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Making Your Own Laundry Soap


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Piccoli Fiori JMJ
Posted

+JMJ

So I was looking at recipes for making laundry soap. I noticed that there were some that are liquids and some that are powders. Has/does anyone make their own laundry soap? I'm looking for a good recipe. Here are a few that I've come across...
[i]
Liquid Laundry Soap[/i]
1 bar of Ivory soap
4 cups water
1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax
3 gallons warm water
[i]
Liquid Laundry Soap[/i]
1 bar of pure soap (grated or finely chopped)
1 cup of washing soda
1 cup of borax
2.5 gallons of water//11 liters
[i]
Dry Laundry Soap[/i]
1 cup washing soda (NOT baking soda)
1 cup borax
1/2 cup Oxyclean or equivalent
1 finely grated bar of Fels Naptha, Zote, Ivory, Dr. Bronner's bar
[i]
DR. BRONNER'S HOMEMADE LAUNDRY SOAP[/i]
1 cup Dr. Bronner's pure castile liquid soap
1 cup baking soda
2 cups water
1/3 cup salt

I have heard though that Dr. Bronner's fades colors and OxyClean can ruin fibers (as least in expensive Egyptian cotton sheets). I'm very curious though...
[size="1"]
(I do love [url="http://www.charliesoap.com/"]Charlie's Soap[/url] though... just wish it was easier to get)[/size]

Laudate_Dominum
Posted (edited)

[quote name='FutureNunJMJ' timestamp='1296586198' post='2207458']
+JMJ

So I was looking at recipes for making laundry soap. I noticed that there were some that are liquids and some that are powders. Has/does anyone make their own laundry soap? I'm looking for a good recipe. Here are a few that I've come across...
[i]
Liquid Laundry Soap[/i]
1 bar of Ivory soap
4 cups water
1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax
3 gallons warm water
[i]
Liquid Laundry Soap[/i]
1 bar of pure soap (grated or finely chopped)
1 cup of washing soda
1 cup of borax
2.5 gallons of water//11 liters
[i]
Dry Laundry Soap[/i]
1 cup washing soda (NOT baking soda)
1 cup borax
1/2 cup Oxyclean or equivalent
1 finely grated bar of Fels Naptha, Zote, Ivory, Dr. Bronner's bar
[i]
DR. BRONNER'S HOMEMADE LAUNDRY SOAP[/i]
1 cup Dr. Bronner's pure castile liquid soap
1 cup baking soda
2 cups water
1/3 cup salt

I have heard though that Dr. Bronner's fades colors and OxyClean can ruin fibers (as least in expensive Egyptian cotton sheets). I'm very curious though...
[size="1"]
(I do love [url="http://www.charliesoap.com/"]Charlie's Soap[/url] though... just wish it was easier to get)[/size]
[/quote]
We make our own laundry soap. I used to make a laundry soap along the lines of the first two recipes above. I stopped using borax about a year ago for various reasons.

The Dr. Bronner's recipe looks pretty good, but Dr. Bronner's liquid castile soap is pretty expensive. Borax and washing soda are dirt cheap and go a long way. I imagine that last recipe would still be cheaper than conventional store laundry detergent, and vastly preferable. Dr Bronner's liquid castile is made from vegan, organic, fair trade oils. I'm not kidding. lol. It's the ultimate hippie soap.

P.S. I have a friend who has used pure Dr. Bronner's for laundry for years and I've never heard her complain about fading colors. It has got to be more mild than something like Tide (I mean, you could use Dr. Bronner's on your face, at least I do).

Edited by Laudate_Dominum
Posted

any recipes for HE washers?

ClareOfAssisi
Posted

The Duggars use this recipe for liquid laundry soap:

[font="Tahoma"]4 Cups - hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda
½ Cup Borax[/font]

http://www.duggarfamily.com/recipes.html

They also have one for powdered laundry detergent.

It must work: they do A LOT of laundry :like:

Laudate_Dominum
Posted

[quote name='MIkolbe' timestamp='1296587697' post='2207466']
any recipes for HE washers?
[/quote]
The first couple recipes are low suds and would no doubt be fine in an HE machine.

Laudate_Dominum
Posted

[quote name='ClareOfAssisi' timestamp='1296588127' post='2207469']
The Duggars use this recipe for liquid laundry soap:

[font="Tahoma"]4 Cups - hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda
½ Cup Borax[/font]

http://www.duggarfamily.com/recipes.html

They also have one for powdered laundry detergent.

It must work: they do A LOT of laundry :like:
[/quote]
WHAAAAT! You weren't kidding. LOTS of kids. I can't imagine all the laundry! :lol:

Posted

That's how I use the bar soap that my husband brings back from hotel trips.

