Comments on: Laundry Loot: Tips and Money-Savers

By: Mary

Mary — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 15:19:05 +0000

Geri and Cena, I haven’t tried it w/cloth diapers either, but at the original site where I got mine (raisinggodlytomatoes.com on their forums) a mom shared it who, if I remember right, had used it with everything and just raved about how wonderfully it worked! So I’d go ahead and try it!

By: Cena Dunfee

Cena Dunfee — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 01:03:11 +0000

I haven’t used it for diapers, but it’s so inexpensive, you should just try it.

By: Geri

Geri — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 21:12:50 +0000

To those that said they cloth diaper-did this work okay for you guys on the diapers? Right now I have to order my laundry detergent online (expensive!!) to CD and I would love to be able to make my own instead!!

By: Mary

Mary — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 23:22:06 +0000

Ah, good to know! Thanks, Cena!

By: Cena Dunfee

Cena Dunfee — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 21:56:57 +0000

The reason the type of bar soap doesn’t matter that much, is because it’s mainly to give the finished soap a certain consistency, not to actually clean. The borax and washing soda do the cleaning.
Cena

By: Mary

Mary — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 19:53:50 +0000

Well, I’m definitely going to be on the look-out for the Fels Naptha, thank you for sharing about it. I am currently using Spray and Wash…love that stuff…but go through a lot of it due to dh’s job. Would love to find an equal substitute!

Thanks so much, Becky!

By: Becky

Becky — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 21:08:22 +0000

The Fels Naptha is usually only at smaller grocery stores. For me that is Piggly Wiggly or Pick & Save. It is usually with the bar soap.
I have read where people will use any bar soap including Ivory. Irish Spring seems to be a real favorite because of the scent.
I like the FN because it is made specificaly for laundry use.( A little side note: it also will keep you from getting swimmers itch if you lather up with it when you get out of the water.)
I get it for less than a dollar a bar usually 95 cents. The Borax is $3.25 for 76 oz. and the Super Washing Soda is $2.05 for 55 oz.
I get tickled every time I make it because you use so little of the ingredients and get 2 gallons of laundry soap.
The original recipe calls for 1/3 of a bar but it’s easier for me to just do 1/2 a bar.
I don’t have a homemade stain remover I just use Shout or I use Cascade dish detergent.It will get out anything. Make a paste with the powder and some water and scrub it into the stain. You could also try the Fels Naptha because that is what it is is a laundry stain remover.

By: Mary

Mary — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 01:50:37 +0000

Hi Becky!
I’ve heard of making liquid laundry soap, but haven’t tried…is the Fels Naptha in the laundry aisle? Less than a penny per load…that would be a lifesaver! I’m so glad you stopped by and shared this info…

Do you have a homemade stain treatment?
Mary

By: Becky

Becky — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 21:41:12 +0000

I have been making my own laundry soap for maore than a year now.
My recipe is almost the same as yours but I make liquid soap.
1/2 a bar of Fels Naptha soap grated
1/2 cup Borax
1/2 cup Super washing soda
Put 1/2 a gallon of water in a sauce pan on the stove and add the grated Fels Naptha.( You want the water hot but not boiling)
Stir till soap is dissolved.
Add the Borax and Super washing soda and stir till dissolved.
Pour this into a bucket and add 1 and 1/2 gallons of hot water and stir.
Let this sit over night. It gets really thick ( kind of like finger jello with liquid on the bottem) so I use my stick blender and whirl it smooth but I have also used my hands to mix it. The stick blender gives it a creamy consistancy and using your hands makes it kind of like egg drop soup
Use 1/2 cup per load.
I have not had any problem with dingy clothes but I do have a water softener.
The best part is that this cost less than a penny per load and works as good as the Tide I used to buy.

By: Mary

Mary — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 19:01:30 +0000

I can’t believe how well halving them works…it’s like getting twice the dryer sheets for the money…

Back when I had a dishwasher, I found that half the detergent worked just as well also. When I ran out, I’d substitute for it by shaking some baking soda in the detergent cup and then sprinkling some vinegar over it…it worked great till I could buy more detergent. I never did that for over a few days at a time though, because my dishes would eventually start getting cloudy.

So nice to have you ladies drop by!