Several people have asked how I liked the homemade laundry soap and dryer balls and if they really work; you can read our original post with the recipe, etc. here.  So, here’s our update!

Yes, the homemade laundry soap works, even on my cloth diapers!  The original recipe called for the castile soap Fels Naptha which ended up giving DH a rash so the last batch I made had a handmade goat milk soap in it. (No, I bought that one and didn’t make it myself.  I still haven’t figured out how work soap making back into life after baby.)  We all seem to be doing just fine after the switch and, to be honest, that Fels scent was really strong and it’s not the best soap out there ingredient wise. 

(Note – I did finally make a batch of  this old fashioned lye soap recipe from Frugally Sustainable which isn’t super-fatted like most bathing soaps; being fatty is a fine quality in a bath soap, not so much in a laundry soap.  This recipe creates a soap that doesn’t leave a residue, therefore it cleans a little bit better.) 

 I’ve been pleased with the results from the detergent, though, especially with my &*(%%*$ HE washing machine which is always stinky no matter how we clean it out.  I usually throw in a bit of white vinegar along with my detergent as a fabric softener/extra cleaner.  I should also mention that I’m still using Resolve to treat stains; my next project will be to mix up some sort of homemade concoction for stain treatment but I haven’t gotten around to it yet.  Hey, the world should just be happy that I remember to brush my teeth, ok?!

As for the dryer balls – those things are very cool!  I will add a bit of my awesome fragrance oils from The Sage to a ball now and then to scent the laundry with great results.  The balls do just as well as dryer sheets with no chemicals and I’m not throwing anything away.  The balls struggle with synthetic fibers and static just as much as dryer sheets do but nothing could hope to conquer those things – especially those new soft fleece blankets!  (Polyester is annoying on many levels.)  One of my balls made with yarn and not just fleece has come loose but I’ll just re-felt it and it should be fine.

So, there you go!  Let me know if you have something to add or a better way of doing it – I’m always happy to learn!

This post was shared at The Creative Homeacre Hop, Wildcrafting Wednesday, Frugally Sustainable, The HomeAcre Hop, Eco Kids Tuesday