detergents / laundry soaps

[cowgirl]

I really need to ask this question as stupid as it may sound, most of you will probably think this is totally ridiculous and what is she thinking.

I have been reading alot in the past couple months about soaps. I come across very little information about laundry detergents, which actually intrigued me because we live on a farm and the clothes do in fact get very dirty which got me to thinking... if I made my own it might get the farm clothes cleaner. Something that might be a little more abrasive than what you find in the regular stores. All the extra cleaners that I purchase to keep farm clothes 1/2 way clean are costing a fortune.

Any comments on this would be greatly appreciated maybe its just not possible but I thought it was worth the question

[CareBear]

I would imagine that commercial detergents with enzymes in them really do work the best, even over hand made soap. At work we test commercial detergents every year or two and Tide ALWAYS comes out on top (among hte commercial dtgts). The best combo we've seen is using Tide to pretreat then Tide to wash.

The enzymes do an amazing job on protein stains (grass stains are among these) and on stink like sweaty clothes. Detergents without them don't do half as much cleaning.

Not sure how

[cowgirl]

As far as grass stain, that is another whole story, I have a really hard time getting that out of football uniforms. Lestoil really helps but man it makes clothes stink even when you use fabric sofener.

Oh well it was worth the question, thanks for putting my mind to rest about the subject

[CareBear]

I could be wrong, hopefully someone else who's tried the hand made laundry soap more than once will chime in.

[doris]

I know this doesn't answer your question, but does it really matter if one heads out to shovel out the barn in snowy-white clothes? My gardening clothes get dirt-stained, and I use them for all sorts of unpleasant tasks, including shovelling out the barn. The sheep don't mind. They are washed usually after each wearing, so are clean, just stained. I would never wear them in public, and it saves me lots of time and money and I'm sure it's also more environmentally-friendly not to pour all these heavy-duty cleaners into my septic system on a regular basis.

[gloworm]

Cowgirl,

Here maybe I can return the favor you did me!! This is a link to the Whisk that I thought was really neat for making laundry soap from CP scraps. On my "to do" list!!

http://www.the-whisk.us/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12474&highlight=

HTH,

Glo

[ladysj]

Cowgirl,

Here maybe I can return the favor you did me!! This is a link to the Whisk that I thought was really neat for making laundry soap from CP scraps. On my "to do" list!!

http://www.the-whisk.us/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12474&highlight=

HTH,

Glo

She can't view this thread unless she's a member and can log in Glo. Try http://soapnuts.com under their recipe nook I believe.

[RobinInOR]

I've made laundry "snot" before and used it for a few months. It worked OK, but didn't clean any better. I don't like to mess with adding anything to the rinse water, which might have helped.

I do make a stain stick that is working out pretty well on the oily stains on DHs sweatshirts. Gets a lot of the grimy dirt off of his cuffs. It's just a 100% coconut bar, no superfat.

[CareBear]

I do make a stain stick that is working out pretty well on the oily stains on DHs sweatshirts. Gets a lot of the grimy dirt off of his cuffs. It's just a 100% coconut bar, no superfat.

Robin, do you wet the cloth when you apply the stain stick?

[gloworm]

She can't view this thread unless she's a member and can log in Glo. Try http://soapnuts.com under their recipe nook I believe.

Oops didn't realize that. Thanks Lady.

Glo

[cowgirl]

Thanks for the links girls, I will see what I can round up on those sites.

I purchased 'the soapmakers companion' on amazon, the description said something about homemade laundry soaps, I just have a gut feeling that book isn't going to tell me much about laundry soaps/detergents.

I wanted to post here to all you experienced ppl and see if you had ever tried it.

Greese & oil from tractors/semis is so hard to get out let alone the normal ground in soils from the farm life.

We have actually discussed getting uniforms from a company that comes by each week to pick up the dirty ones and drops off the cleans ones. All that greese is hard on a washer too. My washers are lucky to last 8 yrs (sigh)

[cowgirl]

ETA: I remember my great grandmother making a plain lye soap when I was a kid. Not sure if the lye soap was great for stains or if that was just the way it was back in the old days because she sure refused to modernize herself.

OOOPS !!! didnt hit the edit button did i lol

[Nanasnecessities]

I make "old fashioned lye" soap.

