Laundry soap recipe

[Guest guest]

Hello, haven't really posted much as I'm in the middle of a soap swap and making

Christmas gifts but wanted to offer this recipe I've had for a while (not sure

where I found it). I haven't had time to test the recipe (2 month old on top of

all of my soaping!!) but it sounds like a good one and you could use Nels-Faptha

or Dove or probably any soap.

Good luck and hope it helps!!

Loree in ID

 

Learn how to make inexpensive, earth friendly laundry soap with a few

easy-to-find ingredients. Less irritating than commercial detergent for allergy

sufferers.

Every one has laundry. Therefore, every one uses laundry soap. However, there

are many people who don't like the chemicals found in commercial laundry

products. People with allergies, people with children, and people who are health

and earth conscious may want to consider using natural laundry soap.

Chemical-free products are available for purchase, but most are quite expensive.

So, what can you do? You can make your own laundry soap. You will not need to

search endlessly for the ingredients, and you won't have to pay a fortune for

them, either. They are very inexpensive, and readily available.

 

 

The following recipe will clean about 90 large loads of clothes with normal

soil. You will need a bar of soap. Fels-Naptha is a heavy duty laundry bar that

can be found in the laundry isle where you would purchase detergent. You will

also need Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda - in the same isle as the

Fels-Naptha. This is different than baking soda. It comes in a large box - about

3 ½ lbs. I pay less than four dollars for a box of washing soda, and it makes

several batches of soap; Fels-Naptha costs just over a dollar per bar. Four

gallons of water and a bucket large enough to hold it is also needed.

 

 

 

Grate the bar into a large saucepan using the side of your cheese grater that

has the smallest holes. Cover the soap with water by about two inches. Let it

sit overnight. The next day, heat and stir the soap until it is melted. Pour the

mixture into the bucket. Add the rest of the four gallons of water. Stir

thoroughly before adding a cup of Washing Soda. Stir again. At this point, the

mixture will start to gel. My children and I like to let it sit overnight,

without touching it. The next day, it is gelled so that we can set our large

whisk in it and it stands straight up! Not a necessary step, obviously, just

fun. Now, you have laundry soap. You will need to stir it each time before

adding it to your wash. Alternatively, you can, after stirring thoroughly, pour

some of the soap into a recycled detergent bottle or clean milk carton. This

makes pouring easier, but you will need to shake it before each use. You use ½

cup of the soap per load. Adjust the amount according to size and soil of the

laundry. You will notice that it does not produce suds. This does not mean it is

not cleaning your laundry. It simply doesn't have the chemicals that cause suds.

Bubbles are just bubbles - they are not necessary for cleaning. This laundry

soap has, in my opinion, a very pleasant smell. It is not strong, and will not

scent your clothes. You can add a few drops of essential oil to the soap for

scent, if you like. Lavender is a nice one. There are also special fragrance

oils made specifically for soaps.

 

 

There are some additions you might find useful. You can add a cup of borax when

you add the Washing Soda. If you prefer the basic soap, but want the boost of

Borax occasionally, you can add a small amount to the laundry when you wash it.

If your laundry smells bad (your child's sports uniform, or your husband's dirty

socks!), add a cup of baking soda to the load.

 

 

Variations on the soap itself can also be helpful. A bar of Ivory soap, instead

of Fels-Naptha, makes a very nice, and milder, detergent - good for washing baby

clothes and delicates. If you have allergies to detergent, and find that the

Fels-Naptha soap also irritates, the Ivory might work better for you. If you

like to make your own bar soap, it can also be used for laundry soap.

 

 

In short, for just a few dollars (the price of one bottle of commercial

detergent) you can make the equivalent of nine bottles of commercial detergent

that will clean 30 loads each. And it is far more earth friendly, and health

conscious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Loree in ID

http://photobucket.com/albums/f252/arizona77/

 

 

[Guest guest]

if you read the ingredients, Dove is not a soap, it is a detergent bar. Using a

bar of store bought " soap " to make laundry detergent. is as earth friendly as

using commercial laundry detergent. Many of the same chemicals are used to make

both

Paula .......... in Michigan

coming soon - Farm Fresh Soaps and Candles.com !!!

 

 

Hello, haven't really posted much as I'm in the middle of a soap swap and

making Christmas gifts but wanted to offer this recipe I've had for a while (not

sure where I found it). I haven't had time to test the recipe (2 month old on

top of all of my soaping!!) but it sounds like a good one and you could use

Nels-Faptha or Dove or probably any soap.

