For those who make their own laundry soap with Zote, Borax, & Washing Soda, I am wondering how much EO you use to sent the soap. Most recipes make 5 gallons. I would like to use an EO such as lavender 40/42. What are your recommendations for amounts? Thanks!
Scenting home made laundry soap
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I make a dry laundry soap mix and put 10-15 drops of an inexpensive EO (sweet orange, for example) per pound or two when blending up the mix. I am not trying to scent my clothes -- that's just enough EO to give a faint whiff of pleasant scent when I open the soap container.
If your aim is to scent your clothes, you'd have to add a lot of EO to your laundry mix to get a detectable, lasting scent on the clothes. The better route, IMO, is to put an EO scent blend on a piece of fabric and add that to your dryer with each load of clothes.
If your aim is to scent your clothes, you'd have to add a lot of EO to your laundry mix to get a detectable, lasting scent on the clothes. The better route, IMO, is to put an EO scent blend on a piece of fabric and add that to your dryer with each load of clothes.
thinkativeone
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I make my own liquid laundry detergent using bar soap, borax, and washing soda (next go-round I'll be using my own homemade bar soap YAY) and I always do a rinse with a little bit of distilled white vinegar.
My suggestion would be one of two things: add your desired EOs to your vinegar bottle for the rinse OR, alternatively (and this is very good and multi-purpose) take a 5 gallon bucket, dump in a couple gallons of DWV and add all your citrus peels to that. Anything from limes, grapefruits, lemons or oranges - it's all good. Let that marinate for at least two weeks and you have a multi-purpose cleaner and/or fragranced rinse agent on the cheap.
My suggestion would be one of two things: add your desired EOs to your vinegar bottle for the rinse OR, alternatively (and this is very good and multi-purpose) take a 5 gallon bucket, dump in a couple gallons of DWV and add all your citrus peels to that. Anything from limes, grapefruits, lemons or oranges - it's all good. Let that marinate for at least two weeks and you have a multi-purpose cleaner and/or fragranced rinse agent on the cheap.
Little_Irish_Hippie
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When I started making HM detergent, I read somewhere that citrus oils can stain clothes so I have always avoided them (even though I love citrus oils, and they are cheap). Can anyone here clarify whether that's true?
For my laundry powder I usually add 10 drops of lavender and 5-10 of tea-tree oil. It doesn't really scent the clothes but I like to think that maybe it neutralises bad odours a bit, and possibly even contribute some antibacterial/antifungi properties - perhaps the quantities are not enough to do anything at all, but as DeeAnna says, it smells nice when I open the tub!
ETA: Sorry I don't know how much would be needed for a 5 gallon batch, that sounds like a crazy amount of detergent! My batch size is approx 4 cups (1-2tbsp wash dose)
For my laundry powder I usually add 10 drops of lavender and 5-10 of tea-tree oil. It doesn't really scent the clothes but I like to think that maybe it neutralises bad odours a bit, and possibly even contribute some antibacterial/antifungi properties - perhaps the quantities are not enough to do anything at all, but as DeeAnna says, it smells nice when I open the tub!
ETA: Sorry I don't know how much would be needed for a 5 gallon batch, that sounds like a crazy amount of detergent! My batch size is approx 4 cups (1-2tbsp wash dose)
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I'm sure clothes might be stained if you used a lot of citrus oils. But a few drops per load, especially if well mixed with the soap to begin with? No, not really. At least I've not noticed any staining issues I would attribute to the tiny bit of sweet orange I have been using.
roseb
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Wow I would think you would need alot of EO. I make liquid detergent as well using Fels Naphta which has a strong scent on it own (one that I like) which I think would be hard to overcome. I've made a cleaning vinegar using orange peels and it works like a charm. That might give you the scent you are looking for as a rinse. Let us know what you come up with. I'm make powdered laundry soap for the first time this weekend using my own tea tree soap!!
thinkativeone
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5 gallons may seem like a crazy amount of detergent initially, but really it's just practical. Makes it so you aren't having to make detergent every month or two. I end up doing up to 15 loads a week because of the nature of DH's job (tree work) and it sure is nice to be able to fill up my old reliable/reused ECOS jug with homemade detergent from that pre-made 5-gallon bucket. A 5-gallon bucket works really well with the vinegar and citrus peels thing, too. I haven't met anyone that tried it and wasn't happy with it yet. It's great to get rid of that pickled odor when you clean/rinse.
I actually really want to scent my clothes. Not heavily but enough to where when it dries you can still smell whatever EO I put in it.
Guess I'll have to experiment with amounts (how many drops per lb)..
I definitely don't want to ruin anyone's clothing by staining it tho!
Guess I'll have to experiment with amounts (how many drops per lb)..
I definitely don't want to ruin anyone's clothing by staining it tho!
GypsyWitch
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I had this issue too. I wanted scented Laundry. Adding EOs to the HomeMade detergent or to the rinse vinegar Did not work. The alternative is to scent in the dryer. Get yourself some Wool softening balls. Add your EO to one (about 5 drops) then toss in the dryer. Or you can just add the EO to a dish Cloth and toss that in. when adding them to the wash they seem to just dissappear.
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