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Cleaning Up:  Homemade Laundry Detergent  |
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Beverley
True Blue Farmgirl
2707 Posts
Beverley
atlanta
Michigan
USA
2707 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 07 2008 : 5:19:04 PM
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OK Hi everyone. I went to our close to my house IGA store today and found everything that I need to make the homemade laundry soap. yipee. I am excited to give it a try!!! I know it is silly to get excited about laundry soap but I am . Oh well I live a sheltered life!!! hehehehehehe Thanks everyone for the info. Beverley
Folks will know how large your soul is by the way you treat a dog....Charles F. Doran
beverley baggett
http://bevsdoggies.googlepages.com/ |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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kimberly renae
Farmgirl in Training
27 Posts
kim
southeast
ohio
USA
27 Posts |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
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Suzan
True Blue Farmgirl
659 Posts
suzanne
duncannon
pa
USA
659 Posts |
Posted - Aug 15 2008 : 1:38:58 PM
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| ok, got the stuff today, finally found it all, and going to do it tonight! I don't have a cheese grater (that I can find...) so I will be using the box grater, hope that works! I'm so excited to try this! I love saving money!!!! |
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City_Chick
True Blue Farmgirl
509 Posts
Christina
Omaha
Nebraska
USA
509 Posts |
Posted - Aug 15 2008 : 1:45:00 PM
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Heather I have a high efficiency front loading washer and the dry soap works great for me!
Christina
Farmgirl Sister #195
http://justacitychick.blogspot.com/
Although no one can go back and make a brand new start; anyone can start from now
and make a brand new end.
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ranchmama
True Blue Farmgirl
360 Posts
Elise
Rosebud
MT
USA
360 Posts |
Posted - Aug 17 2008 : 10:09:54 AM
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I can't wait to try this! I have gone through all 11 pages and have the recipies and instructions and am almost out of my TIDE. Next trip to town, I'm getting all the supplies. I love that making my own will save me money. I also love that I can find all of these ingredients at my local grocery store. Laundry soap will be one more thing I won't have to buy at Wal-Mart. I hat shopping there and giving them my money. But here I have no choice. I only have Wal-Mart to shop at. I go to the smaller grocery store and don't mind having to pay a little extra for my food and paper products if it mean helping the little guy out. The major thing I buy at WM is diapers and wipes and that is just smart shopping there. I can buy a big box and save money. I only have 1 in diapers and he's almost done with them.
So, I can't wait. And I'm glad that the dry version you can use Oxy Clean because I do and I like that I don't have to look at each piece of laundry and spray if needed.
I also have used vinegar as a rinse in towels.. After a time your towels just get that funky smell when they get wet, specially the ones I use in the kitchen.
Thanks to all you farmgals who put up the recpies and answered all the questions! It helped a bunch :)
Elise
Every Child Deserves Our Love &
A Bear of Their Own
http://ATeddyForKeeps.org
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ranchmama/ |
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rockin_granola
Farmgirl at Heart
6 Posts
Kara
IN
USA
6 Posts |
Posted - Aug 17 2008 : 10:35:52 AM
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You sound like me, Ranchmama, I can't wait for the detergent sitting on the laundry room shelf to be used up so that I can try my hand at making our own! 
I'm going to have to check our local grocery out ... it would be a bonus if I could buy the ingredients to make laundry soap there (supporting the little guy, as you say, and staying out of the big box stores) and yes, one less thing to have to rely on the large stores for. Love it!
a little bit "crunchy" and a little bit rock'n'roll |
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luvnlife
True Blue Farmgirl
82 Posts
Michele
Quincy
WA
USA
82 Posts |
Posted - Aug 19 2008 : 4:48:51 PM
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After reading all the kudos on homemade laundry soap I'm excited to try it out. Has anyone sat down and did the math to see what a batch costs, approx. how many loads per batch and calculate out the savings?
Years ago I switched to Amway's SA8 detergent because it doesn't have all the nasty fillers that big named detergents contain AND my plumber warned me about how detrimental detergents like Tide can be on the septic system. He said 99% of his calls are preventable if people wouldn't use gobs of filler filled detergent and liquid fabric softeners. They ball up and plug the pipes not to mention plug and ruin leech lines. $$$
I know making homemade detergent has got to be less expensive than the $35/box I pay for the SA8. Thanks to any math wizards out there who can do this.
