Homemade laundry soap making oil stains

[farmmilkmama]

I use the Fels Naptha/borax/washing soda recipe that seems to be pretty popular. What I'm wondering is every so often, our load comes out with what appears to be oily stains on it. We have tried changing the amounts of soap we use per load as well as changing up the amounts of ingredients in the recipe. We still have this problem, though. Has anyone else had this issue? Any suggestions as to what else the problem could be if its not the soap?

PS we don't use fabric softener, so that isn't part of the issue. :-/

[sbemt456]

Farmmilkmama I have never had that problem using homemade laundry detergent. The only time I have had oil like stains appear is when a tube of chap stick gets missed in someones pocket. I assume you are checking pocket for things that could dissolve or melt? This is a problem at our house. I have been guilty of leaving chap stick in my uniform pants pocket when I worked and it will nearly ruin a load of clothes, but definitely is ugly if it makes it to the dryer. Hope this helps some.

Have a great day!

stella

[farmmilkmama]

I got to thinking last night...do you think it has anything to do with the temp of the water? I like to wash in cold water to save money, but someone else suggested that maybe the soap isn't dissolving like it should in the cold water...

[sbemt456]

FMM that is a very good possibility, I use warm or if the load can be done in cold water I dissolve the detergent in about a quart of hot water.
Next load ya can try and see if that is the problem. Let us know.

Have a great day.

stella

[BackyardHerbals]

I had this problem and several others with homemade laundry soap. A lot of people love it but I hated it. I didn't think it cleaned well enough (we live on a farm) and left greasy stains as well. It just wasn't worth the effort to use it so I switched to Charlies.
HTH,

[paqcrewmama]

I use the same hm soap recipe and never had an issue with it creating NEW oily type stains but it doesn't get out oily type stains, period. I've had the chap stick issue before (oh and crayons :rolleyes: ).

I use Lestoil to get out oil type stains but what is that Charlies? Would that get out oil type stain?

[Dame]

I have used the homemade version for years and mix it as I go. Oily stains are delt with by the direct application of the laundry bar soap/homemade soap to the stain before washing. I wash everything in hot water in a wringer washer.

We live on the farm and big greesy/waxy stains were forming a scumb between the inside and outside drums of my automatic. The same was true when using detergent and bleach. Every time we took the automatic washer apart to clean between the drums it was a disgusting mess. Hence the wringer washer. I manually clean the inside of it every time I do laundry.

Clothing and colors stand up to a hot water wash in a wringer washer much better than we are led to believe. And if minimum agitation is required I wash by hand in a laundry sink with a scrub board when necessary. Actual sunlight on the clothesline will removed most other stains.

Our clothes are primarily of natural fibers; and I do my drycleaning in a snow bank with a brush. Also, upholstery cleaning and furs etc.

This is an extreame way of doing laundry, and is motivated by the all body rash (looks like diaper rash) I get from detergents, dry cleaning fluids etc. All this requires I sort the laundry the old fashioned way starting with table linnens through to mats and rags. Total water use is reduced exponentially even with double rinsing of about half the items. Total time required is about an hour for the washing, 10 minutes to clean up the mess and a half hour to hang the clothes. I use the electric clothes dryer appliance when the weather is inclemment.

[DDF]

I use the Fels Naptha/borax/washing soda recipe that seems to be pretty popular. What I'm wondering is every so often, our load comes out with what appears to be oily stains on it. We have tried changing the amounts of soap we use per load as well as changing up the amounts of ingredients in the recipe. We still have this problem, though. Has anyone else had this issue? Any suggestions as to what else the problem could be if its not the soap?

PS we don't use fabric softener, so that isn't part of the issue. :-/

I have used the HM laundry soap now for about a year and I will never go back. The problem I have down here, is finding Fels Naptha, I can find Octagon, which I am told is just as good but recently have found a bar laundry soap called Zote that I use instead and I love it. I also usually add a little oxy clean to my mix because my son and husband do alot of mechanic work and their clothes do get very oily and dirty and it really helps. I also fill my machine on the small load setting with my detergent mix and no clothes to dissolve the mix for a few min. then turn it to large load and cold water, then add my clothes. It takes a little more work, but is well worth the effort.

[crunchycon]

I use the HM detergent recipe also, with Fels (I find it for .99/bar at Publix; haven't seen it any cheaper elsewhere). For oil/grease stains, I use a little Dawn dishwashing liquid straight on the stain and 99.9% of the time, it comes right out first time. Dawn is one of the very few things I'm brand loyal to.

I have no magic for the mystery oil stains, though.

[BackyardHerbals]

I too am a hand washer. Our laundry is done on a washboard and with a scrub brush. I'd love to upgrade to a wringer washer but the means aren't there. :)

Google Charlies soap, it's a laundry soap, not a detergent. They have a very informative website, definitely worth a look.

[paqcrewmama]

I too am a hand washer. Our laundry is done on a washboard and with a scrub brush. I'd love to upgrade to a wringer washer but the means aren't there. :)

Google Charlies soap, it's a laundry soap, not a detergent. They have a very informative website, definitely worth a look.

Thanks! As silly as it sounds, I never remember to "Google" things. LOL

[Dame]

I paid $50 each for two working order wringer wahers. Both were being sold by people with summer cottages where these washers had had little use over the many years sence purchase. One was missing a lid (DH made one out of a circle of plywood and painted it). Two yrs later it is still doing an adequite job. The other one has similar issues and will be used when the current in use washer gives out.