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not going back to commerical detergent

15K views 62 replies 37 participants last post by  onencgirl 
#1 ·
I made homemade laundry detergent and I am so happy with it that I am not going back to commerical detergent again.
I can already tell that I have saved $$ cause I usually buy detergent every month. Well, 2 months have gone and I still have lots of my homemade laundry detergent. It has gotten out old stains.
I used the following:
1 bar Fels Naptha grated
2 cups of Borax
2 cups of Washing soda.

I use it as a powder. Keep it in a container. I used 2 tablespoons for my top loader washing machine.
I use white vinegar in my rinse cycle.
I am a nurse and get some "weird" stains.....blood, urine, poop, vomit, and anything else when it comes to working in the ER.
My uniforms look great.
 
#2 ·
I need to give this another chance. About 10 years ago, when people 1st started taking an interest in the HM det., there were some girls who sold it on-line before the recipe became known. Well, I sent away for a 5-load free sample, and found my clothes to be very dingy. That's not what I'm hearing from anybody now though.

I got about 4 bottles of detergent left. Maybe, I'll give this another try.

Thanks for the post!

Theresa :)
 
#3 ·
~I love HM detergent too! I use the Dugger's Recipe posted here on FV but I use Zote instead of Fels Naptha. It smells great and Grainlady says it has optical brighteners so that's why I went with it over the FN.
I think it's amazing at getting out bodily fluid stains too. I'm struggling a bit with grease stains. I think I'll have to make up a pre-treater just for grease.
After I used the HM detergent for a month or so I was amazed at how soft our clothes became. Did you notice that too?~
 
#5 ·
K, this is probably going to sound like a stupid question...but when you say grated...do you mean like grating cheese to where it comes off grater like shredded cheese? Feel silly asking.
 
#7 ·
So you actually have big slivers and not a powdery substance
 
#8 ·
No, I made mine liquid detergent. You grate the soap and it melts in the hot water. I used the Dugger one or the one that The Muse has posted on her blog. I think both is close to the same recipe...
 
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#19 ·
I used a small food processor to grate the soap. Then I added the borax and washing soda. It was much easier this way than hand grating.
If you have one and are planning on making HM soaps this is the ONLY way to IMO!!! So fast and easy...saves your fingertips thats for sure!!!!
 
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#17 ·
Have made both the liquid and the powder. I am using a powder version that was recently posted here. It has the oxygen cleaner in it. Like oxy-clean. So far so good and it smells good too.
 
#20 ·
The HM laundry soap did not clean my clothes well and left a residue in my washer. Now I use 1/2 HM and 1/2 store bought until it is used up.

After that I am going to purchase Charlies Soap. It was recommended by Grainlady. You can purchase online and possibly locally. I found it locally and it is cheaper than buying online because of the shipping (added into the price of the soap).
 
#21 ·
The HM laundry soap did not clean my clothes well and left a residue in my washer. Now I use 1/2 HM and 1/2 store bought until it is used up.

After that I am going to purchase Charlies Soap. It was recommended by Grainlady. You can purchase online and possibly locally. I found it locally and it is cheaper than buying online because of the shipping (added into the price of the soap).
Thanks for the rec I'll have to check it out! I too did not have success with my HM laundry soap- it started to fade my colours and just seemed harsh overall (used the borax,washing soda, bar soap blend).

I just got some Tide (I love Tide with Downey) on sale and did a 50/50 mix with no name unscented detergent to stretch it. Currently I have a batch of liquid going but when I need to make the next batch and powdered Tide with Downey is what's cheaper then I will do the same exact blend but with unscented no name powder.

If I end up making batches using a soap that isn't a soap/softener blend then I will do the same thing with the my softener...buy whatever on sale brand I like and mix it 50/50 with no name.
 
#23 ·
I was using HM laundry soap for more than a year and after a while I noticed my towels seemed to hold on to odors so I switched to Charlie's soap, which I love.

My neighbors asked if I could do a few loads of wash so the towels got washed in Charlies and came out beautifully. I washed their cigarette reeking clothes in the HM detergent and they came out smelling smokey still. I felt a little guilty about not washing them again but I didn't have the time.

I might give the half and half scenario a try to use up the rest of the HM batch and I'm happy there isn't too much left of it.
 
#24 ·
I can't bring myself to buy Charlies because it seems so darn high, but I want to try it. I guess after the big expense it will last a long time and the money will even out. But I just can't wrap my brain around dropping that much money on detergent at once. lol
 
#26 ·
I've been making my own laundry detergent for years. I recently started adding essential oil to make it smell like the commercial detergents. My personal favrotie is lavendar, which wal-mat sells for $2 a bottle. You just add 10-15 drops for every 2 gallons and it leaves a subtle scent to your finished laundry.
 
#30 ·
I'm getting ready to make a new batch of HM laundry soap, and I think I'll up the amounts of borax and washing soda. If I were to add Oxyclean to my laundry, should I mix it with the regular recipe when I'm making it, or should I just use it as a laundry additive with individual laundry loads?
 
#31 ·
Well I'm still trying to find a recipe that will bring dh work clothes clean...atm I'm still using the Members Mark {Sam's Club store brand} liquid detergent because none of the homemade versions seem to get his clothes really clean.

I've used both the powdered & liquid versions with both the Fels Naptha & Zote but neither seem to do the job?

Any suggestions or advice would *reeeeally* be appreciated!
 
#35 ·
I had trouble with my latest batch of liquid laundry soap not jelling. It was still watery after several days..so I made the base for another batch and let it boil for several minutes then just added it all to the room temp batch. It might be too strong now, but at least the texture seems more correct.
 
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