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IN, USA
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Posted: 7/15/2009 2:36:51 PM EDT
[#1]
Got the green light for this.... here's how it went...
Got the supplies at the local Meijer store. $1.39 for the Fels-Naptha, $2.99 for the Washing Soda, and $3.74 for the Borax. 
Shredding the soap didn't take long, maybe about 5-10 minutes. Kinda looked like cheese too. 
Measured out 2 heaping cups of each Borax and the washing soda (sodium carbonate) since I was using the whole bar. 
I used about 10 cups of water at first. Then added a little more after awhile. I added the soap shreds slow. 
About 20 minutes into the melt. Still lots of clumps and unmelted shreds. A package from Brownells arrived during the interim with a backordered MIAD. 
About 30 minutes in, I was cleaning out the bucket and filling it up with hot water when this happened. The boil over made a mess, but actually cleaned the stove surface better than it was. Lesson: pay attention to it. 
Just added the hot mix to the bucket, which I put about 1.5gallons of hot water into. This is prior to mixing. 
The drill with a paint mixer type propeller on the end worked excellently to mix thoroughly and remove any other lumps. 
Now waiting for it to cool so it can be tested in the wash... more to follow. Thanks to raven for the idea |
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Posted: 7/15/2009 3:17:44 PM EDT
[#2]
Just made my first batch now. All the ingredients were in Publix (local grocery store) right next to each other. The checkout clerk even knew what I was going to do with it all
 . I'll try using it tomorrow.
Going to try the Borax/Washing Soda tonight in the dishwasher as well. Much cheaper than the store bought stuff. |
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Posted: 7/16/2009 3:16:57 AM EDT
[#3]
tag
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Posted: 7/16/2009 11:00:34 AM EDT
[#4]
Originally Posted By dread-pirate:
Just made my first batch now. All the ingredients were in Publix (local grocery store) right next to each other. The checkout clerk even knew what I was going to do with it all . I'll try using it tomorrow.
Going to try the Borax/Washing Soda tonight in the dishwasher as well. Much cheaper than the store bought stuff. We've tried this once so far, and weren't happy. We'll give it another try before giving up. |
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Posted: 7/16/2009 1:09:05 PM EDT
[#5]
Found the Fels-Naptha at the local ACE Hardware and Harris Teeter. Teeter also had the borax and soda. We've been using the powdered version for several weeks now. It a lot easier than making liquid. I'm very picky on how my clothes smell after they are washed. If its not Arm&Hammer or Tide I still think jeans/towels smell funky. This mix leaves them smelling every bit as clean as the expensive stuff. Thanks for the thread.
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Posted: 7/16/2009 1:36:11 PM EDT
[#6]
Tag
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IN, USA
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Posted: 7/17/2009 11:31:14 PM EDT
[#7]
Clothes washing initial report: My wife approves!
It cleans well. even heavily soiled spitup cloths from our young children. So far, so good. |
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Posted: 7/22/2009 11:25:41 AM EDT
[#8]
.
DIshwasher revistied: After using the formula for a couple of weeks we've determined that it just isn't getting the dishes as clean as they were with Cascade and we've switched back. Yeah, I was all enthusiastic about it when we started using it. But over time the new stuff isn't working out. We're still using the clothes washing detergent. |
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Posted: 7/22/2009 11:33:30 AM EDT
[Last Edit: Ky_Bob]
[#9]
Originally Posted By kar98k:
. Dishwasher revisited: After using the formula for a couple of weeks we've determined that it just isn't getting the dishes as clean as they were with Cascade and we've switched back. Yeah, I was all enthusiastic about it when we started using it. But over time the new stuff isn't working out. We're still using the clothes washing detergent. I agree. We ran one load with the directed mix and it left a terrible residue on our glasses and silverware. It is just now coming off in subsequent loads. ETA: We live in limestone/sandstone rich Kentucky. It is why we have such great water, and because we have great water, great Bourbon. 
I'll take the trade-off. 
