Liquid Laundry Soap

My review for the powdered laundry soap is in...  it gets clothes clean, but I feel like I always need to add more than 2 tablespoons.  This is purely a "me" thing... because the clothes are clean!  I think it's because after using name brand laundry detergent over my lifetime, I must be brainwashed that I have to use more (like a 1/4 cup or something).  More is better right?  So, I found myself doing laundry sprinkling in a little more washing soda or borax.  I was also at times putting 3 tablespoons of the laundry soap in.  So, I'm moving on to liquid laundry soap. This recipe definitely is MORE!  It makes 10 gallons!  I'll be having laundry detergent for years!

This soap is apparently the Duggar family recipe.  We don't have a TV, so I don't know much about them except what I see on the internet.  Apparently, they have a really big family (19 kids), and laundry is a full time job in that house.  Therefore, they should know what works.  So their recipe is:

1 grated bar of soap ( I'm going to use my homemade soap!)
1 cup of washing soda (see recipe, if you can't find it in the stores)
1/2 cup of borax
4 cups of hot water
5 gallon bucket
MORE water

Melt the grated soap in a saucepan with 4 cups of water.

 Fill up the bucket half way with hot water.  Add the melted soap, washing soda, and borax to the bucket.

Mix and make sure everything has dissolved.  Then add more water to fill the bucket.  Let it stand overnight and it will turn to gel.

Some people use the soap at this point.  One cup per load.  But the Duggar family takes it one step farther.  They are saying that what we just made is a concentrate.   When you are ready to use it, fill half of a used name brand laundry detergent container with your newly made soap and the other have with water.  Use one cup per load!

So I'm going to try both ways...  I'll get back to you!

Washing Soda

So, I've been making soap like no one's biz... and now I want to go to the next level...  laundry detergent. It's economical, and I can use my homemade soap in it.  The basic ingredients are 1/2 of Borax, 1/2 cup of washing soda, and 2 cups of grated soap.  I had no problem finding the borax... but the washing soda, I couldn't find to save my life.  You would think in an urban setting, I would have no problem finding it.  So with a little research I found out you can make it!  Washing Soda is Baking Soda cooked.  By baking baking soda for about 2 hours on 400 degrees, the baking soda becomes washing soda.  If you are interested in the chemistry of it... google it....  but I must say....  I am now a proud maker of laundry detergent.  Two table spoons of detergent into the load... and I have clean clothes!

Cold Process Soap: Alternatives to Water, What NOT to do!

Another wonderful experiment with cold process soap!  This time, I wanted to try to substitute water for another liquid in my soap.  I have had much success with beer.  So I thought, why not use apple juice using the apples from my tree (how full circle of me!)

Well, let me tell you a little secret... it was NOT a smart idea!  Thank god I had on gloves and goggles!
So, this is what happens to the lye solution when adding lye to juice:

...  it turns to sludge... in seconds....  it's called pectin ... Boy, did I learn my lesson!
So,  I disposed of the lye solution properly by waiting for it to cool, and transfered it into plastic bags  to throw away.  Then I tried it again... this time I dissolved all of the lye into half of the amount of water I normally use, and used the other "half" for the apple juice.  The key is to add the apple juice to your oils and lye just before you pore it into your molds.  Then it turns into something like this:

Cold Process Soap

I finally had the courage to make Cold Process Soap.  The lye factor scared me, but after hours and hours of research, I bought my materials, had my wonderful husband watch the kids, and made my first batch of soap.  I couldn't have done it without The Soap Makers Companion, by Susan Miller Cavitch.  I must admit, it was a meditative adventure... it was a first time in awhile that I was completely present and not thinking of anything else, but what I was doing at the moment.

I used Cavitch's "Soap Essential's Bar II" recipe: olive oil, coconut oil, and palm oil.  I added vanilla EO to it... but suprisingly, I couldn't really smell the vanilla.  It was the olive oil that took over.  After some reading, I learned that maybe I should use the extra light olive oil.  I will try that for my next batch.
Here is a picture documentary of me soap journey!  The final soaps did come out looking like unfrosted cake...  hope that's ok....  Would love to here your thoughts!

Measuring the Sodium Hydroxide

Adding the Sodium Hydroxide to the water to make the LYE

Adding the Lye to the melted oil

Stirring it until it traces

Quickly adding it to my mold

Insulating it for 24 hours

Cutting it in bars and letting it cure for 4 weeks!