My HE Washer Stinks!

A Greener Home Part 4 

About a year ago  we purchased a new front load high efficiency washer.  And It stinks!  The laundry smells sour as you can plainly see by the look on Jacks face.....I bought the EXPENSIVE tablets to use monthly but they don't work.  I also noticed that my washer acts like its about to take off for outer-space every time it gets to the final spin cycle.  I found out that they do that when the pumps get clogged.  The main reason they get clogged.......fabric softener and detergent build up.  So I set out to find a Homemade Detergent and softener ............

                               .........that would do the job without cloggin' up the pump and creating odor causing bacteria.......I tried several different recipes that I found in books and the web before I chose this recipe for liquid detergent.  Some of the recipes I tried were way to thick.....they wouldn't even pour out of the jug.  I tried making this recipe with liquid castile soap but it didn't thicken at all.  Needless to say my laundry room has looked like a science experiment for the past few months.  I'm glad I finally found what I was lookin' for and I hope that this will be helpful to ya'll!

Homemade Liquid Detergent Recipe

• 1 c. of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
• 1 c. bar soap*, grated
• 1 c. of 20-Mule Team Borax
• 1 qt. boiling water
• 1- 5 gal. bucket/lid
• 5 gallons of hot water minus the one quart of boiling water

Directions:

  Grate the soap with a cheese grater.  Then place the grated soap into a food processor with the washing soda.(The washing soda keeps the soap from just sticking together in the processor, this step will make melting the soap easier.)

  Now bring 1 quart of water to a boil and add the first 3 ingredients.  Turn the heat down and simmer until all the ingredients are completely disolved.  Add 1 gallon of hot(tap) water to the bucket and then add the cooked mixture.  Next add the remaining water and stir.  Place the lid on after it has cooled.  In 24 hrs your soap will appear clumpy.  I used an emulsion blinder to bring it to a even texture(one week later it still has not separated.) In 48 hour your soap should be the right thickness and ready to use.  Pour it into your empty detergent bottles and use 1/3 to 1/2 cup per load.

Bar Soaps

*You can use Fels-Naptha for .97 cents. The first batch I made I used this soap.  It was hard to get it to melt and when I got to the bottom of the bucket I found a big clump of wax.  Also my teenager hated the smell of it.
*I prefer Castile Bar Soap for $3.50.  This soap comes in a variety of mild scents and it doesn't bother my sensitive skin.  It also melted much easier. 
*You can also use Ivory for .50 cents.  I have not tried it.  Leave a comment if you have and share your experience with us.  

For the softest freshest smelling clothes ever!

Laundry Tips

•  Use homemade Liquid detergent in your HE washer.  
•  Replace you fabric softener with vinegar.  Vinegar is a natural disinfectant and will help to kill the bacteria in your washer.  It also really does soften your clothes and stops static cling.  Just fill the softener reservoir with vinegar or add a cup to the rinse cycle of your top load washer.
• Water down fabric softener and use cut up sponges in place of dryer sheets.  This will save you a ton of money.   Just place the sponges into a container with the softener, to use just squeeze out some of the liquid and toss into the dryer.

Going Green and Saving Green

Making your own detergent might sound crazy but it can save you hundreds of dollars each year.  It's also better for your clothes and the environment.  And just think of all those plastic bottles that you won't be tossing into the land fill : )

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CountryMommaCooks is not liable for any damages caused by the advice in this post.  Use at your own risk....I'm just sayin'