Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Errand day and homeade laundry soap

It had been a busy day full of errands, and planning for opening my grooming salon.  The amount of work ahead of me is overwhelming at times, but simple projects help me keep it all in perspective-

Today I finally got around to making another batch of laundry soap.  I don't know why I always put it off, considering it takes me all of 15 minutes to make it. Yes, I know it takes about the same amount of time to buy it in the store, but after making my own, I'm not sure I'll ever go back to store bought - not to mention the cost difference alone is worth taking the time.  This is how I make mine:


Ingredients:
1 cup washing soda
1/2 cup borax
1 bar pure soap (not beauty bar), grated
3 gallons hot water


1. First bring some water to a boil and dissolve grated soap in it. 
2. While it's melting, fill your container with 3 gallons hot water (from the tap is fine)


3. Add dissolved soap to container of hot water


4. Add borax and washing soda to mixture and mix well. If  you dont have washing soda, you can put baking soda in a glass dish and bake at a low temp for a couple hours, this changes the chemical structure of the soda, making it washing soda by drawing out moisure.


5. Seal container with lid and set in a warm, still place for 24 hours.

A half cup per load should be sufficient to get your clothes clean.  Depending on your water, more or less may be required.  

I hope to get around to making a batch of bar soap this week. I'll try and post pictures of the process, since it will be my first attempt at hot process soap making.  I can't wait to see how it turns out.

3 comments:

  1. I am so excited for you getting so close to opening your own salon!

    Great tutorial on how to make the laundry soap, too! I have been making mine for a long time, now, and will never go back to store bought! Too many chemicals in the store bought that I don't want to touch my skin (which absorbs into our bodies). I make strong, lye soap bars just for this purpose. Some people use Zote, but that stuff is FULL of hidden chemicals and really bad for you. I also have found that filtered water works much better to make my laundry soap with (like from one of those 6-step filtration process centers - our water is pretty crappy here). Also, I get my washing soda and borax from a chemical supplier (actually, from there in the area where you live) and it is several times stronger than what you get in the grocery or retail store. You can use far less of it and still give your batch of laundry soap and even bigger boost! Have you ever tried adding in a few drops of grease cutting/germ killing essential oils! It gives it even more cleaning power and smells really nice, too.

    And thanks for the reminder, I am down to my last couple of loads worth of laundry soap, too. Gotta get some made this week.

    Anna
    TwoFarmsOne.com

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  2. Thanks Anna!Where do you get your chemicals, I've been ordering on line and having them shipped! There's someone local? I haven't tried the essential oils. Which ones do you recommend most? I'd love to try adding them in.

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  3. My favorites on the essential oils are any of the citrus and pine. Rosemary is good, too, but it doesn't take much. I can't remember the name of the supplier right off the top of my head... I buy in bulk and don't have to go often, so I will have to hunt through my purse for their business card. We had a chemical supplier here that I used for a long time, but it ended up going out of business (I won't go into details as to why because, though pretty reliable, I only have heard unofficial stories.) I have only been to the one there once, and it has been awhile. I even got some of my cosmetic clays there and they had some fragrance oils, too. Not sure about essential oils. I am tied up with my son's birthday tomorrow, but I will email you the name and address in a day or two, as soon as I slow down and find it.

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