Staining problem with Homemade Detergent

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  • August 17, 2011 at 7:59 pm
    Laura.bora
    Participant

    I’ve been making homemade Laundry Detergent for about a year now, and recently switched from using plain old Dial soap to Fels-Naptha.  Since I did that, I’ve been noticing that any sweat stains on our clothes are staining to a yellowish color.  I’m not entirely sure if it’s the fels-maptha, or something else.  Anyome have any suggestions?  Has anyone had a similar problem with homemade laundry detergents?  So many of our clothing is being ruined by this staining, which is not the effect I was going for!

    August 17, 2011 at 8:08 pm
    missingtheshire
    Member

    I will have to look it up, or maybe someone else can say for sure, but I think that white vinegar can get the yellow stains out of white clothes for example. I imagine you are likely talking other color clothes as well, so I will have to check and see if it is safe for that – but I read how it can help with white undershirts. Linda

    August 18, 2011 at 2:16 am
    lgeurink
    Member

    We use the Fels-Naptha but I do always run white vinegar through every load instead of fabric softener.  The only really yellow stains I get are on my husband’s undershirt collars and underarms after he has used them for quite a while.  I don’t see us going through his t-shirts faster than before we used the homemade detergent though so I have not connected the stains to the detergent, just guy sweat!  I do imagine that with the differences in water in different areas, that you may have different reactions in the chemicals used in different soaps but I don’t know for sure, just that is sounds plausible.  I think I have been no help!

    August 18, 2011 at 4:46 am
    Sue
    Participant

    The yellow stains are usually caused by your sweat’s acidic reaction to the aluminum salts in anti-perspirant. If you don’t use a commercial anti-perspirant, it can also mean you have higher levels of urea (a waste product) in your sweat. This can be due to a higher amount of protein in your diet, but everyone is different in terms of secreting wastes & toxins from the body. Perhaps switching to a deodorant only or an anti-perspirant without aluminum would help.

    I also read that applying a solution of equal parts baking soda, peroxide, and water to the stain & allowing it to sit for a half hour before washing is supposed to help. Line drying (especially in the sun) instead of in the dryer is better for this, too.

    August 18, 2011 at 2:15 pm
    Laura.bora
    Participant

    Lol…well, it’s not the deodorant doing this.  I’m noticing it mostly on my 8yo son and 5 yo daughters clothing, and they don’t use deodorant.  And I’ve noticed it on one of my shirts on an area I sweat, but don’t have deodorant there….. 

    I’ll try adding white vinegar to the wash and the baking soda, peroxide, water stain remover.  And when I finally go through all of this detergent, I’ll go back to using Dial instead of Fels Naptha!  Lol.

    Thanks everyone for suggestions!

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