How can you make high-quality washing gel with your own hands?

Despite the variety and relative availability of detergents, modern housewives are in no hurry to abandon homemade analogues. Today, many have learned to make laundry gel with their own hands and successfully use it to combat stubborn stains and traces of mold on laundry. It is quite simple to prepare an effective product; most often, a crumb of laundry, baby or antibacterial soap is used to create the base.

Craftsmen have even developed a recipe for a homemade fabric softener, which is not only absolutely safe for things, but also has a positive effect on the condition of the washing machine. Folk remedies have many additional positive properties. True, the approach also has certain specifics that should not be forgotten.

Advantages and disadvantages of homemade gels

You don't need to be an experienced chemist to understand how detergents work. It’s also easy to determine the advantages of homemade compositions compared to industrial analogues:

1. All detergent compositions contain surfactants, and they are responsible for the quality of dirt removal. These components contained in ready-made mixtures are so aggressive that they wash off the protective layer from hands during hand washing. Soap-based products usually do not carry this risk.
2. Washing powders often contain phosphates - drugs that remove very stubborn stains, but at the same time negatively affect the condition of the skin, immunity and nervous system of a person. When creating your own product, you don’t have to add them.
3. Unlike ready-made liquid powders, soap-based gels can work not only at low, but also at high temperatures.
4. Do not forget that homemade preparations are low in cost, easy to prepare and do not emit any strong unpleasant odors.
5. The components used to create such products have already been tested by housewives many times and are absolutely safe for humans, provided the recipes are followed.

Before you prepare the washing gel with your own hands, you need to familiarize yourself with the few disadvantages of the compositions:

1. A homemade soap-based preparation does not dissolve well in cold water. The temperature of the liquid during washing should be at least 40ºС.
2. Soda Ash is characterized by increased efficiency, but leads to fading of the color of products. To process bright items, it is recommended to prepare gels based on baking soda, although the quality of the result will decrease slightly.
3. Frequent use of a gel based on technical soda can cause rapid wear of the item, so this product should be added only in the presence of severe contamination.

To get the maximum effect from a homemade preparation, you must first soak the laundry. It is better to load the gel itself directly into the drum, otherwise a significant amount of the thick composition will remain on the walls of the tray. On average, for two kilograms of laundry you need to take a tablespoon of the product.

Tip: If you add a teaspoon of fine salt to the gel immediately before washing (regardless of the volume of the items), then the chances of preserving the bright color of the items will increase significantly.

Intensive gel made from soap and soda ash

This product actively fights stains, does not settle between the fibers and does not leave streaks after rinsing. It can be safely used to restore products made from any materials except natural wool and silk. For capricious fabrics, it is better to choose a more delicate care option.

To make an effective washing gel with your own hands, you need to perform the following manipulations:

• For 200 g of soap we will need the same amount of soda ash and about 2.5 liters of water. Soap can be any kind, but a product based on household soap has the maximum cleansing result.
• To prepare the product, we need a medium-sized container in which you can cook on the stove. It is worth considering that after such use the dishes can no longer be used for cooking.
• Rub the bar of soap on the finest grater, pour in 1.5 liters of water, mix and put on medium heat. Heat the mass, stirring constantly, reduce the heat to a minimum, the product should not boil.
• When the soap is completely dissolved and the product becomes homogeneous, add another 1 liter of water, stir and add soda. After adding this component, continue to stir the mass, preventing the formation of foam. The soda must completely dissolve, otherwise white streaks will appear on the products.
• Remove the finished mixture from the stove and cool in natural conditions. Let the product sit for a day, after which we pour it into suitable containers with a wide neck.

If already during the cooling process the mass has thickened too much, then it is allowed to introduce an additional portion of water and reheat the product. Ultimately, the product should become similar to medium-fat sour cream.

Homemade soap gel with borax and soda, which has disinfectant properties

Such a product not only effectively removes dirt, but also eliminates such an unpleasant phenomenon as mold. Thanks to the combination of laundry soap and borax, a pronounced disinfecting effect is achieved. If desired, essential oils can be added to the listed products. This step will allow you to obtain a fragrant composition, the pleasant smell of which will remain on things even after rinsing.

• For 5 liters of water you need to take 300 g of laundry, tar or antibacterial soap, baking soda and dry borax.
• Rub the soap on a fine grater. Pour half a liter of water into the pan and add soap. Place the mixture on the fire and heat it slowly, stirring constantly. It is strictly forbidden to pour boiling water into soap!
• After the product becomes homogeneous, slowly add the remaining components, without ceasing to stir the composition. Lastly, add the rest of the water in a thin stream.
• Then we heat the mass again, but not to a hot, but evenly warm state. We put the finished gel in a dry place for a day and only after that pour it into prepared containers.

The resulting product is much gentler than the previous one, so its amount for one wash can be increased to three tablespoons. It is not recommended to replace baking soda with technical soda; the mixture will be too aggressive.This composition has virtually no effect on the condition of the fibers and can be used to process items, including delicate ones, on a regular basis.

Home fabric softener vinegar based

Homemade soap-based products are great for cleaning, but they do not contain any ingredients that would have a softening effect on the fabric. But even here it is quite possible to do without industrial drugs. It is enough to prepare a specialized conditioner, again based on natural ingredients.

The procedure is very simple and does not even involve cooking or heating:

• We will need two glasses of white vinegar, baking soda and water, a few drops of essential oil without a strong odor.
• First, dissolve the soda in water, adding the powder in a thin stream. Having achieved dissolution, add vinegar without ceasing to stir the mixture. Changing the sequence of introduction of components is strictly prohibited, as this can lead to violent chemical reactions!

Tip: To prepare the conditioner, it is recommended to take a large container, because... the process of mixing drugs will be accompanied by the release of a significant amount of foam.

• When all the violent reactions are over, add no more than 10 drops of essential oil to the preparation, then thoroughly shake the resulting conditioner.
• The liquid composition is poured into plastic or glass bottles and used as needed. It must be stored in a dry and warm place, otherwise the product may thicken.

Ready-made conditioner is used for both machine and hand washing. It is introduced at the stage of rinsing products in the amount of 2-3 tablespoons.The composition not only allows you to get rid of soap residues between the fibers, but also removes static electricity from the fabric, softens the material, and gives the products a pleasant but unobtrusive smell.

According to experts, properly prepared homemade detergents are ideal for families with children, allergy sufferers and asthmatics. They reduce the need for contact with chemicals, their use is not accompanied by an abundance of dust, and after washing the laundry does not emit an intrusive odor or a whole mixture of aromas. This approach also has a positive effect on the family budget; the finished product is consumed very slowly, but does not lose its properties during long-term storage. You just need to make sure that the packaging is sealed.