processor blade.

That's about all. First load of clothes is in the machine!


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## shunt2011 (Jan 9, 2016)

Looks great!  On my list to do for today.


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## traderbren (Jan 9, 2016)

Looks great! I hope to make some this weekend to see what the fuss is about!


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## MySoapyHeart (Jan 9, 2016)

This is so cool, well done! 
I really want to try this myself at one point! And those laundry bombs.


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## Seawolfe (Jan 9, 2016)

I need to make more too. This time I'm adding citric acid. That's a great looking loaf! Did you leave any chunks for stain sticks?


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## topofmurrayhill (Jan 9, 2016)

Seawolfe said:


> I need to make more too. This time I'm adding citric acid. That's a great looking loaf! Did you leave any chunks for stain sticks?



I didn't think of the stain sticks!

You want to add citric acid to make sodium citrate as a chelator?

Thanks all.


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## Arimara (Jan 9, 2016)

how much vinegar do you use to replace some of the water in this recipe? I might try solid soap since I'm almost out of my liquid.


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## topofmurrayhill (Jan 9, 2016)

Arimara said:


> how much vinegar do you use to replace some of the water in this recipe? I might try solid soap since I'm almost out of my liquid.



I wish there was a simpler answer, but look here:

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=57991

The specific instructions are in post #17.


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## topofmurrayhill (Jan 9, 2016)

Wow, this stuff works very well!


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## Arimara (Jan 9, 2016)

Thanks a bunch.  Can't say I want to do math but maybe I can make Excel do the work (once I reconfigure myself with it)


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## Seawolfe (Jan 9, 2016)

topofmurrayhill said:


> I didn't think of the stain sticks!
> 
> You want to add citric acid to make sodium citrate as a chelator?
> 
> Thanks all.



Yes, do you think I should try vinegar instead? I do use white vinegar as a rise in the softener cup.


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## dixiedragon (Jan 9, 2016)

My sister and brother won't try my laundry soap - I made both a dry and a liquid version. I will confess, I'm kind of butthurt about it.


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## traderbren (Jan 9, 2016)

I'll be your sister, Dixie. Mine is kind of a bore...


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## jules92207 (Jan 9, 2016)

Me too, dixie, I'm always open for adoptions...


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## shunt2011 (Jan 9, 2016)

I'm available for adoption too.


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## Arimara (Jan 9, 2016)

dixiedragon said:


> My sister and brother won't try my laundry soap - I made both a dry and a liquid version. I will confess, I'm kind of butthurt about it.



I'd feel the same way too. Sorry they're being stick-in-the-muds about it. But look on the bright side: More for you... Unless you're willing to ship your wares to those who may request some, of course. :mrgreen:


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## topofmurrayhill (Jan 10, 2016)

dixiedragon said:


> My sister and brother won't try my laundry soap - I made both a dry and a liquid version. I will confess, I'm kind of butthurt about it.



As you should be. Hope the laundry gremlins steal their socks.


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## ngian (Feb 7, 2016)

topofmurrayhill said:


> Wow, this stuff works very well!



Does it clean the clothes well? 

I also made yesterday a 100% CO, 30% lye concentration with 0 superfat and 4% Trisodium citrate, and will grate the bars to make them powder that I will use with washing soda, and kept some stain sticks to have in case I need them.






While I was mixing lye (at room temperature) and CO (just above its melting point) I only used a whisk and for 15min I was trying to reach thin trace but with no luck. I finally used the SB for 5-6 seconds in order to have the trace I was looking for. So I after that I think I will never be afraid of any accelerating FO and recipe as long as a whisk is only used.

Did around 10min CPOP to the 100% CO while it was hardening in the milk package mold and the soap gelled right away reaching 80°C. It was really fluid while it melted in the gel phase. So pretty to see for the first time this phenomenon while I was squeezing the paper milk package. All my other soaps have been gelling in a wooden mold so I never had seen this how it behaves in my hands and how hot is it.







(Sorry topofmurrayhill for hijacking your thread, but this was also my first laundry soap and I didn't want to create another laundry thread).


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## shunt2011 (Feb 7, 2016)

I find it cleans really well. I mix mine with equal amounts of washing soda and oxyclean .


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## ngian (Feb 7, 2016)

shunt2011 said:


> I find it cleans really well. I mix mine with equal amounts of washing soda and oxyclean .


Why oxyclean is used? Also a soaper told me that washing soda fades the colored clothes and only uses it for white clothes.

I was also thinking to use the tablets for softening hard water we use almost in every program in the washing machine, or do you think washing soda does the same job? 

Finally I was thinking of using 5% washing soda as an additive in a regular soap bar instead of sugar in an experiment, do you think shunt that it will be harsh for the skin or it won't do anything as long as it will be mixed with water and maybe will loose its strength?


