recipe for Fabric softener & soap

[sissy]

2 cups White vinegar
2 cups baking soda
4 cups water
In a bucket or large fabric softener bottle put baking soda, slowly pour in vinegar (Little at a time) & stir or shake. It will fizz a lot. Continue to add till all vinegar is mixed with soda. Then add water. Stir or shake. Put in your container of choice. Stir or shake before use. 1/4 cup in final rinse or put in a downy ball.
I make up a double batch in my softener bottle.

Here's my recipe for liquid laundry detergent. I tweaked it to suit our needs. I keep it stored in 5 gal bucket.
2 bars octagon soap (grated)
2 cups washing soda
2 cups borax
2 cups oxy clean
1 cup degreaser
1 teaspoon powder pectin (for jelly) helps to make it jell
Put the grated soap in lg. saucepan with 6 cups water & heat on med. low heat stirring occasionally, until melted. (it foams) I then take mine to the sink to finish mixing. Don't ask me why :eek: (Lets just say I had a clean stove & floor the first time.:yes4:) Add soda, borax, & oxy clean slowly & stir till well mixed & dissolved, add degreaser & stir add pectin & stir. I use a wooden spoon. In 5 gal bucket Put 1 quart hot water, pour in soap mix & stir well. add 1.5 gal. water & stir again well. I let mine set 24 hours in bucket & stir ever so often (whenever). then when I transfer to laundry bottle I put about 4 cups soap to 2 or 3 cups water & shake well. It's ready. I have to shake before use. 1/4 cup per load.

For stain remover I put soap in spray bottle & add enough watter for spray bottle to work I start 1/2 & 1/2 sometimes need more water.
This is what works for me I hope it helps you.
Oh, I have to stir soap in bucket before I transfer to container.
sissy

[CapeCMom]

Sissy, what do you use for a degreaser?

[yotetrapper]

I'm not sissy but I use a similar recipe and work in fast food so I'm always covered in grease. I dont use a de-greaser. If I have engine oil/grease type grease, I add a squirt of dawn dishliquid into the load....

[CapeCMom]

It doesn't get too sudsy? I have a front loader and need to be careful about soap suds. My machine will actually turn off and flash SUDS. Its a great idea, I just don't want to make a mess of things. I don't like the smell of lestoil, so I was hoping for an alternative. I wonder if I just pretreat the stains with the dish soap it would work ok

[sissy]

I use Stanley orange degreaser, I have not noticed many if any suds in the wash. But it works well for me. It's a little expensive, but only using 1 cup in the recipe is not bad.
sissy

[cartershan]

Thanks Sissy, CapeCMom and Yotetrapper. You guys always have such great information to share. Thanks for tolerating the newbies like me. Sounds pretty easy and way more economical. I'm going to give it a go this weekend. Shannon

[sissy]

Your welcome,
We were all newbies at one time. I'm still new to all of this. I still ask a lot of questions
sissy

[yotetrapper]

My version, without degreaser, doesn't suds at all hardly. My version is posted in the laundry detergent thread on this page....

[9vTech]

Sissy,

When you are finished mixing your soap recipe, how full is the five gallon bucket? Do you top it off with water?

[sissy]

It seems like 1/2 or so, I'm not sure cause I don't have to make it much. It does grow some (it foams) & you have to stir it to mix it back up. I add some water when I put it in the jug about 1/3 of what soap I use. I like mine kinda thick. It really depends on you & your needs. If cloths are real bad use it full strength it not to dirty add water to it. You can always go back & add more water if you need to.
Hope this helps.
sissy
P.S. I think my recipe is doubled except the water. I changed it up to suit me & our needs. I just played around with it.