Comments on: Home Made Laundry Detergent One Year Later http://www.blulow.com/2008/07/21/homemade-laundry-detergent-experiment/ All about living green (BLUe + yelLOW = Green Living) Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:51:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Felicia http://www.blulow.com/2008/07/21/homemade-laundry-detergent-experiment/#comment-1161 Felicia Fri, 14 Nov 2008 20:13:12 +0000 http://www.blulow.com/?p=60#comment-1161 Hi Lissa, Thanks for the tip for the tip on getting rid of ink stains. As far as selecting a soap to use, I don't see why the homemade or organic soap wouldn't work just as well. Please let us know how it works out. Hi Lissa,
Thanks for the tip for the tip on getting rid of ink stains.

As far as selecting a soap to use, I don’t see why the homemade or organic soap wouldn’t work just as well.

Please let us know how it works out.

]]> By: Lissa http://www.blulow.com/2008/07/21/homemade-laundry-detergent-experiment/#comment-1160 Lissa Fri, 14 Nov 2008 19:29:25 +0000 http://www.blulow.com/?p=60#comment-1160 Oh, and one last thing. Question: Instead of Ivory or whatever bar of soap would homemade or organic soap work just as well? I got a bar of organic (in fair trade) with lavender scent. Do you think that would work? Oh, and one last thing. Question: Instead of Ivory or whatever bar of soap would homemade or organic soap work just as well? I got a bar of organic (in fair trade) with lavender scent. Do you think that would work?

]]> By: Lissa http://www.blulow.com/2008/07/21/homemade-laundry-detergent-experiment/#comment-1159 Lissa Fri, 14 Nov 2008 19:27:46 +0000 http://www.blulow.com/?p=60#comment-1159 I just googled homemade laundry detergent this morning and checked out a few sites before coming here. But with the comments and all the trials and advice I found here, I had to leave my thoughts as well. I found this very informative and great especially now that many are strapped for cash. I ran right out and picked up the ingredients after an appt. in town. I am so looking forward now to trying it out. And great tip on the peroxide. Don't cha just love the internet! Another tip I just learned yesterday was how to get pen ink out. Rubbing alcohol. Keep at it and keep rinsing fabrics and clothes and it will come out. Safe to put the clothes in the washing machine after almost all is out and if need be alternate washing machine to alcohol. My friend Melissa swears by it. I watched as she took out a fresh ink blot from her couch. About 10 minutes of dropping the alcohol and rubbing with paper towels, it was gone!! No kidding! I just googled homemade laundry detergent this morning and checked out a few sites before coming here. But with the comments and all the trials and advice I found here, I had to leave my thoughts as well. I found this very informative and great especially now that many are strapped for cash.

I ran right out and picked up the ingredients after an appt. in town. I am so looking forward now to trying it out. And great tip on the peroxide. Don’t cha just love the internet!

Another tip I just learned yesterday was how to get pen ink out. Rubbing alcohol. Keep at it and keep rinsing fabrics and clothes and it will come out. Safe to put the clothes in the washing machine after almost all is out and if need be alternate washing machine to alcohol. My friend Melissa swears by it. I watched as she took out a fresh ink blot from her couch. About 10 minutes of dropping the alcohol and rubbing with paper towels, it was gone!! No kidding!

]]> By: Felicia http://www.blulow.com/2008/07/21/homemade-laundry-detergent-experiment/#comment-1152 Felicia Sun, 09 Nov 2008 09:32:15 +0000 http://www.blulow.com/?p=60#comment-1152 Hi Cecile, Thanks for dropping by. Yep, shaking the bottle helps break up the lumps, but I also keep a large spoon on top of my washing machine to stir up the mixture to further break up the lumps. And you're right about peroxide. It doesn't last long in my house, however. My son discovered how well it works for disinfecting his football helmet and equpment so he uses the bottles as quickly as I can buy them. Hi Cecile,

Thanks for dropping by.

Yep, shaking the bottle helps break up the lumps, but I also keep a large spoon on top of my washing machine to stir up the mixture to further break up the lumps.

And you’re right about peroxide. It doesn’t last long in my house, however. My son discovered how well it works for disinfecting his football helmet and equpment so he uses the bottles as quickly as I can buy them.

