DIY Laundry Detergent

[Jaxx59]

Hello everyone

Ive just made some laundry detergent with Savon de Marseille. Does anyone know if you still need to use fabric conditioner?

 

[DeeAnna]

Soap is a cleanser just like any other basic laundry detergent. It's not a fabric conditioner. So, if you normally use fabric conditioner with the laundry detergent you've been using in the past, you'd still want to use it with soap.

 

[Jaxx59]

Soap is a cleanser just like any other basic laundry detergent. It's not a fabric conditioner. So, if you normally use fabric conditioner with the laundry detergent you've been using in the past, you'd still want to use it with soap.

Thankyou .... The detergent felt so lovely and silky, and kind of moisturising, so I really wasnt sure.

 

[DeeAnna]

I used to use lye-based soap for washing clothes, but after years of using lye-based soap for laundry, I switched back to a commercial synthetic detergent cleanser. Lye-based soap forms soap scum even when using a whole-house water softener and also using washing soda to further soften the water. I could see and feel the build up of soap scum in the fabric over time, making whites look yellowed or grayish and line-dried clothes becoming stiff and not as smooth feeling. Synthetic detergent cleansers do not form soap scum like lye-based soap does.

Nowadays I mainly use lye-based soap for bathing and hand washing. Lye-based soap might feel nice when you use it to wash your skin, but that doesn't necessarily mean that skin feel will carry over to clothes.

But give it a try and see what you think. Maybe your experience will be different than mine.

 

[Jaxx59]

I used to use lye-based soap for washing clothes, but after years of using lye-based soap for laundry, I switched back to a commercial synthetic detergent cleanser. Lye-based soap forms soap scum even when using a whole-house water softener and also using washing soda to further soften the water. I could see and feel the build up of soap scum in the fabric over time, making whites look yellowed or grayish and line-dried clothes becoming stiff and not as smooth feeling. Synthetic detergent cleansers do not form soap scum like lye-based soap does.

Nowadays I mainly use lye-based soap for bathing and hand washing. Lye-based soap might feel nice when you use it to wash your skin, but that doesn't necessarily mean that skin feel will carry over to clothes.

But give it a try and see what you think. Maybe your experience will be different than mine.

Thankyou for your detailed and interesting reply. I was just about to say id made a vinegar and essential oil concoction to use as a fabric conditioner, but if you say that even and a whole house water softener didn't help with the scum, then the vinegar holds no hope .... Maybe this little experiment will stay just that, but I will do a number of washes before I decide whether to carry on or not

 

[DeeAnna]

Different people get different results. And it took awhile for the build up to be obvious. It's fun to experiment, even if things don't always turn out as you would like. I encourage you to keep an open mind and give this a go....

 

[Jaxx59]

Different people get different results. And it took awhile for the build up to be obvious. It's fun to experiment, even if things don't always turn out as you would like. I encourage you to keep an open mind and give this a go....

Thankyou

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I could see and feel the build up of soap scum in the fabric over time, making whites look yellowed or grayish and line-dried clothes becoming stiff and not as smooth feeling.

So true! This is typical of lye-based soap for laundry. The key to avoiding soap scum is to rinse in cold water as many times as it takes to get all the soap scum out.

then the vinegar holds no hope

Not true. Add 1/4 cup white vinegar to the final rinse to remove any remaining soap scum. The vinegar also acts like a conditioner. Whites come out of the dryer soft, bright white, and smelling fresh and clean.

laundry detergent with Savon de Marseille

In my (19-years) experience, Savon de Marseille, or any lye-based soap, can be used for laundry if you follow the above recommendations. My preference is 100% Coconut Oil liquid soap. Diluted at 40% soap paste to 60% water is perfect to use with a recycled laundry detergent bottle cap for measuring small, medium, large and extra large loads. To boost cleansing, I add OxyClean plus 1/4 cup of Borax (water softener) to the wash cycle.

