20
Jan

WFMW – Laundry detergent test

   Posted by: MotherHen   in Laundry, Natural Stuff

works-for-me

Ok, I told you I was gonna do it.  Yesterday I made the homemade laundry detergent.

I followed this recipe using the Ivory bar soap instead of the Fels or the Zote because I didn’t find either of them in Target, WalMart or HEB.

I may have cooked/melted/dissolved the soap, washing soda and Borax in water in my sauce pan for longer than was strictly necessary.  I dunno how long, maybe 3 minutes after I realized everything was dissolved.  Stirring the whole time.

laundry-detergent-007

This was a super easy project.  Super easy.  The hard part was leaving it alone and  letting it set up for 24 hours after I set the lid on the bucket.

I made it yesterday and today when I checked on it I thought the whole bucketful was as set as jello-jigglers,  until… I started stirring it up.

Sure enough, ALL the 326 blogs I read about making laundry detergent were right.  It has a watery-gel consistency.  Gel layer on top, watery stuff underneath.  So, I just mixed it all together with a big spoon.

I defy you to make this recipe and resist the temptation to do the same thing.  It just wants doing.  You can’t leave it separate.  Ya just can’t!  I mean, what if you left it separate and used all of the gelled part first, after all, it is on the top.  Then, after you used up all of the gel part, would you have any confidence in the cleaning power of the watery part that is left behind?  Or maybe it goes the other way.  Maybe all the cleaning strength is in the watery part and if you just use the gel part, maybe it leaves irretrievable greasy streaks on your clothes. (not likely, but, who knows?)  The point of this little rabbit trail is this:  You will stir.  Because… #1  It is a satisfying, tactile experience.  And #2 We have never done such a thing as making homemade laundry detergent and it is so ridiculously easy that we feel compelled, nay, obligated to make more of an effort than is laid out in the directions. (did I spell nay correctly?)

laundry-detergent-008

Anywhooooo… I finally got to take my gloppity, new goo for a test drive this afternoon.  I washed my hubby’s work jeans, and some other clothes.  He gets fairly dirty at work.  Not greasy, usually, but lots of grime.  I don’t really know why.  He’s indoors.  But the warehouse is so dusty.  And I think the fact that they drive a fork-lift around in there adds something.  But the jeans are always pretty dirty.  So, I thought it would be a good test load.

I am happy to announce that they came out nice and clean.  Certainly cleaner than they did when I used the expensive stuff.

And that brings up another point.  I’ve been using Charlie’s laundry detergent.  That stuff don’t come cheap, and it hasn’t gotten our laundry as clean as I would like.  I’ve taken to adding OxyClean for a little boost.  I don’t mind using the OxyClean, but it adds some cost to the whole operation.

For the record, those jeans today?  No OxyClean.

Also, I would rather use homemade soap for this in place of the Ivory bar, but, Ivory is what I have right now.  Making soap?  Yes, that is an upcoming project.

So, here’s the wrap up, this homemade laundry detergent is:

  • Inexpensive
  • Effective
  • Wholesome
  • Easy to make

Works for me, and I bet it would work for you, too!

Related posts:

  1. The Plan – part 3 – Laundry
  2. Spanish Test Today!
  3. Brace Yourselves
  4. The Plan – part 4 – Housecleaning and Philosophy

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 20th, 2009 at 10:02 pm and is filed under Laundry, Natural Stuff. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

16 comments so far

Dave Roller (Home School Dad)
 1 

My wife has been wanting to do this for awhile. We’ll have to try it out.

January 20th, 2009 at 10:56 pm
angie
 2 

You are so awesome. I would over worry the goo situation too. Keep up the great work.

January 21st, 2009 at 6:57 am
petersonclan
 3 

Let me know if you find that over time your whites look dingy. That is what I have heard happens with the homemade stuff. Post an update in a couple months, OK?

January 21st, 2009 at 8:21 am
Harmony
 4 

I am on my second batch of this. I love it! Instead of Ivory soap, I use Sunlight laundry bar soap and it has a bit of a lemony smell. This homemade soap works well and saves a lot of money and doesn’t take long to make! I’ve made two batches without having to buy more supplies, next time I just need to get the bar soap and I’m good to go for a third batch.

January 21st, 2009 at 8:42 am
MotherHen
 5 

I don’t mind posting an update later, but my whites were born dingy, so I don’t know if I’ll be able to answer your specific question. I have read reports that go either way on the dingy/bright question. So, I am inclined to think it’s a matter of what kind of water you have. Also, I think adding vinegar would help, course, I have rock hard water, so I think vinegar is the answer to everything. Also, some blueing will brighten your whites whether you use homemade or industrial solvents, I mean store bought.

