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.

dudleyfuddpucker, Im not here to argue any facts with you but I must respond to your comments. I'm not sure you read my ENTIRE post ... what I wrote was: There is a great website, Healthy Child Healthy World, which contains some great information. I pulled this from their site re: fabric softeners: According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and industry-generated Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) from the 1990s Is it only clear to me that Im referencing the HCHW site?? (I said I pulled this from THEIR site) The fact that you would compare Healthy Child Healthy World or the Environmental Working Group to a "Craigslist posting" shows you have no knowledge whatsoever of them or their work. They are legitimate organizations staffed with scientists, doctors, engineers, CEOs, etc and they do reference specific studies (but youd actually have to go to the site and read it). I pulled this from the EWG site: EWG's ground-breaking January 2010 report, Off the Books, documented that a loophole in the toxics control law has permitted industry to keep secret more than 17,000 chemicals. The report prompted a front-page story in the Washington Post and spurred the Environmental Protection Agency to begin denying some confidentiality claims. Regulators in 13 states asked Congress to crack down on excessive secrecy. EWG senior scientist David Andrews briefed Congressional and EPA officials. And for the record, no where did I write that YOU stuck your head in the sand. I think I was also pretty clear that it is up to individuals to make up their own minds (I assume the readers of this forum are intelligent enough to read and make their own decisions). This is why I posted links to the sites for them to read if they choose. I believe I said do your "do diligence" and read. Too many people sit back and say, "they sell it so it must be safe" or "the MSDS says its safe". I think history has shown that "they" dont always know if something is safe. Take flame retardants as just ONE example. Different chemicals were approved for use and then years later were deemed unsafe and taken off the market (after they doused children's sleepwear and clothes with them). The US is now taking action to remove Deca-BDE from the market as it can potentially cause cancer and may impact brain function (please see my link if youre interested in reading FACT not fiction). You are fooled if you think every one of the chemicals in use today has been tested for safety. Even if it has been tested, they do not test the safety of the chemicals in combination with each other. Nuf said, make up your own mind.

Mara I quit using FS on my towels about a year ago when I began to notice the stale smell in them. In fact, I haven't used FS on anything now for several months, I have been using vinegar instead and have had great results. I think the towels are maybe starting to show some improvement. Maybe it's just taking this long to get all the built up detergent out of them, but at least they are smelling a whole lot better. TSP is Trisodium Phosphate. I given a link at the bottom for info. I have heard of it and plan on getting some to use with the Charlie's, but I'm not sure how much to use. I just thought the recipe I came upon for the homemade FS was interesting and was wondering if anyone had ever tried it. The only things I might ever use FS on again would be some of our fleece items like my robe and a couple throws we use now in the winter. They seem to get pretty static-y. But I will use it very sparingly and Very diluted if I do decide to use it. Janet Here is a link that might be useful: Scroll Down for TSP info

Vinegar is a good fabric softener by itself (use white vinegar) and it's also an excellent odor remover. When vinegar dries the smell is gone. Back when I used to use softener, I'd I started to dilute the softener, put it in a spray bottle and use a washcloth rather than use dryer sheets. Give it a couple sprays and toss it in the dryer. But since I learned to not overdry the clothes, static isn't an issue of any consequence and half a dozen dryer balls fluff and soften towels, jeans and the like. Plus not overdosing with detergent makes a big difference too. I'm getting more and more sensitive to chemical smells. I get a headache going down a laundry aisle these days. Then there's the ones who are in competition with themselves... the smell from the laundry, then they marinate in cheap perfume or cologne, then add a powerful hairspray and deodorant to top it off!