is this the right forum? Need good laundry soap recipie

[Annapooh]

I've heard you can make your own laundry soap. I want to try it, but I need it cheap, and effective for a teen boy and a stain-finding 7-dd. The 7yo also has an exzema problem, not bad right now, but last summer it was AWFUL. Suggestions?

[sammysmammy]

I just made a new batch today,as a matter of fact!!

2/3 bar of Fels Naptha soap

1 Cup washing soda(arm&hammer brand but NOT baking soda,look for it with detergents in some stores)

2 cups Borax

Use 1 Tbs. per load...sometimes if I feel the need,I put a bit of hydrogen peroxide in the washer as it's filling.

[QueenOfTheMeadow]

Moving to Mindful Home Managment.

[LeighB]

I'm needing a good recipe too. Laundry soap is the one thing we can cut back costs.

[leximom]

this site, http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm has the ingredients and the directions too. I usually half it because it makes a ton. It works great

[mrsjtc]

This is how I make mine:

1 bar of soap - I've used Fels Naptha and now am using Dr. Bronner's (If you can find it/afford it, I would recommend it highly) But you can use any soap, I've heard
1 c. washing soda
1 c. borax

Fill a saucepan about halfway with water, add in the shredded soap. Stir until it all dissloves. Pour in the soda and borax, stir until dissolved and bubbly. Fill a clean 5 gallon bucket 3/4 of the way with warm water and pour in the bubbly soap mix. Fill rest of the way with warm water, mix and cover. Let sit overnight, stirring occationally. It might be lumpy but that's fine, just mix it before you scoop it to pour into the laundry. I use a not-all-the-way full 2/3 c. measuring cup for my top loader. for front loaders, use 1/4c.

[Whistler]

I have been making my own laundry soap recently with similar recipes although I add in some baking soda to make it gentler.

I put a tutorial on my blog here: http://whistlererin.blogspot.com/200...ndry-soap.html

It's amazing how much cheaper it is!

[stormborn]

I use the one leximom posted but with a full bar of ivory soap instead of the fels naptha. It works great on diapers as well as dd's mud/grass stains.

[Dakota's Mom]

I buy mine from Pudleluk on etsy. It gets out stains that have been set in for years. Not all of them, but a lot. I was so surprised the first time I used it. I never expected it to be so good. I would make my own but I don't think the arthritus would allow for gratin all the soap. Anyway, Pudleluks is a powder soap. I just add 1 tablespoon as I'm filling the washer. Then put the clothes in. Can't say enough about this stuff.

Kathi

[PGTlatte]

I think I'm going to try this as a way to use up old slivers of bar soap.

But, I'm going to try it a bit differently....

I don't want to make a big container of liquid soap.

I don't want to have to grate the soap to a fine powder. I want to melt it.

So....

I am going to chop my soap slivers and then melt them in hot water on the stove to make a soap solution, let it cool, and store it in a mason jar.

I am going to mix equal parts of borax, washing soda, and baking soda and store them in a different mason jar.

Then, I will experiment with how much of the dry mix and how much of the soap solution to add to each load.

[Dakota's Mom]

I don't see why that shouldn't work. Sounds much easier than grating all that soap. That is the main reason I buy mine instead of making it myself. I have arthritus that just would not let me grate that much soap. I have heard of people using a food processor to do it. Just remember that you want pure soap and not a detergent bar type thing. Also you only use a tablespoon for a load.

Kathi

[PGTlatte]

Most of my soap slivers are leftovers of soap from Mountain Rose - either Cathy's Family or Simmons....some Dr. Bronners bars too...and I hate for such nice soap to go to waste when it's too small to hold on to in the shower. There will be a few slivers of my DH's leftover Zest in there too though !

I was thinking no more than a tbsp per load for just the dry chemicals, because when I read the liquid recipe, there is a LOT of dilution there.