| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| nubidane |
Posted - Aug 23 2013 : 12:53:19 PM
I am looking for help with our laundry. I use homemade detergent (the liquid kind with Zote soap, borax, washing soda) & while it does a good job with odors and easy dirt, it is no match for our country lifestyle. Soil stains, both of us, & for me, olive oil & cooking oil stains on my shirts, along with tomato stains, etc, etc (I'm not an apron gal)
We have a septic and I try to limit my use of bleach, although I have been resigned to soak my whites in it. The sun helps with whites too.
Here is what I have tried:
-Rubbing the stains with Zote or castile soap
-Soaking in Sal Suds (an industrial Dr Bronners product)
-Soaking in Basic H (Shaklee's cleaner; this works pretty good but will get expensive fast)
& finally, I bought a bottle of Resolve stain remover, which works good but smells like a nasty bug spray & is loaded with chemicals.
Does anyone have a good method for getting stains out that doesn't involve a bunch of chemicals?
I feel like I am treating stains for a LONG time before I even get to the laundry. I like the idea of the homemade detergent, and don't want to switch to store bought, but this is getting to be very time consuming.
Ideas please?
THANKS!!!!
"We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.” – R.R. |
| 9 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| ddmashayekhi |
Posted - Aug 29 2013 : 07:03:24 AM
Lisa, you can use your homemade soap for linens and towels and the stronger detergent for your clothes. This way the Zote soap won't go to waste. I used to live in a house that had it's well and septic too. My whites were always yellow, so I quit buying white! We moved a year ago to a townhouse with city water and my clothes get much cleaner now with my homemade detergent.
Good luck finding the perfect detergent that works for you!
Dawn in IL |
| texdane |
Posted - Aug 29 2013 : 05:35:46 AM
I have very, very hard well water with lots of calcium and iron in it. Whites come out very yellow. I use homemade laundry detergent(1/3 bar Fels Naptha grated, 1 cup washing soda, 1 cup baking soda, and 1 cup Borax). Borax can actually make whites more yellow if there are other minerals in the water.
It was working well, but then noticed that clothes were not coming out as clean. Some even didn't smell fresh, and I had some of the same issues that you describe.
Here's what works for me. I don't have lots of time to let stains sit pre-treating them.
1. I pre-treat greasy stains with vinegar/Dawn. I use the same cleaner I mix up to clean the bathroom: 1 cup warm vinegar and 1 cup dawn mixed and placed in a spray bottle. Then the garment goes right into the wash.
2. Around the collars of my dh's white work shirts/arm pit areas I use Fels Naptha soap, wet a bit and rubbed directly on.
3. Vinegar in the softener cup.
4. I use more of the homemade soap than many others do. One tablespoon does not get our clothes clean. (I do not have a front-loader, by the way, however it is a high efficiency top loader). I use 1/4 cup of the detergent. Makes a HUGE difference, and it is still not a large amount.
5. To whites, I read that adding a cup of seltzer and a cup of lemon juice will whiten and freshen. Out of lemons, one day I used a cup of lemon seltzer. Whites came out clean, white and very bright. Smell fresh. This needs be added to the rinse cycle.
6. Wiping the inside of the washer every so often, especially the top edges, with all-natural Goo-Gone, a citrus based solvent, gets all the oily residue that accumulates and keeps it from ending up on your clothes.
7. Some stains just need tough fighting, especially on whites. Traditional bleach will also yellow whites, so it should be used sparingly. I skip the costly bleach pins, and dab the bleach on with a Q-tip directly to where the stain is, and launder immediately.
8. Whites, towels, socks and underwear washed in hot water. Brights and darks in cold.
9. Hydrogen peroxide on any blood stains.
Hope this helps. I tried other detergents, but the homemade is the most economical, earth-friendly and gentle to our skin.
Best of luck!
Nicole
Farmgirl Sister #1155
KNITTER, JAM-MAKER AND MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE
Chapter Leader, Connecticut Simpler Life Sisters
Farmgirl of the Month, January 2013
Suburban Farmgirl Blogger
http://sfgblog.maryjanesfarm.org/ |
| SusanScarlet |
Posted - Aug 25 2013 : 5:39:48 PM
Fels Naptha in my powdered detergent works a lot better for me than Zote. Also, I wet a bar of Fels Naptha and spot the bad, greasy places with it before washing in HOT water. |
| nubidane |
Posted - Aug 23 2013 : 5:36:24 PM
Oh
thanks guys! I forgot to say that I have also used the Dawn/vinegar combo. Works sometimes but not always. Not sure I want to mess with the cornmeal, but that is interesting. Unfortunately, I am scared that I would let it sit too long & have even more mice than we already do!
I actually put a squirt of Dawn & some vinegar in my pre wash directly in the wash cycle.
Still not doing what I want it to.
I also put Dawn directly on my clothes, but jeesh, between that, soaking my whites & hanging clothes, I feel like an old washwoman.
Thanks for the ideas gals!
"We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.” – R.R. |
| hudsonsinaf |
Posted - Aug 23 2013 : 5:23:25 PM
white vinegar is also great at taking out stains!!! but I may check out the Charlies. I've tried using homemade and usually like it, but there are times my laundry smell "off." |
| lovinRchickens |
Posted - Aug 23 2013 : 5:19:41 PM
Try soaking the stain or item in hydrogen peroxide, works well for me. Test first but I have never had ant troubles. I use on clothes, carpet stains and upholstery.
Farmgirl #5111
Blessings
~Kelly~ |
| oldbittyhen |
Posted - Aug 23 2013 : 5:03:33 PM
oil stains- cover with fine ground corn meal, it will draw out an amazing amount of oil in 24 hrs, repeat if its a greasy oil stain another time or two...dawn dish soap rubed into grease stains (automotive, bacon and other heavy greases) works very well...not wanting to use chemicals is great, but sometimes you have no choice, if you ahve a fairly large clean-out pipe for your septic, chop up a whole chicken, bones and all, put down the pipe and run water till its all in the tank, as it rots in there, it creates those good enzymes that will keep your system healthy, and kill off those chemicals that sometimes get in there no matter how careful we are...
"Knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" |
| nubidane |
Posted - Aug 23 2013 : 3:11:02 PM
Sharon
I have heard of the Charlie's soap before. Good to have a reliable review.
Although I hate to waste the 15 bars of Zote I have in the laundry cabinet (I got a little too excited when our Save-A-Lot stocked this soap that is usually only available west of the Mississippi)
"We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.” – R.R. |
| Calicogirl |
Posted - Aug 23 2013 : 1:31:27 PM
I tried the homemade detergent too Lisa but it didn't work for us with tough stains either. I found a detergent that works great and is fine for the septic.
http://www.amazon.com/Charlies-Soap-Powder-Bucket-Pounds/dp/B0044EV0SE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1377289404&sr=8-2&keywords=charlie%27s+soap+laundry+powder
It looks pricey but all that is needed is a Tablespoon per load unless heavily soiled and I also will pre-soak. I had first ordered a bucket September 1, 2010 and didn't need to order more until November of last year. That is doing laundry at least 3 times a week heavy grass stains (my husband's lawn care/landscape business) grease from him working on equipment included. It is also available in smaller quantities. Oh, and it is great for sensitive skin.
Here is their website with more information:
http://www.charliesoap.com/
Farmgirl Sister #5392
By His Grace, For His Glory
~Sharon
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