# Laundry Detergent-HUGE Recipe Descrepency



## Pam in KY

I have about had it with homemade laundry detergent. Any of the variations of Bar soap-Borax-Washing soda, whether in powder form or liquid just isn't getting our clothes as clean as commercial brands. Tonight I read the directions on the borax & washing soda boxes and they say to add 1/2 cup to each wash load. Ok, then why are we only using 1, 2 or even 3 cups when we're making gallons of detergent? When you break it down, we're only putting in a fraction of the recommended amount to each load of laundry. No wonder it's not working the way I want!

As far as adding all that water to it when making the liquid form, we're just diluting it even further and telling ourselves we're making more detergent that way. Nuh-uh.

According to my rough calculations, if I want to make 42 loads (cups) worth of _*DETERGENT *_I should use 21 cups of Borax, 21 cups of Washing Soda and at least 3 or 4 bars of Fels Naptha (or whatever brand). I was going to start using TSP in this recipe to see if that would help, but at these quantities, it's cheaper to buy Purex and be done with it.

What say ye?


----------



## Farmfresh

Your problem is probably hard water. This laundry SOAP recipe (detergents are petroleum based) will work better if you add a cup of non iodized salt to the recipe. That will counteract the hard water and work better.

Then again... this do it yourself stuff is not for everyone. You may be happier with a commercial product. 

As for me, I make my own base soap from scratch as well and have loved the dry version of the "recipe" for about 15 years now. I do use bleach when necessary on whites and occasionally I also use Oxyclean on certain extra stinky loads. Other than that I have great results with the "recipe" and would never go back.


----------



## Pam in KY

I've been using/tweaking this recipe for 2 years - even added OxyClean to the last batch, and I'm just sick to death of worrying over my laundry. I have also taken to letting the clothes soak in the washer for about 30 mins before letting the machine go through the cycle. Still no help. I've tried powder, but had better results with the liquid form, but still not up to standards. We do have pretty hard water though so this may have a lot to do with it.

Earlier this morning I made a batch using:

4 cups Borax
3 cups Washing Soda
2 cups of TSP
2 bars of Fels Naptha
2 gallons water (may add more depending how it sets up and if so will try non-iodized salt)

I think I'll end up with about 35 cups/loads of detergent from this new recipe, but the cost is coming dangerously close to generic store bought detergent. I just want clean, good smelling clothes! :hair


----------



## jen8753

Like you, I tried and tried and really wanted my relationship with hand made laundry soap to work out. I finally just gave up on it. I buy tide (on sale, with coupons) because that's my preferred brand. I use half the recommended amount and my clothes come out great. In a perfect world, I would make my own laundry detergent, my clothes would come out fresh and clean, and little birdies would help me hang it on the line like they do in Disney movies...but alas, that's not my life. Sometimes you just have to let go of an idea that you really want to work, but it just doesn't. Just because it works for some does not mean it is what will work or what is best for you. Now I use all that stress I have saved myself from laundry soap and use it on the garden


----------



## MullersLaneFarm

I started making my own laundry soap 8 or 9 years ago. Like you, I tweaked it for a number of years and was never happy with it. I still keep some to use for soaking, but won't go back to using laundry soap.

It has nothing to do with being cut out for "do it yourself".

There was a reason that housewives celebrated using detergent for their laundry ... it got clothes clean!


----------



## Farmfresh

I use:
[FONT=&quot]â¢[FONT=&quot] [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot]1 cup grated basic soap *[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]â¢[FONT=&quot] [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot]1 cup borax (20 mule team)[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]â¢[FONT=&quot] [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot]1 cup washing soda (sodium carbonate)[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]* [/FONT][/FONT]Â½[FONT=&quot]cup baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)[/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot] [/FONT][/FONT]

* Â½cup plain salt

I whiz the grated soap with a bit of the borax in the food processor to get it finely mixed and then stir the rest together dry. It is easier to use and store dry if you ask me. 2 to 3 TBS per wash load. I do not mix my Oxyclean in the main mix. I just add it if I need it. Same with the bleach. You can also add old fashioned bluing to the water for your white loads. 



Perhaps you should try to use another brand of basic soap for the mix. ?? You can use Zote, Ivory or even make your own like I do. I make a basic Homesteader soap using lye and animal fats with only a 2% superfat. This makes a strong lye soap great for cleaning. 



Also try cleaning your washing machine with vinegar. Sometimes things get stopped up and the machine struggles to do the job. Don't overfill your machine. Also using hotter water works better in most instances, but I always use cold in my laundry. 