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Posted: 7/22/2009 1:27:00 PM EDT
[#10]
Originally Posted By cougargnw:
Originally Posted By Cacinok:
Originally Posted By cougargnw:
How is this mixture for people with sensitive skin? I know fels naptha packs a real whollop on it own. For clarity I DO NOT have sensitive skin. I am a manly man  . The wife is kinda dainty thoughi'm damn manly myself, but excema sucks. the home made soap my wife has made, has been better for me, b/c a lot of the perfumes in commercial soaps bug the hell out of me. she adds essential oils to get whatever smell she wants and those don't irritate the skin. Thats good info. My buddy has excema and has a hard time with it on occasion due to soaps. I will pass this along to him as well. I don't have 'sensitive' skin, but I do have allergies, and I was wondering about this as well. |
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MO, USA
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Posted: 7/23/2009 4:06:23 AM EDT
[#11]
Good time to invest in Broax, FelsNapta, and Arm 'n' Hammer stocks?
This is one of the best threads I have ever read on this site! |
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Posted: 7/31/2009 2:31:47 PM EDT
[#12]
TAG
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Posted: 8/15/2009 1:29:51 PM EDT
[#13]
I don't know why anybody make the liquid. We have been using the powder version for a month or so and both myself and my wife love it.
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NV, USA
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Posted: 9/12/2009 11:23:49 PM EDT
[#14]
Wife refuses to use the powder. No idea. I couldn't find the soap bar listed, and couldn't remember what could be used alternatively. I ordered the soap online and I will have a batch done by this weekend.
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AR, USA
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Posted: 9/14/2009 4:51:06 PM EDT
[#15]
Finally broke down and ordered Washing Soda after looking everywhere locally. Making 1st batch tonight. Been using Borax, Baking Soda and Zote. Works just as good as what we were using.
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WI, USA
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Posted: 9/14/2009 11:29:35 PM EDT
[#16]
I intended to give this detergent formula a try back in Aug., but I kept putting it off until now.
I have all the ingredients, but I'm a little tentative about mixing/melting this stuff in our stock pot. Does anyone know if it will hurt the non-stick teflon liner in the pot? If it does, than I'm going to need to buy another pot, because if the pot gets ruined it will make for an unhappy household. |
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USA
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Posted: 9/14/2009 11:35:19 PM EDT
[#17]
My SO has a few questions, can you use Oxyclean with this homemade soap mixture?
Is there any reason to do so? Would just a small amount of Oxyclean make any substantial difference in the performance? Another question -because she seems to prefer the dry powder mix over the liquid mix, how finely do you have to grind the Fels soap and what is the best/most efficient way to grind it up? |
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CT, USA
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Posted: 9/15/2009 9:25:28 AM EDT
[Last Edit: C-CON]
[#18]
I made a liquid batch a couple of weeks ago and it works great!
If you are in Southern New England (CT & MA), Big Y supermarkets carry Fels Naptha, washing soda, and borax powder. A couple of things I learned. 1. DO NOT fill the bottle to the top. If you only fill the bottle 2/3 of the way, it is much easier to shake before pouring. Giving the bottles a couple of shakes is key to getting the soap to pour easily. 2. Use bottles with the biggest openings that you can find. Some of the bottles I used had small opening and it was difficult to pour the mixture since it is so thick. |
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Posted: 9/15/2009 10:10:41 AM EDT
[#19]
For projects like this go buy an old pot somewhere, preferably stainless steel since it will survive lots and lots of silly ideas over the years. Walmart or dollar store or yard sale or good will or someone else will have a really cheap pot and I tend to buy big ones because it just tends to work out better with how I do things.
While this stuff should not hurt the pot it might be a pain to get the pot back to super duper clean so you feel comfy eating from it again. If making the dry mix and using it dry to you put some in hot water to liquify it before use or do you just put it in the washer as is? I am still using up my backlog of free liquid laundery detergent but am finally down to the last few jugs so I need to actually find some fels naptha soap and washing soda. Borax is something I have always had around for bug use. |
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TX, USA
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Posted: 9/15/2009 10:55:59 AM EDT
[Last Edit: Hooptie]
[#20]
I made a batch of this a few months ago and the results were outstanding. When that was used up, I made another batch and the results were somewhat less than outstanding. Everything washed with the second batch of detergent stunk,
 to put it bluntly. Like they hadn't been washed at all. I don't know what I did differently with the second batch but it seemed to separate more than the first one and certainly didn't clean as well. We finally got a box of Gain at the store yesterday just to make everything stop reeking.
