1 4 lb. box Baking Soda (NaHCO3) - pH 8.3
1 box Borax (Na2B4O7·10H2O) - pH 9.5
1 tub OxiClean (Na2CO. H2O2)
True Soap (Castile, Zote, FelzNaptha. Ivory, Yardly, Kirks, Etc.) Depending of the variety I use 2-4 bars.
Smell good boosters (this batch was made with Downy Unstopables sweet sizzle)
I was curious why home made detergent works so well, so i began to examine the chemical break down. After examining the results, I discovered I am wasting my money by adding OxiClean. SHOCK! So this is the break down:
One of the active ingredients in OxiClean is sodium percarbonate, an adduct of sodium carbonate (see super wash soda) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Sodium percarbonate (OxiClean powder) must be added to water to be activated. When activated, it breaks down into hydrogen peroxide and sodium carbonate in solution. The bubbling action, or the release of oxygen molecules, loosens stain molecules from fibers so they can be rinsed away. Chemically, it is like a solid form of hydrogen peroxide which releases oxygen when water is added. Quite simply, the way it is made is by simply treating sodium corbonate with hydrogen peroxide!
Why is it a waste to add the OxiClean? The Borax, when dissolved in hot water, breaks down into hydrogen peroxide. Now add the super wash soda and you get OxiClean.
Why does the detergent work so well? Washing soda breaks some of the molecular bonds in water making water "wetter" and lowering the surface tension of the water so that the soap can be more effective. Borax has many chemical properties that contribute to its cleaning power. Borax and other borates clean and bleach by converting some water molecules to hydrogen peroxide. The pH of borax is about 9.5, so it produces a basic solution in water, thereby increasing the effectiveness of bleach and other cleaners. Borates bonds with other particles to keep ingredients dispersed evenly in a mixture, which maximizes the surface area of active particles to enhance cleaning power. Baking soda softens water by binding with Calcium and Magnesium forming solid, which can be rinsed off the fabric. Castile soap provides a clean, fluffy lather in both hard and soft water. Potassium hydroxide converts the oils into soap and glycerine, thus requiring less water for a lather than traditional liquid soap. When used for cleaning, soap allows insoluble particles to become soluble in water and then be rinsed away. The cleansing action of soap is determined by its polar and non-polar structures in conjunction with an application of solubility principles. The long hydrocarbon chain is non-polar and hydrophobic (repelled by water). The "salt" end of the soap molecule is ionic and hydrophilic (water soluble). For example: oil/fat is insoluble in water, but when a couple of drops of dish soap are added to the mixture, the oil/fat apparently disappears. The insoluble oil/fat molecules become associated inside micelles, tiny spheres formed from soap molecules with polar hydrophilic (water-attracting) groups on the outside and encasing a lipophilic (fat-attracting) pocket, which shields the oil/fat molecules from the water making it soluble. Anything that is soluble will be washed away with the water.
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