How many of you are making the homemade laundry soap?
Posted By: sm on 2009-04-06
In Reply to:
I just did this week and I love it. Its going to save so much on laundry detergent. I'm very happy with the results.
HOMEMADE LAUNDRY DETERGENT
Ingredients:
3.1 oz bar Ivory soap or 2 regular bar sizes(Ivory is chosen because it's all natural. You may use a soap of your choice)
1 cup 20 Mule Team Borax
½ cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda or Baking Soda (I used baking soda since I couldn't find the washing soda)
Water
Tools:
5 Gallon container
Knife
Pot large enough to hold 5 cups of water
Long stirring stick/spoon (for 5 gallon container)
Instructions:
Shave the soap into small strips or grate it up finely with a grater and place in the pot with 5 cups of water. Bring the water just shy of a boil and stir until the soap is completely melted. When the soap is just about melted, pour 3 gallons of hot water into the 5-gallon container and let it sit until the soap in the pot is totally melted. Once all of the soap shavings are melted, pour the mixture into the 5-gallon container and stir.
Once the soap and water are thoroughly stirred, add the ½ cup pf washing soda and stir until dissolved. Once the washing soda is dissolved, pour in the cup of borax and stir again until dissolved.
***You can add essential oil flavors for the smell but I prefer without.
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I have been making my own laundry soap. It only costs me about $10 for a 6-month supply. nm
xx
How I make my own laundry soap. . sm
The basic ingredients are Borax, Washing Soda, and Fels Naptha. You could also use Ivory soap instead of the Fels Naptha. I also use the Fels Naptha to get out stains by wetting the fabric and rubbing the Fels Naptha directly on the stain.
I really like the laundry soap, but it did take a little while to get used to it. It doesn't make hardly any suds and I was worried about whether or not it was doing a good job of cleaning. My DH is very picky, especially about laundry soap. I didn't even tell him I was making my own soap, and he didn't notice! I do put a little bleach (about 2 tablespoons) in with my towels because they never smelled fresh. I had to do this even when I used Tide or Era. We have well water, and our water has an odor sometimes. When I first started using this laundry soap, I would only use it for clothes that weren't heavily soiled. I gradually started using it for everything when I realized that it was doing a pretty good job. It is fun to make and so cheap.
I hope it is okay to post links on this website. This is where I got my recipe- http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm
Old part-timer - the laundry soap recipe
I found this online and it's the closest to my own recipe. It also includes the directions and the pricing comparisons included are also very similar to prices in my area.
The only difference is, in my part of the country, Arm & Hammer wash soda isn't common on the store shelves and I have to order it online.
Since one of the kiddos is sensitive to perfumes, I will sometimes divide part of one batch into a couple of smaller bottles and add a drop or two of lavender essential oils just for the master bathroom towels and bedsheets.
Thanks for checking. I did try making my homemade version.
Not too bad. Needs a little recipe tweaking, but not too bad. I just made sure not to buy Folger's instant coffee for the recipe 
Just did some laundry
Tonight just relaxing, my husband's making his famous chill. My daughter is having a friend over to watch a movie. Tomorrow a little work to do, but otherwise nothing special planned for this weekend.
Laundry
I am thinking about getting a clothes line and hanging clothes outside this summer. The only reason why I never have in the past is because I have numerous allergies and usually try to keep the "outside" out. With the cost of everything rising and after reading an article about the cost-saving/energy-saving of not running a dry cycle on your dishwasher and hanging clothes outside to dry I want to considering it. Does anyone here have allergies and hang their clothes outside? I am thinking that I could tumble them through the dryer before folding and that might help.
Laundry detergent
Do you have a specific laundry soap that you buy or just whatever's on sale?
Powder or liquid?
With bleach or not?
Looking for a new laundry scent...
I am currently using Gain - Mandarin Lime Fusion, which is awesome, but have been using it a while now and the smell is starting to fade. Taking a poll on your favorite scent...
Laundry Detergent
Simple Pleasures Lavender Vanilla (by Tide) - I buy the dryer sheets too. I love to smell it on my sheets! It doesn't really smell like lavender or vanilla, sort of a pleasant cross between the two, or something. They have one with roses too, which I love, but I don't care for the scent of that soap, it is too "off" or something. My husband doesn't even mind and he is a truck driver! He says the Lavender Vanilla smells pretty "fresh" and good. Lucky, because I would still use it and have to listen to him whine if he didn't like it! My little grandson likes it too and asks to have his jammas washed in it.
