This stuff really works!

[Dib's]

I have a hand crocheted tablecloth made my Great Great Grandmother. She gave it to my Mom on her wedding day, and my Mom sent it to me for my second marriage. It had some serious set in stains. A few years back it took it to the local dry cleaners-he quoted me $150 since it would have to be sent out and cleaned by hand.
Needless to say that didn't happen. I found this recipe for Laundry Stain-be-gone (safe for Vintage and Fine Fabrics). The only 2 stains that remain started out "just about black". I can find them because I know where they are, but they were very, very hard to find. The red wine stains-gone. The gravy stains-gone.
I can't say enough about this stuff!

I also made Laundry Detergent Powder. I will NEVER buy laundry detergent, ever again! This stuff Rocks!!!!!

[Iron Bloomers]

saving both recipes....Yippie Skippy! Sounds like you hit pay-dirt....or should I say payless-dirt?

[JoyfulCook]

Drats I can't get the exact ingredients here I really need something like this!

[Dib's]

JoyfulCook wrote:
Drats I can't get the exact ingredients here I really need something like this!

What are you missing Joy?

[K9 Owned]

I've been using the second recipe for several months and using vinegar in the rinse. It works as well as Tide or the others - is dirt cheap AND once you have the soaps and sodas you don't have to run out to the store.

Also because you select the soap you can avoid all fragrances and colours. A blessing for those of us who react to some commercial product.

I am saving the first recipe though.

[Stella Mae]

I'm saving both recipes -- great ideas! I don't like the smell of manufactured softeners in my clothes, so I've never used anything but white vinegar as a softener since the washing machine will last longer without that build-up.

[Olive*]

I have made this laundry soap many times over the years. I love it, and prefer to use it. BUT.....grating the bar of Napa soap is a bear! My old hands and arm bout' kill me trying to grate the bar of soap. ( I grate a whole bar) To grate, I used an old hand metal grater like my mother use to have to shred cabbage and carrots. I have even frozen the bar of soap to try and make it easier to grate....didn't work. I have read you can put the bar of soap in a food processor too but it shouldn't be used anymore for processing food after that! Have any other suggestions for grating the bar of soap for this weakling? I would love to get back making laundry soap.

[K9 Owned]

Olive* wrote:
I have made this laundry soap many times over the years. I love it, and prefer to use it. BUT.....grating the bar of Napa soap is a bear! My old hands and arm bout' kill me trying to grate the bar of soap. ( I grate a whole bar) To grate, I used an old hand metal grater like my mother use to have to shred cabbage and carrots. I have even frozen the bar of soap to try and make it easier to grate....didn't work. I have read you can put the bar of soap in a food processor too but it shouldn't be used anymore for processing food after that! Have any other suggestions for grating the bar of soap for this weakling? I would love to get back making laundry soap.

I have made this dozens of times and always used my food pro. I stab the bar of soap to break it up somewhat and toss it in the food pro. When that is crumbly I add the borax and soda. I've just gone ahead and washed the food pro as usual with no ill effects other than the soda or borax being a little abrasive and making the bowl a bit cloudy. It wasn't pristine in the first place

[Olive*]

K9 Owned wrote:

Olive* wrote:
I have made this laundry soap many times over the years. I love it, and prefer to use it. BUT.....grating the bar of Napa soap is a bear! My old hands and arm bout' kill me trying to grate the bar of soap. ( I grate a whole bar) To grate, I used an old hand metal grater like my mother use to have to shred cabbage and carrots. I have even frozen the bar of soap to try and make it easier to grate....didn't work. I have read you can put the bar of soap in a food processor too but it shouldn't be used anymore for processing food after that! Have any other suggestions for grating the bar of soap for this weakling? I would love to get back making laundry soap.

I have made this dozens of times and always used my food pro. I stab the bar of soap to break it up somewhat and toss it in the food pro. When that is crumbly I add the borax and soda. I've just gone ahead and washed the food pro as usual with no ill effects other than the soda or borax being a little abrasive and making the bowl a bit cloudy. It wasn't pristine in the first place

Thank you!!! I will give that a try!

[anne in apex]

Do you think this would work on my blouse? I have a beautiful silk blouse that was my mother's, purchased in China on one of their trips. Unfortunately it has perspiration stains. I have been intending to take it to one of the better cleaners here, but if this might work, I'd give it a try.

The blouse was a delicate white originally, but over the years has yellowed. It is still very pretty, but I'm wondering if this would restore the original color? I'd have to be really careful to get it evenly treated, so it wouldn't be splotchy, I guess.

What the heck, it isn't wearable now, I can't make it any worse. Right?

[MaMere]

Olive* wrote:
I have made this laundry soap many times over the years. I love it, and prefer to use it. BUT.....grating the bar of Napa soap is a bear! My old hands and arm bout' kill me trying to grate the bar of soap. ( I grate a whole bar) To grate, I used an old hand metal grater like my mother use to have to shred cabbage and carrots. I have even frozen the bar of soap to try and make it easier to grate....didn't work. I have read you can put the bar of soap in a food processor too but it shouldn't be used anymore for processing food after that! Have any other suggestions for grating the bar of soap for this weakling? I would love to get back making laundry soap.

Olive, I have seen on Pinterest, that some say they put the bar of soap in the micro, nuke it, and let it dry and then it completely crumbles, but I have not tried that.

[Dib's]

anne in apex wrote:


What the heck, it isn't wearable now, I can't make it any worse. Right?

That is exactly where I was with my G-G-Grandmothers tablecloth. I could not use it. Fish or cut bait.

I checked it at one hour and it still needed a little work, at 2 hours I was stressing and did the rinse. I'm glad I did it.

[Dib's]

MaMere wrote:


Olive, I have seen on Pinterest, that some say they put the bar of soap in the micro, nuke it, and let it dry and then it completely crumbles, but I have not tried that.

I think in one of the reviews here I saw "3 days" but it will crumble-that was the Fels stuff. If you put Ivory in your micro it will blow up to about 20 times it size. Very cool if you need to clean it!

ETA-I used 2 tablespoons of each in a bucket so I don't think for one blouse you will need that much AND I just did 2 t-shirts of my husbands, white with armpit stains. The stains are gone.

[MaMere]

amazing the things we "know" isn't it!?

I love homemade laundry detergent, I keep mine in a super big canning jar, and an old metal tablespoon in it to measure out. About once every 6 wks Hubby helps me make a batch.

[anne in apex]

Clorox 2 powder and Ivory liquid, on the list.