]]> By: Cecile http://www.blulow.com/2008/07/21/homemade-laundry-detergent-experiment/#comment-1151 Cecile Sun, 09 Nov 2008 05:27:43 +0000 http://www.blulow.com/?p=60#comment-1151 I have really enjoyed the information on homemade laundry detergent. I first saw it made on the TV show about the family with 17 kids. Talk about a lot of dirty clothes....makes mine look small! I have a HE washer and dryer. I am enjoying the lower water and electric bills. I am going to try the homemade detergent as soon as I run out of my supply. If I were to save my detergent bottles and filled them up with the soap as soon as it is made, do you think shaking the bottle would break up the lumps enough for my HE? By the way, peroxide is a great cleaner also. I put it directly on stains on whites and it removes stains from light colored carpet. Even old stains. Keep up the good info....Thanks I have really enjoyed the information on homemade laundry detergent. I first saw it made on the TV show about the family with 17 kids. Talk about a lot of dirty clothes….makes mine look small! I have a HE washer and dryer. I am enjoying the lower water and electric bills. I am going to try the homemade detergent as soon as I run out of my supply. If I were to save my detergent bottles and filled them up with the soap as soon as it is made, do you think shaking the bottle would break up the lumps enough for my HE?

By the way, peroxide is a great cleaner also. I put it directly on stains on whites and it removes stains from light colored carpet. Even old stains.

Keep up the good info….Thanks

]]> By: Jill http://www.blulow.com/2008/07/21/homemade-laundry-detergent-experiment/#comment-982 Jill Sun, 07 Sep 2008 04:10:45 +0000 http://www.blulow.com/?p=60#comment-982 Hi Felicia, My sister alerted me to the sure cure for smelly rag syndrome! She was re-reading Anne of Green Gables, and Marilla told Anne to 'scald the rags'. Sure enough, dipping a rag in boiling water keeps it sweet - this is a great thing for the kitchen rag. So she has switched away from paper towels and now scalds her rag every evening. She pours boiling water over it, but I just boil the rag in a pot for a minute and dump it out. We re-wear our clothes (well, I do anyway) if I did not get them dirty. For the record, I hardly sweat at all, and we live in a colder climate. I am usually not successful at keeping my shirt clean, as I am constantly dropping food on my 'shelf', or splashing something I am cooking on my shirt, but pants, I often wear for several days. I just hang them back up. This not only saves on laundry, it also helps the clothes last longer. My husband works in a dirty environment, so it's pretty rare that he can reuse a pair of pants, and my son is a 14 year old boy, who is just plain too lazy to re-hang his clothes. He's not lazy about other things, just laundry. Try not to let the guilt-trippers get to you. The earth has survived a very long time, and has a habit of being self-cleaning. I think God planned it that way. Hi Felicia,
My sister alerted me to the sure cure for smelly rag syndrome! She was re-reading Anne of Green Gables, and Marilla told Anne to ’scald the rags’. Sure enough, dipping a rag in boiling water keeps it sweet - this is a great thing for the kitchen rag. So she has switched away from paper towels and now scalds her rag every evening. She pours boiling water over it, but I just boil the rag in a pot for a minute and dump it out.
We re-wear our clothes (well, I do anyway) if I did not get them dirty. For the record, I hardly sweat at all, and we live in a colder climate. I am usually not successful at keeping my shirt clean, as I am constantly dropping food on my ’shelf’, or splashing something I am cooking on my shirt, but pants, I often wear for several days. I just hang them back up. This not only saves on laundry, it also helps the clothes last longer.
My husband works in a dirty environment, so it’s pretty rare that he can reuse a pair of pants, and my son is a 14 year old boy, who is just plain too lazy to re-hang his clothes. He’s not lazy about other things, just laundry.
Try not to let the guilt-trippers get to you. The earth has survived a very long time, and has a habit of being self-cleaning. I think God planned it that way.

