(this is 2 tablespoons - enough for a large load)
As is so many times the case I had to change it a bit... :D Her recipe calls for Oil of Olay bar soap but I bought a large bar of Zout, as it is for laundry.
1 bar Zote, grated (I used my food processor but you could grate it by hand too) This bar grated to 4 cups
4 cups Arm and Hammer Washing Soda
4 cups 20 Mule Team Borax
2 cups Oxiclean
Mix well and store. I put mine in glass jars it made about 3 1/2 quarts. I have a front loading HE washer. 2 tablespoons is what I need to use per large load. Yes, 2 tablespoons is all!!! WOW
I have to say that I will make this from now on. My husband works hard and his clothes get dirty and yes, smelly. I ran a load of his laundry and it came out clean, soft and it smelled - clean. There was no perfume smell it was just clean clothes. I even had him do the 'smell test', he has a very discerning nose, and he too gave them the stamp of approval.
So if you too have been wanting to try the home made laundry soap I would highly recommend the above recipe.
a little bird
Wow.. this sounds wonderful.. and it cleans good too. I will try it..
ReplyDeleteI have never seen ZOTE soap where I live [in Ms]. Could I use another soap??? thanks.
Hi Sew Blessed,
DeleteI think you could use Fels-Naptha. Or if you can't find that you could try Ivory?? I've read that some people use Ivory bar soap. Hopefully you can find the Fels-Naptha though because it's made for laundry.
a little bird
I would like to try this, but I am fairly addicted to the smell of Gain detergent...I know, it's a weakness!
DeleteGain - yes, that is my normal. But in truth the clothes come out smelling cleaner... I know that's weird but they do. But I agree I like Gain too.
DeleteThanks I will look and see if I can find the Fels-Naptha... Can't wait to try it.
DeleteDo you have hard or soft water? This city has, I've been told, the hardest water in the province, so homemade laundry soap makes for nasty-smelling, dingy clothes.
ReplyDeleteWe have soft water... But washing soda is a water softener.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if you could add more washing soda to the mix???
Here are a couple of sites that you may want to check out.
http://www.ehow.com/facts_7328521_washing-soda-soften-hard-water_.html
Washing Soda - The Green Laundry Detergent Hardness Solution
Washing soda is the traditional water softener or in other words hardness mineral sequestrant. Most natural detergents use washing soda in place of other less benign hardness ion sequesterants (water softeners). Washing soda (sodium carbonate) is a very simple compound, It is similar to baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). Washing soda is much more reactive than baking soda, however, and must be handled with care. The shortfall with washing soda is that it adds sodium to the waste water (only half as much as baking soda would have added which is better). However, compared to the prospect of adding a persistent environmental toxin to the waste water such as is the case with the hardness sequestrants phosphate and EDTA, the use of washing soda as a wash water softener is preferable. from here http://www.brighthub.com/environment/green-living/articles/17621.aspx