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Laundry Soap.........


picksbughfan

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I did my own little test of laundry soap.  On the container it says it does 64 loads, well guess what it does not.  Granted it says it does 64 small loads, filled to line one on cap, well small loads are not part of our reality so I did to the large load line, which would be 32, well I got 28! so if I double that it is only 56!  I was shortened 8 loads!  

and all of the soap says now it is 2x concentrated and you use 1/2 as much, Huh, I don't have 1/2 as much laundry.  This lasted me three weeks, I have about 4 or 5 laods to do today and I have to go and get more detergent!  

Is this another way we are getting fooled to think we are getting something better and in reality it isn't any different than before. :-/

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is it simple to make?

The powder version I would say is VERY easy, the liquid version takes a little more doing.....tell you what...I'll post both...

 

The Liquid version will do about 80 loads.

 

You need:

 

1 bar of Fels Naptha Soap grated.

1 cup A&H Washing Soda

1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax.

 

Place grated soap in a pot.

Cover with water and simmer over medium heat until all soap is melted, stirring occasionally.

Pour into 5 gallon bucket.

Add washing soda and borax.

Add enough hot water to fill the bucket.

Stir (I use a long measuring stick, but any long stick will work)

Let sit overnight to gel.

Use 1 cup per load.

You can pour this into old detergent containers or leave in the bucket.

Cover with a lid if leaving in the bucket to protect children and pets.

 

The powder version:

 

2/3 bar of Fels Naptha grated fine.  ( I use the whole bar though)

1 cup of A&H washing soda

1 cup of 20 Mule Team Borax

 

Put in a container that will hold 2 cups of laundry detergent. Shake, or stir well, and store in closed container.

 

Now, the best part:  use only 1 tablespoon per load.  OR, use a scoop from an old box of powder, you won't get as many loads, no, but a lot of folks like those handy little scoops.

 

These soaps are very low sudsing, so they are perfect for front loaders.   I use them in my HE machine, but I put the soap directly into the washer drum before loading clothes.  I don't like powder soap in the dispenser, its always leaves a little cakey mess!

 

Cost:

 

    * 20 Mule Team Borax: $2.50 for 70 oz. - Cost per batch: .14 (4 oz needed for recipe)

    * Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda: $2.50 for 55 oz. Cost per batch .18.(4 oz needed for recipe)

    * Fels Naphtha: $1.24 per bar. Cost per batch: .83 (2/3 bar of soap needed for recipe) *

 

One tablespoon of detergent is sufficient per load of wash. If you have a high-efficiency machine, you might want to experiment with using a little less detergent for normal loads. If your clothes come out feeling stiff, lower the amount of detergent. For clothes that are heavily soiled, add a teaspoon more of the detergent..

 

The powder version makes 2 cups.  If you stick to the 1 tablespoon per load, you get 32 loads.  

 

I use this and love it, its very fresh smelling, and works great.

 

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How is it on really dirty, football, baseball, playing in the dirt clothes.  I also have a terrible problem with stains in the armpit areas (white tee shirts)  I have a heck of a time getting these out.  Even with bleaching.  

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How is it on really dirty, football, baseball, playing in the dirt clothes.  I also have a terrible problem with stains in the armpit areas (white tee shirts)  I have a heck of a time getting these out.  Even with bleaching.  

 

Well, my hubby works on water lines, and usually comes home with:

 

a.  mud

b.  more mud

c.  head to foot mud....ah, you get the picture.

 

 

I have good results with the home brew on his work clothes.  Its been my experience that NOTHING does a serious good job on hydraulic fluid, that stuff is just horrendous, it gets MOST of it out, but the marks usually stay.  Sometimes when he comes home head to foot mud, (when he is NOT allowed IN the house until he strips down in the mud room!) I do have to launder them twice, but only because they are just saturated with mud....

I hate water line breaks....and right now he's working a major water line project in Sykesville, so its mud every day!

 

Whites, well I use it with a touch of clorox.  I refuse to wash my whites without bleach.  I've never had much of an issue with armpit staining...so I can't really answer that one!  Now my late mother would tell you, to put lemon juice on the stains, then sprinkle them with salt, and put them out in the sun to make them go away...never tried it, but hey you never know.....

 

On clothing that's already been stained, washed, and all that, it won't get out the old stains, but I can say I've been very happy with how it handles His Lordship's clothing.  The nice fresh scent is a real bonus too.  I use  unscented drier sheets, and when I use the home brew, the clothes come out of the drier smelling like they've been dried outside....serious bonus.

 

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Can you buy these ingredients at any kind of grocery store or do I need to go to a speciality store.

 

Yes, I find them at WalMart and most grocery stores in the laundry products.  The Fels Naptha can be hard to spot, since its a bar of soap amongst all those bottles and boxes...but I have found it locally.

 

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Guest madre

I wonder how your recipe would work on my front-loader?  What, exactly, has to be different about front-loading soap anyway?  Anyone know?

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My daughter and I have both made the homemade soap.  I haven`t done it lately. But you can also use Ivory soap instead of the Fels.  But I like the Fels better.  It does get the laundry clean.  I think i will make some next week.  I notice it takes more of the regular detergent to get the clothes clean anymore.  I don`t think the detergents are as good as they used to be.  

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I wonder how your recipe would work on my front-loader?  What, exactly, has to be different about front-loading soap anyway?  Anyone know?

I think its the sudsing issue.  I have a Whirlpool Duet HE front loader, and have no problems with the home brew, because it hardly sudses at all.  And the suds do not get the clothes clean anyhow.

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Kitty:  I am a freak about the smell of my clothes.  I LOVE the smell of fabric softeners and detergents.  Do you know of a way to add different scents to the home brew?  I've been looking for ways to make "green" changes, and the home brew sounds like a good idea to me...especially since it saves money!  I don't know if I could do without the smelly stuff though.  My sense of smell is definitely my most keen.  I can often smell things that others can't.

 

P.S.  Thanks for sharing your secret recipe!  :ty:

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