seemslikeadream
05-08-2009, 08:55 AM
I love it. These are notes I've collected, any questions let me know. I do like the powder over the liquid
3 Pints Water
1/3 Bar Fels Naptha Soap, Grated
1/2 Cup Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Borax
2 Gallon Bucket
1 Quart Hot Water
Cold Water
Dissolve Fels Naptha in 3 pints of water over low heat. Add washing soda & Borax. Stir until thickened, and remove from heat. Add 1 Quart Hot Water to 2 Gallon Bucket. Add soap mixture, and mix well. Fill bucket with cold water, and mix well. Set aside for 24 hours, or until mixture thickens. Use 1/2 cup of mixture per load.
I use Zote (or Fels-Naptha, or Kirks Castile) for my powdered homemade laundry detergent concoction. I also use a microplane or food grater to grate it.
Powdered Homemade Laundry Detergent
1 c. grated Zote (or Fels-Naptha, or Kirks Castile)
1/2 c. washing soda
1/2 c. 20 Mule Team Borax
1 c. SUN Oxygen Cleaner (cheaper than Oxy-Clean)
Mix together and store in an air-tight container. Use 2 T. for light loads and 3 T. for heavy loads. Be sure to pre-treat any stains.
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My mother used to grate homemade lye soap, or one of the store-bought brands of bar laundry soap mentioned above, and add it to a quart jar of hot water (not sure how much - maybe 1/2 inch of the bar). This quickly melted the soap and made it easier to use to pre-treat stains and then she added the remainder to the load of laundry. We had very hard well water, and pre-dissolving the soap seemed to make it work quickly.
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Yet one more recipe: (You could easily use Zote for the Fels Naptha.)
Ma's Liquid Laundry Soap
2/3 bar Fels Naptha - grated
2/3 bar Kirks Castile Soap
2 c. washing soda
2 c. borax
1/4 c. glycerin
2 gallons hot water
20-30 drops essential oils (suggested: Rosemary, Lavender, Tea Tree Oil, or Grapefruit Seed Extract - or combination of)
1. Place 1 quart of water into a medium pot over medium heat. Add the soap and stir until melted.
2. Add the Soda and Borax and mix until the mixture thickens.
3. Place one 1/2-gallon of Hot water into a three or four gallon bucket and then pour in the soap mixture and stir well.
3. Add the glycerin and essential oils to the mixture and fill to the two gallon mark on your bucket or simply add another 5 quarts of hot water.
5. The glycerin acts as a stain remover and the essential oils suggested have anti-bacterial and/or antifungal properties.
6. Set in a safe place (out of reach of pets and kids) to cool.
7. Stir and use 1/2 c. to 1 cup per wash load depending on size and level of soiling.
8. Use directly to pretreat stains.
Speaking of the dryer-you don't have to buy dryer sheets. I bought a huge bottle of the cheapest fabric softener I could find about 2 years ago (less than $2 for the bottle) I bought some sponges from the dollar store (4 per pkg) and cut two of them up into 8 pieces each. I soak the pieces of sponge in a mixture of about 1 part softener to 8 parts water. When I throw my laundry in the dryer I squeeze out a sponge until it is just damp and throw it in with the laundry. When I fold the laundry I take the dry sponge and throw it back in the mixture. I've read that some folks like to put their mix in a spray bottle and either spray it on a washcloth and throw it in, or else just spray it onto the laundry.
I absolutely love Zote soap. I grate up a bar by hand into a large bowl and let it set out for a few days, turning it over everyday to get a little dry. Then I grate it into a fine pebble-y like powder in a blender (or food processor). Once that is done I scoop my mixture of zote and borax into plastic containers (you can find them in the grocery usually used for storing pasta, beans, cereal etc. I use 1/2cup of borax to every 1cup of finely grated zote. It works beautifully in the wash with no problems, even in cold washes; I use 1/4 cup (2-3 tablespoons) for normal loads and up to 1/2cup for large or heavy soaked loads. I also add to every wash a scoop of "OxyClean" or Wal-mart's brand "Sun Oxygen Cleaner" (MUCH cheaper than oxyclean) but I do not mix this ahead of time into the zote mixture (as some websites would have you do) For fear it will not get enough of it per wash.
you can make washing soda from baking soda. just stick it in an oven proof dish and bake it at 300 F for 2 hours.