I use the "snot" to clean my clothes. (nice description) I do use hot water and add it to the wash first.

I pretreat my hubbys stains with it also.

[RobinInOR]

Robin, do you wet the cloth when you apply the stain stick?

Yes, I soak the spot where it's stained, then rub the soap in. That way I get a nice soapy film on the spot, almost to where it suds. Then I throw it in the wash.

[RedRosie]

You can make your own laundry soap/gel, etc with pretty good results, but I recommend also using a vinegar rinse. I add orange peels to my vinegar bottle and end up with a pretty sweet smelling vinegar after a while.

Another secret is to pretreat tough stains. I make a pretreater recipe that's equal parts, water, ammonia, and liquid soap. Stir it all up well.iIt works great at getting at stains before they have time to set. I think for greasy stains, however, one of the best things you can do is simply to add to the spot- a few drops of commercial dish liquid soap; like Dawn, Ivory, etc.

[van_yulay]

Ok... where do you buy enzymes? I have looked and I cant find any. I am making liquid laundry soap. I used some of my regular liquid soap when I ran out, I will tell you it was the best load of laundry. Any help would be great!

[cdesousa5]

At work we test commercial detergents every year or two and Tide ALWAYS comes out on top (among hte commercial dtgts). The best combo we've seen is using Tide to pretreat then Tide to wash.

I haven't tried making my own Laundry soap but I have tried many different commercial brands and have to agree strongly with the above statement. Tide cleans best. In fact I hesitate to make my own because I'm afraid it won't clean as well. I have 5 boys and I don't live on a farm so I can only imagine the dirt from the farm. We do spend our summers on our 92 acre home , not farm life but MUCH more grim/dirt. I pretreat with Shout, but have wanted to try oxiclean with Tide to see how that would work.

Carol

[Kitn]

I have been using home made laundry soap and I love it.

Here is the recipe , I have a front loader and put it in with the clothes instead of the dispenser.

224 grams lye

19 oz water take out 3/4 of a cup and save it.

4 tbsp borax

1Tbsp salt

1 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp ammonia

16 oz coconut oil

21 oz shortening or crisco

14 oz palm oil

4 Tbsp sifted baking soda

Add lye to water (save the 3/4 cup out)

Stir and dissolve lye and add the borax, stir well

Bring the 3/4 cup of water nearly to a boil and add the salt and sugar , stir well until dissolved, add the ammonia and set aside.

Melt your oils

When the oils and lye are to 100-100 degrees, add the lye , stir well and add the salt, sugar and ammonia mixture, , mix well, when near trace add the baking soda and mix well. Pour into mold , when ready to remove , I cut it into bars or chunks and let it sit for a week or two .Then I shred it fine , in my cuisinart and I use it powdered.I find it cleans very well. I haven't tried making it into the liquid soap, but I am sure that you could.

HTH

Kitn

[miniiB]

I haven't tried making my own Laundry soap but I have tried many different commercial brands and have to agree strongly with the above statement. Tide cleans best. In fact I hesitate to make my own because I'm afraid it won't clean as well. I have 5 boys and I don't live on a farm so I can only imagine the dirt from the farm. We do spend our summers on our 92 acre home , not farm life but MUCH more grim/dirt. I pretreat with Shout, but have wanted to try oxiclean with Tide to see how that would work.

Carol

oxiclean works !!!!!, my mother uses it still to this day, she cant live without it. You wont regret buying it if you do. Just try it out.

[Wildcrafter]

I make a laundry stain stick/laundry soap from lard, lye, water, borax, ammonia, EOs of lemon and orange.

The stain sticks get rubbed on stains and that works real well.

I'll make a huge batch of the same formula, some get cut into sticks, the rest I put through a salad shooter. That I take about a 1/4 cup and put it in a pot with a half gallon water. I heat that up to just about boiling, turn off the heat and let the soap melt. Then I pour it in an old detergent bottle and let cool. It becomes a gel and works so well at cleaning clothes without synthetic fragrances or chemicals I just don't want in my home.

[MikeInPdx]

The homemade laundry soap isn't even close to Tide on cleaning, but I rarely get stuff so dirty that I need that kind of power.

I make gel, powder, and make it from soap scraps, depending on what I happen to have on hand. They all work fine, although I think the powder has an edge on muddy stuff.