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Cleaning Up:  Homemade Laundry Detergent  |
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BarnChickCecily
True Blue Farmgirl
673 Posts
Cecily
Corydon
IN
USA
673 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 03 2008 : 6:03:15 PM
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| I still have store bought stuff too and am trying to use that before I use my homemade stuff. I don't have a cheese grater (is that weird?) so I went to the goodwill to try to find one... they didn't have any! They didn't even have a large bucket or some kind of container to keep my laundry stuff in. Of course, I went to a newer goodwill, so maybe they just don't have as much stuff yet. Well, even though I don't have a bucket to store my soap in, I decided I was going to find SOMETHING to grate my soap with... I came across a mesh tea ball that I had bought from a fund raiser and had never used. I opened it up and seperated the 2 halfs. It was really easy to use and my grated soap pieces turned out great! Also, it only took me a few minutes per bar. |
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BarnChickCecily
True Blue Farmgirl
673 Posts
Cecily
Corydon
IN
USA
673 Posts |
Posted - Jun 03 2008 : 6:05:47 PM
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| oh, forgot to ask this question... In one of MaryJanesFarm magazines in the home safe home section, one of the articles says that you should never mix bleach with vinegar because of a deadly gas that it would produce. So, would it still be safe to use bleach with my homemade detergent in my whites and also put vinegar in the fabric softener cup for the rinse cycle? |
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Montrose Girl
Farmgirl Legend/Schoolmarm
1360 Posts
Laurie
Montrose
CO
1360 Posts |
Posted - Jun 21 2008 : 4:48:28 PM
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Ha, how exciting. I found the recipe for laundry soap a year or so ago and here you all are talking about it. My family thinks I'm nuts, but I am so for saving money. I found the grocery store as the best place to find all the ingredients. I don't have a dryer so my clothes come out a little stiff, though cold water and wrinkle free setting makes it a bit softer. I want to try the vinegar and see if that helps.
Best Growing |
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oldfashioned girl
True Blue Farmgirl
2391 Posts
monica
oatman
az
USA
2391 Posts |
Posted - Jun 22 2008 : 7:08:21 PM
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Laurie, I have been using vinegar for fabric softener for a few weeks now and it works really well for me. I hope it works as well for you!
Monica |
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olive
Farmgirl at Heart
1 Posts
Jen
Anaheim
Ca
USA
1 Posts |
Posted - Jun 30 2008 : 3:00:34 PM
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| Has anyone ever tried making this with a liquid soap? I've been using Dr Bronners Sal Suds for my laundry with a ladle of borax and really like it, but if I could mix everything up ahead of time... |
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Tina Michelle
True Blue Farmgirl
6948 Posts
Tina
sunshine state
FL
USA
6948 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2008 : 8:07:16 PM
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o.k. I like the homemade soap and have created a liquid version of it..thanks to you gals..but..I have a problem...after grating the fels naptha and adding the liquid and the washing powder and borax powders and stirring and so forth...the fels naptha wants to "regroup" and form large floating clumps on the top of the liquid...does anyone else have this problem with their liquid soap? Should I melt the fels naptha in a pan with a little liquid then add the other ingredients? Because I have chunks of white "icebergs" floating in the container of the liquid detergent..which by the way,works pretty good...but I have to always move the "icebergs" over to scoop out the liquid with a cup...I thought that it was all supposed to turn to a liquid type base...but all of the fels naptha shavings have all bound back together..ha..guess they all figured they'd rather "stick together"..ha.
So..what do I do to turn it all into liquid form?
~Seize the Day! Live, Love, Laugh~
visit me at:
http://gardengoose.blogspot.com/
and at www.stliving.net
you can also check out my etsy shops at:http://GardenGooseGifts.etsy.com |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22937 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22937 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2008 : 9:24:02 PM
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Tina- The best way I have found to not get crunchy soap bergs is to actually heat the borax and washing soda to just shy of boiling before adding it to the bucket, then dissolve the soap into water just sky of boiling as well. Also consider adding more water. It may sound counter intuitive, but Doug and I worked out the chemistry a bit one night and we realized that some of the separation is do to Over-Saturation. So by adding more water the ingredient meld together instead of separating.
