Laundry soap
- Thread starter Neve
- Start date
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"...Well I made it at 0% and it's hard as a rock and now in the cupboard to cure...."
Neve -- If you're wanting to make a dry powder laundry soap, I'd grate the soap NOW while it is as fresh as possible. If you let it dry out, even for a few days, it will be a serious chore if you're grating by hand.
If you also want to turn the soap into a fine, faster-dissolving powder (best for cold water loads or HE machines), you also want to work with fresh soap for the best results. I don't know how to manage this if working only with hand tools -- I use a food processor. First, I grate all of the soap with the grating blade. I do small batches so the soap doesn't pack into the processor bowl. I want the soap in the bowl to stay as loose, fluffy, and cool as possible. I spread the grated soap into a large pan as I work, so it can cool off more and remain loose and fluffy.
When all is grated, I switch over to the sharp chopping/mixing blade. For every batch, I put a handful of grated soap and a handful of one of your powders (the washing soda, for example) into the processor bowl and process until the whole thing is a fairly fine powder. The largest particles should be no more than about 1/16" (1 mm) across. I process about 30-40 seconds per batch.
Tip: If the soap mixture starts to get too warm in the processor bowl, it will clump up, not break down. To solve that problem, use less soap and more powder per batch. The soap must stay loose and powdery to break down properly.
Tip: Don't make the batches too large or the processor won't break the soap up fine enough. (Found that out the hard way.)
Neve -- If you're wanting to make a dry powder laundry soap, I'd grate the soap NOW while it is as fresh as possible. If you let it dry out, even for a few days, it will be a serious chore if you're grating by hand.
If you also want to turn the soap into a fine, faster-dissolving powder (best for cold water loads or HE machines), you also want to work with fresh soap for the best results. I don't know how to manage this if working only with hand tools -- I use a food processor. First, I grate all of the soap with the grating blade. I do small batches so the soap doesn't pack into the processor bowl. I want the soap in the bowl to stay as loose, fluffy, and cool as possible. I spread the grated soap into a large pan as I work, so it can cool off more and remain loose and fluffy.
When all is grated, I switch over to the sharp chopping/mixing blade. For every batch, I put a handful of grated soap and a handful of one of your powders (the washing soda, for example) into the processor bowl and process until the whole thing is a fairly fine powder. The largest particles should be no more than about 1/16" (1 mm) across. I process about 30-40 seconds per batch.
Tip: If the soap mixture starts to get too warm in the processor bowl, it will clump up, not break down. To solve that problem, use less soap and more powder per batch. The soap must stay loose and powdery to break down properly.
Tip: Don't make the batches too large or the processor won't break the soap up fine enough. (Found that out the hard way.)
Last edited:
cdmusic68
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Just a tip... There is debate over the safety of borax, so I don't really like to use it. I DO use the BABY oxi-clean instead, because it is just sodium carbonate (washing soda)
and sodium carbonate peroxide.
So my laundry recipe looks like this:
4 parts grated soap - whatever I am using at the moment
2 part washing soda
1 part baby oxi clean
1 part baking soda
It works for us!
and sodium carbonate peroxide.
So my laundry recipe looks like this:
4 parts grated soap - whatever I am using at the moment
2 part washing soda
1 part baby oxi clean
1 part baking soda
It works for us!
Unfortunately I don't have a food processor and I'm trying to grate it by hand and it's taking forever 
I am wondering if all this effort is even worth it.
I've grated two blocks and it doesn't seen to have made very much. I can only do a little at a time. I didn't have a chance to do it when the soap was fresh.
I am wondering if all this effort is even worth it. I've grated two blocks and it doesn't seen to have made very much. I can only do a little at a time. I didn't have a chance to do it when the soap was fresh.
I'm afraid the best time to grate laundry soap is pretty much the day after you make it. I don't know if you saw my post on 1/9 with caution about this issue.
I made the mistake of waiting 3 days and paid for waiting only that long. After almost 4 weeks of cure ... yep, it's going to be awfully difficult to grate. I don't have a good solution for this particular batch, but maybe others will chime in. Next batch ... save yourself a lot of grief and don't wait! I understand about time crunches myself, but I don't know of a way to get around this issue other than do the grating when the time is right.