Any ideas on what went wrong? |
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Posted: 9/15/2009 4:17:45 PM EDT
[#21]
Originally Posted By EXPY37:
My SO has a few questions, can you use Oxyclean with this homemade soap mixture? Is there any reason to do so? Would just a small amount of Oxyclean make any substantial difference in the performance? Since Oxyclean is basically another laundry booster, I can't see any downside. My wife uses Oxyclean with this and it seems to work fine. I can't quantify what, if any, benefit is gained. Another question -because she seems to prefer the dry powder mix over the liquid mix, how finely do you have to grind the Fels soap and what is the best/most efficient way to grind it up? I use a cheese grater on the surface that looks like small, round nail punctures. It gives you a good powder. If you're just going to melt it anyway to use the liquid, the "shredded cheese" setting works as well as anything. |
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USA
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Posted: 9/15/2009 10:01:59 PM EDT
[#22]
Originally Posted By ken_mays:
Originally Posted By EXPY37:
My SO has a few questions, can you use Oxyclean with this homemade soap mixture? Is there any reason to do so? Would just a small amount of Oxyclean make any substantial difference in the performance? Since Oxyclean is basically another laundry booster, I can't see any downside. My wife uses Oxyclean with this and it seems to work fine. I can't quantify what, if any, benefit is gained. Another question -because she seems to prefer the dry powder mix over the liquid mix, how finely do you have to grind the Fels soap and what is the best/most efficient way to grind it up? I use a cheese grater on the surface that looks like small, round nail punctures. It gives you a good powder. If you're just going to melt it anyway to use the liquid, the "shredded cheese" setting works as well as anything. Thank you Ken! |
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Posted: 9/15/2009 11:50:05 PM EDT
[#23]
For you guys with the gelling problem, Put the mix in a 5 gallon bucket for a couple of days and let it gel up. Then take a wire wisk, or better yet a drill attached paint stirrer as pictured above and stir until smooth. This will break it apart and then add it to your pouring vessel. I have 3 kids and made a few batches since this was posted and found this to be the best way to make it. After the stir it will stay liquid.
I also have been adding another cup of washing soda after it gels/before mixing. Don't know if it helps but I do it anyway. |
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Posted: 9/16/2009 10:42:05 AM EDT
[#24]
Originally Posted By Hooptie:
I made a batch of this a few months ago and the results were outstanding. When that was used up, I made another batch and the results were somewhat less than outstanding. Everything washed with the second batch of detergent stunk, to put it bluntly. Like they hadn't been washed at all. I don't know what I did differently with the second batch but it seemed to separate more than the first one and certainly didn't clean as well. We finally got a box of Gain at the store yesterday just to make everything stop reeking.
Any ideas on what went wrong? Is it possible you scorched it? |
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Posted: 9/16/2009 12:11:39 PM EDT
[#25]
IF the gain fixed the stink then that rules out water sitting in the washer or something along those lines.
I agree with the post above wondering if you scorched it or something. Another member her mentioned some local places I can find fels naptha soap so in a few weeks I guess I will be doing this as well, I want to use up most of my normal detergent since I have a lot of various brands in half empty bottles. Need some space. |
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USA
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Posted: 9/16/2009 9:18:16 PM EDT
[#26]
I poured the last bit of laundry soap from the 5-gallon bucket to the smaller dispenser a few minutes ago, and it was the perfect amount. None left over at all.
We are going to make some more on Friday evening, and possibly have a friend and his fiancee over so they can make some as well. For my wife and I, 5 gallons lasted us ~8 months. Not bad at all. 
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USA
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Posted: 9/29/2009 9:04:10 PM EDT
[#27]
I just made our second batch of this tonight; hopefully it will last us another 8 months.
Last time I melted the soap on the stove (along with 4 cups of water) and added it to the water in the bucket, then added the washing soda and borax. This time I added the borax and the washing soda to the water & soap on the stove. I wonder if that will make any difference; probably not since the washing soda wasn't all absorbed before I dumped it all into the bucket (I made sure to get all the last remnants out of the pot and into the bucket). I will post back after we do a few loads of laundry. I am keeping my fingers crossed that this batch works as well as the first batch.
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Posted: 9/29/2009 10:09:02 PM EDT
[#28]
I made a batch of the liquid version. Seems to work really well, though I must admit I haven't washed anything truly grimy/stinky with it yet. Pretty much zero smell, which my mom loves (I gave her about a half gallon of the stuff, she's allergic to a lot of dyes/fragrances and really sensitive to perfumey crap). A word of warning, though (mentioned earlier by someone else): when you start to dissolve the soap in the water, it will increase the viscosity of the water, so if you're still boiling you could very easily boil over (yes, I did this, though I was ready for it and the cleanup was minimal). To make sure everything mixed well together I heated some water for dissolving the ingredients (which I did), poured it into a bucket, then added the rest of the water after I had brought it to a boil as well Also, letting it cool in a 5 gal bucket and stirring it with a paint stirrer (attached to an electric drill) works like a charm.
