Homemade Laundry Soap

[Alix]

OK, I'm about to begin but I can't find any washing soda. Can I sub baking soda? I sort of doubt it.

Edit: OK, I have some Amaze that has sodium carbonate (washing soda) and sodium silicate (which just keeps the powder from clumping) and one other item in it. Think I could use that?

 

[Alix]

I was a bit distracted when I began this project. So...there might be some major booboos that will mean I get crap.
First, I misread the instructions (did I mention I was distracted) and I put all the ingredients in the hot water and turned on the element. Hmmm...figured that out about that moment, but too late.

Then, I had been thinking about the glycerin addition and had a brain flash. Here comes your chuckle of the day. I remembered I had baby suppositories that had been in the medicine cabinet for oh...12 years or so. LOL, yep, you guessed it. Chopped one of those babies up and tossed it in there too. What the heck, its glycerin isn't it?

Then of course there is the worry that the stuff I used for washing soda (which is danged near impossible to find by the way) will not work the way its supposed to. I did a little research and used OxiClean which is sodium carbonate and sodium percarbonate which are both found in most laundry detergents. Its all mixed up and sitting on my kitchen floor. I'll open it tomorrow and see if it worked out OK.

Say a little prayer for me! If nothing else it was a fun experiment for an afternoon.

 

[blissful]

I've been so busy I haven't had a chance to assemble everything and find a time to do this yet, but its on my agenda for the weekend. Couple of questions for anyone:

1. Anyone put fragrance in? Like for example something citrusy or lavender maybe? I have some dried lavender from the summer.
I put in some tea tree oil, it's fresh smelling and a natural antimicrobial.
2. Blissful, is there an amount for the glycerin? And are there different types of glycerin?
I haven't used glycerin in my laundry soap yet. Glycerin forms as a by product to making soap, so it's already in there. I don't know if there are different types of glycerin, never heard there were.
3. Cold process? Can you post your soap recipe somewhere? I'd love to try that too. I think bethzaring makes soap too so I'd love to see that thread get going.
Cold process is very well described here:
http://www.millersoap.com/
It's where I learned everything I needed to know. She has hundreds of recipes and pictures.
Cold process is adding lye to water, heating your fats and oils, combining at the right temperature, stirring until it reaches trace and putting in molds.

So Alix, what happened?

 

[Alix]

Morning blissful! Well I got up bright and early (OK 7:30 but thats early enough after a late night) and opened my pail of laundry soap. Gelled as it was supposed to! YAY! Happy dance! I stirred it up and filled my jug with the soap and then topped it off with water as instructed. The first load is in the washer now. My hubby asked if I had an inch of bubbles on the floor in the laundry room (Jerk! I told him he can't have any coffee now ) It smells nice and clean, I didn't put any fragrance in, but I like the idea of the tea tree oil. I have some and may just put a drop in the jug I have going right now. I'll report on the clean status of the laundry. I gave it a hard test, there are some tea towels that I mopped up a coffee spill with. I figure if you are going to test something give it a good hard test right?

 

[ellakav]

I tried the Oxy once and man, what a mess! I put it in while I was not
paying attention - the soap was just getting ready to boil. word of advice-
don't do that!! talk about a massive mess to clean up.
so the suppositories worked out, eh? I use liquid glycerin. it does make a
difference in the way the soap gels. I've been making my own laundry soap
for awhile and since I've been using the liquid glycerin in it the finished
soap doesn't separate or make little clumps. I hated that, for some reason!
oh yeah, and out here in the bowels of h*** we have a store called Hobby
Lobby where you can buy essential oils. they have all kinds - tea tree,
lavender, rosemary, orange, etc. they are tiny little bottles and it seems
like it's a lot of money for what you're getting, but the stuff lasts a long time.
hope you're happy with your finished results!
p.s I forgot, just in case anyone is interested. the Fels-Naptha soap
that I use for my base is AWESOME for removing poison oak, ivy and
sumac oils from clothing and skin. my husband is a landscaper and that
crap is virulent out here. the oil, urshiol, can stay in your clothes for a
YEAR. the DH is allergic to it too. I boil down some Fels with some castile
mixed in for him to shower with and take with him to work so he always
has it to wash off with and I wash his work clothes with the Fels and
straight hot water. beats another trip to the ER and steroids in the
posterior, ya know?

 

[Alix]

I'm quite pleased with the results. I'll do things the right way next time and see if it makes any difference. It all seemed OK on this end. I'll keep everyone posted.

 

[luvs]

i've been waiting to see if you liked it! i want to make my own, too.

 

[Alix]

i've been waiting to see if you liked it! i want to make my own, too.

Gotta tell you luvs, it was dead easy. I does make a crapload though. If you are apartment dwelling I don't think I'd do it.

 

[luvs]

Gotta tell you luvs, it was dead easy. I does make a crapload though. If you are apartment dwelling I don't think I'd do it.

hm, maybe i could store it in the laundry room. other tenants keep thier stuff there. thanks, alix!

 

[Katie H]

It would be easy enough to do half a quantity. All the ingredients are easily divisible by 2.

 

[Katie H]

Well, boys and girls, I made a batch of the soap this afternoon. I won't have to buy laundry detergent for the rest of my life.

It was sooooo easy and I calculated that one batch (makes the equivalent of 10 gallons of detergent) cost me $1.60. I can live with that!!

 

[ellakav]

don't you feel proud??? I still love how cheap it is to do this. and I know
that for me this works better than anything I have ever used. my husband
is like 'Pig Pen' when he gets home from work - grease, dirt, crud, and he
doesn't always smell too fabulous, either. AND I have a 3 year old son at
home which is self-explanatory.

 

[Katie H]

I'm really pleased with it. The fragrance is really "fresh" and I'm looking forward to my first load of laundry.

 

[ellakav]

yeah, I like the smell, too. last August I ran out of carpet cleaning detergent and I diluted some of the laundry soap down and used it - I
have never gone back to buy the carpet soap! my carpets come out so
clean and soft and I don't feel like I'm paying through the nose to do it.
because of the two that I mentioned earlier, I also do a LOT of carpet
cleaning!

 

[GB]

I have bought everything I need to make this. The only reason I have not yet made it is that I do not have enough containers to be able to fill up once it is made. We are busy collecting milk containers and others that will work. I can't wait to get this stuff made.

 

[Alix]

GB, I left mine in the big 5 gallon pail I made it in and would stir it up and ladle some out when I needed it. I'm about ready to make my second batch. I was so pleased with it that I gave a bunch to sisters and friends to try. Guess what? They all loved it too!

 

[GB]

OK you talked me into it Alix. I will make it this weekend and just leave it in the bucket if I do not have enough containers.

 

[ellakav]

OK you talked me into it Alix. I will make it this weekend and just leave it in the bucket if I do not have enough containers.

that's what I did at first. a 5 gal bucket with a lid works great.
I store mine in an extra 10 lb plastic dog food container!

 

[Katie H]

Omigosh! I love it. I've washed several loads with it and couldn't be happier. Now all I want to do is wash clothes.

What I did was to immediately mix up two 1-gallon jugs and left the rest in the 5-gallon bucket. Perfect.

 

[Alix]

I'd like to mention as well that a persistent rash (contact dermatitis) I have been battling for ages is gone. I think the lack of scent is a direct contributor to that.