Homemade Detergent PIC HEAVY

[Southern28Chick]

Edited to add: Sorry the pics are so big, I can't resize them.

I thought since I already posted the recipe I'd post pics too since I was making a batch today.

This is Homemade Lavender Laundry Detergent

Ingredients:

Soap (I use my own plain unscented and uncolored, 100% natural)
Borax (a 100% natural mineral)

Got hard water? 20 Mule Team

* Borax Laundry Booster works great as a water conditioner, helping your detergent to work more effectively.
Delicate hand washables also benefit from the water conditioning and deodorizing of 20 Mule Team

* Borax.

Washing Soda (100% natural)

Energizes Your Detergent
Super Washing Soda increases your powder or liquid detergent's cleaning power. It helps to get out ground-in dirt and stains and cut through greasy soils, leaving your clothes cleaner. Super Washing Soda is all-natural; therefore, it does not damage your clothes the way bleaches can.

Neutralizes Odors
Super Washing Soda helps to neutralize and eliminate odors, not cover them up with perfumes. It is unscented and contains no water pollutants or dyes. Clothes washed with Super Washing Soda will be ARM & HAMMER fresh naturally!

Water (natural...duh)
Lavender Essential Oil (100% Natural)

Homemade laundry detergent:
Laundry Soap (Gel)

Bar of soap, grated
½ cup washing soda
½ cup Borax powder
You will also need a small bucket, about 2 gallon size

Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan.
Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts.
Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved.
Remove from heat.
Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket.
Now add your soap mixture and stir.
Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir.
Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel.
You use ½ cup per load.

This recipe = 64 loads

I use this recipe but I times it by 4, so 4 bars of soap, 2 cups of soda and borax and so on...

Grate your soap. I prefer to sit on the couch in front of the tv while doing this...

Soap all grated:

Add water to the mix:

Melt the soap:

Borax and Washing Soda:

Add borax and washing soda and mix until dissolved:

I prefer to wisk:

Put the hot water in your bucket:

Add the soap mixture:

Add Lavender Essential Oil. Lavender Essential Oil leaves your clothes smelling fresh without synthetic fragrance oils AND it's colorless so it will not harm your clothes.

Mix it all up and let it sit for 24 hours and it will gel up!!!

Thanks for looking!

I'll post pictures when it's gel.​

 

[Bawkadoodledoo]

wow this looks so helpful, can't wait to see the gel, and i like being barefoot too! shoes mess my feet up bad

 

[Bubba]

You must have the cleanest hands ever! Besides making soap now you do laundry detergent. Is washing soda the same as baking soda? Whats it made of if you know?

Bubba

PS Nice to hear you are still around Southernchick

 

[Southern28Chick]

Quote:
I noticed when I was posting the pics..."Dangit I'm posting pics of my barefeet again".

LOL Oh well, I'm a southern country girl. Shoes are for cold weather IMO.

 

[Southern28Chick]

Quote:
No washing soda and baking soda are different. If you use baking soda you'll get a watery mess as your finished product.

Washing soda and baking soda are indeed different things, and there is no way you want to get them confused, especially if you're planning to cook.

Washing soda is sodium carbonate - two sodium atoms, a carbon atom, and three hydrogen atoms. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate - the same ingredients, but with a hydrogen atom replacing one of the sodiums.​

 

[newchickwi]

This looks very doable! And safe for septics I imagine. I have been scoping stores for washing soda, and so far the only place I have found it is in our small town (pop. 2800) market--none of the bigger city stores around here, including WM, carry it. Thanks so much for posting this Southern28Chick!

 

[Southern28Chick]

Quote:
It's VERY simple to make. And it's fast. The only part that's takes time is grating the soap up.

I have to order wahing soda online. People aroundhere are always like "Washing soda, don't you mean BAKING soda". I get it from http://www.soapsgonebuy.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=AH1001&Show=ExtInfo

 

[Frozen Feathers]

Very interesting!
Do you know how many loads of laundry your batch will wash? How much is a...I want to say serving size, but that's not right...lol...How much do you use per load of laundry?

 

[Southern28Chick]

Quote:
The recipe calls for 1/2 cup per load and

This recipe = 64 loads

I usually use 1 cup per load and I haven't paid attention to how many loads it does. This batch is the first I've had to make in about 2 months, I do times the recipe by 4 though.​

 

[cockadoodlemom]

I am gonna have to try this cause you can control the scent or am I getting that wrong?