January 21st, 2009 at 8:47 am
KimC
 6 

I’m trying this, very soon. Like, this week. Getting the supplies when I go out today!
BTW, I asked on Frugal Hacks for a monthly challenge. What new change are you going to try this month? Yours can be laundry soap! Or shampoo. I’ll bet you’ve got something else up your sleeve too. You should jump in on that conversation!

January 21st, 2009 at 9:01 am
Curvaliscious
 7 

You can also make powdered detergent which is SO much easier to make than the liquid stuff. 1 cup washing soda, 1 cup borax, 1 bar of laundry soap, grated.

1 tbsp per load, 2 if its heavily soiled. You can also add a cup of oxyclean but I add it separately.

January 21st, 2009 at 10:48 am
Keeley
 8 

Oh my good gravy!!!! Waddya know, that’s where *I* got my recipe for laundry detergent as well. =) I love Crystal’s blog.

I’ve been using the laundry soap for over a year. I have discovered that a the full bar of ivory makes a MUCH nicer laundry detergent than the Fels.

The fels smells gross, and is MUCH harder to grate. The ivory smells yum and is WAY easier to grate. The laundry detergent itself also much nicer to deal with.

I also think it cleans better. After using three batches of homemade laundry detergent with the fels (1/3 bar each time), my whites were pretty dang dingy. Whereupon I used some super strong store laundry detergent for a while and it cleaned them up.

Now, however, I’m using laundry detergent made with ivory and it’s working fine. I’m certainly happier with it than the detergent with the fels.

January 21st, 2009 at 11:34 am
Amanda
 9 

I am so glad you like the laundry detergent. I have been making my own for a while and I have been pleased. I even use it for cloth diapers and they come out clean!
I figured up the cost per load of my detergent and it is a little less than 4 cents. I will buy store detergent if I can get it for less than 4 cents per load.

January 21st, 2009 at 11:54 am
MotherHen
 10 

Wow! That’s super Keeley! I’m glad to know I did it the right way. :D

January 21st, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Julie
 11 

I SO want to do this but NO ONE in my area carries the Washing Soda. I can order it but will cost $12 per box and that seems a bit high to me. I sure wish I could find that washing soda!!

BTW…to keep those whites white it is a must to wash in HOT water and if you use bleach add a cup to the wash. My grandmother owned a laundry and my mother worked there for years. All the whites were washed in the hottest water possible and that is why they came out so white. ;-)

January 21st, 2009 at 3:27 pm
MotherHen
 12 

Hi Julie,
Sorry about the washing soda. I can’t imagine why it would be so expensive. It’s cheap here and in all the grocery stores. How odd.
Thanks for the info about the whites. We don’t bleach our laundry because of skin sensitivities. And it’s alright with me if they don’t come out shiny-bright. We don’t wear much white anyway.

January 21st, 2009 at 3:47 pm
jana
 13 

I have been making this recipe for about 6 months..I am expecting my tenth child and have LOTS of LOADS of laundry..I have been very happy with this recipe. I use Ivory soap and I myself could not find washing soda..My next door neighbor (also chemistry/physics teacher) pointed out to me that washing soda was the same thing as the Oxyclean stuff but the Oxy stuff just as the ingredient which is the Oxy in it..I buy a bucket of the off brand Oxy clean stuff at my local dollar general store for $5.00 and it works very well. As for the dingy whites..even with store bought detergent, if I don’t bleach my whites every so often they look dingy also–Jana

January 21st, 2009 at 8:04 pm
Suzanne
 14 

My HEB (grocery store) will order things for me if I make a request. You might try that, Julie. Also, I’ve made the laundry detergent using grated homemade bar soap. Very nice. Don’t forget that you can add a drop or three of essential oil for a nice fragrance. –Suzanne

January 21st, 2009 at 9:36 pm
Runningamuck
 15 

You made it sound easy enough I really want to give it a try! I have a big ol box of Borax I bought for a science experiment that I have tons left over. Tomorrow is errand day so I’ll pick up the rest of the ingredients and get to work. Thanks for giving me the friendly kick I needed. =0)

January 21st, 2009 at 10:51 pm
Theresa
 16 

Thank you for posting your results. I’m going to buy the ingredients and try it out this weekend!!

January 28th, 2009 at 11:12 am

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