OT- Homemade Laundry Soap

[Countrygal]

I have made both the liquid and the powdered. I prefer the powdered, simply because it is easier to make and use.

Some things I have found:

They both clean about the same - about as well as the "cheaper" laundry detergents. You can boost the cleaning power by adding a little more borax - there are recipes and suggestions for this online.

The powder will NOT dissolve well in cold water. If you wash a lot in COLD water, make the liquid. Putsier, but works better in cold.

Otherwise, I was well pleased with them for what they were. I still go back to Tide or Oxi-clean for the really dirty stuff, tho.

I DO have a floor cleaning recipe that I LOVE! If anyone would like it, pm me and I'd be glad to post it!

[Crazy8]

I made my own for about a year, maybe a little longer. It was the borax, washing soda, ivory soap mixture - even added oxy clean to it but after a while I realized how dingy my loads of whites were. I really noticed it when I bought some new undershirts for my boys. I decided to go back to my trusted tide and my whites are MUCH whiter again. Maybe its my water, or maybe people just don't notice that the stuff makes whites dingy looking but it bothered me.

[daycarediva]

I noticed that, and add vinegar to my white loads. Problem solved!

[Crazy8]

I noticed that, and add vinegar to my white loads. Problem solved!

I've always added vinegar to all my loads - its a good fabric softener! I think maybe I may have "hard" water or something that made such a difference in the whites - I don't know!

[Former Teacher]

I noticed that, and add vinegar to my white loads. Problem solved!

I've always added vinegar to all my loads - its a good fabric softener! I think maybe I may have "hard" water or something that made such a difference in the whites - I don't know!

I use vinegar for my floors and I throw some in my dishwasher. Can you tell me more about adding it to the clothes? I have never hard of that. I, too, have hard water but I just use a Downy ball for all clothes. For my whites (socks), I use bleach.

[daycarediva]

http://laundry.about.com/od/vinegarinthelaundr1/tp/vinegarhub.htm

I have hard water also, we put in a water softener and that has helped a bunch with laundry (as well as with our skin!) Vinegar is AWESOME! I have that stuff stashed all over the house!

[MizzCheryl]

I tried it but my clothes, especiall my husbands, didn't really get clean.