Homemade Laundry Detergent

Step 4 Conclusion

Clothes came out great!
But not sure if ....

A. that Zote is phosphate free, and (EDIT: someone commented that phospahates have been illegalized anyway, havent fact checked that though)
B. the purchase of the oxy clean sure drove my cost up, next time I will find the Washing soda.

borax 3.59
baking soda .75
Zote .75
oxyclean 5.00
= 10.09
But since one or two little scoops are enough I estimate about 75 washes? so that comes out to .12 a wash, I guess even using oxi clean it's not so bad.

Comments

[aussie_jacki]

hey there just wondering what is zote soap never heard of it in Australia's it just a laundry soap?Going to give it a go anyway sounds like a winner!!! how about adding eucyalyptus oil...a great cleaner...and deodoriser.

[sender87]

zote is a mexican laundry bar soap, it's made by jabonera la corona and is very cheap an efficient
about 0.85c/bar 500grams

[ubermama]

Hi! I realize this is 2 years later but... if this helps anyone, then great. Powdered laundry soap recipes can be made with many kinds of soap. If you can't find Fels Naptha, Zote, Kirk's Castile, Sunlight or Ivory, then try just about any shower soap bar! Dial, Lever 2000 and many others have been used with success! The only ones that will not work are the ones with added oils or moisturizers such as Dove. No doubt you have lots of brands of soaps in Australia that we have never heard of here, and most of them would probably work just great. Good luck.

[nitemaresindrome]

Can you explain why the ones with added oils and moisturizers, such as dove, will not work?

[rgarcia-1]

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- Front or top load machine- best value

4 Cups - hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax

- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)

-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.

-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)

-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

*Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in some stores or may be purchased online here (at Meijer.com). Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!



Powdered Laundry Detergent - Top load machine

1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax

-Grate soap or break into pieces and process in a food processor until powdered. 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)

*Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in some stores or may be purchased online here (at Meijer.com). Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!



TIPS FOR LAUNDRY SOAP: We use Fels-Naptha bar soap in the homemade soap recipes, but you can use Ivory, Sunlight, Kirk's Hardwater Castile or Zote bars. Don't use heavily perfumed soaps. We buy Fels-Naptha by the case from our local grocer or online. Washing Soda and Borax can often be found on the laundry or cleaning aisle. Recipe cost approx. $2 per batch.



Inexpensive Fabric Softener Recipes

Recipe #1
1 Cup White Vinegar
Add vinegar to rinse cycle. Works great. Removes residue and odors. Also helps to keep washing machine and hoses fresh and clean too.

Recipe #2

1 Container of Name Brand Fabric Softener
4 Inexpensive sponges, cut in half

Pour entire container of softener into a 5 gallon bucket. Fill empty softener container with water twice. (2 parts water to 1 part softener) Add sponges to softener/water mixture. When ready to use wring out extra mixture from one sponge and add to the dryer as you would a dryer sheet.

[The Locksmith]

Note: Baking Soda = Sodium Bicarbonate. the "bi" states that there are 2 carbon atoms. "sodium carbonate" is a general term. So unless you are specifically looking for Sodium Monocarbonate, then baking soda will work.

[Aember]

No, incorrect assumption. :( Sodium bicarbonate & sodium carbonate as sold commercially are not the same. But Google a bit & find out how to use the chemistry to make baking soda into washing soda, by heating it to 450F for 30-60 minutes in the oven. Not difficult. Cheers!

[ubermama]

Hi. Any product that has added oils or moisturizers can add stains or even unpleasant odors to your clothes. For this reason, adding bath splash sprays and such that smell good is not advisable for laundry soap. ONLY "essential" oils will work - and not the kind that go in the tiki smell stick thing in the office. It has to say "essential" oils. Not only do essential oils smell great, but many have the added bonus of being cleaning agents! Orange, tea tree and eucalyptus oils, among others, will actually add to the cleaning power of your laundry soap. Good luck.

[aaronjehall]

melaleuca, or tea tree oil should work just as well as eucalyptus oil, plus, has many other uses. I know it has been used in natural degreasers and all purpose cleaners as well. I buy toothpicks soaked in melaleuca oil to help my immune system defense. it kinda has a minty flavor to me. rarely do I get sick. Also, it should be readily available in your part of the world.