NOTE: Try using a bar of the soap as a pre-wash stain remover or Polysorbate 80 for oil stains.

Laundry day is a treat for me. (Insert commercial here: Person sniffing and feeling clothes and smiling contentedly while folding them on top of the dryer.)

 

[Kiti Williams]

I make my own laundry soap with 1 bar Fells naphta bar, borax and washing soda. I use white vinegar in the rinse and always wash with cold water. I had my washing machine serviced and the tech wanted to know how much I used the machine. I told him 16 wash loads a week. He told me my washer was the cleanest he had seen in years.

 

[AliOop]

I used to make my laundry soap with either grated Fels Naptha or grated 100% CO soap (0%SF), added to a mixture of borax and washing soda. Both recipes caused soap scum buildup on my washer and my clothes, no matter whether I used hot or cold water. I always used white vinegar in the rinse, too.

Now I just use the borax + washing soda mixture for the wash cycle, and white vinegar in the rinse cycle. There is no more scum build-up, and the clothes come out very clean. If I am not using the hot water cycle, I do predissolve the powder mix in hot water before adding it to a cold wash cycle. Otherwise, it wouldn't dissolve by itself in cold water, and it would leave powdery white spots on my clothes.

I also use PS80 to pretreat any greasy stains. It is amazing as a grease stain remover! Fortunately, the stinky smell dissipates during the rinse cycle.

EDITED to add: The take-away from the wide variety of responses is... it depends! No doubt the results of using any given homemade laundry soap will be affected by your local water quality, the type of fabric being washed, the type of washing machine, whether you use hot or cold water, and more. Like @DeeAnna pointed out, some experimentation is in order - have fun with it!

 

[Zing]

So true! This is typical of lye-based soap for laundry. The key to avoiding soap scum is to rinse in cold water as many times as it takes to get all the soap scum out.

Not true. Add 1/4 cup white vinegar to the final rinse to remove any remaining soap scum. The vinegar also acts like a conditioner. Whites come out of the dryer soft, bright white, and smelling fresh and clean.

In my (19-years) experience, Savon de Marseille, or any lye-based soap, can be used for laundry if you follow the above recommendations. My preference is 100% Coconut Oil liquid soap. Diluted at 40% soap paste to 60% water is perfect to use with a recycled laundry detergent bottle cap for measuring small, medium, large and extra large loads. To boost cleansing, I add OxyClean plus 1/4 cup of Borax (water softener) to the wash cycle.

NOTE: Try using a bar of the soap as a pre-wash stain remover or Polysorbate 80 for oil stains.

Laundry day is a treat for me. (Insert commercial here: Person sniffing and feeling clothes and smiling contentedly while folding them on top of the dryer.)

Okay, totally love ya, @Zany_in_CO , my friend, but you are so not me! You won't ever hear me use the words "contentedly" and "laundry" in the same sentence!!

Fascinating thread here. Mrs. Zing for several years has made it out of Fels Naptha, borax, and washing soda -- with zero issues on our clothes.

 

[Becky1024]

I make laundry butter and have used it for years. Mine is made of lard soap with a slightly negative superfat, borax and washing soda dissolved in water.

A lot depends on your machine and water. I have a water saving side loader and laundry butter works well. I made a batch of powder once, and it was a disaster - white specks all over the clothes.

I use dryer balls instead of fabric softener. They work great and last for years!

 

[AliOop]

I make laundry butter and have used it for years. Mine is made of lard soap with a slightly negative superfat, borax and washing soda dissolved in water.

A lot depends on your machine and water. I have a water saving side loader and laundry butter works well. I made a batch of powder once, and it was a disaster - white specks all over the clothes.

I use dryer balls instead of fabric softener. They work great and last for years!

I use wool dryer balls, too. They are great!

