Easy Laundry Powder
1 good size bar of soap (Kirk's Castile, Fels Naphtha, etc)
1-2 cups WASHING SODA (not baking soda)
1-2 cups borax (check the laundry aisle)
Grate the bar of soap. I use the smallest side of my 4-sided grater.
Put in plastic bag or other container with the washing soda and borax. Mix well. Note: I have very hard water so I use more soda.
Dissolve in a small container of warm or hot water before adding to a cold water wash. You can put it right on a warm or hot wash.
For a load of not-too-dirty laundry (clothes I've only worn for office work), I use 1/4 cup.
If I've been out working in the mud and dirt and dust, then sometimes I need a whole cup, and maybe a pre-soak. And I mix in more borax.
You can pre-treat stains with more soap right off the bar.
SO HOW'D IT GO?
Where did anyone say it would be cheap? It's meant to be an earth-friendly alternative to commercial laundry detergents. It's called "Easy Laundry Powder" not "Cheap Laundry Powder."
Issaspiders (the commenter before Althea) said it was cheap. I'm sure we can all agree that cheap AND earth friendly is ideal, esp for those of us on a budget. Sometimes we want to use all the best alternatives but when it comes to either a) paying rent or b) paying extra for every little commercial alternative available, rent tops. We do what we can. :P
(Broke college kid speaking.) :P
This is supposed to be cheap? I can get a huge box of Purex laundry detergent for $1.50 USD. How much are these ingredients? Just curious. :)
For those that have used it, how well does it work?
Where did anyone say it would be cheap? It's meant to be an earth-friendly alternative to commercial laundry detergents. It's called "Easy Laundry Powder" not "Cheap Laundry Powder."
This is supposed to be cheap? I can get a huge box of Purex laundry detergent for $1.50 USD. How much are these ingredients? Just curious. :)
For those that have used it, how well does it work?
This is great and cheap way to get some clean clothes. You can use any type of soap for this. I use a bar of unscented vegetable glycerin, it works fine. Some people recommend using castille soap, even.
You should be able to get Ivory laundry soap flakes. They are soap flakes, as opposed to laundry soap which is more surfactant and very small amount of actual soap.
You can check the name brand Dreft in the US. In the past, this was soap flakes, but I don't think it is any more. Both Ivory flakes and Dreft were recommended for baby's laundry because they are supposed to be less irritating.
I cannot find ANY soap flakes easily available in my area. I can however find bars of pure soap and a cheez grater. So I make my own.
Washing soda is in the laundry aisle. The brand I can get here is "arm and hammer"
I have a top loader, but this is a no-suds laundry soap so should be fine in a front loader too. I hear the lack of suds makes your machine last longer.
I do indeed to a warm/hot soap-free wash every few weeks to get the build up off. I always rinse things extra as I have sensitive skin and regular detergent makes me itchy.
can you by lux flakes (see below) in the US? it strikes me that it may be ideal for this recipe. have you tried it? also, do you ever run a very hot water, detergent-free cycle iin your machine to prevent a build up of soap in the pipes? finally, do you have a front or top loader machine?
Lux Flakes
"100% Pure Soap and introduced in 1903"
Lux Flakes is specially formulated for washing all delicate garments like baby's clothes, lace, lingerie and other fine fabrics. Made from 100% pure soap, these fine diamonds help maintain the natural softness of fibre and minimise the chance of irritation to tender or sensitive skin.
Lux Flakes can be used for both machine and hand washing, and are 100% biodegradable. It has proven to be a reliable product where colour retention and fabric integrity is a key requirement.
What's washing soda? Is it also found in the laundry aisle of your grocery store?
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