[karinda1]

Hello, Just wanted to let you know that Melaleuca is Eucalyptus Oil - Melaleuca is just one species of Gum Tree and there are three Geno Types of GUM trees but most people even Aussies think there is only one Geno - "Eucalyptus", but there is also Angophora and Corymbia - which are all Gum Trees and there are over 700 different gum tree species. Kind regards an aussie

[jentheone]

Actually Melaleuca is NOT Eucalyptus oil but is commonly known as Tea Tree. Melaleuca comes from the Latin name for Tea Tree which is Melaleuca alternifolia. The Latin name for Eucalyptus is Eucalyptus radiata or globulus or some other varieties. They do both come from the same botanical family though: Myrtaceae.

[aaronjehall]

so what's the proper term/ source of tea tree oil? j/c

[hishealer]

I have used Tea Tree oil in shampoo, lotion, makes sense it would work in soaps too.  It smells very close to eucalyptus, and I put it in my humidifier too.  It should be used in small quantities no matter where you use it, especially internal.   That's why it's just on the toothpicks, it's just that strong.

[maizeroad]

Zote comes in the form of a bar and is found in the laundry/detergents aisle. Here in America it can be found in supermarkets, and in a lot of pharmacies, including CVS. Don't know if that helps ya'll in Australia--hope so! ;-)

[Liquidhypnotic]

I also had a tough time finding washing soda; a lot of stores in my area were like "huh?" when I asked. However, I DID find this:

1-800-524-1328
UPC: 33200-03020

This is the number for Church and Dwight / Arm and Hammer. Call that number, and then tell them your zip code, and they can tell you where to find stores in your area that carry it. You might not have to give them the UPC, but there it is. That's the UPC for the 55oz Arm and Hammer box that you might have been seeing around if you've been Googling for washing soda.

In my area (Northern Virginia) the places to look are Giant and Wegman's. I got it at Giant for $2.49. Also, Zote can be found at K-mart, or at least the one near my apartment, for under a dollar a bar. 20 Mule Team Borax was very easy to find; even Walmart carries it. (Borax is also super handy for killing roaches and ants and household cleaning).

Hope this helps! GoWithFlo, great instructable. Could you perhaps add this information to the main body of the thing? Might help out folks looking for the stuff.

Personally, I'll be making a load as soon as I get my hands on a dedicate-able food processor; don't know if I'd be making soup in that thing afterwards ^_;

Actually, could you say something about that in your instructable as well? I assume you're dedicating yours to soap making, but on the off chance you aren't.

[AmyLuthien]

You can order it online too at:
http://greatcleaners.com/Products/Arm%20and%20Hammer/PID-33200-03020


Has anyone tried making this with homemade lye soap?  I've got lots of it, and use it to spot clean stubborn stains (grass, blood, grease etc.)  I figure it costs me about 35 cents to make a bar of lye soap.

[etoshama]

I'm in Canada and we don't have Fels Naptha is available here.  I use a very basic homemade soap without any additives or my soaps where there is a colour fail, etc.  My homemade bars are quite a bit softer than super hard and dense laundry bars, I typically adjust by adding a bit more homemade soap.  Just be sure to grind it small, large grated stuff doesn't dissolve well.  I really like the author's suggestion to change the food processor grater to the blade and add the washing soda and borax to get a fine particulate, esp. if you are using a softer handmade soap.

For Canadians: 
Arm & Hammer Washing Soda is called 'So Clean,' is in a blue box, and looks like this:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b143/ukilme/100_1549.jpg

Mule Team borax is in a pale green box with a Shirley-Temple-ish looking little cowgirl on the front.  Box looks like this:
http://www.optimalhealthpartner.com/A_Newsletter/20Mule%20Team.jpg

Sunlight Pure Soap bars (if you don't have homemade soap around) in the laundry aisle looks like this:
http://carbolicsoap.com/images/NEWPICTURES/Household/sunli.jpg

I can get all of these products very easily at the Loblaws chain, ie, Real Canadian Super Store, Zehrs, Atlantic Superstore, Value-Mart, No Fills, Extra Food, etc.

Based on a 4 cup recipe of 1 cup washing soda, 1 cup borax, 2 cups Sunlight:
Prices in Canadian dollars, in Calgary, AB, as of Feb. 2010: 
A&H So Clean, 3kg = CAD $5.59; 1cup=250g; 3kg=12cups; $0.47/cup
Mule Team Borax, 2kg = CAD $5.79; 1cup=250g; 2kg=8 cups; $0.72/cup
Sunlight Pure Soap, 2x130g bars = $2.29; 2bars=2cups; $2.29/2 cups

4 cup Recipe cost in Canadian Dollars = $3.48
I use 2 tablespoons per load.
8 tablespoons per cup, 32 tablespoons per 4 cups recipe
or, $0.10875 per 2 tablespoon load of laundry

Call it CAD $0.11 per load to include taxes.

