Making your own laundry powder

findinghappiness

Hi there

I was wondering if any of you lovely people would be able to help me... I found a laundry powder recipe online which called for:
6oz soap flakes
2 cups borax
2 cups washing soda crystals

So i made it all up after reading the rave reviews and have used it for about 4 loads. In the white load I also added 1 tsp of oxygen bleach. The advice was to put the mixture straight on top of the washing.

SO, whilst the clothes are all coming out clean I am finding that I have little deposits left on the clothes at the end. I'm wondering if my wash at 40 is not hot enough to melt the soap flakes?? I dont want to start washing at a higher temp but I also dont want to waste what I have made up. Or should I try putting it in the drawer?

Any advice? And if possible could someone give me the link for Laundry Gloop as I havent been able to find it....

Many thanks in advance!

PixieDust

Hi I think that if it's not dissolving in the drum then you shouldn't put it in the drawer at all - it will really bung up in there.

Laundry Gloop recipe is here - came up as the first hit on a Google search. Where it says Castile Soap, I used to use an own brand Simple type soap - the cheapest you can find Gloop really is gloopy and "snotty"....and it makes a LOT!!!!

Laundry gloop Recipe

Here’s the recipe for laundry gloop which is a popular alternative to conventional detergent.
You will need:
A large pan
4 litres (7 pt) water
1 bar unscented pure soap (castile is good)
1/2 cup (120 gms ) soda crystals
A large 4-litre (7-pt) tub, with a good fitting lid (or a few smaller tubs)
Method:
Put the water in the pan and bring to the boil.
Meanwhile grate the soap.
When the water has boiled, add the soap and turn down the heat. Stir until all the soap has dissolved.
Remove from the heat and add the soda crystals, stirring until they have dissolved.
Allow to cool, then decant into your tub(s).
Use about half a teacup for each load.
Note: to avoid potential problems with machine blockages, put the gloop directly into the drum, not the drawer. If the gloop sets hard, chop it into small pieces so that it melts more easily.
Adding ½ cup (110 mls) of distilled white vinegar to the final rinse will also help reduce any soap build-up.

MrsBartolozzi

You could try dissolving the powder in a jug of hot water before adding to the drawer just before starting the machine or while it is filling (when the drawer gets filled with water iykwim).

mi_jardin

Are you sure you didn't over load the drum with washing?

NinjaB

I have a jam jar that after each wash I put a scoop for the next one with warm water and shake. By the time I need to use it it is all dissolved then do the same for the load after that. I also put white vinegar in for the fabric conditioner though I don't know if I really need to but I like to think it gives the inside of the washing machine a decent degunking especially as we have hard water. I did try the wet washing liquid recipes but then read that adding water without a form of preservative in the recipe can lead to bacteria build up. Don't know if that is true but it put me off.

adindas

Why do you want to make your laundry powder if in fact it is so cheap. You could buy 1 Kg laundry powder for £1 in pound shop. Think about time you need to spend plus buying all the raw materials.

People ( a country) should do what they are good at. that is the theory of "comparative advantage" from David Ricardo ...

Here is the link of the theory ....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparative_advantage

NinjaB

To be kinder on my skin and the environment.