Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Laundry Recipes

All recipes from http://www.tipnut.com/

10 Homemade Laundry Soap Detergent Recipes
Recipe #1
1 quart Water (boiling)
2 cups Bar soap (grated)
2 cups Borax
2 cups Washing Soda

Add finely grated bar soap to the boiling water and stir until soap is melted. You can keep on low heat until soap is melted.
Pour the soap water into a large, clean pail and add the Borax and Washing Soda. Stir well until all is dissolved.
Add 2 gallons of water, stir until well mixed.
Cover pail and use 1/4 cup for each load of laundry. Stir the soap each time you use it (will gel).

Recipe #2
Hot water
1 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
1 Soap bar

Grate the bar soap and add to a large saucepan with hot water. Stir over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
Fill a 10 gallon pail half full of hot water. Add the melted soap, Borax and Washing soda, stir well until all powder is dissolved. Top the pail up with more hot water.
Use 1 cup per load, stirring soap before each use (will gel).

Recipe #3
Hot water
1/2 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
1/3 bar Soap (grated)

In a large pot, heat 3 pints of water. Add the grated bar soap and stir until melted. Then add the washing soda and borax. Stir until powder is dissolved, then remove from heat.
In a 2 gallon clean pail, pour 1 quart of hot water and add the heated soap mixture. Top pail with cold water and stir well.
Use 1/2 cup per load, stirring soap before each use (will gel).

Powdered Laundry Detergent - Recipe #4
2 cups Fels Naptha Soap (finely grated - you could also try the other natural bar soaps)
1 cup Washing Soda
1 cup Borax
Mix well and store in an airtight plastic container.
Use 2 tablespoons per full load.

Recipe #5
Hot water
1 bar (4.5 oz) Ivory Soap - grated
1 cup Washing Soda

In a large saucepan add grated soap and enough hot water to cover. Heat over medium-low heat and stir until soap is melted.
Fill a large pail with 2.5 gallons of hot water, add hot soap mixture. Stir until well mixed.
Then add the washing soda, again stirring until well mixed.
Set aside to cool.
Use 1/2 cup per full load, stirring well before each use (will gel)

Recipe #6
2.5 gallons Water (hot)
1 Bar soap (grated)
3/4 cup Washing Soda
3/4 cup Borax
2 Tbsp Glycerin
Melt bar soap over medium-low heat topped with water, stir until soap is melted.
In a large pail, pour 2.5 gallons of hot water, add melted soap mixture, washing soda, borax and glycerin. Mix well.
Use 1/2 cup per full load.

Recipe #7
2 cups Bar soap (grated)
2 cups Washing Soda
2.5 gallons hot water

Melt grated soap in saucepan with water to cover. Heat over medium-low heat and stir until soap is dissolved.
Pour hot water in large pail, add hot soap and washing soda. Stir very well.
Use 1 cup per full load.

Recipe #8
2 gallons Water (hot)
1 bar Soap (grated)
2 cups Baking soda (yes baking soda this time–not washing soda)

Melt grated soap in a saucepan with enough hot water to cover. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring frequently until soap is melted.
In a large pail, pour 2 gallons hot water. Add melted soap, stir well.
Then add the baking soda, stir well again.
Use 1/2 cup per full load, 1 cup per very soiled load.

Powdered Laundry Detergent - Recipe #9
12 cups Borax
8 cups Baking Soda
8 cups Washing Soda
8 cups Bar soap (grated)
Mix all ingredients well and store in a sealed tub.
Use 1/8 cup of powder per full load.

Recipe #10 - (Powdered)
1 cup Vinegar (white)
1 cup Baking Soda
1 cup Washing Soda
1/4 cup liquid castile soap

Mix well and store in sealed container.

I find it easiest to pour the liquid soap into the bowl first, stirred in the washing soda, then baking soda, then added the vinegar in small batches at a time (the recipe foams up at first). The mixture is a thick paste at first that will break down into a heavy powdered detergent, just keep stirring. There may be some hard lumps, try to break them down when stirring (it really helps to make sure the baking soda isn’t clumpy when first adding).

Liquid Detergents Note:
Soap will be lumpy, goopy and gel-like. This is normal. Just give it a good stir before using. Make sure soap is covered with a lid when not in use. You could also pour the homemade soap in old (and cleaned) laundry detergent bottles and shake well before each use.

*If you can’t find Fels-Naptha locally, you can buy it online (check Amazon).
Optional:
You can add between 10 to 15 drops of essential oil (per 2 gallons) to your homemade laundry detergent. Add once the soap has cooled to room temperature. Stir well and cover.
Essential oil ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree

Homemade Laundry and Stain Removal Recipes

Here are two more laundry stain removers you can try:
Recipe #1
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide

Recipe #2
2 quarts water
1/2 cup ammonia
1/2 cup vinegar
2 Tbsp laundry detergent

Directions:
Mix ingredients then store in spray bottles. Spot treat stains then soak overnight.

Stain Removal & Fabric Care

Chocolate:
Club Soda. Soak stain with club soda before washing.
Cola: White Vinegar. Apply undiluted vinegar directly to the stain within 24 hours. Wash as usual.
Perspiration stain: White Vinegar or Lemon Juice. Sponge stains with a weak solution of white vinegar or lemon juice.
Grease on suede: Vinegar. Sponge spot with a cloth dipped in vinegar. Dry and restore nap by brushing with a suede brush

Laundry products and usage ideas
White Vinegar. Eliminate soap residue by adding 1 cup of white vinegar to the washer's final rinse.
Fabric Softener: Vinegar is too mild to harm fabrics but strong enough to dissolve alkalies in soaps and detergents. Vinegar also breaks down uric acid, so adding 1 cup vinegar to the rinse water is especially good for babies' clothes. To get wool and cotton blankets soft and fluffy as new, add 2 cups white vinegar to a full tub of rinsewater. DO NOT USE VINEGAR IF YOU ADD CHLORINE BLEACH TO YOUR RINSEWATER. IT WILL PRODUCE HARMFUL VAPORS. Baking Soda. 1/4 to 1/2 cup baking soda per wash load makes clothes feel soft and smell fresh.
Vinegar. To remove smoky odor from clothes, fill your bathtub with hot water. Add 1 cup white vinegar. Hang garments above the steaming bath water.
Cornstarch. For homemade laundry starch, dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch in 1 pint cold water. Place in a spray bottle. Shake before using. Clearly label the contents of the spray bottle.

1 comment:

Jen said...

I don't care for the liquid homemade stuff. Maybe it was just the soap I used. You do HAVE to pre-treat stains. I have a few bars of Dr. Bronners bars that I am going to use when I run out of the jumbo SAMS stuff bought last Nov!