Good luck and hope it helps!!

Loree in ID

.

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Loree,

ty for that recipe I will be purchasing the ingredients tomorrow.. Greatly

appreciated. ty for sharing.

Carmen

 

" Loree K. " <apphorse wrote:

Hello, haven't really posted much as I'm in the middle of a soap swap

and making Christmas gifts but wanted to offer this recipe I've had for a while

(not sure where I found it). I haven't had time to test the recipe (2 month old

on top of all of my soaping!!) but it sounds like a good one and you could use

Nels-Faptha or Dove or probably any soap.

Good luck and hope it helps!!

Loree in ID

 

Learn how to make inexpensive, earth friendly laundry soap with a few

easy-to-find ingredients. Less irritating than commercial detergent for allergy

sufferers.

Every one has laundry. Therefore, every one uses laundry soap. However, there

are many people who don't like the chemicals found in commercial laundry

products. People with allergies, people with children, and people who are health

and earth conscious may want to consider using natural laundry soap.

Chemical-free products are available for purchase, but most are quite expensive.

So, what can you do? You can make your own laundry soap. You will not need to

search endlessly for the ingredients, and you won't have to pay a fortune for

them, either. They are very inexpensive, and readily available.

 

The following recipe will clean about 90 large loads of clothes with normal

soil. You will need a bar of soap. Fels-Naptha is a heavy duty laundry bar that

can be found in the laundry isle where you would purchase detergent. You will

also need Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda - in the same isle as the

Fels-Naptha. This is different than baking soda. It comes in a large box - about

3 ½ lbs. I pay less than four dollars for a box of washing soda, and it makes

several batches of soap; Fels-Naptha costs just over a dollar per bar. Four

gallons of water and a bucket large enough to hold it is also needed.

 

Grate the bar into a large saucepan using the side of your cheese grater that

has the smallest holes. Cover the soap with water by about two inches. Let it

sit overnight. The next day, heat and stir the soap until it is melted. Pour the

mixture into the bucket. Add the rest of the four gallons of water. Stir

thoroughly before adding a cup of Washing Soda. Stir again. At this point, the

mixture will start to gel. My children and I like to let it sit overnight,

without touching it. The next day, it is gelled so that we can set our large

whisk in it and it stands straight up! Not a necessary step, obviously, just

fun. Now, you have laundry soap. You will need to stir it each time before

adding it to your wash. Alternatively, you can, after stirring thoroughly, pour

some of the soap into a recycled detergent bottle or clean milk carton. This

makes pouring easier, but you will need to shake it before each use. You use ½

cup of the soap per load. Adjust the amount according to

size and soil of the laundry. You will notice that it does not produce suds.

This does not mean it is not cleaning your laundry. It simply doesn't have the

chemicals that cause suds. Bubbles are just bubbles - they are not necessary for

cleaning. This laundry soap has, in my opinion, a very pleasant smell. It is not

strong, and will not scent your clothes. You can add a few drops of essential

oil to the soap for scent, if you like. Lavender is a nice one. There are also

special fragrance oils made specifically for soaps.

 

There are some additions you might find useful. You can add a cup of borax when

you add the Washing Soda. If you prefer the basic soap, but want the boost of

Borax occasionally, you can add a small amount to the laundry when you wash it.

If your laundry smells bad (your child's sports uniform, or your husband's dirty

socks!), add a cup of baking soda to the load.

 

Variations on the soap itself can also be helpful. A bar of Ivory soap, instead

of Fels-Naptha, makes a very nice, and milder, detergent - good for washing baby

clothes and delicates. If you have allergies to detergent, and find that the

Fels-Naptha soap also irritates, the Ivory might work better for you. If you

like to make your own bar soap, it can also be used for laundry soap.

 

In short, for just a few dollars (the price of one bottle of commercial

detergent) you can make the equivalent of nine bottles of commercial detergent

that will clean 30 loads each. And it is far more earth friendly, and health

conscious.

 

Loree in ID

http://photobucket.com/albums/f252/arizona77/

 

 

[Guest guest]

Well, it's a basic recipe that I did not make up...AND I also said to use

whatever you have. I make my own soap, so I have a lot of *natural* soap to use

but some people may not. It would still be better then store bought...

Take it for what it is, a recipe.

