+- we live in hell (https://weliveinhell.net)
+-- Forum: general topics (https://weliveinhell.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=1)
+--- Forum: general chatter (https://weliveinhell.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=2)
+--- Thread: Homemade Laundry Detergent (/showthread.php?tid=240)
Homemade Laundry Detergent - FrodoSwaggins - 03-29-2025
Has anyone made DIY laundry detergent? I've read about this idea dozens of times, but I never see any more scientific justification for the ingredients than "softens water." Seriously. I have no idea how laundry detergent works. DOES DIY laundry detergent work?
All the recipes I see are various ratios of the following:
- Washing Soda - Sodium Carbonate(always present) - Sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃), also known as soda ash, has a pH of around 11.5 in aqueous solutions, making it a strong base.
- Borax - Disodium Tetraborate (always present) - Disodium tetraborate (also known as borax or sodium tetraborate decahydrate) has a pH of around 9.2 when dissolved in water, making it a weakly alkaline solution.
- Epsom Salts - Magnesium Sulfate (often listed) - Slightly acidic, with a pH typically between 5 and 7.
- Kosher Salt - Sodium Chloride (sometimes listed) - Ph around 7 in water.
- A grated soap bar - lye and fat, presumably (Fels Naptha usually, though the formula has changed for that product) (often listed)
- Baking Soda - Sodium Bicarbonate (sometimes listed) - Sodium bicarbonate, also known as baking soda, has a pH of around 8.3 in a 0.1 molar aqueous solution at 77°F (25°C) and is considered slightly alkaline.
If you're softening water by taking out some of the minerals, I'm not sure how much some of these mineral ingredients make sense. Like, why would you want to wash your clothing in salt water? Anyway, I suspect that the ph has a lot to deal with it and what we're really doing, at least with homemade detergents, is to create an alkali solution (so, a base) to dissolve the stains and remove them with mechanical agitation.
If anyone has any more info or experience with effective DIY detergents, or understands any of the chemistry, let me know!
RE: Homemade Laundry Detergent - gorzek - 03-29-2025
Have you done the math on whether this is worth the labor and ingredients? Just wondering.
RE: Homemade Laundry Detergent - FrodoSwaggins - 03-29-2025
I have done the math! And the answer is, it's cost effective if you get the ingredients cheap enough (obviously). But yeah a lot of times that's tough. If you have hard water, you're gonna need stronger detergent too.