Re: laundry detergent recipe

[Guest guest]

Came across this recipe from another listing I belong to

going to share it, I don't make laundry soap, but have

seen many questions and requests for information re: it

so here it is as from another listing. hope this is ok:

LAUNDRY

Laundry liquid recipe:

Grate up one cake of yellow or pure laundry soap* or 1 cup of grated up

soap ends into a small pot. Add enough *cold* water to 2/3 fill the pot.

Heat until all the soap is dissolved, stirring continuously. An easier way

is to grate the soap, cover with cold water and let set for several hours

then heat. It will melt much more quickly. Add the melted soap to one large

bucketful of hot water. Lastly add 1 cup of washing soda (also known as

sal soda) and stir until dissolved. NB. Do not do in reverse order or big

gluggy lumps will result which are a pest to strain and you'll get

disheartened really quickly. The mix cools to a huge gelatinous blob but

when mixed up again looks like soap out of a pump pack. I usually find that

my hands are the best tools for mixing it up again, although a potato masher

or similar might do instead. All preparation takes about 15 minutes (unless

I let the grated soap and cold water sit a while first) and costs around 50

cents** for an 11 litre bucketful. I now use about 1/2 litre (2 cups) of

soap mix per large (7kg), fairly dirty load, and about 250 ml (1 cups) for

smaller and/or less dirty loads. The brew does not suds up very much. Where

the water is extremely soft, it may froth up a little. The mixture is, or

should be - depending on the soap that is used - phosphate free, reducing

our impact on the environment. I usually add a handful of baking soda

(bi-carbonate of soda) to the washing cycle and about a cup of vinegar to

the rinse cycle, but this is not essential. The baking soda is to assist in

the removal of odours from the wash and the vinegar acts as a mild

disinfectant, fabric softener and rinse aid. Some people have been concerned

about using vinegar in the washing machine. If I remember correctly, it

wasn't recommended for enamel bowled machines.

Variations:

Add a couple of tablespoons of eucalyptus oil if you wish. You may also

add a cup or two of vinegar to this initial mix.

Another variation involves using 3 buckets of hot water to 1 cake of

soap and 1 cup of washing soda. The resultant brew doesn't set as much. Good

luck to you if you've got room for *three* buckets of mixture...

Use much less hot water (say half a bucket) for a much more concentrated

mix. Obviously use less per wash, and it will probably set harder.

I have used twice as much washing soda (by accident, not design) with

excellent results. I use considerably less mix per wash.

I have found an alternative recipe. I haven't tried it yet so I really

don't know how it will turn out. Replace the washing soda with an equal

quantity of borax. If you wish, add eucalyptus oil (2 tablespoons) and 1/2

cup or so of vinegar.

If you cannot get washing soda, it is possible to leave it out

altogether. Just the soap mix alone will do a reasonable job. The main

reason washing soda is added is that it is credited with dissolving grease &

other grime a bit more easily, softens water and is generally a worthwhile

washing aid.

Love and God Bless,

kay