Washing powder, best buy?

BitterAndTwisted

lollipopsarah wrote: »

Wow please share
xx

There's a whole thread about making your own laundry soap on the Old-Style part of the forum. Search for a thread entitled "Laundry Gloop". There are a number of different recipes, either including borax-substitute (great stain-remover) or not.

You will need the following:

A saucepan large enough to contain a couple of litres of water.
Hot water.
A bar of grated soap (something like Fairy or Morrison's household soap which is a fair bit cheaper)
A cup of soda crystals/washing soda
A cup of borax-substitute.
A plastic bucket or similar to hold about 10 litres of liquid.
Some essential oil but this isn't absolutely necessary.
A load of containers to store your "gloop". The four-pint milk ones are fabby.


That's it.



What people could try, before they decide to down-brand or whatever, is to halve the manufacturer's recommended dosage and add one tablespoon of washing-soda. Some people can get away with using a quarter but this depends on water softness and just how grubby the laundry is to start with. For whites like manky tea-towels and dish-cloths I sometimes chuck in a tablespoon of Napisan or that cheapo oxy additive stuff from the pound shop.

But I'd most definitely recommend having a go at making your own. I'll never buy shop-bought detergent ever again.

Outdoorlass

I asked this question a couple of months ago and someone pointed me in the direction of Ebay, I took the plunge and ordered and have to say I am extremely impressed! I am about to put another order in, the powder is fab and you really don't need to use a lot, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/270961783198?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

Hope that helps:j

DCFC79

Outdoorlass wrote: »

I asked this question a couple of months ago and someone pointed me in the direction of Ebay, I took the plunge and ordered and have to say I am extremely impressed! I am about to put another order in, the powder is fab and you really don't need to use a lot, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/270961783198?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

Hope that helps:j

How long do you find it lasts/how many washes ?

geordie_joe

DCFC79 wrote: »

How long do you find it lasts/how many washes ?

It tells you in the description, although I myself have never weighed the amount of powder i use.

There is enough powder in each bag for approximately 350 small washes at 30g of powder per wash, or 150 large loads at 60g of powder per wash.

Time to get get a scoop of powder and weigh it, as that stuff is only around 6p per kilo more than tesco value powder.

geordie_joe

OK, just weighed.

60g is 1/4 of a cup, which is about what I use for Tesco Value Powder.

If I only have to use 30g of this stuff, then I will be getting twice as many washes for only 6p per kilo more. :j

Outdoorlass

DCFC79 wrote: »

How long do you find it lasts/how many washes ?

Have had my 10K bag for 2 months now, we are a family of four, hubby is a cyclist commuting to work each day so I have all that gear to wash too, I probably do 2-3 washing loads per day, sometimes more and I still have more than a quarter of the bag left, having said that I am heavy handed on it and could probably wash with a lot less powder than I use:p

georgiesmum

I have arthritis in my hands andThe liqward detergents, like small and might and others are a nightmare to squeeze out. I have had to resort to cutting the bottle open which is a nightmare in it's self. I will only buy bottles that screw off in future.

hilstep2000

Just been to Morrison, and the Persil, bio and non bio is £4.75 for 50 washes. The last time they had Surf on offer for the same price it lasted me for 6 months!

DCFC79

geordie_joe wrote: »

It tells you in the description, although I myself have never weighed the amount of powder i use.



Time to get get a scoop of powder and weigh it, as that stuff is only around 6p per kilo more than tesco value powder.

So it does, missed that yet i did read the description

thanks

DCFC79

Outdoorlass wrote: »

Have had my 10K bag for 2 months now, we are a family of four, hubby is a cyclist commuting to work each day so I have all that gear to wash too, I probably do 2-3 washing loads per day, sometimes more and I still have more than a quarter of the bag left, having said that I am heavy handed on it and could probably wash with a lot less powder than I use:p

Missed that bit,

thanks