homemade detergent w/ lye???

[gourmetphoto]

Does anyone use homemade laundry detergent made with lye soap as an ingriedent on cloth diapers. I was going to make some and was considering using a lye soap. Does anyone have and comments or suggestions on this?

[kickinitbabystyle]

It's not good to use "soap" on CD's because it causes builup and in turn they will repel instead of absorb. IMO it would be a good idea to find a recipe that doesn't have lye in it

[e_roehm23]

I don't think that lye soap would be a good choice either because it is made with lard. Lard of course is extremely oily, which could cause build up on the dipes. Lye soap is also said to be very irritating to the skin. A better ingredient would be fels-naptha. You can probly pick this up in the laundry isle at local grocer. Recipes vary, but what I use is:

1/3 bar fels naptha, finely grated
1 cup arm & hammer washing soda, or sodium bicarbonate
1 cup borax
1/2 cup oxyclean (optional)

[JTA Mom]

Any soap, be it lye soap or fels naptha or Ivory, etc, will cause build up in diapers.

Unless they are prefolds/flats. Then it's okay to use those soaps.

As far as lye soap, unless it's lye heavy (it will feel 'zappy'/tingly when you wash your hands with it), is completely safe. The lye has been used completely up. Saponification is when fat+lye combine. The end result is soap. Most homemade soaps, when made properly and run through a lye calculator, are lye discounted. Meaning there are slightly more fat than lye, so all the lye is 'used up' with the small amount of extra fat being a moisturizer.

Also, not all lye soap is made from lard. You can make soap with all olive oil, all coconut oil, tallow, lard, etc etc.

Ami

[gourmetphoto]

recipe suggestion?

thanks guys!!


Ami.....

If you don't use soap in the detergent....what do you use?

[JTA Mom]

For diapers, I make my own mix:

Equal parts borax, washing soda, and oxiclean (or generic). Works really, really well, even in hard water and in a front loader. I only need a tablespoon or two too. Cleans dh's super stinky gym clothes and socks too. Better than commercial detergents.

Ami

[gourmetphoto]

givin it a try

I'm gonna give it a try today. Thanks for the info. I'm glad you mentioned the hard water and front loader....I have both. I'm excited to try it.