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Grate one bar of soap.
Step2Place the grated soap and 1 c. boiling water in a blender and set it on "whip."
Step3Add 1 tbsp. honey and 1 tsp. glycerin and stir.
Step4Cool the mixture for 15 to 20 minutes and whip again.
Step5Add cold water to the mixture until you have 6 c.
Step6Whip the mixture again.
Step7Pour it into a storage container and let it cool. Do not place a lid on the container.
Step8Fill a pump dispenser with the soap. Shake before using.
Add Grated Or Sliced Natural Soap To Hot Water To Make Natural Liquid Soap;
If you are grating the soap, be very careful not to hurt your hands on the grater as it can take a good deal of pressure to grate soap. Heat one gallon of distilled water. One gallon equals 128 ounces or 16 cups. Use as little as three cups for a thick consistency. You can use this by the spoonful for personal or household use. The water does not have to boil; the water should get heated enough to steam. This temperature is sufficient to melt the sliced or grated soap.
When the distilled water is almost boiling, add the grated or sliced soap. Remove the mixture from the heat. The soap will melt on its own at this point. You just need to come back to it in about fifteen minutes to blend thoroughly. Use a hand mixer if you have one handy. Stir until the soap is completely melted and let sit overnight. The next day, check the soap mixture for complete melting and blending. Blend one more time and let set for ten minutes and then blend again. The liquid soap should now be thickened and ready to use.
Herbal Liquid Soap And Herbal Liquid Soap
For personal use, you can customize your liquid soap by using very strong herbal tea as the hot liquid in which you melt your sliced or grated soap. Herbal liquid soap is effective for personal and household use. Green tea is a skin tonic with antioxidants and peppermint offers a lively and revitalizing scent.
Aloe Vera and Honey Liquid Soap
You can also add a tablespoon of aloe vera gel to the cooled mixture for its skin soothing qualities. Another fine addition would be two teaspoons of honey for its skin nourishing and protecting benefits. Blend in two teaspoons of melted coconut oil to warm liquid soap to boost lather and for skin conditioning effects. You can add two teaspoons of any vegetable oil to the mixture for skin softening effects. You can also use natural liquid soap instead of oil in a body scrub recipe.
---------------
2 bars of Fels Naptha soap
8 cups washing soda
4 cups borax.
1 tablespoon per regular load
2 tablespoons for heavily soiled loads
1 cup grated fels
4 cups washing soda
2 cups borax
-----------------
1 cup grated fels
1/2 cups washing soda
1/2 cups borax
2 tbls per load
-------------
1 1/3 cup grated fels/cup Kirks Castile Soap
2 cups washing soda
2 cups borax
-----------------
1/4 cup grated fels/1/4 cup kirks/1/4 cup zote
1 cup washing soda
1 cup borax
2/3 bar Fels Naptha Laundry Soap (equivalent of 1 cup grated)
½ Cup 20 Mule Team Borax
½ Cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda.
----
Dissolving the powder in hot water first is a good idea. Not only does it dissolve the soap better, but it also activates the borax so it works better.
Another possibility I have read of is to have one container with the (powder) mixture of borax and washing soda, and a separate jug containing a bar of the soap dissolved in 2qts of water (you can just use hot tap water and wait a few days). Use about 1/3 c. of the liquid and 1 Tbsp. of the powder for a regular load
----------------------
Update 2/16/09: I have cut back on the soap in this recipe a bit. Now, I grate the soap, then process it to a powder using a food processor, which yields about 1 1/4 cups of powdered soap per bar. I use 3/4 cups of this powdered soap to 1 cup Borax and 1 cup washing soda.