I am still playing around with my recipe a bit too, but so far I have doubled the water and still have the same great cleaning power! Talk about super concentrated!! :D
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
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Tina Michelle
True Blue Farmgirl
6948 Posts
Tina
sunshine state
FL
USA
6948 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2008 : 9:49:08 PM
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I actually used less water than the recipe called for though Alee. I didn't have a 2 gallon bucket so I put it all into a large sealed tupperware bowl that is probably about a gallon size bowl. I'll try melting the soap in some water though..you'd think since I used to create bar soaps that I could figure this out..ha..but I was like..hmm I have soapbergs floating around...ha.
But..all in all I am pleased with how it cleans the clothes.
~Seize the Day! Live, Love, Laugh~
visit me at:
http://gardengoose.blogspot.com/
and at www.stliving.net
you can also check out my etsy shops at:http://GardenGooseGifts.etsy.com |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2008 : 9:59:43 PM
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are you grating the soap almost powdery?? I use a parmesan cheese type rotary grater and it makes the soap like a powder. I use boiling water when making the liquid (more of a snotty gel really) version.
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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Alseafarmgal
Farmgirl in Training
38 Posts
Rebecca
Alsea
OR
USA
38 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2008 : 10:33:52 PM
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Alee- I'm new here at the farm but had a question about the laundry soap. I made a batch the other day and had a problem with it separating. I poured the mixture into the bucket and it seemed to set up quickly and when I stirred the mixture it looked more like cottage cheese. I waited till the next morning and stirred it again and poured it in two glass gallon jars. It has separated the cottage part is floating on the water. Do you think I need to add more water in the beginning? or is this maybe a different problem? I have been using the soap and seems to work well.
Thanks for the help
Becky
"Live your Dreams"
www.renfrophotography.com |
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JenniferJuniper
True Blue Farmgirl
359 Posts
Jennifer
New Hampshire
USA
359 Posts |
Posted - Jul 03 2008 : 06:09:14 AM
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When I make powdered home made laundry soap, after I grate the fels naptha with a parmesan greater I then run it & all the other dry ingredients through the food processor for a few pulses. This makes it very fine & uniform. So, I wonder if you pulsed just the fels naptha through a processor it would make the particles tiny and help the clumping situation in liquid soap.
Farmgirl Sister #204 |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22937 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22937 Posts |
Posted - Jul 03 2008 : 07:50:03 AM
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Hi Rebecca-
Yup! It sounds like your soap is still to super concentrated. The traditional recipe that has been stated on the site will always give you that semi chunky cottage cheesy look. It's not bad and you just have to stir your soap each time you use it. However you want less clumping, then boil more water and add it. Start out by adding an extra 1 gallon of boiling water.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jul 03 2008 : 09:28:20 AM
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I just find the powdered version nicer to use...not as ugly for sure and easy to store too.
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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Tina Michelle
True Blue Farmgirl
6948 Posts
Tina
sunshine state
FL
USA
6948 Posts |
Posted - Jul 03 2008 : 10:26:05 AM
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I used the regular cheese grater side of the grater not the finer side Aunt Jenny..I'm going to remove the fels naptha and add some water and melt it in a pan then add it back to the ingredients and see how that does.
next time I'll try the finer grate.
~Seize the Day! Live, Love, Laugh~
visit me at:
http://gardengoose.blogspot.com/
and at www.stliving.net
you can also check out my etsy shops at:http://GardenGooseGifts.etsy.com |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jul 03 2008 : 3:47:25 PM
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I bet it will help....my very first batch years ago I used the regular cheese grater and it was harder to get it to melt and it sounded like that may be the problem. I bet melting it will help alot.
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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Tina Michelle
True Blue Farmgirl
6948 Posts
Tina
sunshine state
FL
USA
6948 Posts |
Posted - Jul 03 2008 : 4:11:14 PM
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I guess I didn't realize that it had to be melted..my recipe just gave the ratios..not really any directions as to the trying to melt the soap first. So..I do believe that melting it then adding a bit more liquid will wind up solving my problem.I'll let ya'll know how it goes.
~Seize the Day! Live, Love, Laugh~
visit me at:
http://gardengoose.blogspot.com/
and at www.stliving.net
you can also check out my etsy shops at:http://GardenGooseGifts.etsy.com |
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Alseafarmgal
Farmgirl in Training
38 Posts
Rebecca
Alsea
OR
USA
38 Posts |
Posted - Jul 03 2008 : 6:24:58 PM
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Yes I did use a regular cheese grater and I thought I had it well melted. On my next batch I'll add the extra hot water. Super concentrated ....hey no wonder it cleans so great! Thanks for the info.
