I'd like to make homemade baby wipes and laundry detergent...can someone help?

[Alphabetika]

Homemade baby wipes: I'm having baby #3 this summer and I'd like to use homemade wipes with this one, even though I'm using plastic diapers. I just never liked the commercial wipes. I have some nice soft old flannel sheets and some old 100% cotton t-shirts I'd like to cut up, but where do I go from there? What can I add to them to moisten them (well, water, of course, but anything else?) and where do I keep them while waiting to wash them?

 

Homemade laundry detergent: I have about 50 bars of goat's milk soap that I bought a couple of years ago, and I'd like to incorporate them into laundry detergent if possible. Can I grate them them add other ingredients to make them a liquid detergent? Powdered detergent would be okay, too, though our machine seems to work better with liquid. I think I need to do more than grate the soap and dissolve it in water (or do I?) but what?

 

Thank you to anyone who can help!:)

[NorthwestMom]

I made baby wipes and just used a small amount of baby shampoo and water to moisten them. If you are using cloth diapers, just throw them in the diaper pail. If you don't have a diaper pail, find a container with a secure lid. You can put them straight in there without soaking (dump any solids into the toilet when baby is old enough to produce such things). Dump the contents of the container into the washer and wash it twice in very hot water.

 

I have no advice about laundry detergent. Good luck!

[myfunnybunch]

I haven't made detergent, but I used homemade baby wipes with all of my children. I mixed some Johnson's baby soap with water and poured it over a pack of baby washcloths. Sometimes I included a few drops of tea tree oil or lavender. I'd gotten a couple huge packs of the washcloths on super-clearance. Flannel would work too, and probably old t-shirts, etc. I stored them in a baby wipe container.

 

Cat

[Oakblossoms]

I use cloth diapers and baby washcloths for wipes. They work great. I just wash them all together. But, I guess you could get a little pail to put them in and wait till you wash your other whites. I just wet mine under the warm water in the sink. If you are out you can add a little Dr. Bronners to a small squirt bottle of water. Then wet your wipe with that.

[Jules]

I make my own laundry detergent with grated soap. Here is what I do. I grate up one bar of soap. Mix that with about 4 cups of water and put in on the stovetop to melt together. I then add 1 cup of Mule Team Borax and 1 cup of Washing Soda and another 6 cups of water. Just let it all incorporate together, not boil, but all dissolve and become a thicker liquid. I then add 1 gallon of tap water to a large bucket (or whatever you want the soap in for storing). Mix together the mixture that was on the stovetop and the water from the tap. Let sit and stir it occasionally. It turns into a gel type. Mine looks like a soft gel after about 12-24 hours. I use 1/2 cup per each load. You will not have suds, though, so don't be alarmed.

I usually add a small amount of vinegar to the rinse cycle when washing, also.

If you have more questions, just ask.

[FourOaks]

I do make my own laundry detergent and love it!! However, the 3 ingredients I use are Borax, Arm & Hammer Washing Soda and Felz Naptha soap. I think these are the typical ingredients. I am not sure about using the goats milk soap. I think that is more for body soap. Maybe someone else will chime in that is more of an expert.

[Ibbygirl]

I make my own laundry detergent. I've been using it for years and I love it. You can adjust the amounts to make bigger or smaller batches, I use the amounts in the recipe I'm giving you just because I live in a small house and don't have the storage space.

 

1/2 a bar of Fels Naptha soap

1/4 Cup Borax (I use 20 mule team)

1/4 Washing soda (I use Arm and Hammer super washing soda)

2 and a half gallons of water.

 

Pour 2 1/2 gallons of very hot water into a big bucket or similar type container. Add in the borax and washing soda and stir until disolved.

 

Grate the 1/2 bar of Fels Naptha and then put the soap shavings into a small pot with enough water just to cover. Heat it up on medium heat and stir until melted.

 

Add the melted soap to the bucket of hot water and stir until everything is disolved and mixed well. Let it sit overnight before using. It will cool to a gel like consistency.

 

You can use it on all colors and fabrics. Use one cup per load.

 

For stains, wet the area and rub the unused half of the Fels Naptha bar onto the spot. Rub together and let it sit for a minute before washing. Works great on all kinds of stains and won't change the color of the fabric. :)

[Alphabetika]

Thanks so much, everyone! I ordered Washing Soda yesterday and when it arrives I'll be mixing up some fresh, cheap detergent. I hope others will benefit from this thread, too!

[Mrs_JWM]

I just wanted to add a funny homemade laundry detergent story - I made soap for a few years, and decided to grate some of up for laundry soap. I made a beautifully pure white soap using lard. It was hard, so it lasted nicely in the soap dish, but it also lathered really well. It seemed like the perfect soap...until I made the laundry soap. I washed our sheets in it, and when we got into bed that night, my husband said, "Do you think our sheets smell like...BACON?!!" He was right - they did! They were even faintly greasy. My husband loves, loves, LOVES bacon, but it is not a turn-on in bed! ;)

[Peri]

Homemade baby wipes: I'm having baby #3 this summer and I'd like to use homemade wipes with this one, even though I'm using plastic diapers. I just never liked the commercial wipes. I have some nice soft old flannel sheets and some old 100% cotton t-shirts I'd like to cut up, but where do I go from there? What can I add to them to moisten them (well, water, of course, but anything else?) and where do I keep them while waiting to wash them?

 

Homemade laundry detergent: I have about 50 bars of goat's milk soap that I bought a couple of years ago, and I'd like to incorporate them into laundry detergent if possible. Can I grate them them add other ingredients to make them a liquid detergent? Powdered detergent would be okay, too, though our machine seems to work better with liquid. I think I need to do more than grate the soap and dissolve it in water (or do I?) but what?

 

Thank you to anyone who can help!:)

 

I have heard of women that use oil and cottonballs for cleansing the baby's diaper area. I used to just carry the baby over to the sink, take off his or her diaper, and clean with water. If my baby had pooped, then I would use baby soap to further cleanse the area. I only used wipes when I was not home.

[Hathersage]

This website has recipes for both liquid and powdered versions of laundry detergent

http://www.soapsgonebuy.com/category_s/24.htm