3 Pints Water
1/3 Bar Fels Naptha Soap, Grated
1/2 Cup Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Borax
2 Gallon Bucket
1 Quart Hot Water
Cold Water
Dissolve Fels Naptha in 3 pints of water over low heat. Add washing soda & Borax. Stir until thickened, and remove from heat. Add 1 Quart Hot Water to 2 Gallon Bucket. Add soap mixture, and mix well. Fill bucket with cold water, and mix well. Set aside for 24 hours, or until mixture thickens. Use 1/2 cup of mixture per load.
I use Zote (or Fels-Naptha, or Kirks Castile) for my powdered homemade laundry detergent concoction. I also use a microplane or food grater to grate it.
Powdered Homemade Laundry Detergent
1 c. grated Zote (or Fels-Naptha, or Kirks Castile)
1/2 c. washing soda
1/2 c. 20 Mule Team Borax
1 c. SUN Oxygen Cleaner (cheaper than Oxy-Clean)
Mix together and store in an air-tight container. Use 2 T. for light loads and 3 T. for heavy loads. Be sure to pre-treat any stains.
--------------
My mother used to grate homemade lye soap, or one of the store-bought brands of bar laundry soap mentioned above, and add it to a quart jar of hot water (not sure how much - maybe 1/2 inch of the bar). This quickly melted the soap and made it easier to use to pre-treat stains and then she added the remainder to the load of laundry. We had very hard well water, and pre-dissolving the soap seemed to make it work quickly.
------------------
Yet one more recipe: (You could easily use Zote for the Fels Naptha.)
Ma's Liquid Laundry Soap
2/3 bar Fels Naptha - grated
2/3 bar Kirks Castile Soap
2 c. washing soda
2 c. borax
1/4 c. glycerin
2 gallons hot water
20-30 drops essential oils (suggested: Rosemary, Lavender, Tea Tree Oil, or Grapefruit Seed Extract - or combination of)
1. Place 1 quart of water into a medium pot over medium heat. Add the soap and stir until melted.
2. Add the Soda and Borax and mix until the mixture thickens.
3. Place one 1/2-gallon of Hot water into a three or four gallon bucket and then pour in the soap mixture and stir well.
3. Add the glycerin and essential oils to the mixture and fill to the two gallon mark on your bucket or simply add another 5 quarts of hot water.
5. The glycerin acts as a stain remover and the essential oils suggested have anti-bacterial and/or antifungal properties.
6. Set in a safe place (out of reach of pets and kids) to cool.
7. Stir and use 1/2 c. to 1 cup per wash load depending on size and level of soiling.
8. Use directly to pretreat stains.
Speaking of the dryer-you don't have to buy dryer sheets. I bought a huge bottle of the cheapest fabric softener I could find about 2 years ago (less than $2 for the bottle) I bought some sponges from the dollar store (4 per pkg) and cut two of them up into 8 pieces each. I soak the pieces of sponge in a mixture of about 1 part softener to 8 parts water. When I throw my laundry in the dryer I squeeze out a sponge until it is just damp and throw it in with the laundry. When I fold the laundry I take the dry sponge and throw it back in the mixture. I've read that some folks like to put their mix in a spray bottle and either spray it on a washcloth and throw it in, or else just spray it onto the laundry.
I absolutely love Zote soap. I grate up a bar by hand into a large bowl and let it set out for a few days, turning it over everyday to get a little dry. Then I grate it into a fine pebble-y like powder in a blender (or food processor). Once that is done I scoop my mixture of zote and borax into plastic containers (you can find them in the grocery usually used for storing pasta, beans, cereal etc. I use 1/2cup of borax to every 1cup of finely grated zote. It works beautifully in the wash with no problems, even in cold washes; I use 1/4 cup (2-3 tablespoons) for normal loads and up to 1/2cup for large or heavy soaked loads. I also add to every wash a scoop of "OxyClean" or Wal-mart's brand "Sun Oxygen Cleaner" (MUCH cheaper than oxyclean) but I do not mix this ahead of time into the zote mixture (as some websites would have you do) For fear it will not get enough of it per wash.
you can make washing soda from baking soda. just stick it in an oven proof dish and bake it at 300 F for 2 hours.
