Stinky Laundry Soap

[mrs_junn]

Hi everyone, yet another question! A few weeks ago I made some 1% SF HP soap with just CO for laundry soap. I know to pour it in the molds, let it solidify for a few hours then cut it and grind it, but when I did it smelled AWFUL. I thought if I let it sit out after grinding all the washing powder into it that the smell would dissipate, but it really hasn't. I added a few essential oils (lemon and vanilla) to see if that helped. No dice.
Yesterday I decided to take the plunge and use it anyways. I put some in the washer (3tbsp or a little less) and when the clothes came out, they smelled like a cross between sulfur and dog wee. It was absolutely horrid. I had to rewash the clothes with store bought detergent and softener, and use color-safe bleach to make sure the ungodly smell was washed out. What have I done wrong?? This is the same recipe, with modifications as far as percentages go, that I use for body soap and that smells just fine! Should I be scenting my soap before I mold it? Should I have let it cure a few days after cutting before grinding (food processor)? Please help, I'd hate to throw out this soap!:sad::?:

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Was anything used in the process that might have a scent or something from before?

 

[Susie]

If you could post your whole recipe(including amount of NaOH and water), with your process, we could troubleshoot from the beginning.

 

[DeeAnna]

Did the coconut oil itself have a smell before you used it in soap? A deodorized CO should have only a faint, reasonably pleasant odor, nothing rank or strong. Non deodorized CO should smell nice too -- like fresh coconut meat.

I wouldn't expect a CO soap to have a nasty lingering smell unless the CO itself was rancid.

Only other thing that comes to mind is the liquid phase -- if you used something other than distilled water to make your lye solution.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

......life sulfur and dog wee.........

 

[Saponista]

I found my drains started to smell of sulfur when I used CO laundry detergent, but it didn't ever smell bad before use. The whole kitchen used to smell when the machine did it's rinse cycle. I switched to lard instead and the problem went away. It sounds like your CO may have been off before you made it into soap.

 

[mrs_junn]

CO- 33.7oz
H2O- 14.0oz
NaOH- 6.0oz

Followed HP 'rules' (heat up the CO to melting, put it in the crock pot, in a separate jar mix NaOH and water, pour into CO when it's clear, use stick blender to bring to trace, let cook for 30-40 min, zap check, pour into mold).

The CO didn't smell before I used it, just kind of smelled like coconuts. It's the organic stuff from Sam's I get in 'bulk'. Cooked it in the slow cooker, then poured it into the molds, cutting it a short time later. The water I used is actually the 16.9oz bottled water, not distilled-is that my mess up? I figured bottled water was fine...

And EG-I literally laughed out loud at the last comment, I certainly didn't use either of those Are you sure your name isn't The Facetious Gentleman? lol

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Even if it was mineral water, would there be enough minerals to cause an issue?

 

[mrs_junn]

I didn't think it would, but I'm certainly not an expert by any means. The newest batch of laundry soap I made using a different batch of soap (same recipe) made with the same EO's.....well I just opened it and the closest thing I can relate it to is crabmeat. Which, with the lemon oil in it, actually smells good. For food. Not for soap. :/

 

[Dorymae]

This is very strange. I use 100% coconut oil soap in my laundry mix and have never encountered a bad smell from it even after storing it over a year.

I wonder if you added something to the mix that is reacting badly. I only add washing soda, borax, and table salt. Could it be a mineral salt added? Or maybe something in the fragrance?

DeeAnna, can you think of anything that when mixed with lye would give off a sulfur like smell? Maybe saponification wasn't complete and something reacted with some free lye?

Op- did you unmold this onto aluminum of any kind?

 

[mrs_junn]

I didn't use anything with aluminum in it that I can pinpoint offhand, I believe the soap cutter is stainless. I added Arm & Hammer washing soda, nothing else. Storing it in glass jars. Added lemon essential oils after I ground it all up (which in hindsight I should have added it to the soap before molding I suppose).

 

[biarine]

I did before when I try an experiment I use blackcurrant tea and I did not freeze the tea when I add the sodium hydroxide it smell sulphuric.

 

[Susie]

I didn't think it would, but I'm certainly not an expert by any means. The newest batch of laundry soap I made using a different batch of soap (same recipe) made with the same EO's.....well I just opened it and the closest thing I can relate it to is crabmeat. Which, with the lemon oil in it, actually smells good. For food. Not for soap. :/

Specifically which EO did you use? Brands can be wildly different, but it sounds like your EO is not a pure EO.

 

[DeeAnna]

Gosh, I'm coming up without a clue. Totally stumped.... :???:

 

[mrs_junn]

I used the NOW brand EO from my local health food store. I'm stumped as well. Two batches nearly ruined, not sure what to use them for now. On a good note, thanks to Susie, my liquid soap made with the RIGHT olive oil this time turned out fabulously! I have come away from the laundry soap thus far with my tail between my legs, but I will try again when i get a chance.

 

[Susie]

Which EOs did you use? I have my suspicions, as I have had an issue with one of theirs before. Please note that I have purchased probably 25-30 bottles of Now EOs with ONE bottle that caused issues. So, I am not talking bad about that brand, just one bottle.

 

[mrs_junn]

Which EOs did you use? I have my suspicions, as I have had an issue with one of theirs before. Please note that I have purchased probably 25-30 bottles of Now EOs with ONE bottle that caused issues. So, I am not talking bad about that brand, just one bottle.

I used the lemon and a bit of the vanilla EO. The vanilla I don't think was pure EO per se, it looked to be some kind of percentage, an infusion maybe?

 

[Susie]

The lemon is what I had that smelled funky, also. But the vanilla is not pure EO. I went to their website to be sure:

http://www.nowfoods.com/Products/Pr...apy/Pures/?cat=Aromatherapy&cat2=Pures&page=2

I have used other lemon EO that did not smell like that. I don't know what it is about theirs, but don't judge all lemon EO by how the Now brand smells.

 

[mrs_junn]

So glad the 16oz bottle I bought the other day wasn't NOW brand then! I wonder if there's any way to salvage it, or use the soap for something else? Dishwasher detergent?