4Real Forums: I need laundry detergent recommendations

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Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry

Topic: I need laundry detergent recommendations

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pumpkinmom
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Posted: Jan 26 2015 at 6:40pm \| IP Logged

I have Boy Scouts and when they come home from a camp out everything stinks like camp fire. I have a sensitive nose and I'm greatly bothered by that smell. Laundry starts as soon as they walk in the door! But, I have yet to find a detergent that can get rid of that smell.

I normally use unscented detergents (usually Target brand and occasionally All if it is on sale for an awesome price, I like Target better but can't resist a good sale). Even though I think they do a fine job of cleaning they can't do anything about the smell.

Everything else I have used is really smelly and then I get the smelly detergent and camp fire smell all in one! So far that has been Gain and Tide Sport.

I had a few people tell me to use vinegar and that didn't work either.

Any other recommendations?

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Cassie
Homeschooling my little patch of Ds-14 and Ds-10
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guitarnan
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Posted: Jan 26 2015 at 6:46pm \| IP Logged

We use Wisk. I have an Eagle Scout (well, both father and son are Eagles) and I have done my fair share of gross campout laundry. I can't recall a single time that I washed my son's clothing/uniform/towels and noticed a campfire smell afterward.

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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.

JodieLyn
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Posted: Jan 26 2015 at 7:04pm \| IP Logged

Just remember that smoke is GREASY and so you need a good degreaser. The absolute worst is my dh's work clothes when they're doing control burning. Mix of smoke and diesel/gas mix.

I finally found that Pinesol while strong smelling itself gets out the smoke.

Most campfires don't need that much though.

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Jodie, wife to Dave
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cathhomeschool
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Texas Bluebonnets

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Posted: Jan 26 2015 at 10:28pm \| IP Logged

We don't have smoke smells, but really awful sweat smells after intense summer soccer games. Somehow smells just stick to that "under armor" type exercise fabric. The only things that work are oxiclean or a little bit of bleach (I mix with water so that it doesn't leave spots on the clothing) along with the detergent -or- pinesol.

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Janette (4 boys - 22, 21, 15, 14)

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JodieLyn
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Posted: Jan 26 2015 at 10:46pm \| IP Logged

So interesting side note.. because we do reenacting we have wool capes and coats that get worn around campfires.. they lose smoke smell just by airing on the clothesline for about 24 hrs.

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Jodie, wife to Dave
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organiclilac
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Posted: Jan 27 2015 at 11:24am \| IP Logged

I use BioKleen for the campfire smell, plus a vinegar rinse. That usually does it. Anything that still smells a little smokey afterward usually airs out pretty quickly.

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Tracy, wife to Shawn, mama to Samuel (4/01) and Joseph (11/11), and Thomas (2/15)

CrunchyMom
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Posted: Jan 27 2015 at 11:40am \| IP Logged

I use an unscented detergent, too (Charlie's Soap), but with smelly things, I usually add an oxygen bleach that takes care of the smell.

For grease stains, I use Lestoil, so if grease is an issue like Jodie says, I imagine it would help. Dh's mother used to use it on his mechanic father's work clothes.

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Lindsay
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Becky Parker
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Posted: Jan 30 2015 at 6:52am \| IP Logged

Has anyone tried making your own laundry detergent? My friend swears by a recipe that calls for a
Fels-Naptha soap bar, Arm & Hammer Washing Soda, and Borax. I keep meaning to try it but I haven't yet because it seems a bit labor intensive. It would save an awful lot of money though!

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Becky
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cathhomeschool
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Texas Bluebonnets

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Posted: Jan 30 2015 at 9:30am \| IP Logged

I haven't, but I do sometimes add borax to my laundry to act as a stain and smell remover.

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Janette (4 boys - 22, 21, 15, 14)

organiclilac
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Posted: Jan 30 2015 at 11:59am \| IP Logged

I did the homemade recipe for several years. It was ok. I didn't think it was noticeably better or worse than anything else. I didn't find it too labor-intensive, as I was able to fairly quickly mix up a huge batch in a big bucket that would last for a long time. I switched to BioKleen when I had a baby and needed something better for diapers. I think that the BioKleen works better, but not by a huge margin. It probably depends on your water.

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Tracy, wife to Shawn, mama to Samuel (4/01) and Joseph (11/11), and Thomas (2/15)

JodieLyn
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Posted: Jan 30 2015 at 12:01pm \| IP Logged

I'm not convinced that the homemade recipes would save that much money. By the time I get the borax and washing soda and fels naptha (though I have a friend that uses homemade soap).. and I buy the generic on sale.

Plus I'm almost sure what makes the best laundry soap will depend as much on the water where you are as the soap.

When we were in Tucson AZ, mixing laundry soap half and half with borax worked amazingly, here in Oregon, I don't really see a difference by doing so.

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Jodie, wife to Dave
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Becky Parker
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Posted: Jan 30 2015 at 4:55pm \| IP Logged

JodieLyn wrote:

Plus I'm almost sure what makes the best laundry soap will depend as much on the water where you are as the soap.

When we were in Tucson AZ, mixing laundry soap half and half with borax worked amazingly, here in Oregon, I don't really see a difference by doing so.

This is interesting. We have very hard water.

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Becky
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Kristie 4
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Posted: Jan 30 2015 at 5:22pm \| IP Logged

I found the homemade stuff built up in my front loader and made it smell horrible (and I am an adamant door leaver opener!). I don't think it ever dissolved well enough in our very chilly winter water (even on warm!)>

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Kristie in Canada
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JodieLyn
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Posted: Jan 30 2015 at 5:31pm \| IP Logged

I feel your pain Kristie.. here in the winter my warm water setting on the washer really only means.. warmer than liquid icicles.. it doesn't mean actually being warm water.

pumpkinmom
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Posted: Jan 30 2015 at 10:01pm \| IP Logged

Thanks everyone! I think I will purchase Wisk next time to give it a try. I may get some Borax too. If I get desperate I will go for some Pinesol but that's highly unlikely as the smell makes me gag

(I'll take the smoke smell).

My mom makes her own laundry detergent and she buys detergent to use on my dad's laundry (he works in construction) as it doesn't get out the stains and smells. I don't make my own as I don't see it as a money saver but I might think differently if I had a larger family. Target brand does just as good as Tide and it cost $7 and last me 6 weeks.

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Cassie
Homeschooling my little patch of Ds-14 and Ds-10
Tending the Pumpkin Patch

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