Teach Soap

Been making CP soap for about a year now and the other day actually i was thinking i should finally try out making some homemade laundry powder/laundry detergent!

All the recipes iv'e seen so far have been pretty vague cooking type recipes though, no exact gram or ounce measurements - just "1 cup borax, 1 cup baking soda, and 1 bar of soap" is all they seem to say - should i then assume the measurements to be equal parts soap, washing soda, and borax??

Also the main thing is with the actual washing machine - is there any way at all any miscalculation could cause damage or cause buildup/soap scum in the washing machine system?? only concerned about this due to warnings of washing soda "not to be used on wool, silk, aluminium, fiberglass" also warning of not to use on blocked drains....


would love to hear if anyone has some advice for this
if it works then iv'e always got a ton of leftover soap scraps to use for it! - by the way is there any limitations on what types of soap you can use for it?? (e.g. hard coconut/palm soaps compared to soft olive oil/avocado oil soaps?)

_________________
Learning to make soap for 1 year and counting!

CP Bar Soap ✓
CP Liquid Soap ✓
HP Bar Soap ---
HP Liquid Soap ---
Other Soaps ---

I've been making mine for a couple of years now and love it. I use about 1 cup borax, about 1 cup washing soda, and Fels-naptha or Zote , shredded and melted. I simply add about a gallon of hot water to a five gallon bucket, add the three ingredients, stir, and fill with hot water until about 3/4 full. Sometimes I'll add some essential oil or even some leftover fragrance oil. It does a great job and lasts a long time. So much cheaper and better for you. Good luck!

A premade soap like Naptha won't give you the best results. I would make a 100% coconut soap with a 0% superfat. You don't want any superfat in there as the extra oils or butters could make your laundry dingy.

Just shred the coconut soap, then you can add borax and washing soda.

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

Irena, when you say 100% coconut soap do mean a recipe of just coconut oil, lye and distilled water (and fragrance if desired) and no palm oil or olive oil? Thanks.

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

Thanks, Irena.

I'm in the process of creating detergent but Liquid detergent do you Know where can I get raw materials where they don't ask for a registered company number?

the formula goes by percentage if you depending on foaming agent or bactericidal used, surfactants take 50% of the batch, Im also learning over the same subject we can work toguether

That's how I make liquid detergent too. 100% coconut oil and 0% superfat.

Swap your water out for glycerin and use potash instead of NaOH. I feel like teaching someone how to make liquid soap today...

I've made laundry butter a few times and really like it. I make a 0% superfat lard soap. Grate it up or break it into small pieces. Dissolve 6 oz in 6 cups of boiling water. Cool it a little, then add 8 oz borax and stir to dissolve. Then add 8 oz washing soda and stir to dissolve. Wait 3 - 6 hours for it to cool and gel, then mix with stick blender to emulsify. Makes 2 quarts. I find a shallow covered container works best to store it.

I add 1 tablespoon per wash load for my large capacity side loader. I think it gets oily stains and sweat stains out better than Tide.

I've found I can use less commercial fabric softener than with commercial laundry detergents. The only fabrics I use fabric softener for anymore are fleece and dry wick materials. I use white vinegar instead for the rest of the wash.

I don't add any scent, but clothes come out smelling clean and fresh.