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homemade laundry soap?

2K views 29 replies 16 participants last post by  mama23k 
#1 ·
can anyone give me a recipe?

I am looking for the type that you can use ivory bar soap to make, as I have several packs already.
 
#2 ·
Liquid Laundry Detergents
Recipe #1
3 Pints Water
1/3 Bar Fels Naptha Soap, Grated
1/2 Cup Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Borax
2 Gallon Bucket
1 Quart Hot Water
Cold Water
Mix Fels Naptha soap in a saucepan with 3 pints of water, and heat on low until dissolved. Stir in Washing Soda and Borax. Stir until thickened, and remove from heat. Add 1 Quart Hot Water to 2 Gallon Bucket. Add soap mixture, and mix well. Fill bucket with hot water, and mix well. Set aside for 24 hours, or until mixture thickens. Use 1/2 cup of mixture per load.

Powdered Laundry Detergent
1 Cup Grated Soap
1/2 Cup Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Borax
For light load, use 1 tablespoon. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 tablespoons.

The liquid recipe calls for 1/3 bar Fels. It is a larger bar than Ivory. When I make it with my homemade soap I use a whoe bar. My homemade soap is approx the same size as Ivory. Ivory is kind of soft, so I think I would open the package & let it dry out for a day or two before I grate it. Good luck! I think you'll love it!
 
#3 ·
I use homemade soap but Ivory would work.

1 bar of soap grated with cheese grater
1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda

Put soap in a big pan and cover with water and cook until all is melted.

Then in a 5 gallon bucket add the borax and washing soda with warm to hot water and add in soap mixture until bucket is almost full.

Tina
 
#4 ·
Here is my recipe:

1 bar fels naptha grated
1 box borax
1/2 box washing soda
4 c. baking soda

Use 2-4 Tablespoons per load.

I have heard you can use Ivory with this, but I havent' tried it.
 
#5 ·
You put a whole box of borax or a cup or two? That really seems like a lot and the same with the washing soda how much does it make? I have thought about adding the baking soda to help with the softening but I don't know anyone else who uses it to know how well it really helps.

TIna
 
#6 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by mgilleran@earth-co View Post
When I make it with my homemade soap I use a whoe bar. My homemade soap is approx the same size as Ivory.
I use the same recipe the pp does but I use zote soap. Can't get the fels naptha around here unless i order online. When I have made it with ivory in the past, i use a whole bar. I make the powder sometimes, but usually make the liquid and then fill an old spray & wash bottle with the mix. It makes a great pretreater. The homemade detergent also saves me a lot of money and works great in my he washer. I usually double the recipe so I don't have to make it again for awhile. I store it in several old detergent jugs and the remainder stays stored in a 5 gallon bucket. I just refill the old jugs as they run out.
 
#7 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by mgilleran@earth-co View Post
Liquid Laundry Detergents
Recipe #1
3 Pints Water
1/3 Bar Fels Naptha Soap, Grated
1/2 Cup Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Borax
2 Gallon Bucket
1 Quart Hot Water
Cold Water
Mix Fels Naptha soap in a saucepan with 3 pints of water, and heat on low until dissolved. Stir in Washing Soda and Borax. Stir until thickened, and remove from heat. Add 1 Quart Hot Water to 2 Gallon Bucket. Add soap mixture, and mix well. Fill bucket with hot water, and mix well. Set aside for 24 hours, or until mixture thickens. Use 1/2 cup of mixture per load.

Powdered Laundry Detergent
1 Cup Grated Soap
1/2 Cup Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Borax
For light load, use 1 tablespoon. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 tablespoons.

The liquid recipe calls for 1/3 bar Fels. It is a larger bar than Ivory. When I make it with my homemade soap I use a whoe bar. My homemade soap is approx the same size as Ivory. Ivory is kind of soft, so I think I would open the package & let it dry out for a day or two before I grate it. Good luck! I think you'll love it!
Where do you usually buy the Fels Naptha? I have never heard of it. Does Ivory work just as well?
 
#8 ·
I always make a dry laundry soap. I originally got it from the about.com frugal living site.

It is equal parts:
soap (I usually use fels naptha or ivory)
borax
washing soda

I have to grate the bar of soap by hand, but if you've let it dry out a bit first it works better.

I then use 1-2T for each load.

The fels naptha may either be by the laundry aids, or I have even found it by the body soap in the health & beauty section at one grocery store. ???? I sure hope the people buying it realize it is for laundry use and don't start scrubbing themselves with it.
 