]]> By: Katie http://www.blulow.com/2008/07/21/homemade-laundry-detergent-experiment/#comment-973 Katie Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:11:51 +0000 http://www.blulow.com/?p=60#comment-973 Why on earth are you using bleach? As a green home, you are practically reversing all of your efforts to help the environment! Try lemon juice or vinegar for you whites, you won't be disappointed. Also, putting them out to dry in the sun after washing will enhance the effects of the lemon juice/vinegar. Why on earth are you using bleach? As a green home, you are practically reversing all of your efforts to help the environment! Try lemon juice or vinegar for you whites, you won’t be disappointed. Also, putting them out to dry in the sun after washing will enhance the effects of the lemon juice/vinegar.

]]> By: Felicia http://www.blulow.com/2008/07/21/homemade-laundry-detergent-experiment/#comment-968 Felicia Wed, 27 Aug 2008 10:41:43 +0000 http://www.blulow.com/?p=60#comment-968 Thanks for the tip. I'm going to try the Mrs. Stewarts Bluing because as I mentioned in my post, my whites got a bit dingy. I'll see if it helps. Felicia Thanks for the tip.

I’m going to try the Mrs. Stewarts Bluing because as I mentioned in my post, my whites got a bit dingy. I’ll see if it helps.

Felicia

]]> By: Tracy http://www.blulow.com/2008/07/21/homemade-laundry-detergent-experiment/#comment-966 Tracy Tue, 26 Aug 2008 22:01:41 +0000 http://www.blulow.com/?p=60#comment-966 Hi Felicia, I stopped in to comment on another post (the solar oven post) and got sucked in. I have now bookmarked your post on laundry detergent because we have started a similar process for our laundry. We do not make our own detergent (yet), but we have cut in half the amount we use. We also have an HE machine, and along with the detergent, we use a half cup baking soda (which is supposed to help remove dirt and break down the soap) and between a quarter cup and a half cup white vinegar, which is supposed to help with smell as well as removing soap. Just this past month or so we also started using Mrs. Stewarts Bluing which is supposed to help brighten colors and whiten whites. After all that, we also line dry (about 3 months now) to reduce energy use and heat in our home. Now, when we need to replace our laundry soap I will give your homemade system a try. Thanks for the great information. Tracy Hi Felicia,

I stopped in to comment on another post (the solar oven post) and got sucked in. I have now bookmarked your post on laundry detergent because we have started a similar process for our laundry.

We do not make our own detergent (yet), but we have cut in half the amount we use. We also have an HE machine, and along with the detergent, we use a half cup baking soda (which is supposed to help remove dirt and break down the soap) and between a quarter cup and a half cup white vinegar, which is supposed to help with smell as well as removing soap.

Just this past month or so we also started using Mrs. Stewarts Bluing which is supposed to help brighten colors and whiten whites.

After all that, we also line dry (about 3 months now) to reduce energy use and heat in our home.

Now, when we need to replace our laundry soap I will give your homemade system a try.

Thanks for the great information.

Tracy

]]> By: Felicia http://www.blulow.com/2008/07/21/homemade-laundry-detergent-experiment/#comment-834 Felicia Tue, 22 Jul 2008 21:11:48 +0000 http://www.blulow.com/?p=60#comment-834 Thanks Natalie and Dee Dee. Great advice and encouragement. As far as homemade detergent in the HE machine, I've been using it for a year and it's all fine. You're right Natalie, HE machines require low sudsing soap which makes homemade soap perfect for them. I scared the pants off of my kids by telling them that I'm only doing 4 to 6 loads a week. My son is afraid that it will put a damper on his social life :). My daughter couldn't care less at this point as long as she has a bathing suit and a dry towel when she needs one. I realize that making green choices sometimes require sacrifices. I'm willing to sacrifice a few loads of laundry each week! Thanks guys for the words of encouragement. Thanks Natalie and Dee Dee. Great advice and encouragement.

As far as homemade detergent in the HE machine, I’ve been using it for a year and it’s all fine. You’re right Natalie, HE machines require low sudsing soap which makes homemade soap perfect for them.

I scared the pants off of my kids by telling them that I’m only doing 4 to 6 loads a week. My son is afraid that it will put a damper on his social life :). My daughter couldn’t care less at this point as long as she has a bathing suit and a dry towel when she needs one.

I realize that making green choices sometimes require sacrifices. I’m willing to sacrifice a few loads of laundry each week!

Thanks guys for the words of encouragement.

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