----------------
Grate one bar of soap.
Step2Place the grated soap and 1 c. boiling water in a blender and set it on "whip."
Step3Add 1 tbsp. honey and 1 tsp. glycerin and stir.
Step4Cool the mixture for 15 to 20 minutes and whip again.
Step5Add cold water to the mixture until you have 6 c.
Step6Whip the mixture again.
Step7Pour it into a storage container and let it cool. Do not place a lid on the container.
Step8Fill a pump dispenser with the soap. Shake before using.
Add Grated Or Sliced Natural Soap To Hot Water To Make Natural Liquid Soap;
If you are grating the soap, be very careful not to hurt your hands on the grater as it can take a good deal of pressure to grate soap. Heat one gallon of distilled water. One gallon equals 128 ounces or 16 cups. Use as little as three cups for a thick consistency. You can use this by the spoonful for personal or household use. The water does not have to boil; the water should get heated enough to steam. This temperature is sufficient to melt the sliced or grated soap.
When the distilled water is almost boiling, add the grated or sliced soap. Remove the mixture from the heat. The soap will melt on its own at this point. You just need to come back to it in about fifteen minutes to blend thoroughly. Use a hand mixer if you have one handy. Stir until the soap is completely melted and let sit overnight. The next day, check the soap mixture for complete melting and blending. Blend one more time and let set for ten minutes and then blend again. The liquid soap should now be thickened and ready to use.
Herbal Liquid Soap And Herbal Liquid Soap
For personal use, you can customize your liquid soap by using very strong herbal tea as the hot liquid in which you melt your sliced or grated soap. Herbal liquid soap is effective for personal and household use. Green tea is a skin tonic with antioxidants and peppermint offers a lively and revitalizing scent.
Aloe Vera and Honey Liquid Soap
You can also add a tablespoon of aloe vera gel to the cooled mixture for its skin soothing qualities. Another fine addition would be two teaspoons of honey for its skin nourishing and protecting benefits. Blend in two teaspoons of melted coconut oil to warm liquid soap to boost lather and for skin conditioning effects. You can add two teaspoons of any vegetable oil to the mixture for skin softening effects. You can also use natural liquid soap instead of oil in a body scrub recipe.
---------------
2 bars of Fels Naptha soap
8 cups washing soda
4 cups borax.
1 tablespoon per regular load
2 tablespoons for heavily soiled loads
1 cup grated fels
4 cups washing soda
2 cups borax
-----------------
1 cup grated fels
1/2 cups washing soda
1/2 cups borax
2 tbls per load
-------------
1 1/3 cup grated fels/cup Kirks Castile Soap
2 cups washing soda
2 cups borax
-----------------
1/4 cup grated fels/1/4 cup kirks/1/4 cup zote
1 cup washing soda
1 cup borax
2/3 bar Fels Naptha Laundry Soap (equivalent of 1 cup grated)
½ Cup 20 Mule Team Borax
½ Cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda.
----
Dissolving the powder in hot water first is a good idea. Not only does it dissolve the soap better, but it also activates the borax so it works better.
Another possibility I have read of is to have one container with the (powder) mixture of borax and washing soda, and a separate jug containing a bar of the soap dissolved in 2qts of water (you can just use hot tap water and wait a few days). Use about 1/3 c. of the liquid and 1 Tbsp. of the powder for a regular load
----------------------
Update 2/16/09: I have cut back on the soap in this recipe a bit. Now, I grate the soap, then process it to a powder using a food processor, which yields about 1 1/4 cups of powdered soap per bar. I use 3/4 cups of this powdered soap to 1 cup Borax and 1 cup washing soda.