 

[CreativeWeirdo]

Okay! So, I had a very interesting phone conversation with my mom today. A few months ago, she read an article (most likely in the Globe and Mail, but it might be somewhere else) that said that in today's times, we don't really need that much laundry detergent. She used to "make her own" laundry detergent mix using washing soda, washing soap bar, borax, and some other stuff (I can't remember exactly) but my dad and my brother noticed that the towels started to "repel water" (This is most likely due to the scum build-up everyone is mentioning). In this article, they bring up the fact that in modern day, we really don't get that dirty in our clothes. And that even back in the day, when people did laundry on a wash board in the river, when people washed their clothes, they mainly just did it in the water and only used soap/detergent specifically on the dirty spots. So that's what she has been doing for the past 3 months. She's been washing everything in hot water and only using a washing bar soap on the dirty spots from grease or mud. She says her clothes are brighter, blacks are blacker, whites are whiter, and colours are no longer faded. All without using bleach, detergents, rise aids, etc. All by only using hot water, and spot cleaning targeted areas. I'm shocked!!!

 

[AliOop]

Okay! So, I had a very interesting phone conversation with my mom today. A few months ago, she read an article (most likely in the Globe and Mail, but it might be somewhere else) that said that in today's times, we don't really need that much laundry detergent. She used to "make her own" laundry detergent mix using washing soda, washing soap bar, borax, and some other stuff (I can't remember exactly) but my dad and my brother noticed that the towels started to "repel water" (This is most likely due to the scum build-up everyone is mentioning). In this article, they bring up the fact that in modern day, we really don't get that dirty in our clothes. And that even back in the day, when people did laundry on a wash board in the river, when people washed their clothes, they mainly just did it in the water and only used soap/detergent specifically on the dirty spots. So that's what she has been doing for the past 3 months. She's been washing everything in hot water and only using a washing bar soap on the dirty spots from grease or mud. She says her clothes are brighter, blacks are blacker, whites are whiter, and colours are no longer faded. All without using bleach, detergents, rise aids, etc. All by only using hot water, and spot cleaning targeted areas. I'm shocked!!!

Super interesting! Do you know if she has soft water? Ours is now softened, and I do tend to wash most of our clothes in hot water to kill germs and "lift" any greasy body oils. I also use vinegar in the rinse cycle, and way less than the recommended amount of detergent, for the same reasons your mom mentioned.

 

[CreativeWeirdo]

Super interesting! Do you know if she has soft water? Ours is now softened, and I do tend to wash most of our clothes in hot water to kill germs and "lift" any greasy body oils. I also use vinegar in the rinse cycle, and way less than the recommended amount of detergent, for the same reasons your mom mentioned.

Yes, I will admit, it is Toronto water.

 

[Jaxx59]

So true! This is typical of lye-based soap for laundry. The key to avoiding soap scum is to rinse in cold water as many times as it takes to get all the soap scum out.

Not true. Add 1/4 cup white vinegar to the final rinse to remove any remaining soap scum. The vinegar also acts like a conditioner. Whites come out of the dryer soft, bright white, and smelling fresh and clean.

In my (19-years) experience, Savon de Marseille, or any lye-based soap, can be used for laundry if you follow the above recommendations. My preference is 100% Coconut Oil liquid soap. Diluted at 40% soap paste to 60% water is perfect to use with a recycled laundry detergent bottle cap for measuring small, medium, large and extra large loads. To boost cleansing, I add OxyClean plus 1/4 cup of Borax (water softener) to the wash cycle.

NOTE: Try using a bar of the soap as a pre-wash stain remover or Polysorbate 80 for oil stains.

Laundry day is a treat for me. (Insert commercial here: Person sniffing and feeling clothes and smiling contentedly while folding them on top of the dryer.)

Thankyou so much Zany_in_co .. Your recipe sounds great and I will be certain to give it a go

 

[Jaxx59]

Thankyou so much Zany_in_co .. Your recipe sounds great and I will be certain to give it a go

If I make a batch of 100% Coconut Oil Bar Soaps, will it melt if I grate it into some very hot water like I did with the Marseille?

 

[gsc]

Has anyone used citric acid in their fabric softner recipe?