Teach Soap

Hi
I've seen many recipes using a pre-made, store-bought laundry bar (Fels, Sunlight, Linda, etc.) that's grated & mixed with borax, washing soda etc.

That's not my goal. I'm thinking to start soaping with a simple laundry soap that I make. Good practise and I control what's in it.

Here's the situation:I HAVE to use coin-op machines (apt. bldg.).By the time you subtract filling, rinsing, spinning - they don't spend much time actually washing !!! Not that I get stuff very dirty, but I like whites to stay white and I REALLY don't like UN-DISSOLVED WHITE RESIDUE - especially on black clothes ! (other peoples' powder detergents ?)

So - do YOU make a bar first & then use that for a liquid laundry solution, or go straight for a liquid soap ?   
- is there a difference in how animal fat soap dissolves vs. veg fat soap ?I wouldn't think so because it's been saponified, but...

Thanks in advance to any who respond !

This is the only instance that I use commercial detergent. The soaps that I tried, over time, they made my whites dingy.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

I use my imperfect soaps for my laundry detergent, I use a little bleach in my whites and don't have a problem with dingy whites.

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Handmade Soaps
http://www.ForTheLoveOfSuds.com

My son just did a science project on this using my homemade laundry soap against Tide detergent and after 5 washings, there wasn't much difference at all between the white t shirt he washed in my soap and the one he washed in Tide. You need to use washing soda and borax in the homemade soap because they provide the enzymes that lift the dirt away from the clothes to keep the clothes from getting dingy. If you use soap only, it builds up on the clothes. I can make 5 gallons of laundry soap for less than $3.00. You can use your CP soap scraps instead of fels-naptha or other store bought soap, but you still need to use the washing soad and borax. Hope this helps!

Linda

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

I make my own powdered laundry detergent and CPOP laundry soap. I use 100% lard. I use better oils for most of my body soaps, but lard based soap cleans laundry better in my opinion. Plus its more cost effective. Here's what I do...I CPOP my soap for at least an hour to an hour and a half in a glass casserole dish. The next day I unmold and cure the soap at least a couple of days. Then grate it, combine with washing soda and borax in an old food processor. I use 1 TBSP in a reg. top loading washer. I add white vinegar to my final rinse via the fabric softener dispenser (1/4 cup). It leaves the clothes soft and there is no soap residue ever. I also add clean linen FO or Organge oil to the soap. I used to Fels Natha but the lard soap is better and I like making it.

MaPooh, that is the same recipe I use, but I mix mine in a 5 gallon bucket with water to make a gel-type soap. I find it dissolves better in my water than the powedered type. I use about 1/2 cup per load. Now that I'm making CP soap I'll be using my scraps in place of the fels-naptha bar. (I also love lard soap!)

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

I have never tried making the liquid detergent, but I can see how it would mix faster. I have very limited space and it is easier to store the concentrated power for me. I also add the powder before the clothes. I use my scraps soaps on my dog Leroy. He's a chocolate lab and loves rolling in mud and muck, but he has a touch of dermatitis, too. I had a batch of Goat's milk, oats and honey soap that I had made but I let the milk get a little too hot and it darkened and did lather as well. I still use it as a hand soap, but I didn't want to give it to anyone. Well, it works great on Leroy and seemed to help his itchiness.

Just beware if you have a front loader. It will clog the pump and give it a heart attack. My dad has fixed appliances for almost 40 years. He was the one that told me that and I believe him...he sees it regularly.

I use Charlie Soap.
Rena

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind, but I use an older top loader. I might need to pass that on to some friends of mine, though!

What is washing soda?

Washing soda is sodium carbonate. It is made by Arm & Hammer and looks similar to Baking Soda (sodium bicarbonate) but is a much stronger natural cleaner. It used to be a common household product but is harder to find these days. I get mine online in bulk from http://www.soapsgonebuy.com/Arm_and_Ham ... ah1001.htm. They also sell the Fels Naptha and other old fashioned soaps and stuff.

I can get washing soda & fels-naptha at a local grocery store chain (East TN & VA area) so you may want to check some of the smaller (not national) stores. Also local hardware stores sometimes carry it.

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

OH, I have tried every little store (and big stores and medium stores, lol) but none of them carry it. I even asked one store manager to start ordering it and he's "thinking about it". I will keep looking though, thanks.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Hey, that's a great idea! Thanks!