ClareOfAssisi
Posted

[quote name='Laudate_Dominum' timestamp='1296588414' post='2207471']
WHAAAAT! You weren't kidding. LOTS of kids. I can't imagine all the laundry! :lol:
[/quote]


Yep, they do something like 25 loads a week (if what I've read is correct).:blink:

Posted

[quote name='FutureNunJMJ' timestamp='1296586198' post='2207458']
+JMJ

So I was looking at recipes for making laundry soap. I noticed that there were some that are liquids and some that are powders. Has/does anyone make their own laundry soap? I'm looking for a good recipe. Here are a few that I've come across...
[i]
Liquid Laundry Soap[/i]
1 bar of Ivory soap
4 cups water
1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax
3 gallons warm water
[i]
Liquid Laundry Soap[/i]
1 bar of pure soap (grated or finely chopped)
1 cup of washing soda
1 cup of borax
2.5 gallons of water//11 liters
[i]
Dry Laundry Soap[/i]
1 cup washing soda (NOT baking soda)
1 cup borax
1/2 cup Oxyclean or equivalent
1 finely grated bar of Fels Naptha, Zote, Ivory, Dr. Bronner's bar
[i]
DR. BRONNER'S HOMEMADE LAUNDRY SOAP[/i]
1 cup Dr. Bronner's pure castile liquid soap
1 cup baking soda
2 cups water
1/3 cup salt

I have heard though that Dr. Bronner's fades colors and OxyClean can ruin fibers (as least in expensive Egyptian cotton sheets). I'm very curious though...
[size="1"]
(I do love [url="http://www.charliesoap.com/"]Charlie's Soap[/url] though... just wish it was easier to get)[/size]
[/quote]
oooh...thank you.

Posted (edited)

Where do you get washing soda? I've tried walmart, target, meijer, and some grocery stores.

Edited by mcts
Laudate_Dominum
Posted

[quote name='mcts' timestamp='1296673210' post='2207819']
Where do you get washing soda? I've tried walmart, target, meijer, and some grocery stores.
[/quote]
The main grocery store and walmart carry washing soda where we live. They should have it... :cry2:

Posted

[quote name='Laudate_Dominum' timestamp='1296674005' post='2207826']
The main grocery store and walmart carry washing soda where we live. They should have it... :cry2:
[/quote]

I may have missed it. Which aisle at Walmart?

Laudate_Dominum
Posted

[quote name='mcts' timestamp='1296688507' post='2207962']
I may have missed it. Which aisle at Walmart?
[/quote]
Here it is in the laundry soap aisle on the bottom shelf near the end.

Piccoli Fiori JMJ
Posted

+JMJ

Question...

Is liquid or dry better? I think my mother would be more accepting of liquids, but dry would be easier to keep around...

Piccoli Fiori JMJ
Posted

+JMJ

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v359/LausTibiChriste/Do_The_Bump_by_Deadman2.gif[/IMG]

  • 2 months later...
Piccoli Fiori JMJ
Posted

[quote name='Laudate_Dominum' timestamp='1296729346' post='2208137']
Here it is in the laundry soap aisle on the bottom shelf near the end.
[/quote]

After looking for Washing Soda several times at WalMart, I finally found it next to the boxes of the baking soda they've had there every other time I was there. The Arm & Hammer WS is in a yellow box. Now, I just need to gather up some soap to grate up and we'll be on way to some homemade laundry soap. w00t.

Groo the Wanderer
Posted

[quote name='ClareOfAssisi' timestamp='1296593345' post='2207509']
Yep, they do something like 25 loads a week (if what I've read is correct).:blink:
[/quote]


they had the last 3 kids just do do the laundry of the rest.... :like:

Posted

Can anyone who has actually used these recipes tell me how they like it? Does it clean well? Have a smell? Worth it to you? etc?

Thanks for this thread, btw. I was inspired when I happened upon the Duggar episode in which they made their own laundry soap. I'm hoping to do the same soon, but I wanted some feedback first!

MissScripture
Posted

[quote name='CherieMadame' timestamp='1304377875' post='2236007']
Can anyone who has actually used these recipes tell me how they like it? Does it clean well? Have a smell? Worth it to you? etc?

Thanks for this thread, btw. I was inspired when I happened upon the Duggar episode in which they made their own laundry soap. I'm hoping to do the same soon, but I wanted some feedback first!
[/quote]
My husband saw that episode, too, and now wants to make our own, as well. I'm not sure he realized that the five gallon pail we have full of laundry soap SHOULD last us a loooooong time. :unsure:

Laudate_Dominum
Posted

[quote name='CherieMadame' timestamp='1304377875' post='2236007']
Can anyone who has actually used these recipes tell me how they like it? Does it clean well? Have a smell? Worth it to you? etc?

Thanks for this thread, btw. I was inspired when I happened upon the Duggar episode in which they made their own laundry soap. I'm hoping to do the same soon, but I wanted some feedback first!
[/quote]
I like it. It cleans just fine. I don't consider clothes loaded with detergent residues to be clean so these recipes are better for me. Also I hate the smell of detergents so the mellow scent is nice. Line drying makes it even better.

I hardly have any clothes so one thing that I like to do is wash my last outfit while in the shower. Just with a bit of castile soap or whatever, and then hang up to dry. Just a fun thing. Although it is kind of a drag to hand wash some stuff like jeans (thankfully I renounced jeans long ago).

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