homemade detergents

I use the wallyworld brand, which is sodium carbonate and sodium perborate. The store rep told me oxyclean also contains bluing. I use it to make the dry version of detergent, and it works just fine. Washing soda and the ingredients cyngbaeld read off of her label ALL become hydrogen peroxide upon contact with water. That is their claim to fame--oxygen bleaching. In the process they cause the hard water minerals to precipitate.

If you have soft water, you have no need whatsoever for the borax and washing soda unless you want to use oxygen bleach.

If you have hard water, a non precipitating water softener is best. (Perhaps those of name brand oxiclean are non precipitating softeners--at any rate, they are oxygen bleaches.)

If you have hard water and stains, I find the cheapest and easiest way to go is cheap detergent, and if you need a booster, a couple of tablespoons of plain old hydrogen peroxide added to the water helps.

With soft water, just use shredded soap and if needed, ammonia or peroxide (not together).

Heartstrings, much as I hate to admit it, detergent just cleans better than soap, especially if there is any degree of hardness to your water. The soap mixture just doesn't do as well at keeping the dirt in suspension and off the clothes. Plus, our last county agent said that automatic washers are not made to do well with soap. It can clog the pump and internal lines. Also, she said the spin cycle does not remove as much water as the old wringers did. Because of that, dirt and soap build up in the clothes. You can usually freshen soap washed clothes by washing them for a few washes with ONLY borax or washing soda. It really does get a lot of that gray out.

Now, all that said, if I had soft water and a wringer washer I would only use soap. Since I have hard water and an automatic (ruined the last one with the soap mixture) I use detergent. I DO, however, use the soap mixture about once a quarter for a load of each kind I sort in to. That removes built up detergent residue and a lot of stains that sit on that residue. County agent says such limited use should not hurt the machine.

i make lye soap-water, lard, a little borax, and lye.

i'll take a bar of the lye soap-about 1x2x3 inches-and grate it up. then i put it in a pan of water on the stove, cook it on low heat until it's melted, then pour it into a laundry soap jug saved from when i used to buy it. add water to fill it. it'll gel as it cools, to a thick slimy gel consistency. i shake it, add a lid full to the washer, and go. i do add that $ general brand oxy clean to almost every load, cause of the way the kids stain up their clothes-but only 1/2 the scoop full instead of the whole scoop.

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Another thing that will help get rid of the gray build-up on clothes is to add some white vinegar to the final rinse. We have VERY hard water, and since I've been doing this not only do our clothes look nicer, all the scum that had accumulated on the inside of the washer drum is gone (and I would assume, out of the internal parts of the machine, as well). It doesn't take much, about ¼ cup for a full load (or a little more in larger capacity washers).

I've used a Downey ball to add it, but since my washer is right next to my kitchen, I can usually hear when the cycle is starting and just add it then.

Vinegar is also supposed to make the clothes softer, too.

FYI - Oxyclean or generics of the same can NOT be used on natural fibers... like wool, llama, alpaca, etc.

Homemade laundry detergent instructions with pictures was recently posted on Instructables:
http://www.instructables.com/id/E4EH7NBVFZEYF7J31L/

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Lehman's carries the old-fashioned washing soda. Shipping charges, however. . . .

NeHi

Oh,I forgot all about this...I did finally find the washing soda,it was at a local grocery store. Yay! I've been making soap ever since then..works great

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