I do not use scent in my soap mix, but I have a friend that even adds essential oils to hers. Scent is important to some people. 

[FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot] [/FONT][/FONT]


----------



## Pam in KY

I took to using hot water when I could, esp since I was presoaking before letting the washer cycle through. Again, a slight improvement, but still no cigar.

I wanted to use Ivory soap in this recipe, but my DH has a reaction to it...figures. lol Fels is the only brand I can find in a 50 mile radius and if I buy online, it's cost prohibitive. 

After allowing yesterdays batch sit and gel for several hours it ended up pretty dense. I added a quart of hot sea salt water and wazzed it with an immersion blender. After looking at the bottles of finished product this morning, I wish I had added at least a gallon of salt water as it's still pretty thick. I did leave some head space in each bottle though so can add water as I go.

I'm ready to throw in the towel though. Life's too short and I sure don't want to waste my time fretting over laundry soap/detergent. :gaptooth:


----------



## Vosey

I'm having the same issues with my homemade dishwasher soap, although I think some of it is my ancient dishwasher! Not getting glasses clean, leaving a nasty film.

BUT I love my homemade laundry detergent! I use a similar recipe to Farmfresh above. However, I was having to use scent and dye free detergents due to my skin, those never worked either. So my homemade only works a little better than what I was buying, but is way cheaper. There is a good posting from a few months ago that scientifically explained how detergents work and why we think the store bought detergents work better when they are just masking. 

As for the amount, it depends on the machine. A He machine only needs a tablespoon or so, and homemade is low sudsing so it's perfect for an He machine.


----------



## 354508

Vosey said:


> I'm having the same issues with my homemade dishwasher soap, although I think some of it is my ancient dishwasher! Not getting glasses clean, leaving a nasty film.
> 
> BUT I love my homemade laundry detergent! I use a similar recipe to Farmfresh above. However, I was having to use scent and dye free detergents due to my skin, those never worked either. So my homemade only works a little better than what I was buying, but is way cheaper. There is a good posting from a few months ago that scientifically explained how detergents work and why we think the store bought detergents work better when they are just masking.
> 
> As for the amount, it depends on the machine. A He machine only needs a tablespoon or so, and homemade is low sudsing so it's perfect for an He machine.


Do you use citric acid in your dishwasher recipe? My dishwasher is almost as old as I am, and I was having difficulties with my dishes coming out covered in a white gross film with the first few batches of homemade soap, but since I started adding the citric acid I haven't had any more residue buildup. 
I use 
1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup citric acid
I stir it all together well, and use 2 T per load, with white vinegar as my rinse agent. 

As far as laundry soap goes, I've been trying to use up my store bought container 1st before I make homemade, hoping I can find a recipe that works well in our hard water.


----------



## Vosey

Plendlful, I use the same exact recipe, but yesterday opened the dishwasher while it was running and instead of a blast of hot steamy heat the water was cold! Think I might have found the problem.

My suggestion is to make the laundry detergent now and save your store bought for when you run out, which always happens exactly when you don't have time to make more! Like today for me.


----------



## thesedays

Some people use Zote instead of Fels Naphtha. It's made in Mexico, and is cheap (about $1.50 for a 1-pound bar) and will be stocked in any Hispanic market, or "mainstream" grocery, hardware, and big box stores if you live in an area with a significant Hispanic population. There's pink and white, and I'm not sure what the difference is. It's made from beef tallow, which could be an issue for some people.


----------



## fransean

I use 0% homemade lye soap in my dry mix and it works good for us. I prefer it to the overly perfumed and dyed detergents that you can buy. 

No one tried to sell me on laundry soap vs. detergent it just makes sense for us.

Maybe in your case detergent makes more sense............then that is what you should do  You should not feel that you have to use it. Choose other cost saving/homemade products to focus your energy on and just let this one go if it is not for you.


----------



## MullersLaneFarm

Very true, Fransean. Use what works best for you in your situation.

For our family, detergent makes more sense. I use a cheap detergent and boost it with washing soda and borax. For us, it gets our clothes cleaner and makes them last longer. 

The vast majority of our clothes are cotton or wool. These fabrics don't do well with repeated washing of a higher pH of homemade soap. That means we have to buy clothes more often because they wear out faster.

The decision I made for my family was to use the cheap detergent/borax/washing soda and buy our (used) clothing less often.


----------



## wannabechef

You need those evil phosphates to get clothes clean...


