In search of an HE (High Efficiency) laundry soap recipe

[inkyfingers]

While I know 100% coconut soap with 0% superfat is considered to be an excellent laundry soap, how many of you have used this for HE washing machines?

My bottle of detergent is almost done, so I want to make some soon. What I do know about HE soap, is that it should be low in bubbles, or supposedly (I haven't experienced this myself) the bubbles will leak out of the front-loading door.

Does anybody have any suggestions to help me find my eco-friendly, low allergen, cost effective laundry soap?

 

[Susie]

Here is my new favorite laundry soap. It is very low sudsing, and cleans well without any additives for me.

Coconut Oil, 76 degree- 24 oz
Soybean Oil- 8oz

KOH- 5.4 oz
NaOH- 1.8 oz

Water- 21.6 oz

I add 1 oz (0.5 oz PPO) grated bar soap to speed trace

I diluted fine at a 1:1 ratio.

I use SBM Advanced Calculator for Solid, Liquid, or Cream Soap.

 

[inkyfingers]

So is this a liquid soap?

 

[Seawolfe]

I've used grated HP soap at a volume ratio of 2 parts grated soap to 1 part borax and 1 part washing soda in my HE machine with very good results. I use 2 to 2.5 tablespoons per load and the soaps I've used have either been half coconut/half crisco or all coconut, but all at 0.5% SF.

I have a grubby job and it gets even my clothes clean, and our linens are so soft! Even without softener..

I'd like to try a liquid recipe like Susan's next, but I'm set with dry for a while and I have no problems with it dissolving. What's the SBM calculator? All I see is the summer bee meadow one and I don't see all those options.

 

[Dahila]

I use the same as seawolfe for my He
2 parts of grated soap (coconut soap)
1 part borax
1 part washing soda
1 part of baking soda (to deodorize)
I put it in food processor and make very fine powder, then 1/4 cup for large loads less for regular loads

Vinegar as softener
I love it

 

[Susie]

Yes, my soap is a liquid.

Here is the link for the advanced calculator:

http://summerbeemeadow.com/content/advanced-calculator-solid-cream-or-liquid-soaps

 

[grayceworks]

I've used grated HP soap at a volume ratio of 2 parts grated soap to 1 part borax and 1 part washing soda in my HE machine with very good results. I use 2 to 2.5 tablespoons per load and the soaps I've used have either been half coconut/half crisco or all coconut, but all at 0.5% SF.

That's the soap/borax/washing soda ratio I use also. for our large HE front-loader in our community laundry room, we use 2 tbsp. For our HE mini-front-loader in our apt, we use 1tbps per load. Have just done 100% CO for laundry soap so far.

 

[Saponista]

I'm not sure what a HE machine is, but mi e is a front loader. I live in a soft water area so all detergent bubbles like crazy, I have never had an incident with it coming out the door. They are sealed really tight or the water would also flood out every wash. Also my 100% CO laundry soap doesn't lather that much compared to commercial detergent so I wouldn't worry too much. Try a practice load when you have time to keep checking on the machine, in case of issues.

 

[AF_SOAP]

If you want one that works with HE machines whether front loading or top loading, just use the 100% coconut oil soap with equal parts borax, washing soda, and baking soda.

I had done a lard or tallow depending whats on hand and coconut soap before. I can say it cleaned maybe a little better but the coconut soap is easy. Make a big batch and let cure for a week or so (or don't, it is really personal preference) and then grate into small pieces. You can do like I do and store the grated pieces so they are always ready to be made into powder later on.

Although, with the amount that I make, I had laundry soap for a year at a time

 

[inkyfingers]

Thank you all so much for your help.

I have a big front loading HE machine, and laundry is maybe a little different for me than it is for most people, as I am a massage therapist working from home and I wash loads of sheets every week - spots on it saturated with fractionated coconut oil - and maybe traces of essential oils if the patient has asked for an aromatic treatment. Before I got into soaping, I had tried just about every kind of expensive detergent in an effort to get oil stains and odour out, especially since the oils end up mixed with each patient's skin oils and the products they use on their skin - especially women. Odour does build up, and the monthly soaking of sheets in bleach, oxy clean, vinegar (not necessarily at the same time) to get the odours out is a lot of work to provide my patient with an odourless experience.

If lard or tallow actually make for cleaner sheets, then I will use lard or tallow.

 

[Saponista]

I've only ever used coconut, will give lard a try next batch though to see if it's any better.

 

[inkyfingers]

I will also give both kinds a try and report my findings back.

I hope I can find washing soda in the grocery store, I don't remember seeing it before, but then I never looked for it. is that where everyone else gets it?

 

[Saponista]

Yep, I'm in the uk though but I'm sure you will find it, it's really cheap £1 a kilo.

 

[Seawolfe]

I will also give both kinds a try and report my findings back.

I hope I can find washing soda in the grocery store, I don't remember seeing it before, but then I never looked for it. is that where everyone else gets it?

Ive never found washing soda in the grocery store, so I bully hubby with his Amazon prime to order it for me

 

[AF_SOAP]

Walmart if you are in the United States, most grocery stores should carry it next to all other detergents like tide, it might be closer to the oxy clean than the actual detergents though.

For the FCO, I use a stain stick that is made of 100% coconut oil. I make my own cologne oils out of FCO and essential oils so I have had experience dropping essential oils and FCO all over myself at one point. Pre treat the stain with a laundry stick. You can make one using a 1/2 inch pvc pipe as the mold, or get an old deodorant tube or chapstick and fill that.

 

[Susie]

Washing soda is available at Walmart and Kroger's by the laundry detergent. It is usually on the bottom shelf next to the Fels Naptha and Borax.

If you absolutely can't find washing soda locally, just buy baking soda and bake it in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. You should see no more steam rising from the top of the soda before calling it done. Then cool and store in air tight container.

 

[Dahila]

Grease washes off with pure CO

 

[Stacie]

So about this grating of 100%CO soap....I used my food processor and killed the thing. Surely you're not doing this by hand....

 

[Obsidian]

A cheese grater works really well, so does a salad shooter. I think you'd use the food processor to powder the already grated soap. I use this recipe for laundry soap, next batch I will use 100% coconut soap though instead of the Fels Naptha
http://www.budget101.com/myo-household-items/whipped-cream-super-laundry-soap-3993.html

 

[Stacie]

So you do grate it by hand with a cheese grater? I was using the grating disc in the food processor. I've heard of a salad shooter, but now that I'm trying to picture it I realize I have no idea what it actually does. <going to google>