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Post by mnjrutherford on Apr 5, 2010 20:17:46 GMT -5
Okay, that's GReat!! I'm relieved that it turned out to be a Positive experience after all.  ::HugZ:: I would call it a "Super Soapy" experience  |
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Post by mnjrutherford on Apr 5, 2010 20:24:48 GMT -5
hmm Soaps Gone Buy has Castille... I THINK, it was on sale for .99? I think it was something that I purchased as well. I'm just starting on this soap making foray so I really can't say much more than that.
I CAN tell you that dish soap should (typically) have more "surfactant" that other soaps. That's what gets grease and gunk off. The "natural" and "environmentally friendly" dish soaps actually have more surfactants than the regular varieties. This was very important to us because one of our first lines of defense against poison oak/ivy/sumac is bathing with dish soap to get rid of pretty much all the oils. Dunno if that's any help. But knowing that bit about the surfactant may be helpful.
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Post by silverseeds on Apr 5, 2010 20:47:52 GMT -5
....... This was very important to us because one of our first lines of defense against poison oak/ivy/sumac is bathing with dish soap to get rid of pretty much all the oils. Dunno if that's any help. But knowing that bit about the surfactant may be helpful. fels nafta a bar laundry soap works great for that as well. It is also good when you all ready have poison ivy, it will dry it out, and it won't itch as much. |
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Apr 5, 2010 22:25:29 GMT -5
hmm Soaps Gone Buy has Castille... I THINK, it was on sale for .99? I think it was something that I purchased as well. I'm just starting on this soap making foray so I really can't say much more than that. that bit about the surfactant may be helpful. Okay, now I see where the difference lies with Castile. Soapsgonebuy has it in bar form. What I was looking at in the health food store was a jug of liquid Castile. No wonder it was so expensive by comparison Surfactants...Are they little ants that rise to the surface in the dishwater??  |
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Post by mnjrutherford on Apr 6, 2010 10:47:21 GMT -5
Surfactants...Are they little ants that rise to the surface in the dishwater?? ::snickering:: Absolutely! ;D ;D ;D ;D And after you wash them, dip them in chocolate and you have a very nice snack!   |
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Post by mnjrutherford on Apr 6, 2010 10:51:29 GMT -5
fels nafta a bar laundry soap works great for that as well. It is also good when you all ready have poison ivy, it will dry it out, and it won't itch as much. I read that! I'm wondering though, why? Is it the surfactant issue again and therefore should be used ASAP after exposure? Or is it some other action by some other agent and therefore better used once the itching and blisters set in? Do you happen to know? I did order a couple extra bars for this very reason, but knowing WHEN to use something is important. |
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Post by mnjrutherford on Apr 6, 2010 19:56:33 GMT -5
I got my package from "Soaps Gone Buy" today! It wasn't due till tomorrow, coming a day early is a plus in my book. I would recommend them as a source of supply with the caveat that you should plan on patience because the order may take awhile. That is ok with me. I think it's kind of freaky to order something from Amazon or eBay and it shows up on your doorstep 24 hours later. The SGB folks are friendly and I imagine VERY busy. So, give them a try and tell them I sent you!
OH! Nearly forgot Blue... I did get the castile bars and they were .99. I'm thinking that you might be able to call them and see if they can source the liquid castile for a better price? Might be worth a shot!
