FIND ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS

Sue's Answers to Frequently Asked Questions:

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1. Why Cloud? Our Cloud journey began for several reasons… First of all, my husband has sensitive skin, and he broke out in a rash if I used anything other than Tide and April Fresh Downy for my laundry. Due to many medical bills, I was trying to cut down on our groceries, and upon investigation, I realized a large portion of our monthly grocery monies was seeping into our laundry and bathing soaps.

When I began researching for ways to make my own laundry soap, I discovered I can make my own for much less than what I was spending. I use ½ cup per load of laundry in my high efficiency washer—for my family of six—and 6.5 gallons lasts 4½ months. When I shared my success with my readers, I received so much interest—the “kit” idea was born. Thus, it all began…

I use all the Original products for our family, and it works for us—despite many allergies and sensitive skin. However, I realized many folks would be interested in an all-natural product, so I did some extensive research. When I was satisfied with my ingredients, I added the Natural products to our soap line. So far, we haven’t had any reports of skin reactions from any of our products—Original or Natural.

 

2. Does Cloud create a lot of suds? All the Cloud products are "low-sudsing" so they can be used in high efficiency washers as well as any other washing machines. I always thought the soap wouldn't clean if there were no suds, so I wanted to be sure to add the "sudsing" ingredients that commercial products have. After a LOT of research, I discovered those ingredients (i.e. Sodium Laureth Sulfate) are the fillers in commercial detergents- the toxins that cause skin irritations. (They are added to soap to create suds, and really have nothing to do with the cleaning power at all.) Since it would defeat the purpose of safe, non-irritating soap, I chose not to add the sudsing agents. Despite the low suds, the soap cleans well—especially for soaking, and/or removing stains. I use them to soak our white clothes and my white coverings with great success!

 

3. Does Cloud contain Lye? Cloud Original does contain lye, but Cloud Natural does not. Let me explain…

Lye is an alkaline product that has been used to make soap for centuries. It also has uses in other industries, such as food and cleaning. Lye is a general term for two different alkaline compounds known as Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) and Potassium Hydroxide (KOH).

The process involves mixing lye with oils and butters, which contribute to the soap's scents and other natural properties, such as vitamins and minerals. After we melt our fats and oils together, we add lye to our completed tallow product. The reaction between oil and lye (called saponification) neutralizes the lye and leaves no residue in the finished product. At the end of the soapmaking process, there's no lye left in your soap—it forms a bond with oil and becomes soap!

Is soap made with lye safe to use on the skin?

Yes, soaps made with lye are safe to use on the skin once they have been properly cured. During saponification, the reaction between the fats and lye produces a product that is safe for use on the skin after all curing has been completed. During the soapmaking process, all of the lye is used up, making sure that there are no leftover chemicals or harmful substances in your finished product!

Why do we use lye in our soaps?

There are a few reasons we use lye in our soap:

1. It's the most natural way to make soap, allowing us to stick with the most traditional methods possible.

2. Using lye avoids the use of unnecessary synthetic chemicals larger companies may use that can cause skin irritation or allergies.

3. Because lye creates soap with powerful natural cleansing properties, it makes for an amazing bar of handmade soap that we shred to use in our Cloud Original detergent.

Although lye in itself would be perfectly fine to use in the natural detergent, some of the ingredients that is used in the saponification process aren’t all-natural. They are still safe and non-toxic, but in the interest of sticking with 100% natural, we chose to go with a glycerin-based soap for Cloud Natural.

 

4. Does the Cloud Natural detergent clean as well as the Cloud Original detergent? We love both kinds of detergents, and both work well. It does depend on what you are looking for. The Original detergent does seem to have more power than the Natural—and we chalk it up to the lye base. Cloud Natural is perfectly sufficient for most laundry, but if you have filthy mechanic’s J clothing to launder, or other extremely tough stains to treat, we recommend trying Cloud Original. (You can always leave the fragrance out of your detergent if you want the unscented option)

 

5. Aren’t fragrance oils harmful? We have done extensive research on any of the fragrance oils we use, and we are happy to tell you that they are all safe and gentle for your skin. They are made of essential oils as well a little bit of synthetic fragrance oils. Thus far, we have not had any reports of skin reactions, but if you do run into that, we would like to know!

 

6. Can you describe your laundry product fragrances—what do they smell like?

Our Fresh Linen fragrance could be described as a bright lemon top note, green floral, and soft linen—a soft clean smell.

Alpine Breeze is a combination of fresh, clean rain with undertones of mossy wood and sweet middle notes of lavender and rose.

And our Sweet Meadow line features notes of bergamot, florals, and sandalwood. (It has also been described as similar to April Fresh Downy.)

 

7. What do you mean by “loads” on the label? Loads is a simple way to explain how much product you are getting for your buck. I use ¼ cup of detergent and softener per load in my high efficiency washer, however, everybody’s water is different, so just because I use ¼ cup, doesn’t mean everyone else will use the same amount. We recommend playing around with the products to find the amount per load that works for you. I have a large washer, and I wash large loads. If you have smaller loads, you can probably use less. If you are using a Maytag washing machine, you will probably have to use more (3/4 cup to 1 cup) —obviously you will wash multiple loads with “one set of water.” It usually evens itself out.

 

8. How much time does it take to make Cloud detergent and fabric softener? All our products are super simple to make—anybody can do it! The detergent can take about 30 minutes to make, and the softener takes approximately 15 minutes. It is a rewarding, self-sufficient, cost-effective way to provide clean clothing for your family! J

 

9. I have super sensitive skin, and I break out in a rash all the time. Do you have anything that will help? We make no claims or promises, but we do recommend our Coral Blossom All-Natural Bar soap for any skin rashes. One of the ingredients in Coral Blossom is turmeric, which has been known to help with skin rashes. Many folks have had success when they use the Coral Blossom bar to bathe, then use our tallow balm as a topical cream.

 

10. Isn’t shipping expensive? We are trying to get our Cloud products into stores so folks have easy access whenever they need soap, but it does take time. We recommend asking your local stores to contact us if they are interested in stocking Cloud products—we have wholesale prices available. In the meantime, we try and keep our shipping as affordable as possible. Most kit orders can be sent out for $10-$14, but for those folks living in the “boondocks” J, (or if you order the pre-mixed detergents and softeners) shipping might be a little more. It all depends on quantity and location. We have discovered that shipping via UPS is most reliable, so they are our most frequent shipper, but we do mail orders upon request.