Home-made Laundry Detergent for Microfibers?

[Alek@DeepClean]

Does/has anyone else here used home made laundry detergent for their microfibers? I've used it for a few years on all my regular laundry(thrifty college student living). Not long ago, after running out of Microfiber detergent, I decided to give it a try on my towels. Came out JUST as clean, soft, and fluffy as with the $$$$$ microfiber detergent I had convinced myself was necessary.

The more I thought about it, the more sense it made. Home made detergent has no bleach, no fragrances, etc. Aren't these properties the same ones we love about MF detergents? At about 3 cents a load, the home made detergent is a winner in my book.

 

[spiralout462]

I was thinking about this the other day. My wife and her sister got into the homemade soap thing but I never thought to use it for MF's until recently. Maybe I'll try a couple beat up towels tonight......hmm?

 

[cleanmycorolla]

How does one make homemade laundry detergent? Considering I have enough microfiber cleaner for a lifetime, I'd still like to know if it requires some special skills, ever since a kid I've always loved mixing things....

 

[Dr_Pain]

I have by mistake. The one that my wife makes is extremely economical as you pointed out but she does have a fabric softener in hers. She promised me she would make a batch specifically for me. I did notice the my towels were not absorbing as well and also noticed they they were more fluffy then usual. I hope to keep the fluff but not the absorption.

It did get better when I rewashed them. I will post the outcome when she makes me one. I will also break down the cost per load and show a before and after.

 

[cartman57]

Google......ain't it amazing?
Just looked it up, very simple ingredients too!

Homemade soap........I think of Tyler Durdin in Fight Club

 

[silverfox]

The dedicated MF wash products rate right up there with foaming products in my book...a market created by hype, and completely unnecessary...in order to achieve excellent results.

To each their own.

 

[Alek@DeepClean]

How does one make homemade laundry detergent? Considering I have enough microfiber cleaner for a lifetime, I'd still like to know if it requires some special skills, ever since a kid I've always loved mixing things....

Don't worry, you don't have to be Dr. G to make laundry detergent! :xyxthumbs:


Ingredients:
1 Bar Laundry Soap(Fels Naptha and Kote are 2 popular brands. I personally use Fels Naptha)
1 Cup Borax
1 Cup Washing Soda(Different from Baking Soda, still made by Arm and Hammer though)

Process:
1. Grate the bar of soap with a cheese grater or in a food processor/blender. Finer is better, but don't kill yourself over it. And don't let the wife catch you using her good cheese grater!:bash:
2. Mix all the ingredients together in a tupperware container, mason jar, whatever.

Use 2 tablespoons of detergent in your normal load of laundry. Since my microfiber loads are usually considerably smaller, I use 1 tbsp per load of MFs. Hasn't let me down yet! My towels are just as clean, static-y. and absorbent as ever.

I have by mistake. The one that my wife makes is extremely economical as you pointed out but she does have a fabric softener in hers. She promised me she would make a batch specifically for me. I did notice the my towels were not absorbing as well and also noticed they they were more fluffy then usual. I hope to keep the fluff but not the absorption.

It did get better when I rewashed them. I will post the outcome when she makes me one. I will also break down the cost per load and show a before and after.

Sounds like what happened when my roommate decided to wash my MFs for me.... with fabric softener! Defintely report back once your wife makes you a softener-free batch, I'd be willing to bet it comes out a lot better.

 

[PiPUK]

The bleach and fragrances are not the enemy, it is the softeners which destroy the absorption. That said, if you do have this problem, it is not permanent and washing several times with a cationic free powder will remove the trouble.

 

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

Don't worry, you don't have to be Dr. G to make laundry detergent! :xyxthumbs:


Ingredients:
1 Bar Laundry Soap(Fels Naptha and Kote are 2 popular brands. I personally use Fels Naptha)
1 Cup Borax
1 Cup Washing Soda(Different from Baking Soda, still made by Arm and Hammer though)

Process:
1. Grate the bar of soap with a cheese grater or in a food processor/blender. Finer is better, but don't kill yourself over it. And don't let the wife catch you using her good cheese grater!:bash:
2. Mix all the ingredients together in a tupperware container, mason jar, whatever.

Use 2 tablespoons of detergent in your normal load of laundry. Since my microfiber loads are usually considerably smaller, I use 1 tbsp per load of MFs. Hasn't let me down yet! My towels are just as clean, static-y. and absorbent as ever.

My wife makes the same soap listed above but im not so sure about using it on my Deluxe and miracle Cobras. I would rather use a dedicated towel cleaner just for mf towels.

 

[Mike Burke]

I like to use the "home made laundry detergent" for my pads....works great.