So far I have to call it a success. Cheap and effective. Now I just have to wean the mrs off the store-bought stuff.... |
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Posted: 9/29/2009 11:50:46 PM EDT
[#29]
So a question I haven't seen asked yet. Is this soap mixture more harsh on clothes than the more expensive store bought stuff? I'm a cheap bastard, but i buy nice, quality shirts and like them to retain their color and texture as long as possible. I've got some really old shirts that don't look very old and I always attribute that to taking care of them and using a good quality laundry detergent. I used to use crappy detergent and my clothes generally had a life span about half what they currently are.
So for y'all that have been using this mixture for a while, how many times can you wash your "nice" clothes before you start noticing fading colors? 15 loads? less? I will probably use this for jeans, whites, and ranch work clothes, but i'm a bit wary of using it on my "office work shirts". |
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Posted: 9/30/2009 9:07:09 AM EDT
[#30]
Originally Posted By Nicodareus:
So a question I haven't seen asked yet. Is this soap mixture more harsh on clothes than the more expensive store bought stuff? I'm a cheap bastard, but i buy nice, quality shirts and like them to retain their color and texture as long as possible. I've got some really old shirts that don't look very old and I always attribute that to taking care of them and using a good quality laundry detergent. I used to use crappy detergent and my clothes generally had a life span about half what they currently are. So for y'all that have been using this mixture for a while, how many times can you wash your "nice" clothes before you start noticing fading colors? 15 loads? less? I will probably use this for jeans, whites, and ranch work clothes, but i'm a bit wary of using it on my "office work shirts". In my experience the electric dryer (on low heat) and the beard stubble around my neck are harder on my office work shirts than the detergent. |
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Posted: 9/30/2009 4:41:45 PM EDT
[#31]
Our city water has a lot of chlorine in it which fades our clothes so we are using the Tide liquid detergent that has chlorine neutralizers in it. Would it be possible to some how incorporate something like that into this recipe without negative chemical reactions? I know you can buy stuff that neutralizes chlorine at pet stores when people use tap water for fish tanks, just wondering if it would work here, too?
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Posted: 9/30/2009 8:01:25 PM EDT
[#32]
Originally Posted By alpha23niner:
Our city water has a lot of chlorine in it which fades our clothes so we are using the Tide liquid detergent that has chlorine neutralizers in it. Would it be possible to some how incorporate something like that into this recipe without negative chemical reactions? I know you can buy stuff that neutralizes chlorine at pet stores when people use tap water for fish tanks, just wondering if it would work here, too? We have a similar problem. We use shower filters that you can get at home depot or lowes. They also have units that go in line for a washing machine. You replace the cartridges every 6 months or so. It is nice coming out of the shower not all dried out and itchy. These are NOT a water softener but a chemical filter. |
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Posted: 10/1/2009 3:17:37 PM EDT
[#33]
Originally Posted By Ky_Bob:
Originally Posted By alpha23niner:
Our city water has a lot of chlorine in it which fades our clothes so we are using the Tide liquid detergent that has chlorine neutralizers in it. Would it be possible to some how incorporate something like that into this recipe without negative chemical reactions? I know you can buy stuff that neutralizes chlorine at pet stores when people use tap water for fish tanks, just wondering if it would work here, too? We have a similar problem. We use shower filters that you can get at home depot or lowes. They also have units that go in line for a washing machine. You replace the cartridges every 6 months or so. It is nice coming out of the shower not all dried out and itchy. These are NOT a water softener but a chemical filter. Great, thank you for the info! We are renting so I don't want to put anything "in line" as we don't have authority to do so, but I will keep this in mind when we move soon. |
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Posted: 10/1/2009 6:29:30 PM EDT
[#34]
tag
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Posted: 12/20/2009 11:25:07 AM EDT
[#35]
Made my first batch today. Waiting on it to set up.
Could not find Arm and Hammer anywhere in this podunk town, but Calgon powder, while not pure sodium carbonate should work. Will let you know. |
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PA, USA
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Posted: 12/20/2009 11:43:22 AM EDT
[#36]
Made my second batch last week. Refilled bottles today. Even the family likes it. I'm getting requests for refills on the samples I handed out.