Loree in ID

 

 

 

if you read the ingredients, Dove is not a soap, it is a detergent bar. Using

a bar of store bought " soap " to make laundry detergent. is as earth friendly as

using commercial laundry detergent. Many of the same chemicals are used to make

both

Paula .......... in Michigan

coming soon - Farm Fresh Soaps and Candles.com !!!

 

Hello, haven't really posted much as I'm in the middle of a soap swap and

making Christmas gifts but wanted to offer this recipe I've had for a while (not

sure where I found it). I haven't had time to test the recipe (2 month old on

top of all of my soaping!!) but it sounds like a good one and you could use

Nels-Faptha or Dove or probably any soap.

Good luck and hope it helps!!

Loree in ID

.

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hope it works for ya and let us know how it turns out!!

I'm saving my laundry bottles to put homemade in.

Loree in ID

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

> it sounds like a good one and you could use Nels-Faptha or Dove or

probably any soap.<

 

Fels-Naptha: " contains at least one toxic ingredient, and there are

probably others. I would venture to say that the perfume and

colorants are made from petrochemicals as well.

 

Is it toxic to use? The MSDS says it has low toxicity, but I would

caution anyone who wishes to avoid petrochemical ingredients to stay

away from this one. There are more natural and even organic cleaning

soaps available. " Debra Lynn Dadd

 

http://dld123.com/q & a/qandatemp.php?id=Q61

 

Ivory Soap Ingredients: Sodium tallowate, sodium cocoate or sodium

palm kernelate, water, sodium chloride, sodium silicate, magnesium

sulfate, and fragrance.

 

Ivory Snow [the laundry detergent] is no longer powdered soap, but is

detergent. When I was a kid I remember making Christmas Snow Men out

of Ivory Snow laundry soap! So if you don't mind the animal & other

ingredients in Ivory soap, and have the time to grate up bars of

soap...this is probably the closest to the old laundry soap of many

of our childhoods. Pesonally, it irritates my skin and I don't like

the synthetic fragrance smell.

 

Dove...well Dove isn't soap, it's a synthetic soap substitute &

1/4 " cleansing cream " . Seems like that might not be an ingredient

you'd want coating your clothes or washer & dryer.

 

I see the point for soap makers to save scraps or grind up leftovers

to use in laundry...I'm not sure I see the point of buying commercial

soap or detergent bars and grating them up to make a less expensive

laundry detergent/soap. Personally, I use unscented liquid detergent

formulated for a high energy washer [which I have] and I add a 1/4 of

borax to every load because it is helps prevent any " musty " odor.

That way I don't need any scented dryer products...the clothes smell

like clean clothes. Sue

[Guest guest]

I think it is up to the individual to decide exactly why they want to

make their own laundry soap. To save money or to be more earth

friendly. Thank you for sharing the recipe, Loree. I have seen the

same one. As I make my own soaps, I am capable of doing it that way

also, but the recipes I found for making it when I googled it were

mostly on money saving tip forums and such, and they all used fells

naptha in the recipe. I am lucky to be able to make my own. And to be

able to make my own more natural household cleaners and such also.

To those who want to be eco friendly with the recipe, perhaps check

locally to try and find a soaper that may be willing to give you a

discount for " non aesthetically " pleasing or botched batches. Or may

be willing to make you some just for the purpose of laundry detergent

and not charge too much. It might be worth a try if you do not want to

use the store bought alternatives.

 

HTH

Phaedra

, " Loree K. " <apphorse wrote:

>

> Well, it's a basic recipe that I did not make up...AND I also said

to use whatever you have. I make my own soap, so I have a lot of

*natural* soap to use but some people may not. It would still be

better then store bought...

> Take it for what it is, a recipe.

> Loree in ID

>

[Guest guest]

What about those darn whites I use bleach on all my whites. The oxy clean crap

dont work either. Do you have any natural ingredient for whites? Carmen

 

" Loree K. " <apphorse wrote: Hope it works for ya and let us

know how it turns out!!

I'm saving my laundry bottles to put homemade in.

Loree in ID

 

..

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

> What about those darn whites I use bleach on all my whites. The oxy

clean crap dont work either. Do you have any natural ingredient for

whites? Carmen<

 

I use chlorine bleach since it breaks down to salt water.

 

Chlorine bleach is manufactured from simple salt water with an

electrical current passed through it. Sue

[Guest guest]

Well, I guess I am sorry I came out of lurktom to give this recipe. I just

thought it was a basic recipe that others could substitute their own choice of

soap and make laundry soap, saving bottles from the dump at the same time.