You go girl on the laundry....sm
both of our kids know to not even breathe to us that they have dirty clothes as they know how to use the washing machine & dryer and how to use them. It's up to them to do their laundry and clean their bathroom, not me!
Hang out your laundry if possible
Start hanging your wash out rather than using the dryer. It will save big, not those pennies they claim you'll save by unplugging your toaster. (By the way, my son, an electrical engineer, claims unplugging your toaster saves nothing. Unplugging a coffee maker if it has a clock does save a little.)
My little one did this, too! Took days of using laundry detergent to get rid of
s
Laundry - brightening whites
Over the weekend I went searching for bluing as discussed in the previous thread. No luck finding it so far but have a few more small, independently owned stores to check. However, I did find a whitening agent in the Rit dye section. A little pricey, $2.00 something for 1 load. It worked well on T-shirts and clothing but for some reason it did not seem to work on my towels. They were all in the same load I used a long cycle for it to soak also. I'll see how long the white T's last. Oh, I also have well water and a softener system if anyone is wondering. 
I keep mine in the laundry room also
I also have a fat kitty who LOVES to get in there and pretend he's at the beach. I keep a tiny dustpan and broom in there and probably sweep 3 times a day. Sometimes there will be a huge pile of cat litter. Considering he's an indoor kitty and can't seem to find anything else to do, I just let him be and ask him if he had fun!
make your own laundry detergent
Lots of different recipes out there for liquid and powdered.
I like the liquid but have a terrible time finding the Arm & Hammer wash SODA.
For Soap watchers
What soap opera do you watch regularly and how long have you been watching it?
Mine is AMC and I've been watching it from the beginning in 1970.
For the B&B soap watchers...
Does Brooke make you wanna pull her hair out??? She is disgustingly desperate...I cannot stand it! I'm rooting for Taylor and Nick, bump Brooke and Ridge...hope he goes to jail and she dries up!
Use Dove bar soap to get the Vaseline out.
My daughter got into a jar of Vaseline when she was two years old. My pediatrician suggested Dove bar soap. It worked like magic! Hope this helps.
With artificial soap and water??
s
With fake water and soap.
zxc
…Get off your soap box, we have heard how great
the man is, several times, wonderful for you- not EVERY person is the same, ok?
I used to LOVE soap with toys in it.
I think I had one when I was little called Fuzzy Wuzzy--or maybe I don't remember. (I'm 45 now.) But what a great thing to recreate.
Use every last drop of dish soap...sm
I don't have a dishwasher so I have to use liquid soap. I never throw the bottle away because I can't squeeze anymore out. When I'm running my next dishwater, I run water in the bottle and use every last drop. The cap even has enough residue on it for 1 load. Same goes for shampoo and conditioner. Even laundry soap.
I'll often use shampoo for body wash. If you use Suave or VO5 it's usually only .99 a bottle and when it's on sale for less than that I'll buy a few bottles. It's a lot cheaper than bodywash.
I try to do errands and appointments on the same day. Mapped out right so I save gas.
Never buy infant, toddler, preschool kids clothes brand new. Buy at thrift, second hand stores or garage sales. They outgrow them faster than the bank statement arrives. They also tend to stain and ruin clothes pretty darn easily and quickly.
I was off today and pretty much was a slug all day. I did 2 loads of laundry,
I never do that, but it sure felt good at the moment. Of course, tonight, I spent some time in the bathroom...what goes in, must come out I guess. 
I was wondering why no soaping with my new body soap
gosh, used it 2 days and on this 2nd day looked at the bottle and it is body lotion. That's what happens after you reach a certain age- those fine lines are more difficult to read.
Well, I got a cast list (not on Soap C) and she wasn't on it.
nm
i thought you wanted to talk about soap!
x
Ohh, Cetaphil, try their soap for dry and sensitive skin!
Wonderful products!
I put Dawn dish soap in the dishwasher
I did not realize laundry soap and dishwasher detergent do not make bubbles. I didn't have any dishwasher detergent so decided to just a few drops of Dawn. Suds came out of the top of the dishwasher and all over the kitchen. For a few drops, it filled the kitchen. You would think it would be easy to clean up but it was terrible. Soap suds can't just be mopped up, especially when they are 3 inches tall. lol
The love of my life does all the cleaning, cooking, laundry, shopping etc..
