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Post by Newfygirl on Oct 22, 2012 19:14:19 GMT -5
Laundry Detergent
1 4 lb 12 oz box Borax (2.15 kg or 76 oz) found in the detergent isle
1 4 lb box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (1.81 kg) found in the cooking isle
1 box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda 55 oz (3 lb 7 oz) found in the detergent isle
3 bars of Fels-Naptha soap, found in the detergent isle (if you use Zote bars use 2 bars instead, Zote can be found at Home Depot) Use a cheese grater to grate all three bars.
2 small containers of Oxy Clean or store brand Oxy Clean (try to get about 3.5 lbs total (1.58 kg)) found in the detergent isle.
Pour into large clean bucket. I used a kitty litter bucket lined with a kitchen sized garbage bag.
You should be able to find all of these items at your grocery store.
**Use 1-2 Tablespoons per load. I know that does not seem like enough but this recipe does not have fillers like the store bought detergent so you only need 1-2 Tablespoons.**
Dishwasher Detergent
1 Cup of Washing Soda
1 Cup of Borax
1/2 Cup of Salt (Kosher is best but I did not have any this time out and used regular Iodized salt and it works fine)
4 packets of Lemon aid Kool-Aid
1 Tablespoon per load. Use 2 if heavily soiled. Pour vinegar in rinse aid receptacle.
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Post by KarenN on Oct 23, 2012 11:01:55 GMT -5
I've been making laundry soap like this for a couple of years. We take out a small tub to keep on top of the washing machine, and then I add a few drops of essential oils to make it smell great! Right now I've got Lavender, the last batch was Eucalyptus and Citronella. Next one will probably be herbal of some kind  Haven't tried the dishwasher detergent, but I might have to do that! I also use white vinegar as my fabric softener |
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Post by Newfygirl on Oct 23, 2012 15:08:12 GMT -5
Oh I will have to try the essential oils!
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Post by snaffle on Oct 27, 2012 10:06:02 GMT -5
Mixed up my batch of laundry detergent. $20 made approximately 15 pounds. I shaved off the edges of the Oxy clean scoop so it will not hold more than 2 tablespoons. I have an HE washer and googled for information when using home made detergents. It is recommended to either make a liquid detergent, or mix the portion with hot water to dissolve everything. I noticed that after mixing the powders, my hands sure felt soft when I washed them. |
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Post by Mary Ann on Oct 29, 2012 5:59:13 GMT -5
Snaffle, I don't know if you're aware, but using anything but HE detergents in your machine voids the warranty. I'd love to use homemade soap in mine, but I didn't want to go there yet. Let us know how it works for you if you decide to use it over time. |
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Post by snaffle on Oct 29, 2012 6:48:50 GMT -5
The only thing I read about using home made soaps in the HE washer was that it needed to be liquified using hot water. I still plan to "clean the machine" when that little light comes on When the repair man came out a couple of weeks ago to remove the pennies from under the tub  I talked to him about my concern that the new machines to not have the lint remover to clean like the regular machines had. He said he has never seen any HE machines with any lint build up. ;D I would think that the home made soaps would help a machine run cleaner because they don't have the extra additives etc... time will tell! |
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Post by Newfygirl on Oct 29, 2012 7:28:13 GMT -5
It is supposed to be safe for HE machines...it seems it would be because of the no additives etc. It should run cleaner but I know how manufacturers can be. It is certainly a better price and I feel like it cleans better. The dishwasher detergent I'm not as sold on but I think the next batch I will buy citric acid instead of th lemonaid. Or else put Lemi-shine in.
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Post by KarenN on Oct 29, 2012 8:40:00 GMT -5
I've been using it in my HE for over a year. before I started using the homemade detergent I was ready to throw my HE away thinking it had been a HUGE mistake. It always smelled bad, clogged all the time, broke down twice, and i was disgusted with it. I figured if I used the homemade, it would either hasten the demise of the hated machine, or at least it coudn't be any worse!!
Well, after starting to uss this, I now love my machine!! It works better, smells fresh, and NEVER clogs anymore. The one breakdown we have had since was a true part failure in the pulley system (nothing to do with detergent) that Ian was able to trace down, order the part and fix! It hasn't had an issue since!
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Post by snaffle on Oct 29, 2012 9:54:31 GMT -5
Karen what do you mean by clog?
My washer was not staying balance. Repair man came and removed the wash bin and stuck in upright positions all around the ring underneath were 19 pennies.
I have already noticed something. I rarely ever use fabric softner sheets. Had a box in the tack room because they were supposed to keep mosquitos away. The box was a couple of years old and I brought it into the house this summer because sometimes my laundry came out of the washer smelling.
This weekend I put 1/4 of a sheet in with the whites...
and I could not believe the fragrance that was released. I can still smell a faint fragrance when I open the dryer.
Always before I would put a full sheet in with the laundry.
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Post by snaffle on Oct 29, 2012 9:58:11 GMT -5
Just to share about manufacturers and their own products. when I was first married I rented a carpet cleaner at a local hardware store. They asked me if I had carpet detergent and I said yes I had Electrolux shampoo. Oh wow. They were not going to rent the machine to me if I was planning to use it because only THEIR brand could be used in the machine. I just about bawled all the way home because I had to pay a super high price for their fancy schmancy detergent. The next time I ever rented any carpet cleaning machines I told them I still had some left over from my last cleaning (and I used the name of what they had on the display with the cleaners  ) I liked the Electrolux shampoo much better. It was not a 'detergent' Detergents attract dirt, causing you to have to clean the carpet more often.  |
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