Homemade shampoo
 

Searching online because I like all natural homemade items and was wondering if anyone made their own shampoo/conditioner

i would be interested in this too. i have been making laundry soap for 6 months now, so much cheaper!

how do you do that?

I tried the DIY laundry soap & it just didn't work well for me. It didn't clean well & whites/lights started to look dingy. I thought having well water might be to blame (even though I have a water softener system). The stuff I made was using fels-naptha, borax & washing soda. Are you using the same ingredients or something different?

Right now, I'm back to using Persil.

yes i use 1 cup zote soap flakes (or you can grate a bar ),2 cups borax, and 2 cups arm & hammer washing soda, you can add oxy clean to help whiten . 2-3 tbsp per load. everything is in the laundry aisle. it doesn't suds up but still cleans. no one has complained yet.

Suds is highly overrated!!! I'm going to have to try this! I'm all for savng a buck everywhere I can!! Thanks for sharing!:)

I use an ACV shampoo that REALLY helps with Zeus' flea allergy:
-1 cup liquid soap (can be natural...but I use blue Dawn to help fight fleas)
-1 cup apple cider vinegar (Mother's/natural)
-1 quart water

I know that some people use glycerin (1/3 cup, I think) but I haven't added it.

For humans or dogs?

I have a recipe for dog shampoo.

I don't do the shampoo but I do make homemade detergent. Similar to the above recipe but I add a few more ingredients.

I use and prefer natural stuff...for just about everything. Would you mind posting it? Or even PM me with the recipe? :)

I put similar ingredients directly into the drum of my washer...don't take the time to pre-mix...my bad...but, I use and prefer natural stuff...for just about everything. Would you mind posting your recipe? You can PM me with it if you prefer. :)

I don't mind sharing with everyone. One minute so I can type it up.

Thank you...no rush...:)

1 5 gallon bucket with lid from Lowes (a Rubbermaid container will work too, just something large enough to mix)

1 box of Borax

1 bar of Fels-Naptha laundry soap. (Buy a cheese grater you will only use for making this laundry soap. The bar needs to be grated. I bought a flat cheese grater that lays flat over the top opening of my 5 gallon bucket)

1 box Arm & Hammer super washing soda.

4 lbs of regular baking soda

2 regular size or 1 super size oxy clean. I buy biz though most of the time because I usually have a coupon

Mix well and you only have to use a little per wash (2-4 tablespoons).

*ok, the above is the general make your own detergent. But in mine, I add 2 more things....
1 bottle of the laundry crystals they just came out with. I add those to give it a good smell. I buy the purple crystals made buy Purex and it smells amazing. I have also added the downey unstoppables.
Sometimes, I add one box of Clorox 2 for a little more stain boost. Works great.

Sorry for hi-jacking your thread! :)

We also have only 2 adults in our household. I prob do 2 loads a day and it last way over 6 months.

Me, too...:D I use the borax, fels-naptha, and washing soda...sometimes with Oxy for all clothes...human, and doggy, and for washing the doggie toys. I don't use anything perfumed...I don't like the idea that they chew on toys I have chemically perfumed, so anything I would add would have to be unscented and very minimal in additives, if any.

Thank you, LilAnnCamp...lots of good ideas and a great base recipe. I think it is the same as what I have...that I patterned just adding raw ingredients in the drum after.

I also use white vinegar...kills mold that might grow on their chew toys...and on them, too, very diluted, of course, at times when humidity is high.

Thank you for starting this thread. I hope to see some great shampoo recipes...conditioner, too...posted. :)

I use vinegar a lot on different things. Honestly, if I didn't make a dry detergent I would add vinegar in it. Often on the dogs blankets I will add the yellow Lysol and chew toys mostly in vinegar!

I also use vinegar and mostly everything. It's great to remove urine (including cat). Clears up drain clogs, best clean aid, disinfectant...

Apple Cider Vinegar is my 2nd best friend. :D

Dog shampoo,
I use baking soda wash and vinegar rinse for my own hair but wasn't sure about using this on dogs. Add vinegar to your laundry it helps keep the colors. I still bleach my whites because nothing I found gets the white enough, homemade for rest clothes.

I always use a dry detergent (my preference), yet I often add white vinegar in the softener dispenser, instead of using softener. It works great....and for those that haven't ever tried it....NO it does not leave your clothes smelling like vinegar. :)

Some of the things that make shampoos safer, i.e. not burning the eyes or irritating the skin aren't that easily available over the counter. Shampoos have been tested for gentleness, and I don't recommend using something made for human hair and skin for dogs. Dogs have a different pH and their hair is not as acidic as human hair so using vinegar on their skin might be very irritating. If you don't believe me, take some water, and add it to baking soda, which is very alkaline, and make a paste and put it on your face. Since our skins are more acidic, this will irritate most people's skin, same thing with a dogs skin, it needs a product made for their pH, not for human skin. Joey’s breeder stressed how important it was too keep their skin healthy, she insisted I should always use a conditioner, as it conditions the skin as well as the hair. Please remember that it’s so much easier to keep the skin healthy, then to try and heal damaged skin. The Biogroom company makes a wonderful inexpensive shampoo that you can get a sample of by emailing the company. It’s very concentrated, and you mix it with water before using. We would throw a fit, if some company was testing a new product on dogs, yet so many private individuals think it’s okay to use their dog as a test subject. Remember, the skin is the largest organ of the body, and it keeps out all the harmful bacterial that surrounds us, your job is to keep it clean and healthy.

Not sure if it's true, but I have read that you can use a human hair conditioner on your dog, without upsetting the pH balance, I know a lot of people do it with no ill reports, but I would not use a human shampoo.

I already dry bathe with baking soda or cornstarch between baths

This may be a really dumb question but I was wondering if you could explain how you "dry bathe" your pup between baths. I need to do something as Princess Sophie needs a bath almost every two or three days. I try wiping her face, paws and bottom (cause she walks in and sniffs her pee). But that doesn't seem to really take care of the smell. I'm open to new ideas. Thanks!!

I sprinkle either baking soda or cornstarch onto their coats and rub it in. Avoid the face. Then I comb it out. It leaves them smelling good and removes excess oil from hair. My pup is black so it takes a while of brushing before he turns black again. I do this on all of my dogs and it keeps their coat shiny and smelling good so I don't to bathe as frequently.

Baking soda is alkaline and cornstarch is almost neutral little alkaline so does not mess with pup alkaline ph. I just read that colloidal oatmeal is supposed to be a great conditioning rinse.