Thanks for this recipe. You officially saved me a good deal of $$!! Now to find suppliers and stock up on the ingredients for longterm storage! |
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NC, USA
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Posted: 12/20/2009 11:51:49 AM EDT
[#37]
Originally Posted By decypher:
Made my second batch last week. Refilled bottles today. Even the family likes it. I'm getting requests for refills on the samples I handed out. Thanks for this recipe. You officially saved me a good deal of $$!! Now to find suppliers and stock up on the ingredients for longterm storage! SoapsGoneBuy |
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PA, USA
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Posted: 12/20/2009 7:06:23 PM EDT
[#38]
Actually... I did pretty well at the local grocery today. Fels Naptha - .99 ea Borax - 3.39 Washing Soda 1.99 With prices like that, I guess I don't need to shop online. The cost of shipping would outweigh any cost savings, no? BTW - This was at Giant, in PA |
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NC, USA
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Posted: 12/20/2009 7:22:52 PM EDT
[#39]
Originally Posted By decypher:
Actually... I did pretty well at the local grocery today. Fels Naptha - .99 ea Borax - 3.39 Washing Soda 1.99 With prices like that, I guess I don't need to shop online. The cost of shipping would outweigh any cost savings, no? BTW - This was at Giant, in PA Those are pretty good prices. Grab a few boxes and you'll have enough soap for the next few years.
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Posted: 12/20/2009 11:06:46 PM EDT
[#40]
Did my first load with the homemade soap.
The stuff is a little watery, but it may set up after it sets up little more. Clothes came out clean, soft and did not have that perfume smell. Wife was impressed, so I don't foresee buying laundry detergent any more.
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Posted: 12/21/2009 4:33:34 AM EDT
[#41]
Tag. I am going to do this as soon as I move to an apartment with more room.
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Posted: 12/21/2009 11:46:55 AM EDT
[#42]
Originally Posted By Nicodareus:
So a question I haven't seen asked yet. Is this soap mixture more harsh on clothes than the more expensive store bought stuff? I'm a cheap bastard, but i buy nice, quality shirts and like them to retain their color and texture as long as possible. I've got some really old shirts that don't look very old and I always attribute that to taking care of them and using a good quality laundry detergent. I used to use crappy detergent and my clothes generally had a life span about half what they currently are. So for y'all that have been using this mixture for a while, how many times can you wash your "nice" clothes before you start noticing fading colors? 15 loads? less? I will probably use this for jeans, whites, and ranch work clothes, but i'm a bit wary of using it on my "office work shirts". I use it to wash my $300 wool blanket no problem there. Should have no problems washing some work shirts with this soap! |
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Posted: 12/21/2009 1:07:55 PM EDT
[#43]
good info, thanks.
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Posted: 12/21/2009 1:17:36 PM EDT
[#44]
Originally Posted By FlatlinesUp:
tag for draggin back up when I've got time to make a shopping list this |
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IN, USA
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Posted: 1/6/2010 12:03:38 PM EDT
[#45]
Does the powdered version work well with cold water?
We have a softener but use cold water for washing. |
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NC, USA
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Posted: 1/9/2010 12:27:23 AM EDT
[#46]
No suds..
using thepowdered formula & it makes no suds. is tat normal? |
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FL, USA
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Posted: 1/9/2010 5:12:03 AM EDT
[#47]
Originally Posted By DNADuster:
No suds.. using thepowdered formula & it makes no suds. is tat normal? Yeah, I use the liquid and no suds. That is hard to get used to. I keep thinking I forgot to put the detergent in. |
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Posted: 1/19/2010 12:26:55 AM EDT
[#48]
Thanks Mr and Mrs Raven.
Mrs Berto found this...we are on our way!! http://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundry-soap-detergent-recipes/ |
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Posted: 1/19/2010 11:20:36 AM EDT
[#49]
Thanks for this info!!
I found all the supplies locally: Borax @ WalMart for $2.98 Fels Bar Soap and Washing Soda @ the local grocer store for $1.25 and $2.79 respectively. Hopefully I can get brewing tonight!! |
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Posted: 1/19/2010 11:33:36 AM EDT
[#50]
I just made my 3rd batch last week. I helps alot to have a large power drill mixer attached. I also have bottled a bunch up and have handed it out to a few friends and family to try out. I'm hooked, I don't think I'll ever buy detergent again.
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