Laundry powder

[PippiL]

I decided to take on laundry powder.
Just a few questions.
I will research more tonight.....
What is important when making the soap.No SF,what kind of oils ( lard,coconut)?No coloring, does the soap has to cure like we usually do?
How about HE machines, like I have? Ratios?
Thank you, maybe if you have tutorials on here?
:shifty:

 

[Seifenblasen]

Most people either use a straight coconut soap or soap high in coconut and/or lard for laundry soap with no superfat to 1 - 2% max. It doesn't have to cure for a long time, but at least till there is no zap.

Anne Marie tested her recipes with HE (about 2 tablespoons per load) and they all worked OK. I have been using a modified version (1 cup shredded soap, 1 cup borax, 2 cups washing soda, 1/2 cup oxyclean) using my blotched soaps (and sometimes trimmings) for about 6 months now, so far so good.

http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/home-crafts/three-diy-laundry-soap-recipes/

 

[Lindy]

Actually the best laundry soap is lye heavy as it increases the cleansing. You don't want any free-floating oils in your laundry or you are defeating the purpose of washing. Borax is important as is washing soda. Oxyclean is a nice addition but I would prefer baking soda and citric acid....

 

[DeeAnna]

I have been using 50% lard, 50% coconut with a 3% lye discount. (Maybe when I get more confidence and experience, I'll try a lower discount.) I have done stovetop HP and CPOP. A day or so after the soap is made -- while it's still soft -- I shred it with my food processor, then roughly mix the shreds with equal parts by weight of baking soda, borax, and washing soda.

I use the blade in my food processor to powder the grated soap with the other ingredients until the soap is a powder -- the texture I'm going for is like coarse cornmeal. I include the other ingredients with the soap in the processor bowl to keep the soap from softening and "mooshing" together rather than turning into a powder. (Found that tip out the hard way.)

I use about 2 tablespoons of this mix for a typical medium load and 3 tablespoons for a dirty or large load. I have a top loading HE washer, and I almost always use cold water. Because the soap is so finely ground, I haven't had any problems with it dissolving quickly and rinsing out properly.

I got curious about the other ingredients -- what do they contribute to the party? You'll find recipes that do have baking soda, and others that don't, for example. Given the many variations on this theme, it's obvious that there are many opinions about what makes a good laundry soap mix. Here's what I concluded:

Baking powder is a fabric softener, secondary water softener, and pH buffer. Its pH is slightly above 7.
Borax whitens, cleans, and deodorizes. Its pH is about 9.5.
Washing soda is the primary water softener. It whitens and degreases. Its ph is about 11.

A lot of people, like Siefenblasen, also add oxiclean to the mix. I have seen some recipes that include the citric acid that Lindy mentioned, but not as many. I add oxiclean separately as needed -- that's just my preference.

Oh, and I stumbled across some inexpensive plastic shot glasses at Walmart -- a dozen for under $2. A shot is about 2 TBL, so they make great scoops and reduce the temptation to add too much soap to the load. A little condiment cup scrounged from the local burger joint would work too.

Pet peeve -- I hate the big caps that commercial laundry detergent comes in!!! I am convinced they are cleverly designed to make the consumer use way too much expensive detergent. :x

 

[Kansas Farm Girl]

I made 0% SF lard soap for use in my laundry soap, with washing soda and borax. I added baking soda to the second batch. I have added BS to my laundry for yrs so it was just natural. I mixed it into my soap. I like liquidy soap, not powder so melt this all in water. I have been using this for about a year now and cannot ever see myself buying commercial laundry detergent again. I have seen a recipe to mix the oils, lye, water, sodas and borax together to make the soap as one process rather than making a batch then grating it up to mix with the rest of the ingredients. I have not tried that yet, but that is the plan for the next batch. Using coconut oil, maybe some lard since I have a plethora of lard.

 

[sweethavenarts]

My vote I to make a small batch what ever you try. A fair bit of laundry soap had to be given away when I discovered I've got some sort of sensitivity to borax.

 

[whitetulips]

I've been using 1 cup Borax, 1 cup Arm and Hammer washing soda, 1 finely ground bar of Fels Naptha and mixing it together. I use 2 Tbsp. per load in my HE washer. I really like a fragrance, so I added some in this last batch. I prefer the powder soap over making it into a liquid because it rinses out of the soap dispenser in my washer better.

 

[CaliChan]

I've been using my lye heavy soaps for my laundry mixed with borax, washing soda and baking soda.