And what was the talk of FO's as fabric softner/freshener?? That is as synthetic

as you could get for something that will be touching your skin.

O-well, maybe this isn't the group for me...I don't find the negetive in

everything.

Take care,

Loree in ID

 

 

> it sounds like a good one and you could use Nels-Faptha or Dove or

probably any soap.<

 

Fels-Naptha: " contains at least one toxic ingredient, and there are

probably others. I would venture to say that the perfume and

colorants are made from petrochemicals as well.

 

Is it toxic to use? The MSDS says it has low toxicity, but I would

caution anyone who wishes to avoid petrochemical ingredients to stay

away from this one. There are more natural and even organic cleaning

soaps available. " Debra Lynn Dadd

 

http://dld123.com/q & a/qandatemp.php?id=Q61

 

Ivory Soap Ingredients: Sodium tallowate, sodium cocoate or sodium

palm kernelate, water, sodium chloride, sodium silicate, magnesium

sulfate, and fragrance.

 

Ivory Snow [the laundry detergent] is no longer powdered soap, but is

detergent. When I was a kid I remember making Christmas Snow Men out

of Ivory Snow laundry soap! So if you don't mind the animal & other

ingredients in Ivory soap, and have the time to grate up bars of

soap...this is probably the closest to the old laundry soap of many

of our childhoods. Pesonally, it irritates my skin and I don't like

the synthetic fragrance smell.

 

Dove...well Dove isn't soap, it's a synthetic soap substitute &

1/4 " cleansing cream " . Seems like that might not be an ingredient

you'd want coating your clothes or washer & dryer.

 

I see the point for soap makers to save scraps or grind up leftovers

to use in laundry...I'm not sure I see the point of buying commercial

soap or detergent bars and grating them up to make a less expensive

laundry detergent/soap. Personally, I use unscented liquid detergent

formulated for a high energy washer [which I have] and I add a 1/4 of

borax to every load because it is helps prevent any " musty " odor.

That way I don't need any scented dryer products...the clothes smell

like clean clothes. Sue

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Your welcome, Phaedra...it is nice making your own soap, isn't it!! I am so

addicted:O)

Loree in ID

[Guest guest]

I consider bleach a pretty natural thing...when it dries it's just salt but I

also like Borax.

Loree in ID

 

 

 

What about those darn whites I use bleach on all my whites. The oxy clean crap

dont work either. Do you have any natural ingredient for whites? Carmen

 

" Loree K. " <apphorse wrote: Hope it works for ya and let us know how

it turns out!!

I'm saving my laundry bottles to put homemade in.

Loree in ID

 

.

 

[Guest guest]

, " CT HERB " <Email wrote:

>

> Fels-Naptha: " contains at least one toxic ingredient, and there are

> probably others. I would venture to say that the perfume and

> colorants are made from petrochemicals as well.

>

> I see the point for soap makers to save scraps or grind up leftovers

> to use in laundry...I'm not sure I see the point of buying commercial

> soap or detergent bars and grating them up to make a less expensive

> laundry detergent/soap. . Sue

>

This is why if I do make my own soap I don't want to buy a commercial

brand. I was hoping to find a natural soap in my health food store.

[Guest guest]

, " CT HERB " <Email wrote:

>

> > What about those darn whites I use bleach on all my whites. The oxy

> clean crap dont work either. Do you have any natural ingredient for

> whites? Carmen<

>

> I use chlorine bleach since it breaks down to salt water.

>

> Chlorine bleach is manufactured from simple salt water with an

> electrical current passed through it. Sue

>

I've used borax and hydrogen peroxide. I usually let the whites soak

in this for a couple of hours. I has worked well. Susan

[Guest guest]

Loree,

I am most happy you shared your recipe with us. I will most definatelly be

using it and buying the ingredients today at walmart hopefully they will have

that soap bar. I didnt sound negative did I? hope not because I find no

negativity in what you posted its just FYI if you want to use it then do and if

you dont then dont but y does everyone have to find negativity and nit pick

everything apart.

Carmen

 

" Loree K. " <apphorse wrote:

Well, I guess I am sorry I came out of lurktom to give this recipe. I

just thought it was a basic recipe that others could substitute their own choice

of soap and make laundry soap, saving bottles from the dump at the same time.

