RASHES--WHY I SWITCHED TO THIS COMMON DIY LAUNDRY SOAP & HOW I MAKE IT
RASHES: WHY I SWITCHED TO THIS COMMON DIY LAUNDRY SOAP & HOW I MAKE IT
One day it suddenly occurred to me that a chronic rash I was getting where my clothes were making tight contact with my skin might be from a bad reaction to the soap I was using to wash my Clothes. I had been using a common brand which is a 4 letter word that rhymes with Hide. I'd read some people (Scratch that--A LOT OF PEOPLE) made their own laundry soap because they were also breaking out in similar rashes as mine. I found several online recipes that were virtually the same. I was unable to find a source of the original creator. They all looked cheap and very easy to make, too. I LOVE CHEAP AND EASY!!
MORE ON THAT AFTER THE RECIPE
So, like I already mentioned, variations of this super common recipe are all over the internet. It's a well discussed topic I suppose, but seeing how I just made a batch, I figured I could put my own little twist on the topic. The recipe I settled on was THIS ONE, which I have modified to fit my own needs based on my washing machine and water supply. It works really well for me. I have been using it now for over 12 years in High efficiency washing machines. It also seems to do well here in the country where we are on county water and have a septic system with a lagoon.
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 CUPS BAKING SODA
- 4 CUPS SUPER WASHING SODA
- 4 CUPS BORAX
- 2 CUPS OXYCLEAN
- 2 BARS FELS NAPTHA SOAP
MATERIALS
- 4 WIDE MOUTH QUART SIZE MASON JARS
- 1/8 CUP MEASURING CUP
- 1/3 CUP MEASURING CUP
- I use these sizes because they fit in the boxes pretty easily
- QUART AND GALLON ZIPLOCK BAGS FOR LEFTOVERS
SAFETY FIRST!
- Definitely a dust mask
- Would be smart to wear goggles
- Probably want gloves
- Good Ventilation would be prudent
DIRECTIONS:
TO THE CONSISTENCY OF COFFEE.
IN EACH MASON JAR ADD THE FOLLOWING:
1 cup Super Washing Soda
1 cup Borax
1/2 cup Oxyclean
1/2 cup ground bar soap
MIX WELL BY STIRRING AND SHAKING
KEEP LEFTOVER INGREDIENTS IN A MOISTURE PROOF CONTAINER
STORE THE JARS IN A DRY DARK PLACE
ADDITIONAL TIPS:
ACCORDING TO THIS CONVERSION WEBSITE THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 73 TABLESPOONS IN ONE DRY QUART. 4 QUARTS EQAULS 292 TABLESPOONS. THAT MEANS IF USING 1 TABLESPOON PER LOAD AS I DO, YOU WILL GET 292 LOADS, NOT COUNTING THE LEFTOVER INGREDIENTS
The cost of materials USED (not counting what was leftover) was approximately (Baking Soda $1.00), (Super Washing Soda $1.50), (Borax $1.50) (Oxyclean $1.00), (2 Bars Fels Naptha $4.00) for approximately $9.00 total.
$9.00/292 Loads= approximately $0.03 per load. If I wash 2 loads of laundry a week this batch will last me approximately 292 loads divided by (52x2=104) loads a year= 2.81 years x 12 months= 33.69 months - 24 months= 9.69 remaining months. $9.00 divided by 2.81 years = approximately $3.20 per year
THE MATH SEEMS TO WORK OUT TO: AT $9 TOTAL, MY VERSION OF THIS RECIPE WILL YIELD 292 LOADS OF LAUNDRY SOAP, WHICH AVERAGES APPROXIMATELY 3 CENTS PER LOAD, AND WILL LAST ALMOST 2 YEARS AND 10 MONTHS. THE YEARLY COST OF THIS LAUNDRY SOAP COMES TO ABOUT $3.20 with extra ingredients left over.