 

[whitetulips]

I have to try to make some CP soap. The Fels Naptha really gets grease stains out well.

 

[houseofwool]

I've been making a soap with a 1% sf, 1 lb of lard and 8 oz of coconut oil. I shred it after it is cured, but I've found the center is still a bit gummy, so I leave the shreds sit out for a day or two to harden up and then whiz it up in a food processor to get that fine cornmeal texture. then I mix in the washing soda and borax. I've had great luck with it and my clothes are looking great. I will never go back to commercial laundry detergent. I really dislike it when my mom or the ex wash the kids' clothes at their houses because it takes several cycles for the artificial perfumes to wash out. UGH.

 

[rosevalleygirl]

Laundry powder was the primary reason I started making soap!

I usually make 100% lard soap, no sf. I've also used whatever odds and ends I have around. I mix 1 part soap with 2 parts borax and 2 parts washing soda and some lavender eo.

I use a heaping tablespoon directly into the tub (I have a front loader), with a swig of vinegar in the softener compartment. I stopped using the powder in the dispenser this year due to buildup.

I've just been finely grating the soap, but I think I'll try to pulse it in the food processor. I'll never buy commercial laundry detergent again.

It doesn't use soap, but I also make dishwasher detergent.

from http://www.ourhomemadehappiness.com
Homemade Dishwasher Detergent for Hard Water:
1/2 pound Citric Acid
1 cup Borax
1 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Kosher Salt

Combine borax, washing soda, and kosher salt. Keep citric acid separate. Use 1 teaspoon citric acid and 1 tablespoon borax/washing soda/kosher salt mixture per load. You put the mix in the covered container and the citric acid in the open container.

I also put vinegar in the rinse aid department.

You have to keep the powders separate so that it doesn't harden into a brick. I've heard of people mixing them up and dividing into ice cube trays. It hardens and you can use them like a the pellets.

 

[PippiL]

Thank you so much for all the great info.I can't wait to try it.

 

[melstan775]

Any recipes for an unscented laundry bar? I absolutely loathe the smell of Fels Naptha.

 

[siobhan1011]

It's hard to get hold of borax now in the UK so I use a soap recipe that I've posted before I will post it here again if it is wanted later as I'm in my phone right now. I use half a kilo of baking soda or bicarbonate of soda as it is also known as, plus a kilo of soda crystals also known as washing soda or soda ash. I grated one sixth of the soap then put it all in a food processor to get a powder. A normal dose is two tablespoons but I use four as I have a 9kg drum machine.

 

[MaitriBB]

I use 1 cup of borax and 1 cup of washing soda for each bar of my own CP soap that I grate up. I recently grated up almost a whole batch of coffee-scented soap where the GM went flooey on me and burnt, so now our clothes smell like coffee, but in a good way I should add baking soda also though, good to know for next time. Right now I've got half of a 5-gallon bucket filled with the coffee stuff.

 

[Ruthie]

So--- does anyone have any problems when they have used 5% superfat for laundry? I'm using 1% I made for that purpose, but have some "flooey" bars (as Maitri calls them) that I'd just as soon NOT rebatch.... I'm guessing it works OK, but had to ask to be sure.

 

[siobhan1011]

I found the video I posted before, and the recipe from that is
12oz coconut oil
12oz lard
7.5oz soybean oil
5oz lye
11.9oz water

 

[DeeAnna]

My vote I to make a small batch what ever you try. A fair bit of laundry soap had to be given away when I discovered I've got some sort of sensitivity to borax.

Bummer! I suspect you might get a decent product if you leave the borax out. But you make a very good point about trying a small batch first.

 

[lizflowers42]

Any recipes for an unscented laundry bar? I absolutely loathe the smell of Fels Naptha.

I'm going to be a smarty here, excuse me in advance, Mel!

Make cp/hp/cpop as usual, skipping the step where you add in any fragrance at trace. Aaaaaaaaand done

Seriously though, buy some vegetable shortening, plug it in soap calc with 0%sf and you are good to go.

 

[siobhan1011]

Bummer! I suspect you might get a decent product if you leave the borax out. But you make a very good point about trying a small batch first.

I've not used borax because I can't get hold of it here. I have been very happy with the results I have had with the recipe I found, in fact I my white towels have not been so white since they were first bought . I use a scoop of the oxyclean crystal white, with my whites and normal cheap generic oxy powder in my colours, but then I always have.