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detergent

I was wondering what kind of detergent do you use?

My dryer gave up a week ago, and I thought this is a great opportunity for me to go back to basics and line-dry my clothes. Save energy, money by not buying a new one etc.. However, my clothes are so harsh! I ended up ironing for almost 3 hours. I had to iron my kids underwear! Crazy.

So, my question is, what type of detergent should I use?

Comments

  • clr-1976clr-1976 Raw Newbie

    I use these soap pods, completely natural. I add a little essential oil to the conditioner drawer to give it a little scent

    http://www.inasoapnutshell.com/?gclid=CIvM-qa-5…

    I just googled to find a site to show you but I know you can get them at whole foods.

  • iknikn

    thank you clr! I never heard of these before. I’ll check the healthfood store. Are your clothes soft after line drying?

  • clr-1976clr-1976 Raw Newbie

    I find it to be fine, I rarely used softener anyway, only to fragrance as our machine was getting a bit old, so I love the fact there’s no chemical nasties in my clothes and sheets now!

    I think they’re fab. The bit that takes a little trail and error is how many nuts to use and for how many washes!

    I go for about 5 for about 4 washes.

    The only thing I have to be careful of is stains, they’re not great on those but I dont expect miracles from them so I soak and stuff if that’s the case. I hope you like them if you decide to try them!

  • springleafspringleaf Raw Newbie

    Clr, have bookmarked page to ask for free sample, but in the meantime, a question. Have you ever used them at 60 degrees centigrade? The website suggests 40, but for bf’s with asthma/exma (sp?) 60 is better as it kills dust mites and therefore less scratching, sneezing etc.

  • RawVoiceRawVoice Raw Newbie

    I recently made this laundry detergent, and it’s working fantastic. I love it!! I put a little vinegar in the wash, too. I was able to find the Fels Naptha and Borax in stores, but I had to order washing soda online. I couldn’t find it around. I notice someone on ebay sells all three ingredients just for this recipe.

    Ingredients: 1/3 bar Fels Naptha, grated; 3 pints of water; 1/2 cup washing soda; 1/2 cup borax; 1 quart water; More water to create 2 gallons.

    Directions: Cook grated Fels Naptha in 3 pints of water ‘til the bar is dissolved. Then add 1/2 c washing soda and 1/2 c borax and boil for 15 minutes stirring frequently.

    To a two gallon jar or bucket, add 1 qt hot water as well as the soap mixture, stir well. Then add enough water to equal 2 gallons. Let cure for 24 hours. I stored mine in a 2 gallon glass jar. Stir before using. There will be some separation. Use 1/2 c per load of wash. This comes out to cost something like a few cents a wash.

  • ZoeZoe Raw Newbie

    my husband just uses lemon rinds and a squeeze of washing up liquid in his laundry. We do our laundry separate because I don’t like to get lemon bits all over my clothes ;) I like the soap nuts + Lavender essential oil for the nice smell.

  • RawVoiceRawVoice Raw Newbie

    I liked soap nuts on my darks, but I didn’t think they did well on my whites. They were dingy. I tried adding some borax and other boosters, but they still didn’t come out white enough.

  • beanybeeganbeanybeegan Raw Newbie

    RawVoice, Thanks for the recipe. A real easy “back to the land” detergent. Do you know the difference between Washing Soda and Backing Soda?

  • iknikn

    Thanks for all the suggestions! I assume you all line dry your clothes. Do you need to iron? (I hate that part)

  • clr-1976clr-1976 Raw Newbie

    Sadly there’s no getting my shirts ok for work without an iron :o) I hate it too!

    If its not raining I line dry, or I have to rely on radiators, bannisters, doors or a clothes horse (house looks like a chinese laundry sometimes!), its getting past the ‘drying weather’ stage for me here. I dont tend to use the dryer as ours is actually not very good and very non energy efficient.

    You’re right about the soap nuts & whites RawVoice, its not ideal how does your mixture work out with whites? Also, do you add anything for fragrance? I was thinking about the vinegar smell..?

    With regards to the temp I have to say I use lower temps unless whites, sheets or underware, I havent really tried them on higher.

    One problem I had with low detergent/temps was that our washing maching got really scuzzy & started to smell, I got some advice as our clothes were starting to starting to smell too, apparently it may have been because I wasnt using high enough temps to clear out the gunk fully. They also advised to get some biological powder – ick – and use it on the hottest wash with some towels (or the machine can calculate it all wrong & wash it all away if you leave it empty) – double ick!

    So, I did it with Harry’s rugger towels and it has been much better, def cheaper than buying a new one, which we thought we might have to do!

  • RawVoiceRawVoice Raw Newbie

    beany, I had never heard of washing soda before trying this recipe. I don’t know specifically what the differences are. I’m sure the info is out there. It’s good stuff. http://www.greatcleaners.com/ah-soda-booster.html

    ikn, I don’t line dry all my clothes, only some of them.

    clr- the recipe I posted above is working great on my whites. I’m even thinking of adding soap nuts to the recipe for an added boost. As for the vinegar, the smell is still on the clothes when they are wet, but once they are dry, I don’t smell it at all.

  • I use Charlies Soap. I've used it for a couple of years & I love it!

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