Home Made Laundry Soap

[disneyfan007]

I saw the Fels shop at Cracker Barrell yesterday if anyone is in search of that.

 

[disneydreamersx4]

So, OP posted that it took her about 2 months to use the recipe. I'm wondering if anyone knows how long do you get out of all the ingredients until they're all used up?
Trying to get a price comparison to show DH, between this homemade recipe and the Costco brand powder.

 

[kacaju]

So, OP posted that it took her about 2 months to use the recipe. I'm wondering if anyone knows how long do you get out of all the ingredients until they're all used up?
Trying to get a price comparison to show DH, between this homemade recipe and the Costco brand powder.

I jsut made a second batch and have enough of the borax and washing soap for 1 more batch, probably 2 batches if not a 3rd. At this time my best guess is that i can make easily 4 batches maybe 5.

 

[Gretchen]

So-I just mixed up the dry homemade laundry soap.
Here's what I did:
1 bar of Fels Naptha soap, grated to a fine (ish) crumbly texture
1 cup each washing soda and borax
Mixed it up in an old bucket
I then put it in a ziplock bag so I could keep it mixed

I've got a load in the washer with it right now-I have a top load HE machine-just took a peek and the soap didn't dissolve all the way and it's kinda smelly. Could be that the laundry in there is smelly so I will wait and report back later.....

 

[cantwait101]

Does anyone have the cost per load for the dry soap mixture??

I can not quote you a per load, but I know when I started doing the laundry soap, my calculations came out that the liquid was more cost effective. I have a regular washing machine not a HE one. It works WONDERFUL and is saving me some serious coin!

 

[Gretchen]

I don't think I am a fan of this soap....using the dry mixture, and there is a really gross wet dirty laundry smell that I don't get when using a commercial product. Could it be that in the absence of fragrance, all I am getting is the dirty smell? It does go away when the laundry is done....more later

 

[Praise2Him]

It could be the Fels Naptha. Personally I hate that smell, so I use Ivory soap instead.

 

[Fly4free]

Does anyone know where to buy essential oils to give the detergent a clean smell? I would like to try this in powder form, but I think I would really miss that fresh clean laundry smell. I already use vinegar as fabric softener so I wont be getting any scent there.

 

[SandrA9810]

Just the topic I was looking for.

When I was here at my aunt's in june, I made up a huge batch of the dry version, from the first topic. She still has like 2/3 left, and says it works great. But it seems to be fading her clothes faster. Has any one had this problem too??

 

[SandrA9810]

I saw the Fels shop at Cracker Barrell yesterday if anyone is in search of that.

They're also one of the few stores that carry Lye soap. They're actually full of all sorts of old time products that just don't exist anymore in regular stores. My aunt tells me all the time of her regular customers coming in to buy some of these products.

I couldn't find it at WalMart or grocery stores either (small town) but our ACE hardware carries all the supplies, so try them if you have one.

Yep, had to do the same thing. Seems some of the grocery stores in the northeast carry the products. But ACE is the place to go.

I would do a google search for this. In my search it looked like it was fine for sensitive skin. Dawn

In the previous topic, many people raved about how great it was for sensitive skin, especially being able to use vinegar as a softner.

In case some of you aren't sure what to look for:

When I purchased it, they changed the borax to a much more simple white box, but it still shows part of the old horse and wagon logo.

We made this detergent and have been using it for about a month. I've found that it has really faded our colors. Anyone else have this problem? I'm looking for a different recipe that won't fade our clothes.

LOL, this is the same reason why I got excited to see this topic. My told me she likes the powder mix I made for her, but she's been seeing some of the clothes faded.

 

[DawnM]

I have not noticed this, but vinegar will help with the fading problem. I continue to use it as a softener.

In fact, when I buy dark clothes, I put them in the wash and soak them in a cup of vinegar for an hour before I even start to wear them.....it sets the color.

Dawn

Just the topic I was looking for.

When I was here at my aunt's in june, I made up a huge batch of the dry version, from the first topic. She still has like 2/3 left, and says it works great. But it seems to be fading her clothes faster. Has any one had this problem too??

 

[SandrA9810]

I have not noticed this, but vinegar will help with the fading problem. I continue to use it as a softener.

In fact, when I buy dark clothes, I put them in the wash and soak them in a cup of vinegar for an hour before I even start to wear them.....it sets the color.