And what was the talk of FO's as fabric softner/freshener?? That is as synthetic

as you could get for something that will be touching your skin.

O-well, maybe this isn't the group for me...I don't find the negetive in

everything.

Take care,

Loree in ID

[Guest guest]

, Carmen Riley

<flowersviolets wrote:

>

> Is it in powder form? ty for responding to my ?

> Carmen<

 

Nope, not powder...the regular strength Clorox brand liquid bleach.

Susan

[Guest guest]

I appreciate the recipe. I'm going to try it if I can find a good

natural soap as I am not a soapmaker and don't have my own to use. Susan

[Guest guest]

, " susan " <ripple95 wrote:

>

> I appreciate the recipe. I'm going to try it if I can find a good

> natural soap as I am not a soapmaker and don't have my own to use.

Susan<

 

If you are looking for natural soap, I'd start here!

 

http://www.naturalingredient.org/Links/links.htm

 

Sue

[Guest guest]

, " susan " <ripple95 wrote:

>

> I appreciate the recipe. I'm going to try it if I can find a good

> natural soap as I am not a soapmaker and don't have my own to use.

Susan<

 

If you are looking for natural, here is a good place to start:

 

http://www.naturalingredient.org/Links/links.htm

 

If natural isn't an issue, [and some of these members ARE natural soap

makers as well, but there are many that specialize in the synthetics

here] try www.soapguild.org

 

Sue

[Guest guest]

>

>I appreciate the recipe. I'm going to try it if I can find a good

>natural soap as I am not a soapmaker and don't have my own to use. Susan

 

I'd recommend the great natural soaps made by the list mom, Chris at

http://alittleolfactory.com She has bar soaps, liquid soap bases you

can scent yourself, of buy scented (with EOs) and other great cleaning stuff.

 

 

Anya McCoy

of Natural Perfume http://anyasgarden.com

Artisan Natural Perfumers Guild http://artisannaturalperfumers.org

Natural Perfumers Chat Group

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hey Susan,

If you will contact me offlist I can help with the natural soap

problem.at the boutique @ bellsouth . net of course with no spaces

 

Phaedra

, " susan " <ripple95 wrote:

>

> I appreciate the recipe. I'm going to try it if I can find a good

> natural soap as I am not a soapmaker and don't have my own to use.

Susan

>

[Guest guest]

yes Loree it is!! I just put a couple of batches to bed before I came

to take a break on the puter. )

 

Phaedra

 

, " Loree K. " <apphorse wrote:

>

> Your welcome, Phaedra...it is nice making your own soap, isn't it!! I

am so addicted:O)

> Loree in ID

>

[Guest guest]

the recipe I use is one cup powdered soap, one cup baking soda, and one

cup borax. I don't have to add anything for the whites, and they come

out good.

 

Phaedra

, " CT HERB " <Email wrote:

>

> > What about those darn whites I use bleach on all my whites. The

oxy

> clean crap dont work either. Do you have any natural ingredient for

> whites? Carmen<

>

> I use chlorine bleach since it breaks down to salt water.

>

> Chlorine bleach is manufactured from simple salt water with an

> electrical current passed through it. Sue

>

[Guest guest]

there are many soapmaker sites that sell soap shreds too or you could join a

soap making list or 2 and find someone you could buy the soap from

Paula .......... in Michigan

coming soon - Farm Fresh Soaps and Candles.com !!!

 

 

>

> I appreciate the recipe. I'm going to try it if I can find a good

> natural soap as I am not a soapmaker and don't have my own to use.

Susan<

 

.

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Ok I cannot find any super washing soda anywhere. Also the bar soap no where to

be found. Iooked down the detergent aisle, Cleaning products aisle, and the

bar soap aisle. I was needless to say very p-oed. I thought it was rather easy

to find this stuff but I guess n ot.

Carmen

 

Phaedra <jstockstill wrote:

the recipe I use is one cup powdered soap, one cup baking soda, and

one

cup borax. I don't have to add anything for the whites, and they come

out good.

 

Phaedra

, " CT HERB " <Email wrote:

>

> > What about those darn whites I use bleach on all my whites. The

oxy

> clean crap dont work either. Do you have any natural ingredient for

> whites? Carmen<

>

> I use chlorine bleach since it breaks down to salt water.

>

> Chlorine bleach is manufactured from simple salt water with an

> electrical current passed through it. Sue

>

 

 

 

 

 

 

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