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Apr 6, 2010 21:28:26 GMT -5
Thanks for the suggestion Jo. I think I'll check prices in some of the areas that Paintman visits regularly when working. Perhaps he can pick me up some somewhere along the way without involving International Shipping prices and Customs Brokers, lol
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Post by mnjrutherford on Apr 7, 2010 6:36:59 GMT -5
There you go! That might be the ticket there! Have him look for the chocolate surfactants while he's at it too! ;o)
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Post by mnjrutherford on Apr 13, 2010 9:16:27 GMT -5
Hey, just a little catch up here... I've been using vinegar in the washing machine softener dispenser and only 1/8 th cup of soap per load (Bosch front loader, 3.7 cu ft) for a couple weeks now. Mike and Robby both claim that they don't feel so itchy and with 1 exception, there hasn't been any sign of static coming out of the dryer. The detergent I'm using is a fragrance/colorant free variety, Kirkland brand I think. I'm going to make the liquid version of the homemade soap today and see how that goes. ALSO, I've made an online purchase from a company called Monterey Bay Spice. www.herbco.com/ I ordered lavender EO as well as a several bulk dried herbs. I'll let you know about the experience once the order is received. |
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Post by grunt on Apr 13, 2010 23:55:39 GMT -5
Jo: As sensitive as I am to detergents/additives, all I do here is run each load through twice = once with a reduced amount of detergent, then once without. It makes all the difference in the world. Of course, I have the advantage of unmetered water usage, so it doesn't cost me anything extra but the power for the washer.
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Post by mnjrutherford on Apr 14, 2010 5:35:23 GMT -5
Jo: As sensitive as I am to detergents/additives, all I do here is run each load through twice = once with a reduced amount of detergent, then once without. It makes all the difference in the world. Of course, I have the advantage of unmetered water usage, so it doesn't cost me anything extra but the power for the washer. For me, the water is no big deal either. But doing each load twice would take forever. We run about 12 loads per week, 6 on Mondays and at least 1 every other day of the week EXCEPT Sunday. Still, with 1/8 c. of soap and the vinegar rinse, we are noticing some improvements. A friend asked me how the clothes smelled after being rinsed with vinegar and I told her they just smell clean and I let her sniff a fresh towel and she was very surprised how nice it smelled. Frankly, I was rather surprised myself. I expected everything to come out smelling like it needed some tomatoes, croutons, and olive oil! I made my first batch of laundry soap yesterday. I don't have a 2 gallon container, just 1 1/2 gallon... so the mixture may not be as thick next time. It has a wonderful, thick, gelatinous quality to it. If I stir it, it breaks up a bit and has a slightly more liquid quality to it. I'm planning to see what occurs when I put a whisk to it later today. I need to bottle it up and I don't think it will pour very well so I have a very wide mouth plastic jar I'm thinking of using. I think I'll want to be able to dip the stuff out with a measure cup. OH! What do you have to say about Oxy-Clean? Any comments on that? Good or bad? |
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Apr 14, 2010 7:48:42 GMT -5
Here's a consumer report on it. Seems to cover all bases as far as I can see. The only thing that REALLY concerns me is that it has difficulty removing Tomato Stains...Off all the things to be a problem...You might have to give up Tomatoes www.consumersearch.com/as-seen-on-tv/oxiclean |
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Post by mnjrutherford on Apr 14, 2010 9:24:27 GMT -5
Thanks for that link Blue! I followed up on it and seems that I can happily live without it except when I clean the carpet. It REALLY works a charm on the carpet spots! But adding it to each and every load of laundry? Nahhhh... I've got my third load with homemade soap going right now. This is a pretty darn interesting experiment thus far. We changed from our winter to summer sheets this week and Mike has been itching like crazy since Tuesday. The sheets get changed on Mondays. It occurred to me last night that the soap thing might be the problem so I'm washing another set of sheets with the new regimen. I just adore clean sheets and I get to have them twice in one week?!?! Wow, talk about luxury! |
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Apr 14, 2010 10:02:23 GMT -5
I used a solution of Washing Soda, hot water and vinegar to clean a pet urine mess on a bedroom carpet when we first moved into this house. It helped with the stench but not entirely. The previous owner also overflowed a Vaporizer on the carpet and left the Vicks solution to harden in the pile of the rug, which I was not able to remove. So we ripped the old carpet out. Then I washed the floor down with a solution of Ammonia, Baking Soda and Vinegar. The smell is gone. And once I finish patching the holes in the wall and painting, we are installing new carpet. The link for the carpet cleaning solution is no longer available, but I found you another interesting website that deals with chemical sensitivities and the reasons why you should be using homemade cleaners for the health of your family. www.eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm |
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