Why I Don't Make Homemade Laundry Soap: PART 2 | Follow UP | Q & A | Possible Solutions & More!

Why I Don't Make Homemade Laundry Soap Follow Up!

My Original Video: Why I Don't Make Homemade Laundry Soap Anymore:

English Ivy Laundry Soap Tutorial:

Laundry Detergent Made with Dawn Dish Detergent (one of many recipes I've seen)

Rain Country YouTube Channel:

Her all purpose cleaner she uses for laundry:

Soap Nuts
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Contact Me:

Mailing Address:
Crystal Miller
PO Box 483
North Bonneville, WA
98639

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#homemadelaundrysoap #diylaundrysoap #homemaking

[anitamarshall]

I agree with you 100% Crystal that our appliances are not as hard-working as years ago. About 15 years ago I bought a Toploader that did not have an agitator, the salesman assured me that even though it is a water saver and it did not agitate, it still did a good job cleaning clothes. Well, The paperwork did not show the length of time for each cycle that should’ve been my first red flag, the cycle I used was so much longer, The water barely filled to the top of the clothes, and once I realized that my husband‘s bluejeans were not getting as clean I threw in a few kitchen towels that were still folded and guess what? When the cycle was done they were still folded! Then, we moved and I bought a front loader, a very well-made high end front loader and what I found was that even though I put it on hot cycle, The washer did not allow straight hot water to come into the washing machine(yes- I do have my hot water faucet all the way open on the hose).
Also, I stopped making homemade soap after about a year, my towels were waxy feeling and my husband‘s bluejeans still looked very dirty after the cycles. He is a horseshoer (farrier)his bluejeans get really dirty!
There is hope however; My sister did a lot of research and found that Speed Queen still makes a commercial washer for residential homes and it works fantastic! It was an investment, it is not a water saver the tub fills all the way up and it does a great job!

[daltizer]

Great video. I was making my laundry detergent dry. Washing soda, Borax and laundry Zote soap. I noticed my clothes were getting dingy. So I put the detergent in a pan of water and desolved it on the stove in hot water. I deluted it down and then added it to my store bought detergent. I turned 1 gallon of detergent into 4 gallons. It seems to be working out ok. So far so good.

[emmaleebuzzard]

I thought your first video was clear. I think people just have a hard time grasping the differences between soaps and detergents, even though you explained it really well. Also, I am a lover of all things old and vintage and some people lot that stuff too, but they have a hard time admitting that not everything vintage is useful for how it used to be used. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[desertlocoshomestead]

So, thank you Crystal- very interesting, helpful and informative. Here's what I got to thinking while I read through some comments...- for years now, I have been frustrated with dishwashers and clothes washers... hand-me-downs from friends and my own laundry (all of us using laundry detergent, myself using cold water and sorting into like colors, etc) I found all the things you complained about with your homemade soap to be the case with the 'convention method' as well. PLUS why is it that when I am using a brand new laundry washer or a brand new dishwasher, and I use the recommended detergents, it is also recommended to from time to time use a cleaner for the appliance. Why is that? Shouldn't be soapscum if you use detergent... And they just stop working well after about the first year even when you use the recommended cleaning items. I totally agree with the people who say things just aren't made like they used to be- I have been saying that myself...but sadly even the well made items eventually give up and you have to replace them... I saw comments from people about chemistry- very helpful but still doesn't explain why a new washer just doesn't do a very good job after a short time, even when following the instructions...
I am now off grid and wash using a laundry plunger ($20) and Kirk's soap or Dr Bronner soap in a storage tote with a vinegar rinse then another plain water rinse then hang dry. So far so good, but its only been a year...it's amazing how dirty the water in both rinses still are, but my clothes are still in far better shape then they were when I used the washing machine and laundry detergent. The process has really got me diving into more of the science behind all of this- in the rare moment here and there that I have time...
A side note about fabric softeners- I have been using dryer balls for years- probably about a dozen years now. I live in central Arizona- very dry air, hard water...- I have found that anytime I got hand-me-downs, thrift clothes, etc, it took 2 or 3 washings to get the static out and switching back and forth doesn't really work- it's all one or the other. That said, when I started hanging my clothes to dry, I was initially using the washing machine then hang drying. My clothes were so messed up. They were crunchy, they were covered in lint. It was bad. I have since come to the conclusion that fabric softener masks the terrible job the washing machine does. When I stopped using it and went with the plunger, 1) I use far less soap and far less water (even with that extra rinse), 2) I can see if extra rinses are necessary 3) no lint 4) no fabric softener and my clothes are soft, smell awesome, don't wrinkle so easily, no more crunchy clothes
So... will see how things shape up over the years. Perhaps someday I can do a side by side comparison of different washing methods...
Currently doing about 6 loads of laundry/week for a family of 5. I use the washing wand and my wringer is an old mop bucket with mop wringer. I have learned to make laundry my relax time by listening to audio books or catching up on you tube videos while I work...