Becky
"Live your Dreams"
www.renfrophotography.com |
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MissLorri
Farmgirl in Training
28 Posts
Lorri
North East
Texas
USA
28 Posts |
Posted - Jul 03 2008 : 6:33:55 PM
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Can you tell me what kind of soap and washing soda. This is foreign to me, I have grated soap before to use in a pinch but have never made my own laundry soap. Please tell me what to do in palin simple language...thanks.Lorri
Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway....John Wayne |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jul 03 2008 : 7:49:39 PM
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There is a recipe around here somewhere..but it is basically equal parts powdered borax, washing soda and bar soap grated fine (fels naptha, zote or other hard laundry bar soap) which you can find in the laundry section of most all grocery/discount stores. Then you can add essential or scent oils, a little oxyclean or whatever. That is the powdered version. To make it a liquid (more like a gloppy gel...you pour boiling water over the grated soap, then add the other ingredients after it cools...stir and keep in a covered container. For exact amounts if you need them I think they are on this thread somewhere back a ways. I hope this helps Lorri..it works great.
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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KansasConnie
True Blue Farmgirl
69 Posts
Connie
Atchison County
Kansas
USA
69 Posts |
Posted - Jul 03 2008 : 8:35:06 PM
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| I guess I kind of cheat...I just add an ample dash of Borax and a healthy dash of A&H washing soda to each load with about a quarter to half a cap of Mrs. Meyer's laundry soap (Basil is my favorite scent). I apply a Borax paste directly to a stain before laundering. Clothing with tough stains soak in the Borax/washing soda mixture overnight (I always do this with whites). Hanging out to dry in the sun helps with stain removal also. My three little ones are typical farm kids and love to test my skills. |
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Alseafarmgal
Farmgirl in Training
38 Posts
Rebecca
Alsea
OR
USA
38 Posts |
Posted - Jul 03 2008 : 9:12:59 PM
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Here is the recipe I used. 1/3 Bar of Fels Naptha, 1/2 cup washing soda and 1/2 cup borax powder. You grate the soap and put in a sauce pan. Add 6 cups water and heat till the soap melts. Add the washing soda and the Borax and stir till dissolved. Remove from heat and pour 4 cups hot water into a 2 gallon bucket. Now add the soap mix and stir, now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Let the soap sit for about 24hrs and it will gel. Use 1/2 cup per load. Works very well.
I also use the powered borax and soda ash to pre soak for stains and many other cleaning jobs in kitchen and bath.
Becky
"Live your Dreams"
www.renfrophotography.com |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jul 03 2008 : 10:41:47 PM
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Yep..that is the recipe in a nutshell. I don't heat mine in a saucepan when I make the liquid/gel type but you sure can. I have always used a bucket and poured boiling water over the soap to dissolve and then add the rest the next morning..and more water if you want too. It is really flexible though..you can do it lots of ways.
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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Marcy
True Blue Farmgirl
2701 Posts
Marcy
Tiverton
Rhode Island
USA
2701 Posts |
Posted - Jul 04 2008 : 09:13:05 AM
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Can someone please post the powder recipe. I would so love to try this. Thank so much and happy 4th everyone!!
Take care,
Marcy
Farmgirl #170
It's never too late to be what you might have been.
Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jul 04 2008 : 1:25:03 PM
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I know it is posted here somewhere..but here ya go Marcy:
Powdered laundry soap:
1 cup of grated bar soap (fels naptha or Zote work great) be sure to grate very fine...like parmesan cheese..almost to a powder
1/2 cup washing soda
1/2 cup borax
1/2 cup oxyclean (optional)
You can add powdered water softener if you think you need it..I don't
add essential oil for scent if you like...lavender or rosemary are wonderful
use 1/8 cup per load.
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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Marcy
True Blue Farmgirl
2701 Posts
Marcy
Tiverton
Rhode Island
USA
2701 Posts |
Posted - Jul 04 2008 : 4:11:15 PM
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Thank you. I am going to try it this weekend. It sounds wonderful.
Thanks again,
Take care,
Marcy
Farmgirl #170
It's never too late to be what you might have been.
Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. |
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Cleaning Up: Homemade Laundry Detergent |
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Homemade Laundry Detergent
