Post by benshelpmeet on Oct 21, 2005 13:47:56 GMT -5
You can save a ton of money by making your own laundry detergent. I grate a bar of Zote or (you can buy it in the grocery store for about 79 cents)
Zote Liquid Laundry Soap
1 bar of zote soap (white or pink)
1 c. washing soda (NOT baking soda) OR 1/3-1/2 c. of sodium carbonate(can find sodium carbonate in the pool section of walmart but make sure it is pure sodium carbonate--AquaChemPH+)
1 c. borax
med. saucepan
cheese grater or sharp knife
5 gal. bucket
Shred soap into saucepan and add enough water to cover. Bring to boil until soap dissolves (being very careful not to let it boil over. While the zote is melting put 3 gallons of hot water in the five gal. bucket and gently stir in the washing soda and the borax. Gently stir in the liquified zote. Fill bucket rest of way with hot water stirring gently. Let cool and put into old laundry detergent bottles. Approx. 1 cup will wash 1 med. load of clothes. This will NOT suds up. Shake gently before use....I estimate that it costs about 50 cents to 75 cents per gallon to make and you only use about 1/4 cup per load of wash. Happy Savings!!! :-) :-)
helpful tip:When I make my liquid laundry soap I have one liquid detergent bottle I use... that way I have the lid to use as a measurement.... and I pour all the excess in gallon water bottles... and when the detergent bottle is empty I just pour them in as I need to...
another helpful tip: You could add some extras ( it adds extra cleaning power ) like white vinegar, dish detergent, or extra power Oxy-Clean. You can add liquid bleach such as Vivid.
Prewash Spray Also for a very good prewash spray mix 1/2 cup of amonia, 1/2 cup of vinegar, 1/2 cup of homemade detergent and 1/2 cup of water mix together in a spray bottle and use as you would spray and wash. Make sure you wash cloths after spraying because it's not good to sit on clothes.
a comment one lady made was...I decided that my regular lye soap would do the same... which it does... I've used homade liquid laundry detergent for 2 years making it with my lye soap in place of the fels ....and love it... especially the savings......if you can find regular lye soap or make your own ... use that in place of the fels...or zote
where I live we have a radio broadcasting station that has a free buy and sell hour.... you could advertise for anyone who might make and sell lye soap... that is if you have this offer where you live... just a thought...
I also add about 3 cap fuls of gain into my recipe which I believe boost the cleaning power of my homemade liquid detergent ...I buy a small bottle and it makes many gallons of homemade liquid detergent .. and I also add bluing.....I never add fragrance.... the gain gives it a really good fragrance on its own.... and the combo of the gain and bluing give it a pretty blue color...
What is Bluing
( another comment from the same lady)...I use liquid bluing..... many moons ago I use powdered bluing... then It dissappeared and reappeared as bluing balls... about the size of large marbles... I would put one in an old sock or a peice of fabric... and just put it in the wash or rinse water... a few minutes or until the water was pretty and blue. you just reused them until they were gone.. .. I still have some of them..... now... for a few years it is in a bottle as a liquid.... it all works the same...
bluing makes your whites whiter
... I used it in the rinse water (both wash tubs) when I used the wringer washer... but now use it in my liquid laundry det..
It has many uses one I am interested in is the pool and have thought about it just haven't tried.... here is the web site that is on my bottle... www.mrsstewart.com
my bottle says use a few drops or up to 1/4 tea. of bluing depending on the load size in a quart or more of cold water...
add diluted bluing to wash water or final rinse... water should appear light sky blue.
well....I did a little quick research on this subject..I have used bluing for years.... and have always wondered about the difference between bluing and copper sulfate.... weather they are related... in the past we have been advised by the us forest service and farm agriculture to use copper sulfate in our pond for alge....bluing and copper sulfate look alike.... copper sulfate is highly toxic..
in my search I found that copper sulfate and bluing are not the same.. bluing is washing soda colored with aneline dye... not sure what the dye is ... will have to check on that...
the blue balls I used.... I learned came from Mexico... and there is another product called Reckitts crown blue squares.... all of these are said to be washing soda and dye... and safe to use.... thats good to know...
also...http://www.recipegoldmine.com/sources.html has a source for ingredients list that look to be very valuable......and www.waynesthisandthat.com has recipes for washing soda snow flakes(looks very interesting..) and make your own crystals... and many more I did't have time to look just a quick glance... sounds like a good home school project.
