Laundry soap questions

[kumudini]

I use a powder and add in my EOs in the drawer (at the front where one puts the powder) and it scents the washing very nicely - it doesn't smell like soap, but nicely of mandarin (the scent of the month for our laundry here)

How much EO do you add Gent? I would love to add some in my laundry. I have a cup for softener on the central rotating shaft and a small receptacle on the side for liquid bleach. Which one would be a better place for the EOs in your opinion?
I like the idea for scent of the month.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

How much EO do you add Gent? I would love to add some in my laundry. I have a cup for softener on the central rotating shaft and a small receptacle on the side for liquid bleach. Which one would be a better place for the EOs in your opinion?

I like the idea for scent of the month.

Usually around 10-15 drops depending on the eo. It doesn't have to be much and it can be a good way of using up bottles that are too empty for soaping with

 

[Arimara]

Great thread but now I'm wondering how would one use borax with Dr. Bronner's or any other liquid soap for the matter, assuming that liquid soap wasn't made by them. I'd love to make my own but right now, I want to get a better handle with making soap bars.

 

[MrsSpaceship]

DeeAnna,
I love it when you give your opinionated personal opinion, I learn so much!

 

[babydoll3156]

My recipe is 6 oz of CO
8 oz of borax
8 oz of washing powder
6 c. of boiled distilled water

I boil the water and add the borax, stir until dissolved. Add the grated coconut oil soap, until dissolved, than add the powder. Let set for minimum of 6 hours. Stick blend until whipped. Use one tablespoon per load. It sells for $10 a jar.

I LOVE this soap! My clothes smell so clean! No EO's! But, you can add.;-)

 

[Bamagirl]

My recipe is 6 oz of CO
8 oz of borax
8 oz of washing powder
6 c. of boiled distilled water

I boil the water and add the borax, stir until dissolved. Add the grated coconut oil soap, until dissolved, than add the powder. Let set for minimum of 6 hours. Stick blend until whipped. Use one tablespoon per load. It sells for $10 a jar.

I LOVE this soap! My clothes smell so clean! No EO's! But, you can add.;-)

I've used this recipe before except with Fels Naptha and really liked it. I just didn't feel like I could make a big batch of it and it last (I don't know why I felt like it would be less effective the longer it set, but I did). I really loved that I didn't have to worry about it dissolving.

 

[traderbren]

Great thread but now I'm wondering how would one use borax with Dr. Bronner's or any other liquid soap for the matter,

I have made laundry soap using Dr. Bronner's. All of the tutorials I found specified it needed to be bar soap, which Dr. Bronner's makes but is a bit trickier to find. I haven't seen any recipes for laundry soap using the liquid castile.

 

[pamielynn]

Has anyone noticed any problems with their HE washers after using these homemade recipes over the long term?
I was led to believe that you don't want suds or any kind of cleanser that would leave build-up in them.

 

[afbrat]

Has anyone noticed any problems with their HE washers after using these homemade recipes over the long term?
I was led to believe that you don't want suds or any kind of cleanser that would leave build-up in them.

It won't suds up. I use homemade detergent in my front loader HE machine. I actually have less build up in my washing machine since I started using homemade vs store bought

 

[DeeAnna]

What Afbrat said -- it doesn't suds any more than commercial detergent. I also notice a lot and I do mean a LOT less stinky smell from my washer, so it needs cleaning once in a very long while, rather than quarterly as with commercial detergent.

 

[Susie]

Great thread but now I'm wondering how would one use borax with Dr. Bronner's or any other liquid soap for the matter, assuming that liquid soap wasn't made by them. I'd love to make my own but right now, I want to get a better handle with making soap bars.

I would NOT use borax with Dr. B's. You do not know what effect it would have.

If you can make soap bars, you can make liquid soap. It is no more complicated, and you already have all the equipment, and probably all of the oils. Do avoid reading any books on making liquid soap published before 2010, though, so you don't think it is more complicated than it really is.

When you are ready to make liquid soap, meander over to the liquid and cream soap forum. There are some good discussions going on over there.

 

[Bamagirl]

What Afbrat said -- it doesn't suds any more than commercial detergent. I also notice a lot and I do mean a LOT less stinky smell from my washer, so it needs cleaning once in a very long while, rather than quarterly as with commercial detergent.

I don't have an he washer, but my sister-in-law does and she said the same thing. She said she hardly ever has to use the cleaner on hers since she started using the homemade.

 

[kumudini]

I have a top loader now but I did use my homemade laundry mix in HE before and I agree with DeeAnna and afbrat, the dark soap scum in the detergent compartment forms lot more with store bought stuff than homemade.

 

[Pepsi Girl]

My recipe is 6 oz of CO
8 oz of borax
8 oz of washing powder
6 c. of boiled distilled water

I boil the water and add the borax, stir until dissolved. Add the grated coconut oil soap, until dissolved, than add the powder. Let set for minimum of 6 hours. Stick blend until whipped. Use one tablespoon per load. It sells for $10 a jar.

I LOVE this soap! My clothes smell so clean! No EO's! But, you can add.;-)

By Washing Powder do you mean Washing Soda?

 

[Bamagirl]

Well I made a 16 oz batch of 100% CO soap today and am going to test it as laundry soap. I have also been doing some research here on the forums and may try MikeinPdx cream laundry soap recipe. Has anyone gotten good results from it?

edited to add: Once I started re-reading this, I saw that I need to grate the soap as soon as it hardens. When I grate the fels naptha, I usually just cut it into chunks and put it in a blender and pulverize it until it is tiny, would this work?

 

[DeeAnna]

It might work, but I think Fels Naptha is softer than the high CO soap I make. I'm certain I would have a harder time pulverizing my soap into powder if I did not shred it first. YMMV though....

 

[Seawolfe]

I've waited up to 4 months before grating my soap, but it is easier earlier. I've always hand grated or used the salad shooter, I've heard too many stories about food processors burning out. It's no big deal, I can hand grate a pound in 20 min while watching TV.

 

[dixiedragon]

My soap (30% lard, 70 CO, 0% superfat) was 6 months old when I turned it into laundry soap. I shredded it with my Salad Shooter (I find them for $3 or less at thrift stores, etc.) I measured by weight 100 grams of soap, 100 grams of washing soda and 100 grams of OxyClean, then run it in the food processor. It's not as tiny as commercial laundry stuff, but it's small enough that it dissolves in the washing machine. I tried some in a pre-soak and not all of the bigger bits of soap dissolved until I swished it with my hand a bit. That was in a bucket of cold water.

 

[Bamagirl]

I grated my soap today and then mixed it with an equal amount of washing soda, well almost equal, I was 3 oz shy and was just going to go with it, but when I put the last couple batches of soap shreds in my blender, it clumped, so I had to add some borax. I shredded it with a hand greater and saved half of one bar for a stain stick. I washed a load of clothes and it seemed to do good. Question about the half bar I am going to use for a stain stick though, since I made it yesterday, will I need to let the stain stick cure since I will be using it without gloves?

 

[Seawolfe]

The only way to tell is to try it - I tend to grab the dry end, or hold it with whatever Im rubbing it on, or with, or whatever. Its not uranium - the worst it will do is try out your skin and you will need to rinse well and use lotion after.