I made the mistake of waiting 3 days and paid for waiting only that long. After almost 4 weeks of cure ... yep, it's going to be awfully difficult to grate. I don't have a good solution for this particular batch, but maybe others will chime in. Next batch ... save yourself a lot of grief and don't wait!
I understand about time crunches myself, but I don't know of a way to get around this issue other than do the grating when the time is right.
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Dahila
Well-Known Member
this ^^^ is what I do, crate the soap two days after making it, then mix with borax and washing soda, I have a front loader. Before I add it to washer I dissolve in a bit of hot water with the milk frother. I am using it for over two years. Some vinegar as fabric softener
kchaystack
Supporting Member
If you are in the US, I would hit up your local thrift store and look for a salad shooter or a food processor. I have seen the salad shooters for $5.
Neve- If you live in the US, thrift stores often have "Salad Shooters" for sale for just a little bit. $1-$2 at mine. They grate soap just fine. I picked one up the last time I was in town, and grated some ugly soap up to give me something to kick start liquid soap. Works better than the food processor for grating IMHO.
I knew y'all would come through with good ideas!
I haven't tried a salad shooter for grating, but I do grate the soap first, then turn it into a fine powder. I'm not sure what I'd use to break the soap into a powder except for a food processor or possibly a blender. Don't think a salad shooter would go there.
I haven't tried a salad shooter for grating, but I do grate the soap first, then turn it into a fine powder. I'm not sure what I'd use to break the soap into a powder except for a food processor or possibly a blender. Don't think a salad shooter would go there.
Unfortunately I missed the post about grating fresh cos I didn't log in for a week or so I saw it last week and started grating but it was too late.
No I don't live in the US we only have one thrift store and it's not very big.
So yeah it's all very painful and I'm not sure how many loads I will get from 2lb of soap?
I saw it last week and started grating but it was too late. No I don't live in the US we only have one thrift store and it's not very big.
So yeah it's all very painful and I'm not sure how many loads I will get from 2lb of soap?
About 2 tablespoons of mix weighs about 25 grams, and that's plenty enough for one light to moderately dirty load. My recipe makes 2000 grams of soap mix (1000 g of actual soap, 1000 g of washing soda), so it will do 80 loads. For my 2-person household, that's, oh, maybe about 4 months of laundry. Other people include borax and/or baking soda in their laundry mix and that gives you even more loads per batch of soap.
Dahila
Well-Known Member
3 pounds of oils gave me enough soap with addition of washing soda (2 c of soap, 1 cup of washing soda, 1 c of borax, and a1/2c of oxiclean) gave me enough for probably a year (2 people)
it is the cheapest possible and very good detergent)
it is the cheapest possible and very good detergent
)
I used to make my laundry soap w borax and such as well as washing soda. After doing some research, I decided to try a 50:50 washing soda and soap version to see how that did. I add oxyclean separately as needed. I think I'm getting a little better results -- whites seem to be whiter anyways -- but I have the rest of this batch to use up before I decide for sure.
Dahila
Well-Known Member
I thought about eliminating borax but I do have hard water in my city and front loader. but I could try your way DeeAnna , it is always a pleasure to read your posts
I bet , when my son visit me he will take half of my detergent When he uses that and home made soaps his eczema seems no to bother him so much
I bet , when my son visit me he will take half of my detergent
When he uses that and home made soaps his eczema seems no to bother him so much
Other recent threads on using sodium citrate in soap for hard water are making me think about other options to borax. Maybe we should look more into about using sodium citrate or other chelators when making laundry soap -- in addition to or in place of borax. People who use commercial soaps in their laundry soap mixes don't have the option to use sodium citrate, etc., but we soapmakers do.
My water is softened, so I don't have as much problem with hard water scum as others do, so that's a difference between my situation and yours.
My water is softened, so I don't have as much problem with hard water scum as others do, so that's a difference between my situation and yours.
I am please to report that a tiny chunk of this soap did an amazing job on baby poop that a commercial bar wasn't getting off. Hand washing in the sink.
I started using the grated soap with washing soda for other three loads of laundry. I haven't inspected them but I think they will be good too. I'll check for poop marks tomorrow.
I started using the grated soap with washing soda for other three loads of laundry. I haven't inspected them but I think they will be good too. I'll check for poop marks tomorrow.
I used the food processor with the grating blade with good results. I used it on well cured soaps that I put into the freezer for an hour or so before grating