I hope this will be a blessing to someone. Enjoy!
Zote Liquid Laundry Soap
1 bar of zote soap (white or pink)
1 c. washing soda (NOT baking soda) OR 1/3-1/2 c. of sodium carbonate(can find sodium carbonate in the pool section of walmart but make sure it is pure sodium carbonate--AquaChemPH+)
1 c. borax
med. saucepan
cheese grater or sharp knife
5 gal. bucket
Shred soap into saucepan and add enough water to cover. Bring to boil until soap dissolves (being very careful not to let it boil over. While the zote is melting put 3 gallons of hot water in the five gal. bucket and gently stir in the washing soda and the borax. Gently stir in the liquified zote. Fill bucket rest of way with hot water stirring gently. Let cool and put into old laundry detergent bottles. Approx. 1 cup will wash 1 med. load of clothes. This will NOT suds up. Shake gently before use....I estimate that it costs about 50 cents to 75 cents per gallon to make and you only use about 1/4 cup per load of wash. Happy Savings!!! :-) :-)
helpful tip:When I make my liquid laundry soap I have one liquid detergent bottle I use... that way I have the lid to use as a measurement.... and I pour all the excess in gallon water bottles... and when the detergent bottle is empty I just pour them in as I need to...
another helpful tip: You could add some extras ( it adds extra cleaning power ) like white vinegar, dish detergent, or extra power Oxy-Clean. You can add liquid bleach such as Vivid.
Prewash Spray Also for a very good prewash spray mix 1/2 cup of amonia, 1/2 cup of vinegar, 1/2 cup of homemade detergent and 1/2 cup of water mix together in a spray bottle and use as you would spray and wash. Make sure you wash cloths after spraying because it's not good to sit on clothes.
a comment one lady made was...I decided that my regular lye soap would do the same... which it does... I've used homade liquid laundry detergent for 2 years making it with my lye soap in place of the fels ....and love it... especially the savings......if you can find regular lye soap or make your own ... use that in place of the fels...or zote
where I live we have a radio broadcasting station that has a free buy and sell hour.... you could advertise for anyone who might make and sell lye soap... that is if you have this offer where you live... just a thought...
I also add about 3 cap fuls of gain into my recipe which I believe boost the cleaning power of my homemade liquid detergent ...I buy a small bottle and it makes many gallons of homemade liquid detergent .. and I also add bluing.....I never add fragrance.... the gain gives it a really good fragrance on its own.... and the combo of the gain and bluing give it a pretty blue color...
What is Bluing
( another comment from the same lady)...I use liquid bluing..... many moons ago I use powdered bluing... then It dissappeared and reappeared as bluing balls... about the size of large marbles... I would put one in an old sock or a peice of fabric... and just put it in the wash or rinse water... a few minutes or until the water was pretty and blue. you just reused them until they were gone.. .. I still have some of them..... now... for a few years it is in a bottle as a liquid.... it all works the same...
bluing makes your whites whiter
... I used it in the rinse water (both wash tubs) when I used the wringer washer... but now use it in my liquid laundry det..
It has many uses one I am interested in is the pool and have thought about it just haven't tried.... here is the web site that is on my bottle... www.mrsstewart.com
my bottle says use a few drops or up to 1/4 tea. of bluing depending on the load size in a quart or more of cold water...
add diluted bluing to wash water or final rinse... water should appear light sky blue.
well....I did a little quick research on this subject..I have used bluing for years.... and have always wondered about the difference between bluing and copper sulfate.... weather they are related... in the past we have been advised by the us forest service and farm agriculture to use copper sulfate in our pond for alge....bluing and copper sulfate look alike.... copper sulfate is highly toxic..
in my search I found that copper sulfate and bluing are not the same.. bluing is washing soda colored with aneline dye... not sure what the dye is ... will have to check on that...
the blue balls I used.... I learned came from Mexico... and there is another product called Reckitts crown blue squares.... all of these are said to be washing soda and dye... and safe to use.... thats good to know...
also...http://www.recipegoldmine.com/sources.html has a source for ingredients list that look to be very valuable......and www.waynesthisandthat.com has recipes for washing soda snow flakes(looks very interesting..) and make your own crystals... and many more I did't have time to look just a quick glance... sounds like a good home school project.
I hope this will be a blessing to someone. Enjoy!