Comments on: Packing college-dorm essentials

By: Charles C

Charles C — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:49:37 +0000

Amazing I just switched over there and read the same thing. Thanks.

By: Sara Noel

Sara Noel — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:45:46 +0000

I wouldn’t say it’s an equivalent product. I’d say homemade soap is an acceptable option. I’ve never made homemade laundry soap with just any type of soap. Just zote or fels naptha, so I can’t even comment on how it would be with a different grated soap. I have heard ivory works fine though. Recently on the forums, a member commented that she felt her clothes were wearing faster with homemade laundry soap.
http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/showthread.php?t=123731
I haven’t had any negative results, but I don’t use it exclusively either.

By: Charles C

Charles C — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:31:03 +0000

I heard about this homemade detergent, back in the forum. I’ve been wanting to make some, but I’d like to be sure, that it’s a quality product, since the wife is always leary of my bright ideas.

I use the cheaper product at Aldi’s, it’s called Atra 2x. Really think this use of soap slivers would be great, don’t know where they go around here, but would venture a guess, the trash? Would your educated guess be that I would end up with an equivalent product?

Want to be kind of positive in my sale of the idea to the wife, Thanks in advance if you go out on a limb:)

By: Sara Noel

Sara Noel — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 23:18:40 +0000

Stacking the slivers to adhere them or putting slivers into a soap pump with water will be cheapest. And mixing with borax will be cheaper than rebatching soap to put them to ue. But since she asked for a recipe, I provided one rebatching it into a “new” bar.

By: Charles C

Charles C — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 23:01:43 +0000

Which is the most frugal, to mold it back into soap bars, or to mix with borax and soda, to make washing detergent?

By: Sara Noel

Sara Noel — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:08:52 +0000

Thanks for sharing. I like the tip for fabric marking. I don’t sew, so that tip is new to me.

By: Jess

Jess — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 15:03:17 +0000

I use soap slivers to make laundry detergent. Once I have enough to equal a full bar of soap (I eye it), I grate it and dissolve it in warm water. Add a c. of borax and a c. of washing soda, and then 3 gallons of water total to make liquid soap. To make powdered soap, just use the grated soap and a C. each of borax & washing soda. Mix it all together and use 2 TB. per load.

I also use soap slivers to mark fabric when sewing. A white bar works on any colored fabric, and a blue or green bar works on white fabrics. It’s great you don’t have to worry about permanent marks or fading marks, and once you are finished with your project, just throw it in the wash and the marks are gone!