Also, just a note: basic chemistry says like takes out like. If your clothes are greasy and oily, then a liquid detergent should work better. But if your clothes are dirty from dirt and such, powdered is best.
Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
Farmgirl Sister #306 :) |
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nubidane
True Blue Farmgirl
2931 Posts
Lisa
Georgetown
OH
2931 Posts |
Posted - Aug 19 2008 : 4:59:29 PM
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Michele
I use the powdered version(Aunt Jenny's recipe) & buy all the ingredients, & get them for about $15. That will make about 3 batches. A batch lasts me 1 1/2 to 2 months & I do about a load a day. So I figure about $2.50 a month.. GOTTA be cheaper than Amway |
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luvnlife
True Blue Farmgirl
82 Posts
Michele
Quincy
WA
USA
82 Posts |
Posted - Aug 19 2008 : 5:08:02 PM
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OMG!!! Maybe I DON'T want to know the savings!!! lol A big box of SA8 lasts my family of four about three months(I write the date on the box lid.) That's about a $30+ savings every three months-approx. $130 a year difference!!!! WOW!! What incredible savings and a much welcome savings in today's economy!
Family life is the source of the greatest human happiness. This happiness is the simplest and least costly kind, and it cannot be purchased with money~Havighurst
Farmgirl Sister #306 :) |
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Bfriday
True Blue Farmgirl
125 Posts
Jessica
Miles
TX
125 Posts |
Posted - Aug 19 2008 : 5:08:15 PM
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I looked back over the post and saw that I used my batch for the first time on May 22. It is now middle of August and I am down to the bottom and ready to make another batch! Never would have gotten that much use out of store detergent! All the ingredients came to about $6.00 total. I use vinegar in the rinse cycle and hang most of my laundry out on the line. I save more than $100 a month on my electric bill by not running the dryer. I used the recipe that I think Alee posted with 3 bars of soap, 1 box Borax, 1 box Washing Soda, 1 lb Baking Soda (2 med boxes). I love it and have spread the word to everyone I know! I am teaching a class on making detergent at my Mom's group this session because everyone wants to know more about it!! So spread the info girls and we may push out the laundry soap corperations, yet!! Wouldn't that be wonderful!!!
Farmgirl Sister #188 |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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Ms.Lilly
True Blue Farmgirl
826 Posts
Lillian
Scotts Mills
OR
USA
826 Posts |
Posted - Aug 20 2008 : 07:01:56 AM
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Ok- I am starting to collect my ingredients to make my own laundey soap (the dry one) and have had a hard time finding the washing soda. This was part of a news letter that I received this morning, has any one out there tried the soda ash instead? It sounds like it might be easier for me to get ahold of I would love your input.
"In my area of California, you can't find Arm & Hammer's
Washing Soda anymore, so I went online to find out what I
could do. In my investigation, I found out that Arm & Hammer's
Washing Soda has some sort of brightening ingredient that
isn't good for the environment. With that in mind, I did more
research and discovered that washing soda is the same as soda
ash. Soda ash increases the pH of the water to get clothes
cleaner. I found a replacement in a product called pH plus (+)
by Kem-Tek. It is a swimming pool product. You can find it at
places like Home Depot and Lowes."
Lillian
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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Ms.Lilly
True Blue Farmgirl
826 Posts
Lillian
Scotts Mills
OR
USA
826 Posts |
Posted - Aug 20 2008 : 08:13:13 AM
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I don't know what the deal is all I know is that I really am tired of using perfume flavored chemical to clean my cloths. Can't wait to find all of the ingredients for my soap!
Lillian |
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Bfriday
True Blue Farmgirl
125 Posts
Jessica
Miles
TX
125 Posts |
Posted - Aug 21 2008 : 10:58:43 AM
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Look in a low-income neighborhood store. I guess they have known about washing soda long before we found out!! The only place in my town that carries washing soda is a little run down IGA in the neighborhood next to the Govt. appts. I guess for a majority, high-income people tend to be less thrifty.
Farmgirl Sister #188 |
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rockin_granola
Farmgirl at Heart
6 Posts
Kara
IN
USA
6 Posts |
Posted - Aug 27 2008 : 09:04:19 AM
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We are almost out of the commercial stuff I've been using on our clothes and almost out of the wahm-made stuff I purchased to wash the cloth diapers in ... looks like my homemade laundry detergent journey is about to begin
I think I'm going to make the powdered ... anyone here have experience using it with cloth diapers? Any troubles?
