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3:45 am
January 21, 2011
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Everyone knows the store bought is ripping us off, but I thought Borax was a clothes soap? Isnt it? Does the home-made soap take out stains?
11:25 am
January 17, 2011
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Mary, here is a link to borax…it is mainly used as a laundry booster…
http://chemistry.about.com/od/…..xworks.htm
If I have heavy stains, I pretreat with something like shout gel or rub the spot with a bar of fels naptha (just prior to washing on this one). It mainly depends on what the stain is for me.
12:54 pm
January 21, 2011
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Ok, I understand, thank you gakaren. I see you would treat the laundry detergent like any other by pretreating stains.
10:05 am
January 17, 2011
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Mary, I don't have to pre-treat much. Just things like mechanical grease, cooking grease, tea, coffee….things I would treat for anyway. It does just as good as the expensive detergents getting normal dirt/junk out! And I have a front loader…no problems, not high sudsing!
But my clothes feel better & my towels feel softer. And I don't have a scent left in the clothes that bothers my nose!
One fella challenged everyone who was skeptical to take 1 towel that they had been laundering in commercial products…run it thru a wash cycle WITHOUT putting any detergent in…see how much soap was washed out of the towel. Then he wanted the challengers to keep washing it until their wash water came out clean…no suds. He was betting 3-5 times before they got all the commercial soap out of the towel!
10:27 am
February 19, 2011
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Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum. I had to stop using my homemade soap. It kept eating holes in my clothes. I thought nothing of it at first, but then new clothes started doing the same. I reduced the fels naptha, then I made the liquid version instead. Still no luck. Has anyone had this happen? I did throw out the liquid fabric softener and only use vinegar. This stuff is wonderful, no build- up in my clothes and towels. Did I mention the $$$$ I save! YEA ME!!!
12:04 pm
December 19, 2009
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Linda – no I don't use any fels naptha. Once in a while, when something is really dirty or greasy, I will use a commercial pre-treat like Shout. But otherwise, we have done just fine with the borax/washing soda mix. I have a front loading machine and I am sure that helps also.
12:29 pm
January 21, 2011
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yeah, see I'm dealing with men dirt! lol Grease and tar and engine grime! I have to pretreat!
1:11 pm
October 10, 2009
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I have used Fels-Naphtha since I started making my own laundry soap and have never had an experience such as debbie68 describes. I can't imagine what is causing it unless there is too much washing soda in the mix. I use no fabric softener at all unless there are new towels and I want a little bit of softening action. There is far less lint in the dryer also. I have a front load machine and the homemade soap has been great. Pretreat what few stains we have with Shout.
1:17 pm
January 21, 2011
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Hi mamawolf!
Why is it there is less lint?
1:26 pm
October 10, 2009
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Mary I have absolutely no idea. Same clothes, same washer and dryer, just the homemade soap. I used to clean out the filter half-way through the laundry and again at the end of with a filter full of lint. Now just at the end of the session with less lint than the other way. Guess the good fairy is watching out for me!!!
2:11 pm
January 21, 2011
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Your knight in shining lint armor! hee hee!
Well that is interesting you know. It has to be the harshness of the store bought detergent verses the home made..
3:51 pm
January 17, 2011
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I use fels naptha in the liquid version & I've never had a problem either with holes in clothes. Maybe there is a chemical in debby68's water that is causing the problem???
I also don't have near the lint in the dryer when I use it. From what someone told me, the homemade is actually easier on the fabrics therefore, not as much deterioration during a wash to fly out & into the lint trap during the drying. But I hang out if at all possible!….which also is supposed to prolong the fabric life as long as you don't leave them in the sun for 8-10 hrs.! 
Hanging out also reduces the shrinkage in our jeans.
Mary, most of the time I just rub those spots with part of a bar of fels naptha just before throwing them in the washer and it has come out for me. And one more thing…some of the commercial detergents didn't get the smell of diesel out but my homemade does!
7:01 pm
January 21, 2011
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Wow, it took out the smell of diesel! Ok, now that tells me something! That is good stuff. These stains I deal with I fight with, so that is why I'm cautious. Just seems if it is gentle it won't take out these stains, but if it takes out the smell, it took out the diesel, period! :)
9:44 pm
February 7, 2011
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Does the 50/50 Borax/Wash Soda mix work well in hard water? Our water is 88% hard and we don't have a water softener so our clothes become grimey looking over time, in addition to washing them and they come out looking almost the same as they went in.
Any tips for getting your laundry clean in hard water? I have used the liquid recipe with and without the fels naptha bar.
11:27 pm
February 19, 2011
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I live in the country and our water is from a underground spring. We do have hard water but no chemicals. I will try just washing soda and borax. I've used these before independently so I am sure they will work. I bet I have been using the wrong amount of the Fels Naptha. All of this feedback has been so helpful. Thanks!
12:27 am
February 14, 2011
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I have tried both the liquid and powder version, and love both. When I am using the liquid I just give the jug a good shake and the soap breaks up and there has never been any left over in the washer that did not get used. Also we have really hard water and the recipe I use is bar soap, 1/2cup of borax, 1/4c washing soda and 1/4 c baking soda. The baking soda seems to soften the water. And I find that I have a lot less lint too. I do pretreat spots just prior to washing, and rarely, if its a bad grease spot I pretreat with Dawn. Since I have been using the homemade soap my clothes seem so much cleaner, the towels and rags smell fresh and more absorbant. I used to scent mine, but now prefer just the clean smell.
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