Low Sudsing Laundry Detergent Recipe

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RE: Low Sudsing Laundry Detergent Recipe

I just started making my own laundry detergent using the Fels Naptha Soap, washing soda and borax. I make 2 1/2 gallons at a time and the total cost is about 50 cents. I could spend a little more by adding essential lavender oil drops. I have given away samples of the detergent to friends and family and we are all very happy with the laundry cleaning results. This is a very low to no suds type of detergent.
The most time consuming part of making this detergent is grating and dissolving the soap. I find the best way to grate the soap is to use a knife and slowly cut the soap into shavings.

My recipe is as follows:
1/4 bar of Fels Naptha soap, 1/4 cup washing soda,
1/8 cup borax.

Heat 3 cups of water and add the soap flakes. Stir until dissolved. Add another gallon of hot water and stir in the washing soad and borax. Stir until completely dissolved. Add enough water to make a total of 2 1/2 gallons. Let sit over night until it cools and gels.
Pour into containers and if desired, add about 20 drops per gallon of essential oil of lavender or rosemary, or whatever scent pleases you.

Use 5/8 cup for top loaders and 1/4 cup for front loaders. Always put about 1 cup of white vinegar in the rinse cycle to remove any soap residue and to soften the laundry.
Like home cooking, etc, I find it so rewarding to be able to make my own home cleaning products that I know are safe and low cost without sacrificing quality.

Post by ladyrose

clothes dryers

Had the new dryer repaired it wouldn't stay on long enough. The man came out and changed the sensors in dryer. He told me the cause of this is fabric softener sheets in it.They eventually coat the sensors and sends a false signal turning off unit to soon end result wet to damp clothes. Don't use them in the dryer.

Post by daswede

RE: Low Sudsing Laundry Detergent Recipe

With these H.E. washers the front door seals are made very good, they have to be to keep water in. When your done doing a load of wash,leave the door ajar about two inches or more. You can take anything roll it up and put between washer and door. Don't put it by hinge side you will put to much pressure on hinges. Also open where you put in soap,bleach and softener to let that air out. The reason for all this is your washer wll develop bad odors, AKA, fungus and mold. It needs to dry out if not used again.

Post by daswede

RE: Low Sudsing Laundry Detergent Recipe

I make my own laundry detergent and love it. It doesn't suds at all so I plan on using it in my new front loader. And will save even more by using so much less.

Post By Debi (Guest Post)

RE: Low Sudsing Laundry Detergent Recipe

If you are trying a non-HE powder detergent that has the quality of becoming gummy when damp (many do), I suggest never washing in cold water. Use warm or hot. Otherwise it won't dissolve well in the small amount of cold water and will leave gunk in the machine and on your clothes.

Some brands are dicey about their bearing seals when used with non-HE detergent or powerful laundry additives like ammonia, pine cleaners, etc. Take off the bottom front panel every few months and check. Also look at the bottom of the back panel if you can get a view of it. If you see any rust or wetness down there at all, a bearing is leaking and it is best to call for repair pronto (if still under warranty).

Post By hawky (Guest Post)

RE: Low Sudsing Laundry Detergent Recipe

Try the Melapower6x HE liquid detergent from Melaleuca. Only need to use 1/2 an ounce per load and cost about 30% less the the name brands. //http:www.melaleuca.com

Post by ecofreek

RE: Low Sudsing Laundry Detergent Recipe

I bought a front loader washer also a frigidaire in October and when using TideHe I use 1 tablespoon of detergent. When using Wisk He detergent I use 1/2 tablespoon because it's 3x concentrated and using 1 tablespoon makes the wash too sudsy and I have to turn it to the rinse cycle after the clothes are done.

Post By emmag (Guest Post)

RE: Low Sudsing Laundry Detergent Recipe

I'm having trouble finding the equator detergent. Abundant Earth no longer sells it. Is anybody buying it somewhere?

Thanks.

Laurie

Post By laurie Pohlman (Guest Post)

RE: Low Sudsing Laundry Detergent Recipe

Use 1/2 the amount of detergent mixed with a small amount of fabric softener. The fs reduces the suds also add vinegar to the rinse cycle along with fabric softener to get rid of any soap left in clothes

Post by Greg1796

front loading washers/dryers

does anyone have any input on the front loading washers/dryers? which one seems to work the best, most efficient, what type of detergent?

Post By k (Guest Post)

RE: Low Sudsing Laundry Detergent Recipe

Take the advice and use HE soap. I was using "regular" soap but just not at much in my front load machine. I thought I was doing the right thing by cutting back on the amount of detergent. My machine was having trouble and I didn't think much about it. I ruined several loads of clothes because I later found out that the seal had went out leaving grease marks on the clothes. In talking to the repairman, he explained that even though I was not using very much soap that it was still too sudsy and the soap had no where to go. It eventually ate away the seal causing me to pretty much have to replace all of the insides of the machine. It was cheaper for me to buy a new machine so that is what we did. I have faithfully used HE soap and have not had any problems.

Post by CRMom

RE: Low Sudsing Laundry Detergent Recipe

Um.....using half of the regular soap does NOT work. It seems to work fine initially, but then after about six months, your clothes will be stiff enough with soap to give you hives. Seriously, I tried and gave up and finally went to HE soap.

As for soaps...tide is the most expensive of them (and gave my husband an allergic reaction, btw). I use the small and mighty free and clear HE soap, but Gain isn't too bad either.

I suppose you could wash with regular soap with one load and then use no soap in the next...that might work. But, still, I'd use the soap that's made for these machines.

Post by kathykl

RE: Low Sudsing Laundry Detergent Recipe

personally i think the "he" detergents are a lot of hype. i think they just use less of the regular detergent and bottle it in a new label and charge more for it.
i use any detergent i like at 1/2 the amount stated for use and if the load is really dirty like dh work clothes i use 1/2 cup of borateem too.

Post By carla bledsoe (Guest Post)

RE: Low Sudsing Laundry Detergent Recipe

I too purchased the Frigidaire front loader washer and used the recommended low-sudsing detergent which quickly became a pain due to cost and frequency of having to run to a store that carried HE detergent (Dollar General didn't carry it). I went back to making the homemade detergent (Fels-Naptha, Borox, Washing Soda) and it works great. I do use a pre-stain liquid in addition to my homemade detergent. Was a little nervous at first, but it works just fine and clothes come out looking clean and smelling fresh as ever.

Post By Lisa from Florida (Guest Post)

RE: Low Sudsing Laundry Detergent Recipe

The homemade is perfect, I used it at our local laundromat with the front loading double and triple capacity washers (using the 1Tbl/load) I did it for many months. You can also do it without the grated soap if you have "normal" soiling, but works great for bodily fluids and general dirt!

Post by camo_angels

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