[arlo]

For those who make their own soap, it’s recommended to use citric acid as an additive to reduce/eliminate soap scum. Also, all oils/butters used in making soap have different properties. Coconut oil is highly cleansing, so with a zero % superfat is ideal for soap that’s used in laundry soap. I dissolve the mixture of soap/borax/washing soda in hot water so that it will be liquid when using in a cold water wash. And those 100% coconut oil bars are what I now use at the kitchen sink to hand wash dishes that don’t go in the dishwasher, instead of a liquid dish soap. Works great.

[pittroadsixzeroseven]

We bought a Speed Queen and we love it. Washer and dryers are not made anymore to last. Most of them are made by one company and slap a different label on it. Speed Queen is American made and well worth it. We still have our old dryer going on over 30 years. I wish they made Maytag like they use too. We don’t buy appliances from big box stores, from a dealer. They have a service department which is great.

[aussiewanderer]

I use a cup of Epsom salt on high temperature cycle with the washing machine empty and it'll clean up any soap build up.

[elizabethdobos]

I like to use All Free & Clear laundry detergent, too. Tide Free & Clear, and Arm & Hammer detergent for Sensitive Skin are good, too. Costco also has its own brand of Free & Clear laundry detergent (Kirkland), which is a good value.

[helanna]

I am very impressed with how well you described your process and the research you did. You are a wonderful teacher.

[cindykq]

Google making laundry detergent without soap. I found a recipe that says to mix up 1/2 cup Epsom salts, 1 1/2 cups baking soda, 1 1/2 cups washing soda, 1/4 cup sea salt, and if desired 20-25 drops essential oil (like lemon EO for brightening)
Mix together, store in an airtight container, and use 1 to 3 tablespoons per load, depending on the size and dirtiness of the laundry

[edwardkantowicz]

Thank you so much for this Part 2! Very thorough discussion of the subject, and "chemically correct"!

[clothyoriginal]

Great video. I've used homemade laundry liquid on & off for years. I've always been aware of the soap issue so I did a few things to try to combat / prevent it. A lot of which you mentioned in this video! Firstly, use a dedicated laundry soap, not one for the body such as dr bronners as they have all been superfatted like you talked about. I also use much less soap than a traditional recipe calls for and add either a tiny tiny bit of dish soap or a little sal suds. Dish soap alone or even more than a tiny tiny bit mixed with the recipe can be just as harmful to the washer as soap. It strips the oil from the internal mechanisms of the machine and eventually kills it. Especially if you use Dawn or fairy here in Europe. I've also added in some calgon to some batches. I did the version by adding in a small bottle of cheap detergent and that worked well too. Id also suggest looking at the ingredients of the liquid you are adding, a lot of the cheap ones and pretty much all of the natural type one all have high concentrations of soap! (I learned that the hard way, by using one of those on my cloth diapers, they stopped absorbing) now I use my homemade on "clean dirty" clothes and use a good powder for things like diapers and whites, I the powder sort of clears out my washer of any potential build up. Its also very important to clean your washer every month!! Either with a commercial cleaner or bleach or using washing soda & vinegar on a very hot wash.

