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Cleaning Up:  laundrey soap ingrediants: what do they do?  |
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nampafarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
494 Posts
Kim
Nampa
ID
USA
494 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 15 2008 : 12:17:12 PM
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what do the different ingrediants in the laundrey soap do?
ie: borax
boraxo
washing soda
and baking soda
 I thought I asked this question in the laundrey soap thread, but can't find it.
Kim
Farmgirl Sister # 302 |
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ddmashayekhi
True Blue Farmgirl
4741 Posts
Dawn
Naperville
Illinois
USA
4741 Posts |
Posted - Oct 15 2008 : 6:48:56 PM
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Borax gets out the stains, washing soda is a laundry booster, baking soda deodorizes, I use Castile soap and tea tree oil too. The soap is obvious & tea tree oil acts as a disinfectant.
Dawn in IL |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Oct 15 2008 : 7:16:02 PM
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Borax: Borax boost cleaning power by making water more "wet". Borax is used as a natural laundry booster, multipurpose cleaner, fungicide, preservative, insecticide, herbicide, and disinfectant. Borax and other borates clean and bleach by converting some water molecules to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). This reaction is more favorable in hotter water. The pH of borax is about 9.5, so it produces a basic solution in water, thereby increasing the effectiveness of bleach and other cleaners.
Soap (Boraxo or other): Soap helps to cut grease and again, it thins the water, allowing it to saturate clothes more thoroughly and increases the water solubility point.
Washing Soda: Washing Soda helps to cut grease and natural body soil. It's slightly caustic nature is pretty much concentrated cleaning power.
Baking Soda: Deodorizes and also softens water by binding certain minerals. This is especially important if you have calcium or lime in your water.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
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nampafarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
494 Posts
Kim
Nampa
ID
USA
494 Posts |
Posted - Oct 17 2008 : 10:17:47 AM
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so do I need Borax? I think my cotton clothes are fading...
Kim
Farmgirl Sister # 302 |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Oct 17 2008 : 12:02:51 PM
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Without the borax, you are going to need to use a lot more of the other ingredients. However the bleaching power is more effective in hot water, so if you wash in hot, you could try switching to cold.
Our washer got stuck on hot all summer and I didn't notice any bleaching even with hanging outside to dry, but that isn't to say that your clothes might not be losing a little color. How old are the garments?
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
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nampafarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
494 Posts
Kim
Nampa
ID
USA
494 Posts |
Posted - Oct 20 2008 : 12:19:34 PM
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Not very old at all. The oldest since March. I am noticing it on my sweaters, I havent noticed it on anything else.
Kim
Farmgirl Sister # 302 |
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Maryjane Lee
True Blue Farmgirl
2195 Posts
Maryjane
CA
USA
2195 Posts |
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campchic
True Blue Farmgirl
312 Posts
Erin
Nebraska
USA
312 Posts |
Posted - Oct 25 2008 : 07:07:17 AM
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I have noticed since using the homemade detergent that my clothes are fading fast. Especially my darks. My whites are still dingy, but that could be the hard water. I have been using Aunt Jenny's recipe. Any ideas?
Farmgirl #190 |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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LivingWell4You
True Blue Farmgirl
1411 Posts
Karen
Hillsboro
MO
USA
1411 Posts |
Posted - Oct 25 2008 : 07:57:36 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Alee
...However the bleaching power is more effective in hot water, so if you wash in hot, you could try switching to cold.
I'm not familiar with Aunt Jenny's recipe but mine uses pretty much the same ingredients and I haven't noticed any fading. I wash all my clothes in cold water though - I mean, everything is washed in cold water with a boost of therapeutic grade essential oil for germ killing. If you're washing in hot or warm, maybe that's the culprit like Alee suggested.
And now I'm off to make a new batch as I only have about two loads-worth left.........
God bless -
Karen ~ Chickherder & Farmgirl Sister #311
P.S. I thought of one other thing: I add 1/4-1/2 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle. It helps to soften the clothes and cuts any buildup. If your clothes are dingy rather than faded, that might help. |
Edited by - LivingWell4You on Oct 25 2008 08:19:15 AM |
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campchic
True Blue Farmgirl
312 Posts
Erin
Nebraska
USA
312 Posts |
Posted - Oct 25 2008 : 09:15:06 AM
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Karen, What is your recipe? What essential oil do you use? It could be the hot water. If you wash in cold, do your really dirty clothes come clean?
Erin
Farmgirl #190 |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Oct 25 2008 : 09:41:26 AM
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I wash in cold and even Nora's dirty cloth diapers come out perfectly clean. The only time I use warm or hot is if a sauce or something get REALLY dried onto a load of rags or oven mitts or something.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
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LivingWell4You
True Blue Farmgirl
1411 Posts
Karen
Hillsboro
MO
USA
1411 Posts |
Posted - Oct 25 2008 : 10:10:25 AM
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My original recipe was 1/2 cup Borax, 1/2 cup washing soda, 1/3 bar Fels Naptha
Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan. Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts. Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket. Now add your soap mixture and stir. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel. You use ½ cup per load.
I got this recipe from www.homeschoolblogger.com/quiverfull/5768
I've started adding 1/2 cup basking soda to the recipe as we have hard water.
I use Thieves essential oil blend from Young Living. I just put one drop in and it made all the clothes, especially the whites, brighter. I add Thieves for any cleaning that I do, even the dishwasher. It's an amazing germ killer.