He even has decorated the house with Christmas villages, lights etc.., wrapped all the presents, even his own..LOL (I did put them in brown boxes). I'm sorry but I sit here all day working..he can do something. I know how lucky I am. Going from being a single mom to this has been heaven. For every dream I had, it was answered by him. I shouldn't brag..but...last year he took me on 3 cruises..and it just never stops. So kudos to all of you who have a wonderful man in your life. Lord knows they are few and far in between..
My ex-husband worked at Bellsouth and it was like a soap opera. Not
xx
Don't mix soap/lotion/personal care with food. nm
x
Billy Mays, doing ads for soap, just found dead
At age 50, my goodness. This week has without a doubt been one for the books. They said Billy Mays on flight that landed yesterday and as it did blew out tire in front. He was hit on head but stated he was alright. They found him dead this morning around 7 something.
Definitely the homemade goodies!
Homemade chocolate chip cookies, pecan and/or almond butter balls, sugar cookies, fudge! mmmmm
My mother fed us homemade
formula made from Karo syrup and canned milk. I'm only 36. She also made the nipple holes bigger to get serial in those bottles once we started waking her up too often. Plus, let my husband get up once in a while, darn...., and no I'm not milking myself like a cow so he can feed the baby through a bottle. Another thing, these mothers wind up feeding these babies from their breast until they start school. Ooohhhh ahhhh... duh! Oh the stories!
Homemade Bread
I'd like to start making my own bread. I can only tolerate easy recipes and not too time consuming. Is making your own bread easy, moderate or difficult? if it's easy, do you have any tried and true recipes?
Should I buy a bread machine? What can you tell me about bread machines and their ability to pop out good tasting bread, also, with bread machines, do you have to use a pre bought packet or can you stick your own ingredients in there and bake?
Homemade bread
Well, I'm old-fashioned. I've never used a bread machine in my life. But I do make four loaves of bread at least every week and my family can't live without it (I say in all modesty). I've won blue ribbons at the County Fair for it. This is how I do it - This may seem very long and involved, but it's because I'm trying to describe it really thoroughly. Don't let the length of the instructions put you off. Do try it!
The initial makinag and kneading of the dough only takes about twenty minutes - the rest is waiting time, mostly.
I start with dry yeast, one package in a half a cup of hot tap water, stir it up and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. While it's sitting, I put three cups of hot water in a big mixing bowl with two teaspoons of salt, two tablespoons of sugar, and a quarter stick of margarine (or butter if you prefer). I heat that in the microwave for three minutes.
Then I add two cups of flour to the ater/salt/sugar/ butter and stir it up. You'll need a strong spoon because it'll get pretty thick later on. I have a favorite wooden spoon that I use. Once that's mixed in (it doesn't have to be completely smooth) add the yeast, then add another half cup of hot water to rinse the rest of the yeast out of the cup and into the dough. Stir that up, and then start adding your flour. I start with a total of ten cups, usually get close to twelve. You can do that all at once or two cups at a time. After it gets too hard to stir, it's time to put some of the last two cups of flour on the table and dump the dough mixture out onto the table. Then comes the fun, especially if you're stressed. Start kneading the dough, adding more flour when it gets sticky. Depending on how humid it is, you may need another cup or two cups. I usually add about half a cup at a time gradually each time it gets sticky. If you put in too much all at once, it may turn out too heavy. At eleven or twelve cups, you will hit the point when your hands don't stick to the dough anymore. Then just knead it for another several minutes until it's smooth "as a baby's bottom" was how I was taught.
Then I wash out the bowl and dry it with a clean dish towel, spray the inside with cooking spray, put the dough in, then thoroughly wet the towel (not dripping, but don't wring it out all the way either), and cover the bowel. That'll keep the dough from drying out while it's rising. Set in in a warm place to rise. In the summer I set it on my stove with the light on over it. In the winter, I'll put a pan of warm water in the oven on the bottom shelf and put the bowl on the top shelf.
Let it rise to double its original size, about an hour. Can be more. Dough is very forgiving if you let it rise too much. Then fold it in on itself, recover it and let it rise again. I usually let it rise at least two or three times. The more often you let it rise, the lighter it will be.
After the last rising, I spray my four loaf pans with cooking spray, then take the dough out, put in on the table and divide it into four parts with a large knife. Then, fold it in and under to form a loaf and put it in the loaf pan. Set that to rise to double. At about 45 minutes, start preheating the oven to 375 degrees. When the dough is the height you want (it will rise a little more in the oven), stick it in the oven for 30 minutes. It should be golden brown on top when it's done. Take the loaves out of the pans immediately and put them on a cooling rack so moisture doesn't accumulate under them.
