Homemade laundry detergent

[Apple]

Washing soda can be found in the detergent section, if your store carries it. Around here it is Arm and Hammer brand so it's hard to miss the box. Regular dove should not be used, as HTH said, you want a pure soap, not a moisturizing "soap".
For general prices, I pay $1.19 for a bar of Fels Naptha and around $2.50-$3 for each large box of borax and washing soda.

ETA: The recipes using Ivory are not the bath soap, but also the pure soap. I think "Ivory snow" was a pure soap, something like that is probably what they're talking about.

[Cheesy FL-Vol]

I have never heard of Fels Naptha. Is it generally in the same area of a store as other bar soaps?

[Apple]

No, Fels Naptha will be in the laundry section as well. It has an "old fashioned" mostly white label and will be about the same size as a regular bar of soap. Only one store in my town carries it and they keep it on the top shelf pretty well hidden. I had to ask if they carried it once because they had moved it--it's easy to miss.

[Deleted]

Dec 31, 2010 17:56:52 GMT -5 Apple said:

For the powdered detergent:
1 bar Fels Napha (or zote, or Ivory?)--ground up to a powder
1 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
(for this one, an older, dried out bar of Fels Napha works well since it will crumble easily.)

Mix all ingredients. For light load, use 1 Tablespoon. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 Tablespoons. Yields: 3 Cups detergent. (Approx. 40 loads) (I was able to use even less since I have a front-loader, but you do kind of have to figure out how much will work best with your machine and how soiled the clothes are--the powdered version is not as cheap as the liquid version, but quick to make)

What is the difference between Zote and Fels Napha. I found the Pink Zote @ Walmart. But no Fels Napha

[Deleted]

Jan 15, 2011 12:16:06 GMT -5 Apple said:

Washing soda can be found in the detergent section, if your store carries it. Around here it is Arm and Hammer brand so it's hard to miss the box. Regular dove should not be used, as HTH said, you want a pure soap, not a moisturizing "soap".
For general prices, I pay $1.19 for a bar of Fels Naptha and around $2.50-$3 for each large box of borax and washing soda.

ETA: The recipes using Ivory are not the bath soap, but also the pure soap. I think "Ivory snow" was a pure soap, something like that is probably what they're talking about.

The Ivory Snow. Is that the one with the baby pictured on it?

[Apple]

No one here carries Zote, but I did find it in another town. I'm not sure what all the difference is but I've read that Zote works. Don't know if it works better or worse than Fels though.
Ivory Snow? I'm not sure about that either--I think it comes in a box as "flakes". Is the one with a baby liquid? If so, that's not it.

[Deleted]

Jan 15, 2011 13:17:05 GMT -5 Apple said:

No one here carries Zote, but I did find it in another town. I'm not sure what all the difference is but I've read that Zote works. Don't know if it works better or worse than Fels though.
Ivory Snow? I'm not sure about that either--I think it comes in a box as "flakes". Is the one with a baby liquid? If so, that's not it.

I wasn't sure if it was abar or flakes. I don't want to make the liquid one!

[Deleted]

Jan 3, 2011 17:45:57 GMT -5 Jem0607 said:

I've been making my detergent for almost 2 years and I love it! My husband is a diesel mechanic and the only stuff that worked on his greasy clothes was Tide and my little boy has eczema so I was still using Dreft for his clothes but the recipe I've been making works for both of them! And I could really tell the difference in my budget.
I make the powder kind because it seems much easier. The recipe I use is

2 c. Fels Naptha
1 c. Borax
1 c. Washing Soda
All those are in the detergent aisle, usually on the top shelf.
I roughly chop the bar of soap then grind it up in a food processor, then add the other ingrediants and stir. I use about 1 Tbl for me & the kids' clothes and up to 1/4 cup for my husband's. Be sure to shake the container a little each time you use it.

I would encourage anyone to try this! It takes 15 min at the most.

And washing the food processor blade and what not won't leave a film on everything in the dishwasher?

[Apple]

And washing the food processor blade and what not won't leave a film on everything in the dishwasher?

I'd try to answer that but I don't have a dishwasher (and I never use a food processor...)

[kadee]

I do the liquid form but put my pan in the dishwasher without any problems.

I think Zote might be a milder soap than fels naptha.

BTW....you need WASHING soda no BAKING soda for cleaner wash.

Cheesy, I wasn't able to find washing soda at any stores in my area....my Ace Hardware ordered it for me. Also, only one store carries the fels naptha...on the top shelf at the back end of the aisle in the detergent section! It is with other "specialty" laundry products & spray starch.