God bless -
Karen ~ Chickherder & Farmgirl Sister #311 |
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campchic
True Blue Farmgirl
312 Posts
Erin
Nebraska
USA
312 Posts |
Posted - Oct 25 2008 : 11:31:31 AM
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Karen-
I will have to look for Thieves. Do you prefer the liquid detergent over powdered? Thanks for the tips!
Erin
Farmgirl #190 |
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LivingWell4You
True Blue Farmgirl
1411 Posts
Karen
Hillsboro
MO
USA
1411 Posts |
Posted - Oct 25 2008 : 3:03:24 PM
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Erin, at first I used powdered because it was easier to mix up. Then I made some of the liquid version for a class I did last fall. It may be purely psychological and no difference whatsoever, but I use the liquid version now, especially since I do everything in cold water. It "think" it mixes better than the dry. Again, no evidence of this and can't really say that there was a difference in the clothes - I didn't notice one. Plus, I also liked the feeling it gave me to be that involved with making my own laundry soap. I guess it brought out the farmgirl in me before I new I was one!
Here's the website for the Young Living www.youngliving.com or you can call 1-800-371-2928
The are a direct marketing company so you can get them through distributors and some small health food stores have them (usually behind a case). If you order from the company you'll need the number of the person that referred you - mine is 969210. I hope you try it because their oils have been life-changing for us.
And I forgot to answer, with this laundry recipe, yes, my really dirty clothes some out clean. The hardest thing for me to get used to was not having the bubbles (which don't do anything for the cleaning, they're just there to remind you if you put the soap in or not!). Now even when I use a green laundry detergent in a pinch, the bubbles really throw me. It's funny how you can get sp used to something totally different that now the old way you did things seems weird! 
God bless -
Karen ~ Chickherder & Farmgirl Sister #311 |
Edited by - LivingWell4You on Oct 25 2008 3:06:49 PM |
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campchic
True Blue Farmgirl
312 Posts
Erin
Nebraska
USA
312 Posts |
Posted - Oct 25 2008 : 3:53:47 PM
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Karen,
Thanks for the info. I'm going to check our local health food store first. If they don't have it, I plan to order some.
Erin
Farmgirl #190 |
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LivingWell4You
True Blue Farmgirl
1411 Posts
Karen
Hillsboro
MO
USA
1411 Posts |
Posted - Oct 25 2008 : 6:25:53 PM
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Great, Erin! You'll love it. A friend of mine used Thieves with her laundry load and I asked her if it seemed her clothes were cleaner (just in case I was seeing something that wasn't there just because I wanted to). She said, "Yes! I didn't think I would but I did."
FYI: Because it's 100% therapeutic, it can be taken applied directly to your skin or internally. When we started using it last fall, we put it on the soles of our feet every morning and we didn't get a cold or flu all season - and no flu shot. I don't know if that would be everyone's experience but it's sure worked for us. Not to say we didn't come down with symptoms, but then we'd take a drop or two internally (I take it with a spoonful of honey; my DH takes it in a glass of water; you can also put it in tea) a few times a day and within 24 hours, usually less, we were up and at 'em again (at least as much as we ever are!).
One other thing on the laundry soap, which is why I signed back on just now. Even with the Thieves it doesn't get my husband's socks back to total whiteness. He walks around the house - and outside on occasion - in socks and they retain a bit of the dinginess. Other than that, everything comes out great.
God bless -
Karen ~ Chickherder & Farmgirl Sister #311 |
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nampafarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
494 Posts
Kim
Nampa
ID
USA
494 Posts |
Posted - Oct 28 2008 : 12:02:57 PM
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Alee, do you think my fading issues could be due to Boraxo? What can I use in replacement of?
Kim
Farmgirl Sister # 302 |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Oct 28 2008 : 2:36:32 PM
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Kim- if you are washing your clothes in warm to hot water, yes the fading could be due to the borax, so I would suggest washing in all cold water. If you wash in all cold water it shouldn't be due to the Borax as the bleaching chemical reaction only happens around and above 60 degrees Celsius(140 Fahrenheit). If you are still having problems, try making it without the Borax and use more washing soda.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
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nubidane
True Blue Farmgirl
2899 Posts
Lisa
Georgetown
OH
2899 Posts |
Posted - Oct 28 2008 : 6:02:02 PM
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Karen
I use quite a few of the Young Living oils, especially for therapeutic applications. I have a bottle of Thieves right here by my desk & have been known to drop a few drops on my tongue or feet when I know I have been around someone that is sick. I have ordered some oils from some other companies for non-therapeutic apps due to being cheaper, but Young Living really has the best(& I have tried a LOT) Their lavender is hands down the best.
My Mom even went to Turkey w/Gary Young & studies over there for a few weeks, & she is a total oil fiend. Whenever I get a package from her(like yesterday when she sent over some canning jars) they always smell like oils. The smell permeates her whole house.
She is 78 & does not take a single med.
Anyway, sorry, off topic, but do you just add a drop of Thieves to each load??
I already have peppermint, rosemary, laverder & melaleuca in my laundry detergent.
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nampafarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
494 Posts
Kim
Nampa
ID
USA
494 Posts |
Posted - Oct 29 2008 : 09:07:18 AM
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Alee, then thats the problem, I was in warm/cold. I can change that to cold/cold. I can say though with warm /cold I dont have dingy whites, just faded brights! lol.
Kim
Farmgirl Sister # 302 |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Oct 29 2008 : 09:19:33 AM
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Yup! I the only loads I wash in warm or hot are whites, everything else gets cold. It is so nice to have my whites be brightened without using bleach that breaks down the fibers or yellowy whites.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
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Cleaning Up: laundrey soap ingrediants: what do they do? |
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laundrey soap ingrediants: what do they do?
