To those of you who have been using these "home made" detergents, are you experiencing any odor, mold or mildew issues? The reason I ask is because castile soap builds up into a gooopy, gel-like gunk if not properly rinsed. This could potentially cause problems in washers. Every home-made product I've tried - from detergent to fabric softener - has proven unsatisfactory. Either the products don't clean well, they risk building up in my machine or on my clothes or they just don't work. Price is not the only consideration, which is what appears to be driving this homemade laundry movement.

I actively avoid buying antibacterial hand soaps & other products. It is very hard to find hand soaps that are NOT antibacterial but there is one I like from WalMart. I believe those antibacterial products are a marketing gimmick playing on our collective fear of dirt and germs. Instead of recognizing that some exposure to dirt and germs is just fine and may actually boost our immune systems, we try to annihilate the germs. Antibacterial soaps do not clean your hands any better than regular soap, and they have the potential to increase the problem of bacteria resistance. See the link attached http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2007/11/13/the-case-against-antibacterial-soap/ So I say, use one soap for both and don't worry about finding the antibacterial stuff. Anita

This is an interesting thread. I use Seventh Generation Free & Clear and am pleased with it. I can't stand scented things, though I have no allergies, it's just a pet peeve. Like Brencbg said, why would anyone want perfume in their dish soap. I recently had my stone tile floors professionally cleaned and polished (they are 24 years old, and the grout had 24 years of dirt in it). The company instructed me that I should clean the floor mostly with just water and a sponge, but if I had to use soap, use an unscented dishwashing liquid. When I showed him my bottle of Seventh Generation, he said I couldn't use it on the stone tile because it has citric acid in it and would etch the stone. I looked on the ingredient label, and yup, there was citric acid. Who knew? He recommended the Dawn Pure Essentials that was mentioned above. When this bottle of Seventh Generation is finished, I will give the Dawn Pure Essentials a try, but sigh, I do like my Seventh Generation DW liquid.

I refuse to use a consultant or become a consultant. Prices are always higher because that is how consultants make a few bucks. These ‘work from home’ consultants are everywhere today. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t end up losing more 💰 hosting than earning. They show you photos of strangers earning big money, yet have you ever personally had a close Trustworthy friend who made it big with hosting home parties? Remember Amway? MLM corps are known for making the founders and executives rich, NOT the consultants. Pease do your research beforehand. You’ll see the lawsuits, women feeling pressured, Ripped-off, etc... Also, years ago I stopped attending these home parties because I only made ‘guilty purchases’ that cost too much to help out a friend. Only to be asked to host my own home party. 🙄 It‘s like a chain letter that makes gullible people believe good things will happen if I get my friends to do this too. Most of you have been there. I made the, ‘Sorry, I’m so busy excuses’. 🤷‍♀️ On to Laundry... I WAS a fan of Tide, dye free, scent free. However, I didn’t like all the plastic containers or bags going into landfills. I also didn’t like that the ingredients were not Eco-friendly... I wanted more. I care about the safety of my family, nature & recycling. A dear friend showed me how to make homemade detergent with borax. I wasn’t keen about Borax but tried it. Clothing wasn’t completely odor free. Moving on. I saw an ad for TRUE EARTH Laundry sheets. I googled lots of reviews. BTW...If I read any Amazon reviews, I skip to 1-star. Amazon is aware of paid 5-star reviews and working on it. True Earth has good reviews.. I ordered online. It was cheaper coming to me from Canada than Amazon Prime, as I received a discount. I live in Florida, it’s hot and humid here🥵. I wanted a great product for sensitive skin that cleans an active teenager in sports clothing (socks that stand of their own ☠️) at a fair price that is eco- friendly, concentrated with no scent, no plastic and NOTHING goes in the landfill. I had to admit, I was very impressed. It’s been over 6 months and I’ve increased my delivery to over 300+ sheets as True Earth sheets take up very little space . You pick how much you want and how often it’s delivered or stop delivery until you need more.. Customer service is excellent. Best laundry product I’ve ever used and nothing goes in a landfill, it’s delivered in thin, cardboard that is recycled. Happy mom!😁