There are many reasons that people turn to DIY laundry soap. Most commonly people are looking for an inexpensive way to get clothes clean. But did you know that DIY laundry soap may be the resolution of a chronic skin problem?
Laundry detergent, fabric softer, and dryer sheets all add chemicals to your clothes, sheets and towels. The very things that are in constant contact with your skin. The lists of chemicals in these laundry aids can be long and many of them are not good for your skin. If you have trouble with dermatitis, eczema, body acne, or sensitive skin, making your own laundry soap can reduce the chemical irritation to your skin and allow your skin to heal. If you have been using natural remedies for a skin condition to no avail, using a DIY laundry soap may be just what is needed for complete resolution to your skin problem.
The good news is that DIY laundry soap is a cheap solution and simple to try. You have little to lose and much to gain.
If you are starting with a bar of soap, use a cheese grater to grate your soap.
Use your blender to blend your soap flakes or soap grates with the borax. This will make your soap flakes finer and easier to dissolve in the wash.
Pour your borax and soap flake mixture into a jar. Add your washing soda and optional Oxiclean. Mix well.
That is it! Use 1-4 Tablespoons of your mixture per load of laundry. The size of the load you have and the type and size of your washing machine will affect the amount you will need. Home made laundry soap does not suds up, so you don’t have to worry that you will overflow your washer with bubbles.
This recipe works best with warm or hot water. Soap flakes don’t dissolve well in cool or cold water. If you wish to use cool water to wash, simple dissolve your soap powder in a quart of hot water and add it to your cool water wash.
You will not need fabric softener. This soap leaves your clothes very soft. If static is a concern use wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets. This will keep you from adding chemicals to your clothes each time you dry them.
Do not expect your laundry soap to foam up like commercial detergents. It won't. But that is okay; bubbles are not necessary for cleaning to take place.
Because Fels Naptha is a great poison ivy remedy, this soap may be idea for clothes that have been in contact with poison ivy.
Zote soap flakes have a slight citronella smell. Freshly laundered clothes in zote flakes may have mosquito deterring properties.
Ivory soap will leave clothes very soft and is ideal for baby laundry or those with sensitive skin.
Borax, washing soda, zote flakes, and Fels Naptha can usually be found in the laundry aisle. Ivory bar soap or castile soap will be in the health and beauty section of your store.
Have you tried DIY laundry soap? Please send us some feedback!
