Charlie's Soap?

[ravenmaniac]

Anyone else use Charlie's Soap? I ordered mine and have been washing my laundry in it for about a week now. I absolutely love it!

I have hard water and that lovely sulphur smell. When I wash my laundry, even towels and rags come out smelling so clean and fresh. Not to mention soft!

I do not need to use fabric softener. I have some Kirkland Environmentally Friendly fabric softener that is really nice. It is a light, fresh lavender scent. But I don't need it.

I used to use Tide and Oxi-clean to get my clothes clean, not to mention smelling fresh.

My husband got deer blood on one of his good sweat shirts. I did not know that. He came to me and said, "I'm glad you got that deer blood out. I meant to tell you to pre-treat that for me. I'm glad you saw that."

From now on it is Charlie's Soap for me!

[khaski]

I have never heard of it, but will look it up- thanks for the tip- we also have hard water here!

[Grainlady]

I've used Charlie's Soap since 2007 and love it. As with all laundry products, what works well for one person may not suit others. It's difficult for some people to live through that "break-in" period where Charlie's Soap has to work hard ridding your laundry of all the built-up laundry products you used to use. We have hard water, too. We've noticed our clothing is lasting longer - probably because detergent build-up is damaging to fabrics.

I started using a 5-gallon bucket (1280 loads) in November 2007 (after I tested it using two 80-load bags) and we figure the bucket will last us at least 3.5 years. When I purchased it, that calculated to be 9-cents per load. I have another bucket in storage.

I use vinegar in the rinse of the kitchen towels and the bath towels. I save money by not using softener, in fact, Charlie's suggest you NOT use softener. Our laundry is nice and soft - even line-dried (we use clothes lines indoors and outdoors). I normally don't use any other add-ins. I just make sure I spot treat clothing - and I use Charlie's All-Purpose Cleaner for a lot of that.

Hubby was sensitive to so many kinds of laundry detergents that is was great finding one that worked so well for his needs.

[ravenmaniac]

My daughter has sensitive skin, she is responding extremely well to Charlie's Soap. We are going to try it for the baby clothes when her baby is born.

My husband complemented how the clothes just smell clean and were soft.

Charlie's Soap may not be for everyone but it is for me! I bought the 2 - 80 use bags. Next will be the 5 gallon bucket.

[Debbie-cat]

Where do you buy it?

[Surilda]

DC, here's a link:

http://www.charliesoap.com/

[Rebookie]

I haven't used it yet but I am super excited! Tell me how much you LOVE(or hate) Charlies Soap??

[mamamia]

Hmmm? Never heard of it. Is it something worth knowing about?

Theresa

Ok, nevermind. I just googled it. That sure is different, but boy, it's not cheap! I see too that they have a variety of different types of cleaners. Are you going to try it? "Cause I was thinking that making natural cleaners yourself is WAY cheaper, and even super easy. I am curious too now though if anybody here has tried it? It's price tells me it probably wouldn't be too popular here at FV.

Theresa

[Luckybustert]

I've never heard of it either. But you seem really excited about it....can I ask what it is about it that you like so much?

[Palooka]

Grainlady uses it and I'm sure she will let ya know soon how much she likes it.

[Rebookie]

Hmmm? Never heard of it. Is it something worth knowing about?

Theresa

Ok, nevermind. I just googled it. That sure is different, but boy, it's not cheap! I see too that they have a variety of different types of cleaners. Are you going to try it? "Cause I was thinking that making natural cleaners yourself is WAY cheaper, and even super easy. I am curious too now though if anybody here has tried it? It's price tells me it probably wouldn't be too popular here at FV.

Theresa

You know mama it's actually cheaper than most name brand detergents AND provides mores loads.

I used the recommended 1 tab of soap I couldn't tell the difference suds wise.

I even threw and ugly dingy sock in there to see what it would do well it's stain free now.

I'm not sure about the other products I just bought the laundry soap!

PS is where I learned of Charlie's Soap!

