Mixing soda crystals with laundry powder???

apple_mint

I use the soap (1 cup) / washing soda (1/2 cup) / borax (1/2 cup) method (got it off OS of course!)

I buy tesco's 3 bars for 21p soap and grate it in a mouli grater I got off a car boot sale for 50p

Washing soda comes from Tesco's

Borax comes from local hardware shop, but I have managed to get it from Boots (they had to go rummaging in the storeroom)

I usually do a double batch and store it in an old sweetie jar. I tablespoon for general washes and 2 for heavy soil. I replaced oxyclean with Napisan for tackling stains - it's far cheaper.

Wardy

Thanks for this post - it's gonna save me loads! :j

One thing I am a little concerned about though is that I really like my clothes to smell nice - if I make up the vinegar/water/EO mix for the fabric conditioner and use it with normal powder/cheap powder/soda crystals mix for the washing powder will there be any reaction between the two?

I don't want to end up with a disaster!

halloweenqueen_2

The ecover/soda has a nice smell and to be honest if the perfume I wear has cost Mr HQ lots of £'s I want to smell that and not comfort/lenor!!!!

arkonite_babe

I've just made a batch of this mix up. I had 6 damaged bags of washing powder in the shed, Ariel I think it was, (my Mum gets it for free from the shop where she works) I added a box of borax from boots, a bag of soda crystals (I had these in the cupboard) and grated in 2 bars of sunlight soap. I bought a lock top bin from Poundstretcher for £2 to keep it all in as I don't want the dog poking his head into it and a grater, which cost me £1 in Poundstretcher. so for a total cost of £6 I now have approx 10 kilos of washing mix. That should keep me going from now to knigdom come

Oh and I then added half a bar of vanish I found lurking in the shed as well!

magentadreamer

Just added some washing soda, cheap value washing powder and a "posh" one to my Tescos shop, will let you all know how I get on.

tootles_2

Just a quick word, take the powder dispenser drawer out of your machine and clean it occasionally, like once a month, you may find that the powder you put into the machine has not dissolved, just formed a gunky mess under the drawer.......

I no longer put my powder into the drawer but on top of the dry washing in the machine, I just put the vinegar into the fabric cnditioner container.

If the drawer is really manky you can put it into the dishwasher (if you have one) and give it a wash in there, otherwise I use a stiff sink brush to clean it with, you may find it also gets quite mildewy from the steam that is created in the machine, I always pull the drawer out slightly so air can circulate when the machine is not being used.

I was horrified the other week when I took my drawer out to see the amount of gunk that was actually UNDER the drawer, I guess the water going through pushes some of it backwards and it sticks, there was enough there to do a load of washing!!!!! I pushed it down through the hole and then wiped out the space with something that was going into the wash, its surprising how quickly the drawer can mould up too if the conditions in the machine are right, when we go away I leave the drawer and the door slightly open, the same with the tumble dryer, always leave the door slightly open. By the way you cab use the water from your condensor dryer in your iron, it is condensed and so is pure water......... not sure but I think you could actually drink it if you were really desperate, hows that for a piece od useless knowledge on a Sunday morning.

Jolaaled

I"m trying my first batch of the powder/soda mix right now. hope it goes ok!
I just looked at my soda crystals bag and there's a website that looks quite interesting. Its:

https://www.soda-crystals.co.uk

squiggles

Omg :eek: :eek: :eek: went to town today and decided to pop to boots,now theres a suprise .Anyway while i was there i thaught i would get some borax,couldnt find it anywhere so went to ask one of the assistants but instead of asking for borax,out from nowhere i asked if they sold anthrax,i realized what id said straight away and jumped in with ermmm i mean borax its for your washing machine .She said she wasnt sure but she would go and ask,i immedietly thaught she was going to phone the police and i left the store straight away,and got on the bus,now im at home terrified incase the police come.

kiwichick

squiggles wrote:

She said she wasnt sure but she would go and ask,i immedietly thaught she was going to phone the police and i left the store straight away,and got on the bus,now im at home terrified incase the police come.

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: Thats got me in stiches that has:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

black-saturn

squiggles wrote:

Omg :eek: :eek: :eek: went to town today and decided to pop to boots,now theres a suprise .Anyway while i was there i thaught i would get some borax,couldnt find it anywhere so went to ask one of the assistants but instead of asking for borax,out from nowhere i asked if they sold anthrax,i realized what id said straight away and jumped in with ermmm i mean borax its for your washing machine .She said she wasnt sure but she would go and ask,i immedietly thaught she was going to phone the police and i left the store straight away,and got on the bus,now im at home terrified incase the police come.

lol