Can you handle one more laundry(soap) thread??

[breakingbrie]

I've been thinking of making my own laundry soap lately. I've heard it's waaay cheaper, and is easy to do. I'll admit, I do love tide, and so does my dh. But, if I could find one that's tried and true, I'd be willing to make it and give it a go.

I've found lots of slight variations of recipes online, and I wanted to ask if any of you make your own and what recipe do you follow, since I know there's a lot of do it yourselfers here

I'm just worried I'll pick the wrong one, and it won't work, or I'll fail horribly at doing it and it'll come out wrong

[Keely~B]

I used to make my own powdered but I found that it just wasn't good in my stupid washing machine. I have an HE front loader and unless you only wash in hot water, which I don't, it didn't rinse/dissolve well. ( I hate my washing machine ) I really need to use a liquid detergent and I'm too lazy to make that one

[lovely1m]

I tried to make my own, but could never find one of the ingredients needed to make it myself. So, I buy homemade stuff off of Etsy.

[webseitler]

I have Borax & Washing Soda and I was just using that as a liquid and then adding Dawn (because the Dawn would separate in the bottle!). This last week I tried making my own hand soap out of a bar of soap and so I tried making a Borax + Washing Soda + Dawn + Bar Soap mix. I like how it turned out!

[breakingbrie]

I wouldn't want to make liquid either :P Keely, I have a top loader - but I wash in cold usually... So it probably wouldn't be good with cold water, even in a top loader, huh?

[lovely1m]

I use cold water in a top loader and it works for me.

[breakingbrie]

Originally Posted by webseitler

I have Borax & Washing Soda and I was just using that as a liquid and then adding Dawn (because the Dawn would separate in the bottle!). This last week I tried making my own hand soap out of a bar of soap and so I tried making a Borax + Washing Soda + Dawn + Bar Soap mix. I like how it turned out!

Never thought of doing soap!! I love my dove though, not sure I could give that one up

Mari, it's powder?

[Sarah8914]

I use this recipe:
http://beingcreativetokeepmysanity.b...-soap.html?m=1

My first batch lasted me almost a year. I think it's fun to make, and super cheap. However, we never used expensive detergent to start--always just the cheapest. So it definitely works for us. I think the ingredients cost me around $16 so it doesn't hurt to try.

[Darcy Baldwin]

Originally Posted by breakingbrie

I wouldn't want to make liquid either :P Keely, I have a top loader - but I wash in cold usually... So it probably wouldn't be good with cold water, even in a top loader, huh?

I use powedered in a top loader in cold all the time. I just put it in first, let the washer fill, let it sit for a bit, and then put in my clothes. I don't have a problem with it at all.

[breakingbrie]

Thanks for the link Sarah!! -And for the feedback Darcy - I think I am going to give it a try It's for sure cheap enough that if it doesn't work out, I'm not out too much. I would looooove to cut out the price of tide with all the laundry we do

[Sherri Tierney]

I make my own with washing soda, Borax and Fels Naptha soap. One cup each of the powder to one bar of soap. I cut the bar up and put everything in my Ninja. It is awesome stuff! I pay about $12 for enough detergent for 9 months. It smells nice, works well and no one in my family of sensitive skinned people have issues with it.

[Sherri Tierney]

Originally Posted by Sarah8914

I use this recipe:
http://beingcreativetokeepmysanity.b...-soap.html?m=1

My first batch lasted me almost a year. I think it's fun to make, and super cheap. However, we never used expensive detergent to start--always just the cheapest. So it definitely works for us. I think the ingredients cost me around $16 so it doesn't hurt to try.

That is similar to mine. I don't put OXY in it because I don't like to mix OXY and bleach and I don't want to have to have a separate detergent for those times I want to use bleach. I was told baking soda would leave a residue so I only use the washing soda. Also, my concentration of Fels Naptha to the powdered ingredients is greater.

[pam4gators]

I use the same recipe but i add a big bottle of crystals and a bottle of unstoppables. I have to smell my detergent.

[k23m]

I use soap nuts (http://www.buysoapnuts.com/). I make a liquid out of them, and it lasts a LONG time! I bet I've spent $40 on laundry soap in the last two years, total. And I still have enough left for at least another year! You boil 12-15 "nuts" (I think they're actually berries?) in 6 cups of water and use about 4 Tbsp in a load of wash, so ya...whatever that math is, it lasts forever. No smell in the laundry (except when they're boiling...that stinks for some reason!!) and my clothes are clean.

[lovely1m]

Originally Posted by breakingbrie

Never thought of doing soap!! I love my dove though, not sure I could give that one up

Mari, it's powder?

Yep, powder.

[Darcy Baldwin]

Originally Posted by k23m

I use soap nuts (http://www.buysoapnuts.com/). I make a liquid out of them, and it lasts a LONG time! I bet I've spent $40 on laundry soap in the last two years, total. And I still have enough left for at least another year! You boil 12-15 "nuts" (I think they're actually berries?) in 6 cups of water and use about 4 Tbsp in a load of wash, so ya...whatever that math is, it lasts forever. No smell in the laundry (except when they're boiling...that stinks for some reason!!) and my clothes are clean.

I always forget to order them and end up grabbing the powder mix instead....use it for months that it lasts meaning to order more berries, and then forget again!