Making your own laundry detergent (cheap!)

[pjfrn]

I used the Fels Naptha with recipe in #9. I loved it but I'm not using it my washer. I froze the bar of soap then I would blend it in my blender and then add the soap and it would make it fine and mixed well.

[lifeskills13]

yea for HE washers i wouldn't use more than 1/4. I know someone who uses 1/8 of a cup for her HE washer :D

[Smee]

I make mine dry, just different proportions:

2 bars grated Fels Naptha (or Ivory)
8 cups washing soda
4 cups Borax
Only need a tablespoon per load, more if especially filthy.

I rough grate my soap, toss all the ingredients together a little, and then I run it through my blender to get it to a powder fine consistency. This makes one of those plastic ice cream buckets full and lasts me a year.

Bali, sensitivies are so individual that I wouldn't say it's safe for your daughter, but my husband has sensitive skin and is very prone to break-outs and welts, and this doesn't bother him. It seems to be less concentrated than many versions of this recipe, though. I think it washes well. Husband washes his grotty work uniforms with it, and we wash gross things like dog bedding and related dog foulness. Sometimes I use two tablespoons if I'm dealing with outright filth, and I run a second rinse with vinegar. I don't use fabric softener. I think being able to get it all rinsed out makes a big difference, and for that I think it needs to be very fine powder or the liquid. Pure speculation on my part, but I think inadequate rinsing and/or too much product is generally more to blame than actual products because it seems like there would have to be residue present to cause problems. I'm a major rinse freak, though, whether it's laundry, dishes, the car, my body, or a dog. When I think something is rinsed, I rinse some more. It's kind of my hang-up.

I don't have an HE washer, so no input there.

[lifeskills13]

every once in a while i use vinegar too! :D i also don't use fabric softener...the dryer sheets i had a hard time convincing my DH to give up lol he would buy the ones with so much on it, so i pretty much took over the chore so i can just use a piece of linen with scent on it :P he never complains..he just thinks he NEEDS it lol so does my inlaws they accepted my sample..but think in their mind that it doesn't disinfect good enough as buying top brands and they use bleach with mostly everything. I think too much of the bleach is harmful :(

[bali1228]

I have a bar of Fels, so I think I'm going to grab the washing soda and borox and give it a try. This thread is timely, as I've been wanting to make my own for years, but I've been too chicken. I've also been saving my empty laundry soap jugs, so I can fill them with homemade.
I've been leery to use Ivory because I remember as a child that my dad was super sensitive to it, and when I used it for crafts in school (anyone else remember making paste and ivory soap flake snowmen on blue construction paper? lol) it made my hands itch.
I've used the fels naptha for spot cleaning grass stains and to grate into the wash for added cleaning, so I think that will be fine to use. I will give it a try this weekend! I've been using vinegar and dryer balls in place of liquid softener for years now and I love it.

[bali1228]

Looks like I'll be making my laundry detergent with Fels Naptha. For anyone else with sensitive skin that is considering making their own soap, I found this site:

For the Sake of the Call: Fels Naptha for Allergic Reactions: WFMW

Here's an excerpt:
"Having seen such good results, the next time my arms were itching, spotted, and beginning to swell I reached for the closest bar of Fels Naptha and experienced instantaneous relief. Within 30 seconds, the rash and swelling had disappeared as if I had washed them down the drain with the soap suds. It was amazing! Now every time I work in the garden, I wash with Fels Naptha afterwards. I have extremely sensitive skin, and have never had an adverse reaction to using it, even when I've washed from head to toe including my face. Every time the itchiness and rash miraculously wash down the drain. I never cease to be amazed!"

[Smee]

Huh. Interesting. Thanks!

It's weird because Fels Naptha feels and smells to me like it would be harsh, but Husband with his super sensitive skin has never had a reaction even when he grates it himself and gets it all over his hands.

Good luck!

[GJohnson39]

For the past 3 years I've been using the dry mix at a ratio of 1 bar Fels naptha to 3 cups each borax and washing soda. I use 1/8 cup each load and I use 1/3 cup vinegar instead of fabric softener. I started doing this on the advice of our dermatologist when my eldest daughter started breaking out in rashes. It worked so well that I never switched back. I have a front loader HE machine and have never had trouble - in fact, when we moved the unit, the repair man that came to vent it out from the new location told me that using my homemade powder detergent and vinegar instead of fabric softener was keeping my machine in good shape - he found none of the gluey clogging he sees regularly from liquid detergent and fab softener use.

For the first month the amount of lint in the dryer vent was 2 to 3 times more than usual. Fabric softener causes lint to be held into the fabric, and it took some time to get all of the lint off everything.

We really love that there is no smell at all on the clothing - now, when I smell the fragranced laundry products, I get a headache. Clothes stay nice and white, and seem to last longer.

[foggierbard9]

Crazy thing here....this detergent caused MAJOR issues for DD and her sensitive skin(powdered with the fels naptha) but we use Tide HE with no problems(not even the free & clear). The ONLY detergent that doesn't break out DD is Tide.

It really is about each person being different. The other issue we had was this detergent didn't rinse from the synthetic(fleece) insides of pocket diapers....we use all natural fibers now, but I won't give up my Tide because seeing what my DD has gone through with her sensitive skin, we have to stick with what works.

[loulou3133]

Thanks!
Just one question- when people say that the homemade stuff cleans as well as store bought, are they comparing to Purex or Tide?

Ha ha funny you should ask that exact question. My kids have to do a science project for school every year. Tho we already did this years, we had to buy washing soda for one of them...

So the idea struck me.... lets make HOMEMADE laundry soap and dishwasher soap and one child is going to compare the laundry detergent and the other the dishwasher detergent... The beautiful thing is we can run this experiment anytime from now to next year... I have so much wisk.... BUT I have been dying to try this out!

I will be interested in the outcome for both but particularly the dishwasher detergent. I use melaleuca Diamond Brite and it is a fantastic product. When we moved into our new house our dishwasher had a TON of water deposits and build up on the stainless steel interior. After about a month or so living here, I opened the dishwasher one day noticed the inside was totally spot free and shiny and my dishes look great despite being on well water!