Some of you that have had problems with it cleaning your clothes...it could be something in your water rather than the homemade detergent. They just may not work well together. It could also be your washer...I have front loader & don't have any problems! I've got well water & it has some lime in it but my clothes are CLEAN....even DH's stinky, greasy (mechanical grease) jeans!

[Deleted]

Jan 15, 2011 17:12:25 GMT -5 @kadee said:

I do the liquid form but put my pan in the dishwasher without any problems.

I think Zote might be a milder soap than fels naptha.

BTW....you need WASHING soda no BAKING soda for cleaner wash.

Cheesy, I wasn't able to find washing soda at any stores in my area....my Ace Hardware ordered it for me. Also, only one store carries the fels naptha...on the top shelf at the back end of the aisle in the detergent section! It is with other "specialty" laundry products & spray starch.

Some of you that have had problems with it cleaning your clothes...it could be something in your water rather than the homemade detergent. They just may not work well together. It could also be your washer...I have front loader & don't have any problems! I've got well water & it has some lime in it but my clothes are CLEAN....even DH's stinky, greasy (mechanical grease) jeans!

THANKS!

I don't have a food processor. So I got a grater @ $1.00 store.. Not bad, but alot of work.. That's ok I'm watcing the Ravens Steelers blood bath!

[Deleted]

Never again will I put this together. Took me 2 hours to grade the Zapta soap! Ok, I was watching the football game, but still. 2 hours to cut a bar of soap. The soap was clogging up the gratter. The mess on the counter..

I've wanted to try it, but never again....


Not worth it!

[OldCoyote]

If you use home made or cheap powdered soaps, they may cause a buildup inside your wash machine, clog hoses, block the pump, burn up the pump belt. So what ever you saved is lost if you need to call a repair person or the problem of dealing with a washer full of water.
Vinegar does not replace fabric softener but will neutralize soap left in the wash at the end of the cycle.
If you have clothes come out of the dryer that look brown, like the dryer was too hot but washed out later probably had soap that did not rinse out.

[Deleted]

Jan 16, 2011 10:48:37 GMT -5 OldCoyote said:

If you use home made or cheap powdered soaps, they may cause a buildup inside your wash machine, clog hoses, block the pump, burn up the pump belt. So what ever you saved is lost if you need to call a repair person or the problem of dealing with a washer full of water.
Vinegar does not replace fabric softener but will neutralize soap left in the wash at the end of the cycle.
If you have clothes come out of the dryer that look brown, like the dryer was too hot but washed out later probably had soap that did not rinse out.

Good point! I'm going to use it every other load in between the liquid.

Just never again will I be making it!

[Deleted]

Jan 19, 2011 7:14:46 GMT -5 @toughtimes said:

My pop used to buy "Washing Soda" the primary ingredient in most modern detergents. Today "Washing Soda" is unobtainable, but what you can get is Chlorox 2, exactly the same thing a zillion times more expensive.

I bought it last weekend

[seraph]

toughtimes, I live in the mid-Hudson valley and find washing soda in Shoprite here. If you have one near you it might be worth a look.

[justwhoever]

If I could find a place that sold washing soda in my county I would make it. I have everything but that.

[Deleted]

Jan 20, 2011 8:44:48 GMT -5 @toughtimes said:

Good. I cannot find it in NYC any more and that is a true rip-off.

No Wegmans around?

[Deleted]

Washed the first load with the homemade detergent... Clothes turned out softer... I'm impressed! I'm not sure if I'll make it again.. It was a reall pain in the

[kadee]

Never again will I put this together. Took me 2 hours to grade the Zapta soap! Ok, I was watching the football game, but still. 2 hours to cut a bar of soap. The soap was clogging up the gratter. The mess on the counter..

I think you may have used too small of holes in the grater. I use the biggest round ones & it only takes a few minutes to grate a bar. Were you making the powder? I made the liquid.

And BTW, there isn't any more/less build up with this homemade than with any other commercial detergent on the market. The trick with that is to use less than recommended by manufacturers and as little as you can get away with of the homemade. I also think you will find that the homemade will rinse out of the materials much better...that's why things are softer!

[Deleted]

I made the powdered detergent - it took me about 15 minutes. I've been using it for 2 weeks and it seems to work just as well as the other stuff I use. I have very soft water. I also regularly clean my washing machine with simple green, vinegar and a scrub brush. That can make a big difference in how clean your clothes get.