#9 ·
I found that using too much washing soda bleaches my clothes and the addition of baking soda is a great deoderizer and softener/booster.

I make a big batch and it lasts several months.
 
#12 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by sandygirl View Post
another question:

is TSP {brand name} a washing soda? It says it's Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Sesquicarbonate and surfactant.

I'm trying to make the powdered laundry soap - will it work?
I don't think so. I believe I was told to use TSP as a super strong detergent to wash our roof before recoating (mobile home). That would probably be way to strong for clothes.

You just need to look for the arm & hammer brand of washing soda.
 
#14 ·
TSP = trisodium phosphate. Phosphates = bad for the environment. TSP is a super-heavy duty cleaner. You might use it to wash walls in a greasy nicotine stained room before painting the walls. And, you'd need heavy gloves to wear while washing. So, not for laundry.

I am curious about the recpies that use soap - doesn't it leave a residue? Or does the washing soda somehow fix that problem?
 
#15 ·
A couple of questions
1. We have well water so it's really hard water. Do these recipes work with hard water? Can you use it with cold water washing?
2. How long does a batch last? Not in the how many loads way, but can it sit for 1 month, 2 months, etc.
 
#16 ·
I believe sodium carbonate (washing soda) is also used for pool care. If you look at the pool care section at someplace like walmart, you should be able to find it. It will probably have a different name, but if you look at the small print it will say sodium carbonate.

I bought some when I used to dye things with the dyes from dharma. Their directions call for soda ash (yet another name for sodium carbonate), but it was heavy to ship so I bought it in the pool section.

Instead of fels naptha, you can use any soap you like. I've used ivory before too. I really don't like the smell of fels naptha anyway.
 
#18 ·
This is the recipe I've used in the past.

Quote:

Originally Posted by reillys_mom View Post
A couple of questions
1. We have well water so it's really hard water. Do these recipes work with hard water? Can you use it with cold water washing?
Cold water? Some say you can, but I've not found that to be the case. It seems like you at least need warm water to completely dissolve the soap, even though it's a gel.
Hard water? Like the super hard well water I have? NO. The clothes don't come clean, there's a curdy buildup in the washer, etc. I was disappointed.

I have found that Charlie's Soap is cheap and works wonderfully well with hard water and cold water washes. They even have a discount for 1st time purchasers. I started out with the 80 load bag (and was shocked at how small it was!) and now have the 5 gallon bucket of it. I bought the bucket in August and still have plenty.

Quote:
2. How long does a batch last? Not in the how many loads way, but can it sit for 1 month, 2 months, etc.
I think we had a batch that sat for 6 months before we used it all. It was just fine.
 
#19 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by annekevdbroek View Post
TSP = trisodium phosphate. Phosphates = bad for the environment. TSP is a super-heavy duty cleaner. You might use it to wash walls in a greasy nicotine stained room before painting the walls. And, you'd need heavy gloves to wear while washing. So, not for laundry.

I am curious about the recpies that use soap - doesn't it leave a residue? Or does the washing soda somehow fix that problem?
this TSP stands for Totally Superior Product - says on front contains no tri-sodium phosphate. Contains Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Sesquicarbonate and surfactant. Isn't sodium carbonate washing soda?

Will it work? I'm not finding washing soda anywhere around here.
 
#20 ·
Look in the pool section of your hardware store or somewhere like Wal Mart and get the sodium carbonate from what I understand its the same thing. I found mine by going on the Arm & Hammer site and searching what stores in my area had it which was only a couple about 50 miles away so I bought a couple and talked to the local small grocery store manager and since they get their products he orders me some when I need it a case at a time.

Tina
 
#21 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by sandygirl View Post
this TSP stands for Totally Superior Product - says on front contains no tri-sodium phosphate. Contains Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Sesquicarbonate and surfactant. Isn't sodium carbonate washing soda?

Will it work? I'm not finding washing soda anywhere around here.
Ok - then there is more than one "TSP" out there, because this is what I am familar with:

http://doitbest.com/main.aspx?pageid...associate=true

No idea about the other stuff.
 
#24 ·
1 bar grated soap (I use Ivory)
1/2 cup washing soda
1/2 cup borax

Dissolve in 5 cups water in saucepan. Pour into 2 gallon container and fill with water. I use an old Dreft jug with a spigot on the bottom: handy and easy!
 
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