Diaper Washing_: Homemade Soap Thoughts
Rate this post:Thanks to Angela for this Frugal Baby Tip!
I grated up half the KissMyFace bar soap I bought. Melted it down, add the washing soda and tried it out. The first time it was still a bit warm, but washed up the laundry nicely.
The next morning I found the soap had separated and I had a lovely hard bar of soap resting on top of the water. So I re-melted it after breaking it up (it was softer this round) added more water and a cup of washing soda.
This time I watched and stirred it as it cooled, when it seemed like a success (read: I need the kitchen to make dinner) the soap container went back down the the basement, where I found it the next day with the original results, UGH! *but* it was much softer this time round. So, I stuck my hand in and mushed it up. I could have saved myself a lot of work if I had just grated it up and left it at that!
After mushing it up (and ending up with essentially grated soap in a bucket of water) I grabbed a handful and tossed it in the hot water wash with the diapers. This load I prewashed cold and then hot wash. No washing soda/borax/baking soda/detergent/vinegar. The
diapers came but sweet smelling and there were no new stains!!!
Now it could just be wishful thinking, but it seemed to lessen the old
stains and it didn't contribute to any new ones. Even after all that work I'm pleased with the results. I'm testing it out on a load of socks (that should be the *real* test, lol)
The other soap I've grated up was Fels Naptha stain bar. I used 3/4 of the bar and it separated with water on the bottom and a gelatinous mess on top. *but* it mixed easily without having to heat or use much elbow grease. I found it to be too harsh on my hands...
I don't like having my hands burn after sticking them in the bucket,
and I had to double or triple clear water rinse in order to use the
diapers without a rashy. It's great as a stain bar, but too harsh, in my opinion for laundry soap.
To add to the muddy waters, we had a bit of a disaster in the laundry room and the bucket was contaminated with rinse water from dh's uniforms....Maybe the detergent reacted with the Fels Naptha, or what ever was in the fabric, but either way I'm not trying this particular soap again.
I think when I do the next mixture I'm going to try the Lux. Less
expensive (3 bars for $.89) and I can get it closer to home. But if
its abrasive and harsh like the Fels Naptha, the extra expense of the Kissmyface will be worth it!
Who would have thought that I could actually *like* laundry???
PS. Since the original post of this, I've been using the soap for
diapers and other laundry and it is still working wonderfully.
Category: Diaper Washing
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