Tag Archives: Fabric Softener

Opinion

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Okay, ladies, I need your opinion on this.  You all may remember that I have been selling homemade laundry soap at the Bread Basket here in Floyd.  The laundry soap is lavender scented.  Well, I have been thinking about putting homemade lavender fabric softener with it for sale.  What do you all think about this as a container for the fabric softener?  I have been trying to think of a container that I could easily recycle.   The less expense I have in the container the more my profit.  This would be concentrated.  The customer would need to add 3 cups water to it and it will yield 10 loads of laundry, the same amount as the laundry soap I sell.  I have put these instructions on the card. 

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This is a picture of the laundry soap.  I got this idea from Mrs. Faye at http://theblessedhearth.blogspot.com/  So how do you all think they will look together? 

Please let me know your honest opinion.  Do you think this looks good or does it just look stupid?  I so appreciate your help on this.  Thanks again and God bless.

Homemade Laundry Soap and Bluing

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I have just discovered this product.  Some of you ladies may already know about it but I had never heard of it.  You all know that I have made my own laundry soap for years.  I have always had trouble with it leaving my clothes looking dingy.  I would make a batch and by the time I used it up my clothes would be looking like I hadn’t even washed them.  YUCK!   Then I would buy a box of store bought detergent and use it up so my clothes would look clean again.  Then repeat the process.  So I was reading on line and one of the recipes was saying you could add bluing to your detergent.  What?  I immediately jump up to the google bar and type in, “What is bluing?” It is something you add to your wash to make your white clothes remain white.  You can buy it online.   Our local supermarket carried it.  Can you believe that?  I had never even noticed it before.   Well, as of right now, I am thinking it is the best thing since sliced bread.  I have been using it for about 2 weeks.  My whites are still white.  I think I have found my solution.  Also when using homemade laundry soap, my towels usually become water resistent.  They would not absorp water.  This has not happened since I started using the bluing.  YEAH!  I hope this post doesn’t sound like a commercial for bluing.  I just wanted you ladies to know, in case any of you have been having the same problem.  I also bit the bullet and purchased some lavender essential oil to add to it.   I avoided buying it for years because, well, everything you add to it makes the cost go up more and I wanted to keep it cost effecient.  But I really like for my clothes to smell nice after they have been washed.  I admit it.  I like smelly things (good smelly things). 

I also tried something new today.  I made my own fabric softener.  The recipe I used is:

  • 1 cup baking soda
  • 6 cups distilled white vinegar
  • 8 cups water
  • 10 -15 drops orangeessential oils (optional) or 10 -15 drops lemonessential oils (optional) or 10 -15 drops essential oils, of choice (optional)

Directions:

  1.  
    You will need a one gallon container.
  2.  
    First add the baking soda to the plastic container.
  3.  
    Next add 1 cup of water to start with.
  4.  
    Slowly add the vinegar to the bottle as the vinegar and baking soda will start to fizz.
  5.  
    Then add the rest of the water swirling around & cover venting the top a few times.
  6.  
    Last add the essential oil.
  7.  
    Add 1 cup in your final rinse cycle for each load but give the bottle a good shake to stir up the essential oil if using.

I got this recipe from food.com.  I want to remind you all that baking soda and vinegar fizzes at lot when mixed together.  Now, I knew this but for some reason I put my baking soda in and then just started pouring in the vinegar.  HUGE MESS!  My thanks to my darling girls who came to Mom’s rescue with lots of towels.  Anyway just a reminder.  I used lavender essential oil in mine, so now I have lavender laundry detergent and lavender fabric softener.  My clothes should smell great.

Well, that’s my day.  I hope you have a great evening and God bless.

 

New Homemade Laundry Soap Recipe

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Today I am making laundry soap.  I am trying a new recipe.  I have experienced some problems with the old recipe I have been using.  I have been making my own laundry soap for about 2 years now.  The problem is that my towels, dishcloths, washcloths, napkins etc have become very non absorbent.  It is like they have a water repellent on them.  I am not joking.  I can have a spill, put a napkin down on it, leave it and come back in about l min. and the spill is still there.  The napkin is just laying there on top of the spill.  I have tried lots of different things to solve this problem and none of them seem to help.  I have used vinegar in the rinse, used fabric softener, not used fabric softener.  It is still the same.  I came across this recipe at the Hillbilly Housewife.  It is a little different from my old one.  We’ll see how it works.  Hopefully this will fix my problem. 

Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe

  • 1 bar of Fels Naptha soap, shaved
  • 4 cups of hot water to melt the soap
  • 3 gallons of hot water
  • 1 cup of borax
  • 2 cups of washing soda
  • 1 cup of baking soda
  • 1 large Rubbermaid container about 4-5 gallons size

Here’s what you do:
Grate the soap into a saucepan. You can use either a box grater or a food processor for this. I recommend you do not use whatever tool you use for grating soap with food. I was able to buy an extra food processor very inexpensively at a thrift store.

Add 4 cups of hot water to the pan.  Simmer on low until the soap melts completely into the water.

Add borax, washing soda and baking soda to the hot water. Simmer on low until it desolves with the soap. If the mixture is not melting, add more water if needed.

Add 3 gallons of hot water to the large container. Add the mixture to the hot water. Mix with a large spoon until it
completely dissolves.
Let cool overnight. You will notice that it turns into a thick gel. Use 1 cup of this homemade laundry detergent per load of laundry.

Enjoy your day and God bless.