tonersl Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 I am thinking of making my own laundry detergent but am not sure if I should do the powder or liquid form. I am used to using liquid, store-bought detergent so that would be familiar but it sounds like a lot more work to make and the quantity is so large. Any thoughts from those who make your own detergent? I have the Duggar's recipe for the liquid detergent and then this one, http://www.diynatural.com/homemade-laundry-detergent-soap/ for the powder version. Any help you can offer is greatly appreciated. Feel free to throw me some of your own suggestions to improve, change the recipes, etc. if you have found something that works really well. I have 5 kids that like to get dirty! Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elise1mds Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 I have to use liquid in my machine because of the type of system we're on - powder, if it doesn't fully and totally dissolve - clogs up the lines and causes all sorts of problems. I only make 2 gallons at a time because that's A) the size of my largest pot and B) that's what fits into my cabinet. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amanda82 Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 I make powder detergent and I like it. I've never tried to make liquid so I can't compare the two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 I've tried both. Powder doesn't work so well if you have a front loader - it doesn't get enough water to fully dissolve. Liquid is also a LOT cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hthnmamax2 Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Has anyone with allergies used the liquid version? The only detergent I use is the Tide Free because everything else makes my skin itch. I've wanted to make my own detergent but I don't know how I'll react to it and I'm concerned that it'll just be a huge waste of time and resources. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovinmomma Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 I've tried both. Powder doesn't work so well if you have a front loader - it doesn't get enough water to fully dissolve. Liquid is also a LOT cheaper. Is it? Why do you say that? I've only ever used powder. It's so easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 I only do powder. Liquid seems like so much more trouble and the powder works for me. HOWEVER, I think its easier because I'm not grating soap by hand. (Do you still grate with liquid?) I put the bar of soap in the microwave until it gets all dry and crumbly, then I put it in the cuisinart. Once the soap is pulverized, I add the other ingredients and mix those in the food processor too. It gets reduced to powder, so there has never been an issue with it dissolving. I put a wet towel over the processor so I'm not inhaling any ground soap dust. I DO have a top loader so factor that in. I keep the laundry soap on top of my dryer in a plastic container and use a coffee scoop to measure it. The recipe I use calls for: Laundry soap (I use octagon from the laundry aisle at Food Lion) Borax Washing Soda Oxyclean I did have to tweak the amounts to make things work well for me, so don't be afraid to experiment until you get the mix that works for your laundry, machine, and water type. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 Liquid is cheaper because it's more diluted. I made some a couple of years ago and we're still using it. As for allergies - DH has some skin sensitivities to detergents and I have a lot of allergies, but I've never reacted much to detergent. I have strong reactions to most sunscreens and to DEET and once when I accidentally got some roundup spilled on my hand I thought I might die. You can tailor the recipe to something you're specifically not allergic to. I've made the soap with real organic goat's milk soap, with ivory, with fels-naptha, and last week I saw a recipe on Pinterest about making laundry detergent with blue dawn that I will probably try next because when I was in nursing school I worked at a nursing home that used original blue dawn as their stain remover because no one had skin issues with it; it worked well. Also, DH is always spilling grease on his shirts at work, and one thing homemade detergent is NOT good for is grease stains. Here's the link to the recipe: http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/02/no-grate-homemade-laundry-soap.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 btw... I agree with using the food processor to powder the soap. It's a LOT easier, and then putting the processor on the top rack and running it on the hottest setting always cleans it perfectly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 If you have a front loader, usually the action of the machine is enough to get your clothes clean if they are not heavily soiled....you're using detergent to remove body oils, etc. The liquid formula is so diluted that, ime, after time your clothes get dingy and stained. It also has a tendency to clump. The powder solution is more effective, ime, especially if you add an optical brightener like oxyclean. All of that said, I have found the best tradeoff in saving money/still getting my clothes clean to be just using 3/4 - 1 T. of liquid detergent (Tide Free or Ecos if you have sensitive skin) per load. I've just never been happy with the results of using homemade detergent long term. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myeightkiddies Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 Has anyone with allergies used the liquid version? We have a lot of allergies. Prior to homemade we would only use ALL - Free and Clear. There have been no allergic reactions to the homemade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bamagirl Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 I've made and used the Duggar liquid for years and love it! I've just always preferred liquid over powder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myeightkiddies Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 I blogged (with pictures) about the batch we made last December: Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent . We are still pleased with the results and will continue to make it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 (edited) I make powder - 9oz grated bar-soap (like Jergen's Pure and Natural - I can get it at the dollar store), 2C Arm&Hammer Washing Soda, 2C Borax, 1C store-brand "OxyClean". I use about 2 tablespoons per full load. Always put vinegar in the softener compartment - helps to rinse out the soap residue which helps soften the clothes. We used to use All Free and Clear and have never had any negative reactions with the home-made powder. I have a huge capacity Fisher & Paykel top-loader - it is extremely water-efficient. We have 6 kids and do an average of 8 full loads of laundry per week. One recipe will last us about 2.5 months - so what is that - about 80 loads? Edited July 20, 2012 by Susan in TN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelaNYC Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 I always made the liquid. Well, it was like a gel. I only wash in cold and powder never dissolved well enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvaleri Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 Has anyone with allergies used the liquid version? The only detergent I use is the Tide Free because everything else makes my skin itch. I've wanted to make my own detergent but I don't know how I'll react to it and I'm concerned that it'll just be a huge waste of time and resources. My husband and two of the kids have all kinds of skin allergies. We can't even use Tide Free & Clear. I've been making liquid detergent for about a year using the Duggar recipe with no issues. FWIW, we don't dilute it. Dh is a contractor. In the summer, he sweats buckets. He adds borax or ammonia to his loads to completely get the odors out. HTH, Teresa in NC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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