Dawn

She's been using the 1/4 cup of vinegar in each wash.

Any other ideas on getting the color to stay?? Most her work shirts are all light colored, but she wears navy blue/black pants. Those are about the newest clothes she has, which could be up to 3yrs old. The rest of her clothes, well some I've seen her have since I was little.

I didn't have the ingredients to make myself up a jar (I think I did 4 batches for one jar), so I haven't been using it myself. But now I'm a little concerned, because 90% of my wardrobe is blue to navy blue clothes.

 

[Soarin_04]

I had high hopes for this but I'm just not a fan. Maybe I did something wrong...

I did the liquid variety because I really wanted to use some lavender essential oil and I didnt know how well that would work with the dry version. I had the same issue a few other people did -- the clothes just didn't smell clean. If they didn't smell at all, that'd be fine, but they just came out smelling musty.

Maybe it's the hard water? Maybe it's that my husband works construction and his clothes are just extra "fragrant" after work? Maybe it's like someone else had said and I've just hit the middle portion of the mix and it isn't as strong as the top bit had been (but I do mix it up before using, so...)?

Dunno, but I'm also back to using the store-bought stuff, or at least using a mix of the store bought plus the homemade until I can use up all the homemade that I've got left.

 

[alwaysmom]

I have been making my own powder detergent for around 2 years now. I spend less than $20 a YEAR. The powder takes only about 2 minutes to make. I never notice I am low until I go to do a load and there isn't any detergent. Here is my recipe:

1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda
1/2 cup laundry booster (Oxy Clean or Sun and the like)

Mix together in an airtight container. Use 1 tablespoon per load.

Newbie at this. Probably a dumb question but....is the laundry booster a substitute for the soap that the other recipes are listing? I like the powder idea but what could I use for scent?

 

[xanphylus]

Alright! I made my first batch today of the dry kind- I have only used it once, but it seems to work! Of course, my hubby said it stinks.... but oh well, its cheaper than anything I could buy otherwise and it cleans!

 

[worm761]

Newbie at this. Probably a dumb question but....is the laundry booster a substitute for the soap that the other recipes are listing? I like the powder idea but what could I use for scent?

Yes it is. All of us have skin issues. I have to be very careful with the soaps that I use.

 

[Fly4free]

I have made my first batch of dry soap powder using the Fels-Naftha soap, and have done seveal loads with it. The darks and lights were fine, but the whites did not seem to come clean. My kids socks still seems dirty and I even used a laundry booster, Sun.

I used 1 bar of the Fels and 1 cup each of Arm & Hammer laundry Soda and the 20 Mule Borax. Is this ratio not right?

 

[cantwait101]

I have made my first batch of dry soap powder using the Fels-Naftha soap, and have done seveal loads with it. The darks and lights were fine, but the whites did not seem to come clean. My kids socks still seems dirty and I even used a laundry booster, Sun.

I used 1 bar of the Fels and 1 cup each of Arm & Hammer laundry Soda and the 20 Mule Borax. Is this ratio not right?

Are you using the right amount? 1/3 to 1/2 cup per load. The Fels Napatha soap is on off white color, maybe to much will stain some fabrics. Other posters have put vinegar in the laundry to whiten the whites and as a replacement for fabric softener.

 

[RN01]

I have made my first batch of dry soap powder using the Fels-Naftha soap, and have done seveal loads with it. The darks and lights were fine, but the whites did not seem to come clean. My kids socks still seems dirty and I even used a laundry booster, Sun.

I used 1 bar of the Fels and 1 cup each of Arm & Hammer laundry Soda and the 20 Mule Borax. Is this ratio not right?

I noticed the same things with my whites. I use 1/2 cup borax, 1/2 cup washing soda to 1 cup of grated FN soap. I think I was able to get 3 cups of grated FN out of 1 bar. I also add 1/2 cup of oxyclean per batch to help with the whites and it does seem to help.

 

[Fly4free]

I noticed the same things with my whites. I use 1/2 cup borax, 1/2 cup washing soda to 1 cup of grated FN soap. I think I was able to get 3 cups of grated FN out of 1 bar. I also add 1/2 cup of oxyclean per batch to help with the whites and it does seem to help.

It's disappointing. Next load I'm going to try to use 1/2 of the amount of reg detergent along with the 2 Tbsp. of home made detergent.

My mother also said, after using my home made powder, her white dish towels did not look clean.