----------



## aviv2762

We use homemade laundry soap solely because my kids are allergic to perfumes and dyes. But I have also found, through the years, that baking soda, washing soda and other basic sodas like Borax lose their strength when exposed to the air. I had to start making a dried form because the 'air tight lids' weren't saving my liquid version at all. But I have to add white vinegar as a rinse to get the Ph acid down below 6.5(human Ph is 6.5 so if soap is irritating you have to get the detergent Ph lower than the human Ph). You can also add cirtric acid to a dried version if you have hard water.


----------



## Wiscontessa

I WISH I loved homemade laundry soap...sooo much cheaper...but I do not. After awhile my warm colors looked dingey and washing everything in hot water seemed to defeat the purpose. DH is a welder, so I use my HM laundry soap for his work clothes, jeans and such. Then I use half the amount of "Gain" for most other stuff and I still come out ahead!


----------



## Daydreamer7102

Yes, exactly! How are the Borax and washing soda doing their job when diluted so far?...or the Fels Naptha for that matter.

What I've been doing now is using my homemade soap on occasion and using store-bought detergent other wise. I grate up my Fels Naptha or homemade soap and use a heaping teaspoon, and good pour of Borax and/or soda per load. I vary the amounts depending on what I think the load needs or how I feel. It works okay for hubby's work jeans and towels in my opinion.

Good luck. I hope you find what you like.


----------



## linn

Hard water is the reason I have given up on homemade laundry soap. I use commercial brands. In the past, many homes had cisterns which stored rainwater. This soft water worked well with lye soap. Our hard water does not, even with the additives I have tried.


----------



## lathermaker

If you are making homemade soap to use for laundry you don't want any excess oil in there. Use a ZERO superfat for the best cleaning. Saying that, I use my homemade laundry soap for jeans & towels, but regular detergent for my nicer clothes. We have softened well water, but it still contains some minerals.


----------



## ToddInJapan

I've also noticed a big discrepancy in the different recipes. The biggest one is that the powdered recipe usually calls for 1-2 T to be used in each wash, while the average liquid recipe calls for 1/2 to 1 C, depending on dilution. This can be up to a 10x difference in concentrations of ingredients! I have asked around to a few forums and individuals to post these recipes, but I haven't gotten a good answer yet.

I tried switching once to a non-lye soap as a base and got really inferior results, but generally have good luck with the not-very-concentrated liquid recipe. I use 1:1 washing soda/borax along with an alkaline laundry soap similar to Fels.

The only thing I've noticed about this recipe is that that's on the high end for washing soda, so it's not very good for elastics.

Sorry I can't talk about hard water at all.


----------



## sss3

How do you get liquid form into old detergent bottles?


----------



## Bellyman

I've had issues with clothes building up odors, but that's been the case long before I ever started using the homemade recipe like others are using above.

I couldn't find TSP last time I went to Walmart so I got something in a bottle labled TSP substitute. I soaked a half dozen of my old tee shirts in a sink full of hot water with about a cup or so of this TSP substitute. Let them soak for an hour or so and agitated a couple of times. Rinsed the water out, used a little dish soap and some warm water but didn't let them soak. Wrung out enough so they wouldn't drip much on the way to the washing machine and (a small HE frontloader) and through a normal hot water cycle. 

The shirts smelled just fine. Whatever was in them is now gone because the odor isn't there anymore. I repeated on the rest of my work tee shirts. And I am happy to report that I no longer offend myself 3 minutes after getting out of the shower.

I'm not going to change my laundry recipe but I may have to do something extra from time to time. I'm ok with that.

Like I said, it's not new to the homemade laundry detergent. I've struggled with that odor for years, through numerous name brands of store bought laundry detergents, numerous washing machines and numerous levels of water quality. In the past, I just threw the shirts away and bought new ones, something I hated, but didn't have a working solution for.

Use what works for you. If the homemade stuff isn't working, use something else. I didn't find the store bought stuff to be really any better. More perfumes and nice smells, maybe. But actually cleaner laundry? Not so much.

YYMV...


----------



## 354508

I find am overnight hang on the line takes care of any odors after washing.


----------



## kine97

I have been making homemade laundry for over 2 years. I've started having issues with odors in my clothing, & towels/wash cloths getting 'crunchy' feeling. I've had to resort to using regular detergent on and off to help take care of the problems. I used to LOVE my detergent, but not so much now. The clothing doesn't look as bright any longer either.


----------



## Taylor R.

I use the dry recipe with borax, washing soda, and Fels Naptha, using hot water and 1/4 cup of detergent for heavily soiled loads, and I absolutely love it.

I know that different water qualities can make a huge difference in how well HM detergent works. Maybe water/detergent mismatch isn't doing any favors.


----------

