Mar. 17, 2008 - Laundry Detergent Project

I am in the midst of a laundry detergent project.

I am trying several different soaps in the recipe to see which detergent I like the best and which one is the most economical to make.  I had never thought to make my own detergent before, but with five kids living in the country, I have so much laundry to do that I thought perhaps I could economize on detergent costs if I made my own.

My laundry detergent project has tested using Fels Naptha detergent, ivory soap, and homemade soap.   So far I cannot detect a noticeable difference using any of the bar soaps, so my recommendation is to use which ever is the cheapest.  I do like my clothes to have a nice (but not overpowering)  smell, so if I went with the ivory soap, I would probably add a bit of lavendar essential oil to the deteregent (just note that if you add a fragrance, you also add cost).  But a detergent without fragrance is very desirable to many.

You would have a fragrance free laundry detergent with the ivory bar or with your own homemade soap.  I would be sure to modify my homemade soap intended for the laundry just a tad.  I would strive for a bar that does not have any margin in it (usually I have 5% superfatting for a mild, gentle soap).  I think it helps not to have the extra oil in the soap.  Again, I have not done a scientific experiment to prove this, but I personally would try to have a bar without margin.  If you need help in making your own soap go check out my website at How to Make Soap

I am still working on this project and am sharing the laundry detergents with others to get feedback, so I will post the results as they come in.

Apr. 26, 2008 - Laundry Soap