# Laundry soap recipes??



## [email protected] (Oct 26, 2007)

I found this recipe in the recipe section. However, I thought there was a different way of doing laundry soap that involved dissolving the soap bars into water and adding lye to that. (can't remember obviously.) Anyone have a link on laundry soaps? Also, do you need to use a vinegar rinse after wards with this one? 


Laundry Soap

1 cup fine ground soap (can be any kind)
1/2 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
1/2 cup Baking Soda

Mix all together. Use 2 TBSP per load. For heavy soiled.. use 3 TBSP.
Note* There will not be a lot of bubbles.


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## Guest (Jan 11, 2009)

I make my laundry soap differently as I don't want powdered (saves my washing machine a step.  ).

I fill a SS stockpot half full of soap shreds, add enough water so the pot is 3/4 fill and cook down. I also add Borax to the mixture. I use about 1/3 cup per load.

Easy to make and wonderful to use!

Sara


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## Gunnie (May 7, 2008)

I pretty much use the one that you posted just in bigger batches. I dont use vinager in the rinse some people say that it rinses out the soap but I figure you use a huge cup load of tide (or whatever) and didnt so with the little bit you use im not sure if it would help. I know it is suppossed to work good for softening clothes and make so there isnt much static cling. I will try that after I run out of dryer sheets.
This one is interesting:
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/15/how-to-make-your-own-laundry-detergent-and-save-big-money/


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## [email protected] (Oct 26, 2007)

I have a icecream bucket full of soap pieces I want to use up. Sara, do you have a recipe for doing it that way?


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## Guest (Jan 11, 2009)

Jo, I am not Sara, but I don't use a recipe, mine is like Sara's... fill large ss pot with your soap shreds and cover with water.. add couple more cups of water... I just let mine sit in the sink in my soap room.. for two days.. and it melts into goo.. I add a cup or two of borox to this mix and stir stir stir.. and you have a thick like paste or goo laundry soap.. It takes alot of water, double the amount of soap really
Barbara


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## Guest (Jan 11, 2009)

:yeahthat

Mine is like what Barbara and Sara do. I also dissolve 2 Tablespoons of lye in the water and cook it to counter the superfat value in my soap shreds.

Christy


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## [email protected] (Oct 26, 2007)

O.k. So I have a bucket of scraps. In a five gallon bucket I can add that and then 2 or 3 buckets of water. Let it sit until it melts. 

I wonder if i should add the lye, too. My soaps tend to have a medium range in superfatting. 

I wonder what is the difference between cooking it or letting it sit? Is there any residue left on the washing machine?


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## Guest (Jan 12, 2009)

I haven't tried Barb's method od letting it sit... I may do that next time!

I haven't found any residue left in my machine or on the clothes. I don't add any extra lye.

Sara


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## Ravens Haven (Oct 26, 2007)

How much "laundry soap" do you all use per load?

cup, half cup???

Autumn


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## Gunnie (May 7, 2008)

Im going to have to try it this way. So I dont have to sit and grate the soap so much.


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## Guest (Jan 12, 2009)

Autumn,

I use about a 1/4 to 1/3 cup per load. 

Sara


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## Guest (Jan 12, 2009)

No difference in letting it sit or cook, just the cooking helps melt the soap faster.. thats all.. I fill a bucket and just let it sit.. that way I don't have to worry about it being on the stove etc.. I stir it once a day.. thats it.. I also add a little extra lye to mine, but I dissolve the lye in water first.. No residue on washing machine, but you can add vinegar to the rinse if you want to, especially if you have hard water.. I also use 1/3 cup per load.. love it, that it gets the buck smell right out of my barn clothes.. I have not used store bought laundry soap in over 8 years now.. I always have buckets of shreds.. 
Barb


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## [email protected] (Oct 26, 2007)

This is looking really promising. Sounds easy to do. Do you add any scent to yours?


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## Guest (Jan 12, 2009)

[email protected] said:


> This is looking really promising. Sounds easy to do. Do you add any scent to yours?


I do. The laundy soap we are using now is Fresh Fruit Salsa. 

Sara


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## pettigrewfarms (Nov 14, 2007)

Here is what I make for a lady that wants liquid.
http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm
Deana


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## ChristinaF. (Dec 2, 2008)

Sara, how much scent to you find you need to add to make your clothes take it on? I suppose it depends on the scent. I love the smell of grapefruit essential oil. I will have to experiement with it, but how much do you think I should start with?

Christina


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## Guest (Jan 14, 2009)

It really doesn't take much FO to scent your laundry soap if you use a good quality FO. I choose a scent that will complement my soap shreds. I make pretty good size batches of laundry soap so it will really depend on how much you make. Start with a little as you can always add more.

I haven't tried EO's, mostly due to the price but I love Pink Grapefruit EO!

Sara


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## ChristinaF. (Dec 2, 2008)

Yup, your right about the price. I'll have to try FO, but so far I haven't done much scenting in anything. Sure is going to be fun experimenting with all of this.

Thanks for the reply.

Christina


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## [email protected] (Oct 26, 2007)

I finally got a hold of my friend who talked me into trying this. This is what she does: 

She grates 4-6 ounces of soap and melts it in a pot of water on the stove. After it is melted she adds some more water and then adds a cup of borax and washing soda. Once those have dissolved, she adds a cup of water with two teaspoons of lye in it. She transfers that to a five gallon bucket and adds enough water to make about 4 gallons. Over about 40 minutes the soap takes on a gelled like custard texture that resembles apple sauce. She stirs it down now and then, and then transfers it to two smaller buckets of about 2 gallons each. She says that will wash 220 loads. 

I guess I'm going to try a number of different things and see what works for us. She doesn't use a whole lot of soap in her recipe.


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

Do any of you use these with high efficiency washers? (Or know someone who does?) We haven't started making soap yet, but it's on our short list.


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## Ravens Haven (Oct 26, 2007)

I got a recipe of the internet for old fashioned dish soap, and it works great...

So no more store bought laundry soap or dish soap.


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## [email protected] (Oct 26, 2007)

I'd really like that dishsoap recipe. Do you mind posting it for me? 

I made two batches of laundry soap. Last night I tried it on the dirtiest thing I could find. Floor rugs. They came out clean and smelled clean and were quite soft. By the way, what do you do for stain remover? I scented one batch with orange oil and another with lavender. 

I also used 1 tsp more lye, so it was 3 tsp total. So does the lye soapanify the soap further? How long will the laundry soap be caustic because of the lye in it? would it be as dangerous as newly made soap?


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## Narrow Chance (Oct 29, 2007)

For a stain remover, I use a bar of my soap. I keep it at the washer... in it's own soap dish. Add a little water to the stain, rub the soap bar onto it.. work it some if it is a heavy stain.. then throw it in the washer with the rest of the clothes. 
I've read that is what 'old timers' used.. a bar of soap.. to wash clothes on rub boards. That's what I did after Katrina. Worked great on the clothes.. but hell on the hands. :/


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