- YOU CAN MIX THIS FASTER AND FINER WITH A FOOD PROCESSOR BUT IT WILL CREATE A LOT MORE DUST. If you do it this way, I would highly recommend waiting until the dust settles before opening the lid, which might take a while. You might be able to mix it faster, technically, but it will need a while to rest so the dust settles. Even wearing the mask, which you should because these ingredients are fine particulate matter you don't want to breathe in, it will still float around in the air if you open the lid too soon. I choose not to do it that way.
- Adjust the recipe to meet your needs. I use about 1 TABLESPOON PER LOAD, in addition to 1/4th CUP VINEGAR in the fabric softener compartment, which works really well (for those not aware, vinegar is a great fabric softener which does not leave a vinegar smell). Where I lived previously, I needed 2 tablespoons per load and higher ratio of soap. This was due to the water. Both places have hard water, but the hard water is less here.
- IF YOU USE TOO MUCH YOUR CLOTHES WILL LOOK FADED AND DINGY. That's just from leftover residue. IF YOU USE TOO LITTLE YOUR CLOTHES WILL NOT LOOK CLEAN AND STILL HAVE AN ODOR.
- I ALWAYS WASH MY CLOTHES ON THE SANITIZE FUNCTION.
Again, the whole reason I started using this homemade laundry recipe was to get rid of the rashes. The current machine has the sanitize function which washes the clothes at a higher temperature for longer, as well as using an extra rinse cycle. This also ensures there will be no residue left in the clothes.
- This dry powder recipe DOES NOT WORK WELL WITH COLD WASH, even with extra rinse cycle.
- Some people add essential oils to this mix but I have found that to be completely useless. Why? Because each of the ingredients in this recipe neutralize odors!! I tried it multiple times and was disappointed that not only did my clothes not smell like the sandalwood or lavender, but that I wasted expensive oils.
IF YOU WANT YOUR CLOTHES TO SMELL NICE USING THIS RECIPE, IN MY OPINION, YOU ARE BETTER OFF MIXING A TINY AMOUNT OF YOUR FAVORITE ESSENTIAL OILS WELL WITH HOT WATER, SOAKING ONE OR TWO WASHCLOTHS IN IT, THEN THROWING IT IN THE DRYER WITH YOUR CLOTHES.
HERE IS WHAT I FOUND ABOUT BORAX
- Borax is also known as Sodium Borate, Sodium Tetraborate, Disodium Tetraborate
- It is not the same thing as Boric Acid, although Boric Acid is made out of Borax. Borax is a naturally occurring elemental mineral mined from the ground and found in a compound with sodium (hence the names). You know, one of those things on that one chart thingy you were forced to learn about against your will in that boring sciencey class you only took so you could graduate? The 5th little box thingy on that chart that looks like it could be some kind of cool, fun board game, except that it's, ugh, the PERIODIC TABLE? Remember? No? Okay. Well HERE IS THE PERIODIC TABLE TO REFRESH YOUR MEMORY OF CHEMISTRY which is found at the Royal Society of Chemistry's website. BORAX is labeled B with the number 5. Click on it to learn more about it so you can understand both Borax and Boric Acid better. You will see that is natural, safe if used correctly, and you are already being exposed to it naturally independently of any commercial use in products. It is used in commercial products because it actually is useful.
We NEED trace minerals. So do plants, animals, and the microorganisms living in the soil. They are essential. Hence why they are called Essential Trace Minerals. IN THIS ARTICLE "NOTHING BORING ABOUT BORON", available at the U.S. National Library of Medicine, N.I.H. website, is a wealth of knowledge about the Element and says the following:
The trace mineral boron is a micronutrient with diverse and vitally important roles in metabolism that render it necessary for plant, animal, and human health, and, possibly, as recent research suggests, for the evolution of life on Earth. The current review focuses primarily on boron’s most salient effects on human health, including its impact on bone development and regeneration, wound healing, the production and metabolism of sex steroids and vitamin D, and the absorption and use of calcium and magnesium. In addition, boron has anti-inflammatory effects that can help alleviate arthritis and improve brain function and has demonstrated such significant anticancer effects that boronated compounds are now being used in the treatment of several types of cancer. A summary of the evidence suggesting that boron should be given consideration as an essential micronutrient is provided, together with leading dietary sources and intake recommendations.
