momofkhm Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 I've been on a natural kick for 6 months or so. One thing to go was my Tide detergent. We've tried this before and everything eventually got yellowish stains. So I stopped. This time I read about someone who didn't make detergent to add, she measure the pieces as she went. I knew I didn't want to measure everything every time so I measure it once a week or so. I have small 1/2 c or so containers. In each one I put a teaspoon borax and a teaspoon washing soda. I put that in the normal wash detergent spot. Then I put a tablespoon Castile soap (Dr Bronner's) in the prewash spot. I have an HE machine. Ok, why I may never return. I wore a white shirt to dinner at Brother's house. Some how I dripped beef gravy down the front and on one sleeve. Foolishly, I didn't do anything at the time to try and get it out. That was Friday. Today, I put the shirt in the wash at home, with a normal load. It was in the dryer by the time I remembered the stain. I figured I just had a button down shirt that could only be worn as a base layer, the stains would be permanent. Maybe fade a bit over time, but still... I just took the shirt out of the dryer to hang up. I searched for the stains - they are gone. If you looked really hard, you can see a spot on the sleeve near a seam but you have to look really hard. No treating at the time of the spill. No treating before I washed. Just washed as a normal item and nothing! I may never go back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 I would like to try your "recipe." :) What is the name of the washing soda you use? I already have Borax and I can get the Dr. Bronner's castile soap at the store, so all I need to know is where to get the washing soda. Thanks!!! :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 I use a different recipe, but I love my homemade detergent. Cat, our washing soda is also Arm & Hammer. Some Krogers will have it; that's where we get ours. Not sure where you live though! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 (edited) I use a different recipe, but I love my homemade detergent. Cat, our washing soda is also Arm & Hammer. Some Krogers will have it; that's where we get ours. Not sure where you live though! Thanks! There aren't any Krogers stores that I know of here in the NYC area, but I see them all the time when we are in Indiana. I'll check Walmart and our local grocery stores; I'm sure at least one store will have it, and now I know to ask for Arm & Hammer. :) What recipe do you use? Edited November 30, 2015 by Catwoman 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofkhm Posted November 30, 2015 Author Share Posted November 30, 2015 My washing soda box imploded so I don't know the brand I have now, but I know Arm and Hammer is one I've seen. I've seen washing soda at Target, with the laundry supplies, on the bottom shelf. Also in grocery stores. I've also seen that you can make washing soda from baking soda by basically cooking it. http://www.mommypotamus.com/how-to-make-washing-soda/ But I haven't tried it so I don't know if it works. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 (edited) Thanks for the recipe. I've been reluctant to try homemade laundry soap mostly because my previous neighbor tried this and I could tell when they switched because her dc's clothes always smelled . . . off. I'm not sure what her recipe was, though. Dh really likes his laundry to smell good--mostly he likes it to smell like All :p. (I can't use Tide because the scent gives me a headache). I'm going to try this recipe and hope that "clean" scent passes dh's judgment. ETA: I have a top-loader. Can I just mix all the ingredients together or do they need to be in separate pre-wash/main wash cycles? Edited November 30, 2015 by Cinder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Thanks! There aren't any Krogers stores that I know of here in the NYC area, but I see them all the time when we are in Indiana. I'll check Walmart and our local grocery stores; I'm sure at least one store will have it, and now I know to ask for Arm & Hammer. :) What recipe do you use? It's very controversial, but I use the Duggar recipe. :laugh: http://www.duggarfamilyblog.com/2011/03/duggar-recipe-liquid-laundry-soap.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 I big puffy heart love HE washers. Mine will get out anything also. So wonderful. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 It's very controversial, but I use the Duggar recipe. :laugh: http://www.duggarfamilyblog.com/2011/03/duggar-recipe-liquid-laundry-soap.html Uh oh. You mentioned the D word!!! :eek: :lol: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Clicked the Dugger's link. I've never done homemade detergent, but I did discover Fels-Naptha last year and it absolutely saved our baseball season. I used the bar to pretreat all of ds's baseball pants and it pretty much kept them looking almost new through the end of the season. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Cat, Wegmans has it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 I use this recipe: http://www.diynatural.com/homemade-laundry-detergent-soap/ Walmart sells A&H Super Washing Soda. I got the Borax and the pink Zote there, too. They also sell Fels Naptha, but it is ugly, so I switched to pink Zote, Dr. Bonner's and Kirks Castile. I run the soap through the fine grinder disc on my food processor. I mix it all together in my food processor too, with the just the cutting blade on. That way I make sure it is all thoroughly mixed. I keep a container of my homemade laundry soap by the washer. Since I made it in bulk last time, I store the remainder in an airtight container. With 6 adults in my household, there is a lot of laundry to do, so making it in bulk makes sense for us. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butter Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 I've been making my own detergent for a couple or three years now. In two different states I've found the ingredients I need at Wal-Mart. It's actually the only reason I ever go to Wal-Mart, about once a year. https://thefamilywho.wordpress.com/2015/07/29/laundry-detergent-again/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofkhm Posted November 30, 2015 Author Share Posted November 30, 2015 Thanks for the recipe. I've been reluctant to try homemade laundry soap mostly because my previous neighbor tried this and I could tell when they switched because her dc's clothes always smelled . . . off. I'm not sure what her recipe was, though. Dh really likes his laundry to smell good--mostly he likes it to smell like All :p. (I can't use Tide because the scent gives me a headache). I'm going to try this recipe and hope that "clean" scent passes dh's judgment. ETA: I have a top-loader. Can I just mix all the ingredients together or do they need to be in separate pre-wash/main wash cycles? The only reason I don't mix ahead is so that I get all the Castile *in* the dispenser. This way I can just dump and go. If I premix the castile with the powders, then I map need to scrape the container. Long way to say, you should be fine to put it all in the same place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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