[alterego]

thank you for the infos... I do not have problem *for the moment* i've been doing my laundry soap for 5-6yrs now... using Borax-baking soda-washing soda-a little bit of oxi-clean- bar of sunlight laundry soap- mix all that use a scoop all is good towels are great colors ok aswell thank you

[hevimummo]

Thanks for that vid :) You mentioned Ivy and soapnuts. If you want that liquid to stay longer, put part of it in freezer. A bottle that has the amount you use in a week or two. Or use an icecube tray, freeze them and use 1 or 2 cubes per laundry. So this way you can make larger amount of ”detergent”

[ColoringNanna]

I missed this video a while back but I am loving a homemade powder with no soap detergent. It is washing soda, baking soda, salt or Epsom salt and oxiclean. So I whisk this together and also add a small amount of my Ecos detergent. Together my clothes are super fresh and FEEL very clean. I use vinegar as a rinse. Hope that helps. People actually will use this powder alone (2tbsp) a load but I also like my Ecos so I add the smallest amt in. I also dissolve this in hot water first ( not much) before I turn it to warm water. ☺️ I have an old fashion Speed Queen agitator machine and love it. It works hard.

[ivancho]

Several years ago I did some research on the topic of making my own laundry soap or detergent and came to the same conclusion as you. However the piece of information which put the nail in the coffin was that washing soda corrodes aluminium very aggressively, which is easy to test. As all home made laundry soaps and detergent use washing soda as an ingredient I determined that the relatively small savings were not worth ruining a washing machine. Every washing machine without exception, at least front loaders, have an aluminium spider which holds the back of the drum. It is made of aluminium because water and detergent will not corrode it. Frequent use of washing soda even in small amounts is guaranteed to ruin a modern machine.
I have one caveat: do your own research. I'm not a chemist (though I am a mechanical engineer) and I don't pretend to know if the washing soda in combination with the other ingredients would eliminate the corrosive effects or not. I can say that a washing machine repair technician made me aware of this problem and he recommended that I only ever use washing soda to perform a deep clean of a washing machine annually, and then only if required, immediately followed by many rinses.
I enjoyed your logical and soberly presented video.
All the best from bonnie Scotland.

[KiraContriteSpirit]

Thank you. I'm glad I saw this - I was just about to start my first batch

[kcal]

I appreciate you so much for that breakdown. I dont make my soap, but was thinking of starting to, but always had the doubts and questions not getting answered correctly. You answered them all and gave excellent insight on the whole thing as well. Thank you!!😊

[janetrichardson]

I’ve had several plumbers advise against using homemade laundry soap. The recipe you use, the machine and whether you have hard or soft water all plays a part in the performance. We built a new home 6 years ago and we bought all the appliances directly from an independent appliance store who is an authorized dealer and repair center for a variety of brands. The salesman who used when remodeling our previous kitchen and also our daughter’s kitchen recommended we look at Speed Queen washers. They are primarily commercial suppliers but offer several models for residential use. We purchased a top loader. It came with a 5 year warranty which is unheard of. The average life of their washers are 25 years or more even with heavy use. It was about $250 more than the average top loader when we bought it but I couldn’t be happier with it. Because I have sensitive skin we use All Free and Clear or the Kirkland (Costco) version. I stock up when it’s on sale and I usually get it for 10 - 12 cents per load. I use dryer balls with crumpled up aluminum foil to control static cling in the dryer. But I still add half of a dryer sheet when drying towels. We have extremely hard water.

[mskinetik]

I'm glad I ran across your videos before diving into making my own detergent.
After the recent detergent ban in New York state, I decided to look into diy. I saw a couple videos on DIY detergents and thought it sounded like a good idea, until your video popped up. You made very good points and have done solid research.
I am going to just stick with All Free and Clear because it was recommended by my allergy doctor. Thanks for saving me the trouble of going through all of that hastle. :)