- They DO have potentially harmful effects if eaten, directly applied to skin, breathed in, or used in too high of a concentration for too long, building up toxicity. Which can occur with many minerals. That does not mean it is inherently harmful. I will repeat it. WE NEED MINERALS. WITHOUT THEM OUR HEALTH SUFFERS. Take sodium and potassium, for example. If those are not in adequate amounts in your body, you can become DEHYDRATED, which is why in Emergency Rooms and Hospitals, patients are given I.V. fluids containing these. AKA Saline drips.
- Borax is also used in many medicinal and cleaning applications.
- Borax is classified as a level 1 health hazard, which is the same as Baking Soda. Obviously, it must be used appropriately. (REFERENCE--AS LISTED IN SECTION 15 AT THE VERY BOTTOM)
Hopefully you have found this information helpful. I am perfectly fine using Borax. All images are Copywrite 2018 PheSustainable Farms
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Absolutely fantastic article! Get's my Upvote and ReSteem for sure. Now to convince the Missus to make her own detergent! Yeah, right!
Thank you! You never, know. It might sound interesting to her.
Plus I hear these make great gifts! I have seen quite a bit of the people who make this prepare it to give for christmas gifts to friends and family. I have even seen people at craft and farmers markets sell it with other household cleaning products.
Great article Phe! I have a horrible time getting our clothes clean, we have really hard water. I hadn't heard of the naptha soap before... Maybe that's the missing ingredient in my previous recipes!
Thanks for this :)
Hiya. Oops I just saw this. That should be a fairly easy soap to find, but there are others. I don't remember them, now. What are you using now? The fels naptha soap has a different feel than handsoap, but I honestly don't know the difference.
My brother and I both used to get acne and scabs on the back and shoulders when we were growing up. It got so bad on my brother once, he had to go see doctor for ointment. I really think it is because our laundry soap was too harsh.
It might very well have been! I was a cloth diaper baby because I was allergic to an ingredient in store bought. I Know many people with mild allergies or intolerances that aren't aware that's what's going on. I won't use other soap now. It's not conspiracy. My skin feels so much better!
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Cheaper and healthier for you. Very detailed post.
Following!
Thanks! Do you use this soap?
I'd like to, but we havent made that step yet. your encouraging though.
I use this same recipe for my laundry too, minus the oxy. The recipe I followed said to use 1/4 cup. I see that’s a lot more than you use. Do you do small or big loads? I also hold my breath when I scoop it into the washer too.
I have found that I really don't need more than that. Perhaps more would better for other people, but if I use too much, my clothes look older, faster, and feel like there's leftover residue.
Both my current and previous washer are high efficiency double load washers. I use 2 tablespoons per wash (1 tablespoon per load technically). It might require more in less efficient machines which do not reuse water in the wash cycle. Hard water makes a difference, also.
The borax acts as a detergent booster but also is used as a bleach alternative. Perhaps adding extra of that to whites would brighten them. The super washing soda also gives the bar laundry soap more umph. Baking soda is antifungal and antibacterial. Part of what makes clothes dirty are those bacteria and fungi. I have washed mildewy clothes with this mix with no residual smell or trace of it.
What you could do is scale this recipe down for one or two loads, writing down your recipe ratios, to fine tune the exact amount that works for your machine and water. Then make the huge batch.
I'm also on septic so experimented Bec I don't want so much draining from the washer into septic tank that it affects that. The septic tank needs the bacteria to break down, and so does the lagoon the septic overflows into, to effectively treat the water.
My motto, less is best. But it'll be different for each situation I suspect. My last residence it took double the amount for same results. The oxy adds extra umph, too, altho tbh I'm not entirely sure how. But maybe that's why I don't need as much.