In pursuit of the Selfsufficientish Laundry

[Shirley]

http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr ... CAN=COMIND

Looks like sapindus - am not sure whether it can be grown in the UK but perhaps possible in some warmer parts.

Will be interesting to research this.

[ina]

Looks like sapindus

Name sounds soapy already

[The Chili Monster]

Hi all you can find out more about this plant:

http://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide ... cfm?ID=152

[ina]

I like this kind of comment... (From Shirley's link)

One report says that this species will probably not survive long outdoors in Britain, even though it is the hardiest member of the genus[1]. Another says that it is quite hardy in Britain[11] whilst a third says that it can tolerate temperatures down to about -7°c[200]. A specimen planted at Kew in 1987 was 2½ metres tall and looking very healthy in August 1999[K].

The report is similarly exact in other places:

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils

The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils

So according to this, it should grow just about everywhere. Great!!! Let's all plant the soap tree and stop buying washing powder!

[nick]

Have just had a chance to look at the link Nev. Haven't seen that one before, only their new site advertising the book. Found it interesting reading what variety of trees and how many were grown.
As a cross against using fabric softener, I have just been to a linen party and they recommended not using it on their towel as it builds up and prevent the absorption of water, instead use vinegar. This is also meant to clean the pipes in the washing machine. must be on the right track after all.

[Wombat]

Sounds interesting, how much vinegar and at what point do you add it?

Nev

[nick]

I use close to 1/4 cup (usually a bit under) of home brand white vinegar. My washing machine has a bit in it so you can add the softener when you set the machine. I'm pretty sure it gets 'released' during the rinse.

[ina]

Should do - or if the machine doesn't have a compartment for softener, add during the final rinse. It always annoys me when people use softener for their towels, even tea towels - don't they notice that these towels, soft as they may be, don't actually do their job anymore?

[Chickenlady]

We have been discussing how to make home made washing gloop on another forum - could be the same as your laundry gel Nev. This is what one of the women said:

"One bar of plain bath soap ( pure T***o own I think less than 30p a bar) grate, into 8 pints of really hot water, ( the type you get after running the hot tap for a couple of mins) add soap to water, let disolve, then add half cup of soda crystals, stir well. About this time i forget all about it and when i return hrs later it has a skin on the top, I just mix this well up, oh and its great to put you hands in and play with, I then use a jug to move gloop to huge empty squash bottle and use as required. I add some white vinegar to the fabric softner draw, the amount depends on my mood, but i guess prob about 3-4 table spoons, I also then add a couple of drops of lavender or something to the vinegar ( I get it from wilkos for 99p for a little bottle) "


So, there you go! I suppose using your own home-made soap and fermenting your own vinegar would be the way to go for pure self sufficiency! I will give it a go with shop bought soap first!

[glenniedragon]

What does the vinegar do? how does it make clothes softer without messing up their absorbancy qualities?

does it just ensure a thougher rinse at the end?

Kind, but curious, thoughts
Deb

[Chickenlady]

I have no idea how it works, but it is very often recommended as a softener in discussions about frugality or being green. Have to say I never use softener anyway - it is one of those unnecessary products thought up by the marketing people IMO. I will try the vinegar next time I wash a load of towels.

[hedgewizard]

If the soapnut tree will grow in New England, it'll grow here (in the south, anyway). Potential here for trading, methinks!

[The Chili Monster]

Hi all

Phosphates used to be added to soap so that it would lather in hard water areas (i.e. acts as a softener). As we know, this practice was pretty much abandoned when it was noticed that this encouraged the growth of algae in seas, rivers and lakes thus cutting off oxygen to the fish population.

A modern alternative is to use sodium carbonate and sometimed EDTA ( a catch-all molecule that also finds use as an additive because of it's ability to "trap" other chemicals).

Metal phosphates and carbonates split to lower the pH of the water, likewise citric and acetic (vinegar) acids.

Acetic acid is such a weak acid that given the volumes of water involved in the laundry process it is not going to do your clothes any harm.

That's it, School's out.

[Muddypause]

I gotta ask...

I mean this vinegar-in-the-final-rinse business.

How can I put this...

Do your best friends avoid you?
Do you get more soap than usual for Christmas?
Do people leave magazines open at adverts for deodourants?

Doesn't it make you a bit...err...whiffy?

[nick]

How can I put this...

Do your best friends avoid you?
Do you get more soap than usual for Christmas?
Do people leave magazines open at adverts for deodourants

Friends - what friends they all think I'm a bit nuts just growing veges, I wouldn't dare let on about anything else
You can't smell the vinegar after the towels have dried.
rarely get soap for Christmas.
If you have time to even think about magazines, you need my kids for a little while

you use the vinegar in replacement for fabric softener (over priced and over rated) usually on sheets and towels.

Have been looking at attemping to make some soap at home. a site I was looking at last night (can't remember which one) said that the soap made from beef fat made a hard, low lather soap. apparently if a certain lye:fat ratio the soap is so hard that the authors Mother just put the cake of soap in the machine. A cake of soap lasted for many washes.

For homemade soap and lotions I found this site to use mostly easy to get ingredients http://members.aol.com/oelaineo/directions.html