Laundry Soap Update

Yesterday I made my first batch of liquid laundry soap. I usually make the powder, but since I ran out I figured now would be as good a time as any to give the liquid a try.

I was baking bread when I started the whole process of melting the soap in the hot water. Lovely bread smells were wafting throughout the kitchen. That is, until I started to make my laundry soap. The two smells completely collided in my nostrils - like smelling fresh bread slathered with soap. It was disgusting! Note to self for the future: do NOT make soap while bread is baking.

Trying to ignore the conflicting smells, I melted down the soap in the hot water, added it to the 3 gallons of hot water in a 5-gallon bucket, and then added in the soda, borax and oxygen cleaner. I stirred it until everything was dissolved, set the lid on with a small vent for the steam and put it in a quiet corner to sit overnight. Today I checked on it because I was sadly behind in my laundry and the whole bucket had turned into a clear gel with a layer of white foam on top. I gave it a stir, scooped out half a cupful and did a load. When I say I scooped out a half-cupful, the liquid was more globules of gel in a soapy soup. Interesting. I broke up some of the bigger clumps of gel by squishing them in my hand.

Well, it seems to have worked! I'll check my laundry when it's dry. I think I'd like to add some citrus essential oil drops so our laundry will have a little bit of smell to them. I'm pretty proud of myself and I think my husband was really impressed too. The bucket cost $3 and the ingredients cost about $10 ($5 if you don't count the oxygen cleaner) and we have the makings for many more buckets of liquid laundry soap to come! I'd call that a smart investment and amazing savings!