Here's to soap making! 
a little bit "crunchy" and a little bit rock'n'roll |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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luvnlife
True Blue Farmgirl
82 Posts
Michele
Quincy
WA
USA
82 Posts |
Posted - Sep 08 2008 : 10:15:19 AM
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I did a little research and found that a case of Fels Naptha (24-5.5oz bars) and a case of A & H Washing Soda (12-55oz boxes) would cost me $132.32 at Soaps Gone Buy. The EXACT same thing cost me $102.77 at Buythecase.net. A savings of $29.55. If I looked harder, I may even find it cheaper. I've only compared these two sites and was SHOCKED at the difference in price. I just wanted to pass on the info. If you find even cheaper prices please let me know! Thanks!!!
Family life is the source of the greatest human happiness. This happiness is the simplest and least costly kind, and it cannot be purchased with money~Havighurst
Farmgirl Sister #306 :) |
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ranchmama
True Blue Farmgirl
360 Posts
Elise
Rosebud
MT
USA
360 Posts |
Posted - Sep 09 2008 : 5:53:49 PM
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Well, I made my first batch of the powder and am loving it!
I only got one bar of Fels Naptha and thought that would make a lot but I see I need 3-4 bars to make up at a time so I'm not always grinding up soap.
I love the smell of the Fels Naptha and have noticed when I got the clothes folded today that everything was super soft. Even the clothes that we've had for years and have been washed lots. My jeans were nice. I have noticed this summer that they are still stiff aafter being run through the dryer after hanging on the line. Not so with this soap. My jeans feel like they were dried completly in the dryer.
Next batch I will include the 1/2 Cup OxyClean. I just need that little extra to get the clothes really clean.
Every Child Deserves Our Love &
A Bear of Their Own
http://ATeddyForKeeps.org
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ranchmama/ |
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ranchmama
True Blue Farmgirl
360 Posts
Elise
Rosebud
MT
USA
360 Posts |
Posted - Sep 09 2008 : 6:01:01 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by luvnlife
I did a little research and found that a case of Fels Naptha (24-5.5oz bars) and a case of A & H Washing Soda (12-55oz boxes) would cost me $132.32 at Soaps Gone Buy. The EXACT same thing cost me $102.77 at Buythecase.net. A savings of $29.55. If I looked harder, I may even find it cheaper. I've only compared these two sites and was SHOCKED at the difference in price. I just wanted to pass on the info. If you find even cheaper prices please let me know! Thanks!!!
Family life is the source of the greatest human happiness. This happiness is the simplest and least costly kind, and it cannot be purchased with money~Havighurst
Farmgirl Sister #306 :)
I found Fels Naptha at Lehmans.com for $5.95 for a 3-pack. And washing soda here http://www.greatcleaners.com/armandhammer.html?cid=adwords-arm-&-hammer-washing-soda-Arm_&_Hammer_Laundry
for $4.50 a box.
Not sure if this is cheaper for you or not
Elise
Oh, I just checked my recipt... I paid $1.25 for a bar at my local store..
Every Child Deserves Our Love &
A Bear of Their Own
http://ATeddyForKeeps.org
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ranchmama/ |
Edited by - ranchmama on Sep 09 2008 6:03:45 PM |
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luvnlife
True Blue Farmgirl
82 Posts
Michele
Quincy
WA
USA
82 Posts |
Posted - Sep 10 2008 : 10:40:56 AM
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Yes, Elsie, that is a bit cheaper but since I can't find it at any of the store near me I factored in shipping costs too. Wish I could find everything I need nearby so I wouldn't have to pay shipping. It's expensive!
Family life is the source of the greatest human happiness. This happiness is the simplest and least costly kind, and it cannot be purchased with money~Havighurst
Farmgirl Sister #306 :) |
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therusticcottage
True Blue Farmgirl
4439 Posts
Kay
Vancouver
WA
USA
4439 Posts |
Posted - Sep 10 2008 : 11:45:48 AM
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I was having problems getting A & H washing soda for a while. In the last week I've seen it at Albertsons, WINCO, and Wal-Mart. I'm glad to see it's back on the shelves. I'm going to give the powdered laundry detergent a try.
Handmade Soap and More! - http://therusticcottage.etsy.com
The Rustic Cottage Blog http://therusticcottage.blogspot.com
PROUD FARMGIRL SISTER #100 |
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Cleaning Up: Homemade Laundry Detergent |
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Homemade 