=-)

[Grainlady]

Charlie's Soap is a love it or hate it product. I read about it on a laundry message board and used two 80-load bags before purchasing the 5-gallon bucket (1280-loads), to make sure it worked for us. If you have any questions, be sure to call the company. They are great people and will do everything to help you out. If you don't like the product, they will refund your money.
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Charlies-Soap-Laundry-Powder-Bucket/dp/B001E6R0NO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1275848442&sr=8-3?tag=frugalvillage-20"]Amazon.com: Charlie's Soap Laundry Powder - 5 Gal Bucket (1280 Loads): Health & Personal Care@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Luk9b3byL.@@AMEPARAM@@41Luk9b3byL[/ame]

There is a break-in period. You will need to wash your laundry in it several times before it gets all the built-up "gunk" from your former detergent and other laundry add-ins removed from your clothing. Then one day, you'll notice a BIG difference in your clothing. I remember noticing how soft the clothes were - even when they were wet from the washer. Clothes that were always stiff when I line-dried them, were much softer - even towels.

Things like perfumes, brighteners, and other insoluble material in detergents can build up on fibers. In some detergents, that extra material can be upwards of 2% of the weight of the fabric. This build-up can cause fabrics to irritate skin and cause your clothes to wear out faster. Charlie's Soap has shown ability to remove detergent residues like insolubles material, alkaline residues, perfumes and fabric softeners.

If you wash children's clothing that have been treated with flame retardant materials, in tests, Charlie's Soap continued to improve the flame retardant properties after each washing to the point where the fabric would not catch fire at all. No other detergent tested improved the flame retardant properties of children's sleepwear at all (including Tide and Dreft).

You will no longer need to use fabric softener when you use Charlie's Soap, and they suggest you NOT use it. You are trying to get a detergent to remove buildup at the same time you're trying to ADD buildup (with a softener). The result is usually nothing gets clean as those two fight each other.

If you normally dry your clothes in the dryer and you use softener liquids or sheets to control static, there are ways to combat static without the addition of softeners.

1. Line dry your clothes. They are always static-free.

2. When using the dryer, remove synthetics early in the process while the rest of the laundry is still somewhat damp. Static is a sign you are over-drying your clothes.

3. Toss a damp washcloth into the dryer and give it a couple tumbles. The dampness will discharge the static. You can also keep a spritz bottle with water in it handy. Give your clothes a few spritzes with water and give it a couple tumbles without any heat, to discharge the static.

Charlie's Soap is bio-degradable, non-toxic, and hypoallergenic. I use 1-tablespoon per load in my top-loading washing machine for a large load. Make sure you pre-treat stains. If you have extremely hard water, you may find you need to use more detergent, but that's common with ALL detergents.

For optimum effectiveness, don't switch back and forth from Charlie's to another detergent. I'm pretty sure you won't like the results. I also use their liquid all-purpose cleaner. It's safe for anything washable and works well to treat stains before you launder them.

I hope you enjoy Charlie's as much as I do. What I like best... hubby hasn't had any problem with breaking out in rashes and other skin problems that were common when I used other detergents. That alone was well worth the price. Our clothes don't wear out as fast since switching to Charlie's Soap.

[Natalie's Nesters]

Thank you Grainlady, I always wondered how Charlie's soap was. It's nice hearing it from some on FV! I should try it!

[savvy_sniper]

I have it in my budget to purchase some Charlie's soap in the near future. I have sinus and allergy problems and they are getting worse every year.

I am AMAZED when hubby and I ride the motorcycle in the neighborhood and my nostrils are ATTACKED by the smell of soap and fabric softener! If I can smell it riding down the street, I can just imagine how strong it is in and around the house.

[cheriede]

I've used Charlie's Soap for a few years now and I've been very happy with it. There were a few people on this board that had recommended it back then, so I figured that I would try it. At that time that I made the switch, I was ready to make the move to begin using cleaners and laundry detergent that was more natural and safe. I make a lot of my own cleaners and really debated on making the laundry detergent too. With the homemade detergent, some people had reported about their white clothes had become dingy over time. I knew that it wasn't going to fly with DH. Also, I wasn't ready to plop down extra money for Seventh Generation, Ecover, etc., so I figured that I would just try Charlie's Soap. There hasn't been an complaints so far, so I'm sticking with it. I have yet to buy the big container, but I'll probably look to buy it this next time around. I'm not planning on switching from Charlie's and I might as well save some money.

I am also expecting another baby in July and I'm glad that I don't have to worry about doing the baby's clothes separate. I always did with my other children, but now it's not an issue. Just another plus..