The family will attack the first loaf of bread immediately, be forewarned! The other three, when they are almost cool, put them in regular bread bags you have saved from store-bought bread. I freeze mine, because this has no preservatives and does get stale quickly. It's best eaten within a day or two of making it or thawing it. That's never a problem in my house.
I hope you try it. It's a great feeling, getting all the accolades from your family and friends. PS - if you're lactose intolerant, like me, there are no milk products in it. I never eat store-bought bread anymore. It also makes the best toast in the world, and French toast?!? Wonderful!
homemade bread
She's absoloutely correct! I love making my own bread. My kids are gone now, so I don't make as much, but give it away. It doesn't last long if it sticks around here and there is such a good feeling when you've done it yourself. No preservatives and junk included. That being said, I do have a bread machine as well, have rarely used it, but when I do, it does a gresat job and I can make more types of bread because I can just throw everything in and let the machine do the rest. It really does turn out good and I am freed up to do other stuff, like work!!
homemade bread
Thanks for sharing your recipe. I lost my bread book in a flood here in Florida when there was 8 inches of water in my house and my recipes were on the bottom shelf of my cabinet (among other recipes) and have not made any bread since. My mother bought me an "earthenware bowl" that she paid a lot for to rise the dough which retains the temperature. I only have 3 loaf pans but will buy another. I bought a breadmaker machine but did not use it much. I used it for rye bread which is hard to knead because it is more coarse. My family loved my bread and I pretty much loved to have my hands in that dough. I know it is somewhat exhausting, but I find it almost therapeutic and stress reducing. I am going to try your recipe.
Basically stick to a schedule. Laundry is only "housework" while I"m working. Keep calls sh
s
Homemade gravy, almost every time.
x
What's the best cut of meat for homemade philly...
steak subs? Our family loves them and we usually buy the frozen philly cheese steak meat...but I just can't stomach the smell of it even cooking anymore because it is sooooo greasy. I want to try to make some homemade from a fresh cut of meat. Any suggestions? Thanks!!
homemade chicken soup here
Teenage son just walked in and said, Oh, good. We get to eat tonight. LOL. Guess he is tired of take-out.
I'm in CA and I love homemade mac & cheese -
.
Homemade Pizza Dough
Does anybody have a recipe for a good pizza dough recipe that does not take a long time to make?
Also what do you put on your homemade pizza?
homemade heath bar- sorta
Not a dinner idea- but a cheap way to make a bag-full of toffee:
1 cup butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 12 oz. bag chocolate chips, 3/4-1 cup chopped nuts (i use salted peanuts chopped up) saltine crackers:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Fill pan side-by-side with crackers. Heat butter and brown sugar. Boil for 3 minutes. Pour on top of crackers. Put pan in oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle the chocolate chips on top to melt- after a couple minutes, easy to spread around with a spatula. Sprinkle the nuts on top- kinda push them into the chocloate so they don't fall off when done. Chill in fridge and break into pieces.
Keeps well in a zip-lock baggie in fridge. Not the real deal, but sure it good and a lot cheaper than candy bars!
Thanks for the other ideas ladies, always looking for a new meal that is fast, easy and yummy!
last year homemade carmel corn,
this year pumpkin mini-muffins with candy corn on top...
Popcorn, homemade, with butter and a little salt
nm
I've heard they are good for homemade..
pizza because pizza has to cook in a 500+ oven. The stone helps when domestic ovens only go that high.
I'm no cook, that's the 'gist' of it, stones.
You can Google the info tho.
Ever watch Sam the Cooking Guy? He cracks me up.
I found a recipe for homemade latte that I will try.
You liked Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper? I thought it tasted like dirt. But I feel your pain, also, on losing something you love. Most people didn't like Straight Up latte, too, but I loved it.
Super easy homemade pizza
Very yummy and under $10 Serves 3-4
1 lb ground hamburger or 1 bag of pepperoni
1 box jiffy pizza crust mix
1 bag shredded pizza cheese
1 jar pizza sauce
Brown hamburger, drain; set aside. Make crust mix as per directions. Put into pizza pan - bake 3 minutes. Layer sauce, a little cheese, meat, then more cheese. Bake on 350 degrees for about 12-15 minutes. You won't believe how delicious this is!
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