[virtues79]

what natural soap recipe do you use?

[ubermama]

Hi! There are 16 tablespoons in a cup (2 tablespoons per 1/8 cup), so your recipe is costing you more like 5.5 cents Canadian for your laundry! :D

[sweetcar]

Thank  you  ETOSHAMA, I also  live  in  Canada  and  so  very  glad  u  posted  the  info   with  the  cost breakdown !!  :-) !!!!  I'm  in the  process  of  making  my  first  batch  of   soap  basically  as  we  speak (letting  the tiny  soap  pieces  air  dry )

[splendidcakes]

You can just use a flat grater or or shave the soap with a sharp knife-and I promise the soap is safe for your food processor. Just wash it-it's soap! Jan

[rockcreek]

I went to two different hardware stores, both of whom knew what washing soda was but said it had to be special ordered from A&H. However: washing soda (sodium carbonate) is also known as "soda ash", and is easy to find at a store that sells pool chemicals, which is where I found it. I didn't check the pool chemicals section at Target but I'd bet they have it. Just about to run my first load with socks and dishtowels in an HE machine. Hope for the best!

[AmyLuthien]

Dollars to donuts the hardware store would have it then too!  I've seen them stocking pool chemicals in the summer months  ;)

[rockcreek]

They did. The donuts were next door. :-)

I've been using the dry version consistently since the last post. Works great in a front loader, nearly NO door buildup, and you only need to use a tablespoon. The only thing I find you have to be careful about is getting a fine enough chop of the soap; my first batch left little white leftover specks on black shirts and pants.

Also, you don't want to skip the part of blending all the ingredients together - it helps eliminate hidden clumps.

[AmyLuthien]

Reminds me of the time I went into the hardware store looking for a carabiner and the dumb kid "helping" me didn't know what one was (and bear in mind, this is Colorado, everyone one knows what carabiners and skis are even if you don't use them!) so I showed him one (on my keychain), told him what they were for etc.  He swore up and down they had no such thing, a week later I was walking down a different aisle and lo-and-behold, carabiners!

I think there may be a lesson here lol!

Anyway, to stay on topic, some plant nurseries and/or hardware stores that have nurseries carry soil-sifting screens for use in sifting out rocks etc. (or you can order them online no doubt, or better yet, make one!)  They come in different gauges.  Something like that might handy to use for sifting out large clumps out of this detergent.  The advantage here is they are large enough to do a lot of detergent at one time.  In this case however, I would recommend having one dedicated to soap-making - commercial soils have fertilizers and things in them that you wouldn't want in your soap.  But if you've got one you use just for sifting your own do-it-yourself compost, then no harm no foul ;)

Oh, and soap won't hurt your plants, as long as it's not in strong concentrations anyway.

[beachbum1946]

Don't know where you live or what grocery stores you have but Kroger has washing soda and at our Kroger it was in a weird place, with the clorox 2. It is an arm and hammer product, and don't confuse it with the arm and hammer washing powders.

[gowithflo]

hmm, Im not worried about using the same food processor, I mean its soap, it washes off, the other stuff is stuff that is in our clothes and next to our skin daily. I'm certainly not saying its safe to eat a spoonful of it, but I never had a problem with it. How do you figure it would be bad? thanks, F

[missusg]

Bless you for the help with locating washing soda! I've been looking at various homemade recipes and all call for washing soda - which I haven't been able to find. There's a good video on metacafe that walks you through making another recipe - search "laundry" on their site. Won't have to wait for that food processor

[Grey_Wolfe]

So, not including your failed attempt, about how long would you say it takes to make a batch?

[gowithflo]

Once the shopping is done, it takes about 5 minutes, of measuring, food processing, and mixing and then maybe another 3 minutes of washing attachments. Unless you have a dishwasher . . .

[new_mommy]

I do not have a food processor, will a blender work?

[Grey_Wolfe]

Thanks a lot, bud.

