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About the homemade laundry detergent

moonie_57 (8 NC)

12 years ago

I made a batch of it yesterday, then I got to thinking.... (shouldn't do that LOL) ....on both boxes of the washing soda and the borax, it states to use 1/2 cup in addition to regular laundry detergent. So I'm left wondering how only a cup of washing soda in so many gallons of the homemade recipe could possibly clean properly.

Hmmm...

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Comments (9)

Jasdip
12 years ago
I don't know but it does! It's also a great carpet-cleaner.
moonie_57 (8 NC)
Original Author
12 years ago
As a spot treatment or do you use it in a machine? With the dogs, I clean my carpets regularly.

I'm hoping to not have a problem with DH concerning the detergent because he does the majority of the laundry. The way he determines if he has enough detergent is by the suds. I've already explained -that- to him.

Today has been fun stirring my brew. I really should get a life! LOL
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@ kellycrash What is your goal in making your own laundry soap? Is it due to cost? Control of ingredients? Environmental concerns? Before using and promoting a homemade laundry detergent recipe, do you fully understand the role each ingredient plays? What is the hardness of your water? Do you understand how soap interacts with hard water, and the mess it can make in your machine? Do you know the final alkalinity of the wash solution and how that may or may not affect corrosion of your spider assembly? Soap flakes will create soap scum when combined with hard water. This will stick to your clothes, but what's even worse is that it will coat the inside of your machine and get you well on your way towards a mold/mildew/odor problem. Washing soda is a precipitating water softener, so again if you have hard water this is going to cause a white, powdery residue to coat your clothes and washer parts. Alkalinity is a well known enemy of the aluminum spider assembly at the rear of all front load washer drums. Particularly alkaline wash solutions may need the addition of sodium metasilicate or similar product to protect your spider from corrosion. If the soap does not rinse away properly, or you use ingredients that form a precipitate, this will coat your spider with possibly alkaline products, significantly accelerating corrosion and reducing the life of your machine. While homemade laundry soap or detergent may be a frugal person's fantasy, it's a "cheap at any cost" solution. If you don't know the long term effects of what you are putting into your machine, your frugal fantasy may end up costing you thousands of dollars down the line for a new machine or to replace ruined clothes. We have so many good detergents on the market today, most researched and formulated by people who are degreed, trained chemists. Why would we want to turn back the clock and use something in our machines that product science has rendered obsolete? It's almost like saying "hey, don't use your washing machine - use this washboard instead." Personally, I prefer benefitting from modern research and science versus turning back the clock and using ingredients that were prevalent in the 1800s. But that's just me. My personal opinion: stay away from this stuff unless you know exactly what you're doing.
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I don't understand the desire to have suds. Normally, the desire is to get rid of suds. The tiny bubbles don't do any cleaning. They're not in the water with the clothes, they're just bouncing around looking for some mischief to get into. I'd be happy there's no suds and if you're getting good cleaning results at a good price, you've got a good formula for your needs.
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I found using homemade laundry detergent more expensive than Charlie's, and it didn't do as good a job. I eventually purchased the 5-gallon bucket, which cost me approx. 9-cents a load, about a year ago after using two of the 80-load bags. I was adding Cascade (dish washing powder - for it's enzymes) and Oxy Clean to the dry version to improve the cleaning action of the homemade detergent, and used 2-3 T. of the powder for a load of laundry. I also used either fabric softener or vinegar in the rinse because the clothing was stiff when line-dried - which equals even MORE expense. Now all I use is a tablespoon (or less) of Charlie's and I use vinegar in the rinse of the kitchen towels and the bath towels only, and probably don't even need it in them. I hang my laundry to dry either indoors or outdoors and the laundry is softer just using Charlie's than it was using homemade concoctions AND softener. So take into account ALL your laundry products that you use, not just the homemade detergent. With Charlie's, you may be able to eliminate everything else that you are using. -Grainlady
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Over the years I have been making this I have made 14 batches of it. I have given a lot of it away to my family. I have always used Fels Naptha and I grate it with my food processor, much easier that way and it will melt quicker if you put the grated soap in the hot water and let it set for a bit before stirring it. Don't leave it on a burner. I am planning on making some more really soon. I don't dilute the soap after I take it out of the five gallon bucket, I just use less in my washing machine. No need to have water stored with soap any more than you have to. Thanks Jasdip for the recipe. Sue
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Jasdip
12 years ago
Don't feel weird for enjoying stirring your brew. I like making the detergent too! I wear rubber gloves and squish the gel too.

I use it as a spot cleaner; with 3 cats, 2 are regular fur-ball regurgitators. Bud is the "good son" he has never horked a fur ball or had any kind of cat-yak.
Jodi_SoCal
12 years ago
Could someone post the link to the recipe? Thanks.

Jodi-
OklaMoni
12 years ago
HOMEMADE LIQUID LAUNDRY DETERGENT

4 cups hot water
1 Ivory or Sunlight bar soap
1 cup washing soda
1/2 cup Borax

Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan of hot water. Stir constantly over medium-low heat until soap is all melted. Fill a 5-gallon pail 1/2 full of hot water. Add melted soap, washing soda and borax. Stir well until the powder is dissolved.
Fill bucket with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight. The next morning the pail will be all gelled and very thick. Stir with a stick to break it up. Fill a laundry jug half-full of the detergent, and top with more water.
Shake before each use.

Use 1/2 cup for top-load machines, and 1/4 for front-load.

Use the thickened, undiluted soap as a pre-treater.
Marilyn Sue McClintock
12 years ago
I use Fels Naptha soap and grate it with my food processor and I do not add any more water than what is in the five gallon bucket, then I use half the amount of the called for detergent, instead of a half cup, I would use a fourth cup. I have made many gallons of the stuff.

Sue
Jasdip
12 years ago
Moni posted my original recipe which calls for Sunlight laundry soap which is available here in Canada. Fels Naptha and Zote are popular substitutes in the US.

Some people don't know what the Arm and Hammer washing soda looks like. In the US it's in a yellow box, here in Canada it's a very colourful blue, and yellow and white box.
moonie_57 (8 NC)
Original Author
12 years ago
jasdip - I used it on a carpet spot in GS's bedroom and it did a perfect job! Also cleaned a tiny spot on the side of DH's recliner and it looks good. I'll clean the whole spot now.

Thanks!

BTW... I used the lever 2000 bar soap.
User
12 years ago
Jasdip, "horked a fur ball" Oh geez you are funny. I get it. It's the sound they make right?

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