 

[Dr_Pain]

I like to use the "home made laundry detergent" for my pads....works great.

Holy cow.... never thought to that. Capital idea, Mike!

I have a couple of dirty pads... I will have to give that a try (as soon as the wife make a softener free version).

I did restore my MF with a rewash and a vinegar rinse. Only needed one wash to get my waffle weave and cobras back on task.

 

[KBsToy]

Whats on sell at Ollies and a vinegar rinse. Wife yells at me for leaving extra rinse cycle on

No fabric softner in product.....

 

[HardLineDetail]

I use Tide, the powder one. I also throw a bit of vinegar into the load and they come out spanking new and soft. I wash them with hot water, no softeners.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using AG Online

 

[PiPUK]

Another little thought for anyone who cares...

Softeners etc. are generally considered bad for microfibres because they can tend to inhibit the water absorption of the cloth. That is fine and we agree on that much. But what if you are not using the cloth for that? What if you are using the cloth for wiping or buffing? In this case, you might argue that softeners and similar will result in a microfibre which is less inclined to 'grab' and which will more easily glide over the surface. So in that regard, is such a cloth not going to give the potential for a more pleasant experience with less chance of inducing damage at this late stage?

 

[CM8 6MT]

Yeah.....just get dedicated MF cleaners guys. Its not that other house hold products dont work as good or what not, but this is why I pay for a dedicated product. Companies take the guesswork out of it, and the MF cleaner/solution is ready to use and keeps me focused on more important things, like creating a swirl free finish. The last thing I want to be worrying about is if my "home made" cleaning solution works or damaging my premium towels over time.

 

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

Yeah.....just get dedicated MF cleaners guys. Its not that other house hold products dont work as good or what not, but this is why I pay for a dedicated product. Companies take the guesswork out of it, and the MF cleaner/solution is ready to use and keeps me focused on more important things, like creating a swirl free finish. The last thing I want to be worrying about is if my "home made" cleaning solution works or damaging my premium towels over time.

Couldnt agree more.

Guys you should really use products made for their intended purpose instead of playing made scientists with your own concoctions.

 

[Ohio Detailing]

Couldnt agree more.

Guys you should really use products made for their intended purpose instead of playing made scientists with your own concoctions.

I'm not in any type of imaginable way trying to argue here... but the above statement is really contradictory to what progress and the overarching detailing industry is all about - trial/error and the pursuit of new methods to achieve greater results while maintaining a viable cost/benefits ratio (especially for those of us in this as a career/profession).

Trying to stifle someone's (or an entire group) creative and enterprising spirit of process improvement and refinement is really the antithesis of what we do and why we do it. In both theory and practical application all we do is experiment with chemicals, waxes, products, dilution ratios and so forth. So the premise of your contention seems really outside of any germane logic.

So we aren't playing "made scientists" as you stated with not-so-veiled sarcastic ridicule, they/we are trying to invest our efforts and collective passions toward the ultimate unified end-result of achieving a superior outcome for both our bottom-line as well as the satisfaction of our clientele; while avoiding paying needlessly inflated retail prices for so-called specialty products that we can reproduce at 1/10th of the cost.

 

[Tools17]

I like to use the "home made laundry detergent" for my pads....works great.

So how do you wash your pads with it? Do you put them in washing machine? I have wondered if it was necessary to use the pad cleaners? Can someone please inform me?

Thanks

 

[CM8 6MT]

I'm not in any type of imaginable way trying to argue here... but the above statement is really contradictory to what progress and the overarching detailing industry is all about - trial/error and the pursuit of new methods to achieve greater results while maintaining a viable cost/benefits ratio (especially for those of us in this as a career/profession).



Trying to stifle someone's (or an entire group) creative and enterprising spirit of process improvement and refinement is really the antithesis of what we do and why we do it. In both theory and practical application all we do is experiment with chemicals, waxes, products, dilution ratios and so forth. So the premise of your contention seems really outside of any germane logic.



So we aren't playing "made scientists" as you stated with not-so-veiled sarcastic ridicule, they/we are trying to invest our efforts and collective passions toward the ultimate unified end-result of achieving a superior outcome for both our bottom-line as well as the satisfaction of our clientele; while avoiding paying needlessly inflated retail prices for so-called specialty products that we can reproduce at 1/10th of the cost.

I understand what your trying to say, but in that case might as well make your own:

Wash
Wax
IPA
APC
...etc

I agree with you that some "specialty" products are overly priced. I wont mention any brand names just so people dont cry. You and I are professional detailers and we already get products at a heavily discounted price, with that said there are some true tested products that work better than anything you can make yourself at home.

 

[lsdreem]

I use OXY CLEAN. Had a big box leftover and it works great.