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## shunt2011 (Feb 7, 2016)

I've not had any noticeable fading and have been using it for quite some time now. I wear mostly dark clothing so would have noticed.  Unfortunately, I don't have an answer to your other questions as I'm not sure what would happen if used in a bar bath soap as I've not thought of even trying.


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## ngian (Feb 7, 2016)

Well I have read that washing soda acts as a chelator and also removes stains and greasy dirt easily. 
I have also read that excess lye castile soap that will have a good cure will eventually end up with lots of soda ash (washing soda) on its body and this soap makes very good lather for a Castile. 
I have also read from DeeAnna that washing soda looses its strength when it will be stored in a liquid form. 

All these just brought my previous questions and the need for an experiment. 

But do you have any answer for the oxyclean?


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## topofmurrayhill (Feb 7, 2016)

ngian said:


> Does it clean the clothes well?



Better than I expected for both colors and whites. Sometimes I think it works better than the most popular laundry detergents, but I haven't actually done a proper comparison. I started with the traditional soap/washing soda/borax mix. I know there is a theory that the borax isn't needed, but as far as I know that is only a theory. The traditional formula works well enough that I am satisfied without experimenting further.

On the matter of Oxyclean, if you use it as 1/3 of the mix and you use 2 tablespoons of the mix in a load of laundry, that is 2 teaspoons of Oxyclean. In my experience with this product, that is as good as nothing.



ngian said:


> While I was mixing lye (at room temperature) and CO (just above its melting point) I only used a whisk and for 15min I was trying to reach thin trace but with no luck. I finally used the SB for 5-6 seconds in order to have the trace I was looking for. So I after that I think I will never be afraid of any accelerating FO and recipe as long as a whisk is only used.



I have the same experience with 100% coconut oil. Before I tried it, I imagined the lauric acid would cause it to trace much faster than it does, but it's actually pretty slow.

The whisk works well with most of what I make, because I don't use super-soft recipes in the belief that they are "conditioning." The whisk won't save you from real acceleration though. That can be a very dramatic and instantaneous effect of mixing certain solvents or emulsifiers into the batter.



ngian said:


> Did around 10min CPOP to the 100% CO while it was hardening in the milk package mold and the soap gelled right away reaching 80°C. It was really fluid while it melted in the gel phase. So pretty to see for the first time this phenomenon while I was squeezing the paper milk package. All my other soaps have been gelling in a wooden mold so I never had seen this how it behaves in my hands and how hot is it.



The gel phase is called "neat soap." This is soap in a liquid crystalline form. With 30% lye concentration, the melting point is low enough that the soap doesn't need a lot of help to enter the neat phase. Next time try a 35% lye concentration and see the difference. Less water raises the melting point, so you might not see full gel unless you start with a warmer batter and apply more heat. With a 40% lye concentration, you probably won't see gel at all.


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## ngian (Feb 8, 2016)

topofmurrayhill said:


> Next time try a 35% lye concentration and see the difference. Less water raises the melting point, so you might not see full gel unless you start with a warmer batter and apply more heat. With a 40% lye concentration, you probably won't see gel at all.



Well my next soap will be with the 75% brine cleaned rancid olive oil and 25% CO using 36% lye concentration. Whisk will be for sure the only tool for mixing (or if needed a few bursts of the SB so as to rest my arm once again) and the same milk packages will be cooked in the oven at around 90°C this time for a few minutes.

As far as it concerns the laundry soap, I will post more photos when I'll make the powder and have the first washing with it.


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## Soapsense (Feb 8, 2016)

I was curious, do you buy washing soda, or do you make your own from baking soda?


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## ngian (Feb 8, 2016)

Well I do buy it for 1,5€ / kg.


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## dixiedragon (Feb 8, 2016)

I buy washing soda. No idea how to make it, but it's about the same price as baking soda.

Another question: According to Cracked.com, Oxyclean is sodium percarbonate.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_percarbonate
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OxiClean

Apparently, sodium percarbonate is super cheap at pool cleaning supply stores. I haven't priced it yet. Anybody know anything about this? I might switch from OxyClean to this, b/c Oxclean is by far the most expensive part of the recipe.


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## Soapsense (Feb 8, 2016)

I only asked about making the washing soda from baking soda, as I saw a tutorial online. I checked Walmart and Washing Soda was double the price of Baking Soda at my store, so I was curious if anyone had done this.


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## topofmurrayhill (Feb 8, 2016)

Soapsense said:


> I only asked about making the washing soda from baking soda, as I saw a tutorial online. I checked Walmart and Washing Soda was double the price of Baking Soda at my store, so I was curious if anyone had done this.



Try it if you feel like it. It might be an interesting project. For me, there is enough work in just making, shredding and grinding all the soap, so I buy the washing soda.


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