How to make handsoap and washing detergent

Posted by Lana on Apr 20, 2010 in Featured, Home, Organic | 6 comments

In an earlier post, I quoted the EPA on hand washing. Turns out that just regular soap, not antibacterial, kills 92% of germs. The ingredient Triclosan has been under investigation as a possible carcinogen, thyroid disruptor, and more importantly, for killing the beneficial bacteria on our bodies that aid in fighting off harmful pathogens.

After some digging, I found some recipes that are chemical free, and so far, have worked wonderfully for my household.

Hand soap – items needed

*old foam pump bottles. I used empty germx foam bottles (or you can buy them online)

*water, ~6 ounces (i use distilled)

* castile soap -(I used desert essence with tea tree oil, but Dr. Bronners is also a popular brand. Use 1 tbsp, or a little more for a soapier mixture. You can find castile soap at most health food stores, target (dr. bronner), and online.

*essential oil (I used sweet orange)- Essential oils can be found in some health food stores, and of course…online.

Pour in the water, leaving room for castile soap, and 10-15 drops of essential oil. Shake, and you’re ready to roll! This formula is for hand washing. Liquid dish detergent is needed for tough, grease cutting jobs.

A note on essential oils – They are found in nature…not chemically made by man. When you see the word fragrance on an ingredient list, it usually means it is a phthalate, unless it uses terminology such as “no synthetic fragrances” or “phthalate free.”

Lavender, Rose, and any other flower or plant essential oil is expensive because of the process. For example, It takes many pounds of rose petals to distill one ounce of essential oil! Look to spend roughly $40 for that ounce! I bought sweet orange and lemon because apparently it is cheaper to get oils from the peelings of fruit! I spent about $1.83 for sweet orange, and $2.73 for lemon.

Powder laundry detergent – items needed

20 mule team borax, 3 cups
Washing soda, 3 cups – don’t use baking soda. there is a way of turning baking soda to washing soda, but every website I looked at had a different temperature and baking time. Washing soda is sodium carbonate. Go to a pool supply store, or in my case, trusty Walmart, and go to the pool section. I bought a huge container for $6.
Ivory soap, 3 bars shredded (you can use fels naptha, or any other pure soap)

Mix all ingredients in a container and cover with a lid. I used an empty baby wipes container (making use of plastics instead of throwing them away), and the recipe amount fit perfectly! I use 1/3 cup per large load. This recipe works better on warm or hot loads because it helps dissolve the soap. I read tons (you have know idea) of comments and posts from people all over the web that said to shred the soap, leave it out for a day or so to dry, then put it in a food processor to turn it into a fine powder to help dissolve in cold water. I am going to try that the next time. Note – this detergent does not produce suds, but worry not; clothes get clean by agitation and the combination of the ingredients to break up the dirt.

From moneytalksnews.com

You might be surprised to learn that, while clothing has been around in some form for hundreds of thousands of years, laundry detergent is relatively new. And yet, ancient people were still able to get their clothing clean. How?

As it turns out, the main ingredient other than water is agitation. Ancient people used rocks and rivers, but your modern washing machine can clean lightly soiled clothes by just pushing them around in water. In other words, you can get away without using detergent at all.

There are also formulas for making liquid detergent that would work with cold water. Here’s one I found on Stacy Johnson’s website moneytalksnews.com:

The recipe

A quick search online will show you that there’s no shortage of homemade laundry soap recipes. Here’s one we found that seems to work pretty well. You’ll need:

4 cups of water.

1/3 bar of cheap soap, grated.

1/2 cup washing soda (not baking soda).

1/2 cup of Borax (20 Mule Team).

5-gallon bucket for mixing.

3 gallons of water.

First, mix the grated soap in a saucepan with 4 cups of water, and heat on low until the soap is completely dissolved. Add hot water/soap mixture to 3 gallons of water in the 5-gallon bucket, stir in the washing soda and Borax, and continue stirring until thickened. Let the mix sit for 24 hours, and voila! Homemade laundry detergent.

Sounds a little too time consuming for me. I’d rather throw some powdered stuff in a box.

The cost difference in store bought and home made: 2 cents per load vs 20 cents per load from store brand. Is this exact? Probably not, but I am going to see how long my batch lasts and decide. I did an earlier review of Ecos laundry detergent, and found that it was the best “green” detergent for the money I have found as of yet.

A little known fact about fabric softeners: First, they are loaded with chemicals…don’t get me started. Secondly, the fragrance is obviously not natural – ocean breeze? Did they capture that in bottle and infuse it into the bevy of chemicals?

I made my own using water, baking soda, vinegar, and essential oil.

1 cup baking soda
6 cups white distilled vinegar
8 cups water
~50 drops essential oil

Be careful pouring the vinegar on top of the baking soda! Pour a little in at a time. I used an empty gallon jug and a funnel. Be sure and shake up the mixture a little before each use. Use one cup per load.

Please leave a comment below on your experience with these recipes, or any others you have experimented with. I’d love to know!