[ubermama]

The cost for this laundry powder is not as bad as it looks. Although the creator paid $3.59 for the borax and $5.00 for the Oxyclean, NOT ALL of these products were put into the recipe, so the cost is less than .12 per load. Washing soda, for future reference, may be ordered by your local grocery store if you provide the UPC code (0 332200 03020 1) or you can make baking soda into soda ash by baking it at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, or by microwaving it in a glass bowl on high for 10 minutes. I get animal grade baking soda in 50 lb. bags from the local animal feed and grain mill and it's way cheaper than Arm & Hammer! I also bulk up my powdered laundry detergent with the animal grade baking soda because my recipe uses 1 bar laundry soap, 1 cup each borax and washing soda, and these ingredients create 256 loads. I add the baking soda until the bulk is 16 cups so that each 1/8 cup (2 tablespoons) washes 1 load in the top load washer. This is because nobody believes me if I tell them to use 1/4 teaspoon of laundry powder, LOL! :D

[Dorilae]

Ok, so I'm asking you because you seem to know way too much about this. :P I mixed exactly as she instructed. One box Borax, One box Soda Ash (mine was big, almost the same size as the Borax) and one bar Fels Naptha. How much do I use? There's so many conflicting comments.

[ubermama]

Hi Dorilae, OK... I checked Step 1 and it doesn't look like she called for the whole box of borax or soda. I see this: "# 1 Cup Grated Fels Naptha Soap# 1/2 Cup Washing Soda# 1/2 Cup Borax# For light load, use 1 Tablespoon. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 Tablespoons." So the recipe calls for 1/2 cup each of washing soda and borax. If you used a whole box of each, you used about 12 cups of borax and 6 cups of washing soda. I have been experimenting with the powdered detergent and I think that it cannot be stretched all the way out to 256 loads like the liquid can. At this time I'm leaning toward 1 bar of Fels Naptha + 4 cups of borax + 4 cups of washing soda. This recipe is EXTREMELY forgiving and there is a lot of latitude for experimenting. The only issue is if you have a front-loading washer, you can't have too many suds. If you ever see suds in the final rinse, set that load for another rinse cycle and then decrease the soap next time until no suds are visible in the final rinse. If you use plain white vinegar as your fabric softener, this will help keep your washer's hoses free of buildup (and it won't make your clothes smell like vinegar). Use 1/4 to 1/2 cup for each load. If using 1 bar + 4 c borax + 4 c washing soda, you could expect to get about 144 loads if you use 1 tablespoon per load. Since you have already put in a box each of soda and borax, I would just add another bar and a half of fels and use a tablespoon each time, which in your unique case would yield around 328 loads at a tablespoon each. Like I said, there's a lot of room for adjustment and preference! You may decide to use more or less. Top load washers are very forgiving if you feel like using more, even much more, of the powder. Front loaders are finicky - just watch out for suds in the final rinse cycle as I described above. Good luck!

[BakeandBloom]

is this suitable for front loading washing machines?

[ubermama]

Hello! Most recipes like this are appropriate for front loading washers - just use half as much. The creator of this post made a similar recipe to the one I use, but mine results in far more loads. Just use half as much as recommended, and if you see any suds in the final rinse cycle, rinse again and next time reduce the amount of soap you use until you don't see any more suds in the final rinse. Good luck!

[honestabe225]

To subtitube baking soda for washing soda you have to change the chemical makeup by putting it in the oven @ 450 degrees for 30 min. It release Carbon Dioxide and Hydrogen making it Sodium carbonate instead of Sodium bicarbonate. So if you can not find the Washing Soda just pick up the baking soda and heat it up to over 250* and it will change to Washing Soda. Found this out by searching out the difference.

[buteman]

Not quite. Heating sodium bicarbonate as you describe gives sodium carbonate, carbon dioxide and water. Carbon dioxide is not poisonous but does sink to the floor as it is heavier than air and displaces oxygen. The effect would be like drowning. However at the temperature it is coming off at it will be lighter than the air in the room. As long as you are only using the usual size box of sodium bicarbonate in an ordinary room it will not be a problem. The danger would come if it was in a very confined space or you were heating a large amount - like a few buckets full. note: When we breathe in air it contains about 0.04% carbon dioxide. When we breathe it back out it contains about 4% carbon dioxide.

[THELOVEOFGREG]

OMG! this is great to know. I have a hard time finding the washing soda.  The releasing of the gases...is it enough to harm anyone? I have young kids and pets...Just want to make sure I am not making people sick just to be green:)