Hi everyone, I made the laundry soap from the June questions on Laundry soap. But I have a question? What can I use for my dish soap I seem to use alot and it costs so much can I make my own that will cut the grease. Can I use the Fels or is that only for laundry? Kim in WI

-- Kim Baker (kbaker@mhtc.net), September 17, 2000

Answers

All I do is buy a largge bottle of Ivory liquid ( about $2.00 at the dollar store ) and cut it in half with water. I save an old bottle to do this in . It does the same job, just as many suds, and does the same amount of dishes.

-- Sherry (Calfarm@msn.com), September 17, 2000.

I use the gallon jugs of dairy scrub. (not the acid rinse, but the soap) Around here it goes for $5, and a little goes a long way.

-- Connie (Connie@lunehaven.com), September 17, 2000.

A bottle of dish detergent will last a LONG TIME if you measure it out instead of just squirting. Keep a 1/4 teaspoon nearby to use. I find that amount sufficient 99.99% of the time. ONE bottle lasts me YEARS.

-- Sandy (smd2@netzero.net), September 18, 2000.

Can a person use Fels-Naptha to wash dishes? What are it's uses?

-- Kim Baker (kbaker@mhtc.net), September 18, 2000.

I have also used the dairy soap and it's WONDERFUL! It is around $5 a gallon but you are right, it lasts forever. I have also done the thing with cutting the dish soap with water. I re-use the pump bottles for hand soap with the half-cut dish soap. But you really should try the dairy soap at least once. It's a better grease cutter than anything else I've ever used. And it doesn't have all that stinky perfume in it!

-- Gailann Schrader (gtschrader@aol.com), September 19, 2000.

I can't think of any reason why Fels Naptha wouldn't work for dishes. It is just a bar of soap. The biggest problem would be that most of us don't know how to use soap instead of detergents. You'll need to use HOT water to disolve it, and, depending on your water, you'll get little or no sudsing. Fels Naptha, or most any plain soap, will have a different smell, probably lower sudsing, and it won't have moisturizing ingredients in it. So keep a bottle of hand lotion near the sink and/or wash the dishes using gloves. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), September 19, 2000.

Where can I find this wonderful "dairy scrub" that Connie talks about?

-- Rags in Alabama (RaggedReb@aol.com), September 23, 2000.

My grandmother's dish soap was a bar of Sunlight soap. It was put into this little cage with a handle and swished in the dishpan to make suds. Then the whole thing was hung up to dry and the dishes washed in the soapy water. A pack of two bars goes for about $3 here and it worked for her. Its a good stain pretreat soap for clothes too.

-- Alison in NS (aproteau@istar.ca), October 03, 2000.

Can you just use home made lye soap to wash dishes and clothes?I plan on trying to make lye soap in the next week or so.It would be nice to be able to grate it and somehow mix it and use it for dishes,clothes, body and shampoo.Can this be done?Also can vegitable oil be used to make lye soap instead of lard?

-- david young (dbcy@netscape.net), October 12, 2000.

this is the correct address

-- david young (dbcy@zoomnet.net), October 13, 2000.

all you need is 3$'s worth of bubble bath (johnsons) witch will last you ages if you measure it out properly also a tea spoon of bicarb of soda works a treat.

-- Lorcan McNamee (lorcan_mcnamee@st-ives.school), April 04, 2001.