Yet Another Laundry Soap Question

[Sunkawakan]

I've been using my scraps from my unscented soap (lard &/or oo) for my laundry detergent with a bit of baking soda added. Occasionally I'll add a hanfull of shredded scented from my scrap box. I use white vinegar instead of fabric softner. My clothes come out cleaner than than they ever had when I was buying detergent.

Today, I was planning on shredding more soap from my scrap box for more detergent. Interesting, because I was later approached by a customer, that has a rash that they are assuming is from the soap they are using, who asked if I sell laundry detergent. I never thought about selling it! I was quick to tell the customer that I make absolutely no claims about my soap, and that if the condition continued they should see a doctor of which I am not. The customer persisted, asking if I had a gentle soap they could use. As I said, I do not make claims about my soap except that it is hand made by me and I fully disclose all my ingredients, leaving it up to my customers to decide if it will work for them. However, I did suggest a simple unscented lard soap or castille. I offered (which they accepted) a free sample of both and told them if it worked for them I could easily turn it into laundry soap.

So, here is my quesiton (finally, sorry, I'm babbling). Can someone suggest a gentle laundry soap without using borax or amonia? Would a simple castille or lard soap work - just because it works for me doesn't mean there isn't something better out there of which I am not aware.

Does anyone sell their soap as laundry soap? Have I lost my mind?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[carebear]

100% lard or coconut, 0% superfat will work fine - to a degree. grate it up and use as is (make sure it dissolves in the water before adding clothes, or make laundry goo with it and add that).

it won't whiten like commercial detergent, and will form soap scum with hard water so be sure they use some water softener with it, as well as put white vinegar in the rinse (I use a downy fabric softener ball).

Mike has posted some laundry soap stuff here.

There is someone on etsy selling laundry soap - I'll go look...

ha - lots are

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?li ... =&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?li ... =&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?li ... 2&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title

and so on and so on LOL

 

[Bubbles Galore]

I like 100% coconut for cleaning. Clothes aside, I've discovered how good this bar is at cleaning the bathroom sink. For handwashing clothes, it is excellent but I'm too scared to put it into the new front loader. (Visions of washing machine spewing out bubbles galore). :wink:

Sunkawakan - are you using in a front loader or top loader please?

 

[Sunkawakan]

I'm using my soap (not 100% coconut, can't afford it) in my top loader. I made a 100% co bar but am using it as a shampoo bar. However, I'm not sure what types of loaders my customers have.

 

[dolly777]

I make my laundry bars with Lard or tallow and soy bean oil and they work great for me and my clients. I also include some recipes they can use to make the low sud laundry using Washing soda or baking soda. It works well in the new front load washers and lil bit goes a long way.

 

[krissy]

what kind of oil makes a laundry soap with suds? i know it might be silly, but i just never feel like the laundry is clean enough if there are no bubbles in the washer.
right now i make the lard one that is posted on the boards but i wish it had more bubbles.

 

[carebear]

coconut oil will make more suds, but none make a LOT of suds - especially if you have hard water.

 

[krissy]

coconut oil will make more suds, but none make a LOT of suds - especially if you have hard water.

thanks! i wanted suds the way that Tide has suds but i guess i can try CO to see if i like those suds...

 

[memadeit]

when my husband said about how white his whites got with only one washing, I was hooked. I just add baking soda my to mix. (Hubby has tender skin.) Even though there isn't much suds, the look of the water is nasty.

 

[krissy]

when my husband said about how white his whites got with only one washing, I was hooked. I just add baking soda my to mix. (Hubby has tender skin.) Even though there isn't much suds, the look of the water is nasty.

what is your recipe, if you don't mind sharing...?

 

[Sunkawakan]

Krissy - you might try adding some castor oil to your lard soap, it helps with bubbles & lather. I use 1 oz ppo. I'd beware of using 100% co in the washer - you're likely to have more bubbles than you care to have

I use shreded oo or lard soap with baking soda for my wash, its the bars that don't meet quality control to sell. And I always add white vinegar instead of fabric softener. My standard lard recipie has castor oil but my castile is plain oo (I'm, for some reason, a purist when it comes to castile).

WARNING - Do NOT use a high lather soap in the dishwasher! Trust me, it makes a mess you'll never forget! But... on the other hand, if you add vinegar when the bubbles are exploding all over your kitchen they do come under control pretty quick. I was making laundry soap this afternoon and needed to run the dishwasher so I took a scoop and put it in. Ooooooops! My dishes are clean and now I know just how much my castile bubbles :roll:

 

[carebear]

learned the dishwasher thing the hard way - by running 24 hour old soaping stuff through the dishwasher without rinsing them first.

twice.

maybe thrice.

clean floors, though.

 

[jennikate]

One big difference between homemade laundry soap and tide is one uses soap one uses detregent. So homemade with soap is just not gonna match the bubbles of commericail detregent. I find however The scent in detergent bothers me after using homemade w/ viniger rinse for a while now. just my 2 cents

 

[donniej]

Potassium Hydroxide soap, no superfat, 80% soy & 20% coconut. Thicken with borax. It will never be clear but works well and is easy to make.

BTW, never mix vinegar with your soap. It will nuetralize the hydroxide and leave you with waxy fatty acids.

 

[Vintageliving]

My vote is for lard, as some people find coconut soap irritating.

I'll do some testing with lard soap with no borax or washing soda and post a report. It'll be a couple of weeks before I can post on that.

 

[bombus]

What about soap scum in the washer? Does the vinegar rinse take care of that?

 

[Vintageliving]

Bombus, yes. The vinegar in the rinse cycle cleans out the soap residue. It's important to use it.

 

[bombus]

I'm there then! Got lots of scraps to try