A while back there was a recipe for making your own detergent with ivory soap and washing soda. The size bar of soap is not specified. Can't find in archives. Anyone know?

-- FOX (ardrinc@aol.com), November 10, 1999

Answers

I have been using this recipe for over 6 months and I love it. Homemade Laundry Soap One regular size or larger Bar of Ivory Soap or any brand you like the smell of (be sure it is soap) 1 Cup Washing Soda (not baking soda)

Fill a large bucket or container with hot tap water. Up to 3 gal. Set aside. Grate bar of soap into a sauce pan. Add water just to cover. Heat, stirring constantly, until soap is dissolved. Add soap/water mixture to the hot water in the bucket. Stir to combine. Then (do not reverse this order) add 1 cup of Washing Soda and stir. As this cools it will turn into a bucket full of white gelatinous soap (thickness depends on size of bucket used).

Here are a few tips I have found useful: I use an old Electrosol dishwashing detergent bucket and a old soup ladle for scoop. The smaller the bucket the more concentrated the soap.

I put the soap slivers in a large strainer and pour very hot water over them into my bucket until the bucket is full. They melt completely and leave no soap lumps.

Don't use bars of Dove, Zest, Tone etc. They contain lotion or no soap at all. Read the label, it will say soap if it is real soap not cleansing or beauty bar.

-- Carol (glear@usa.net), November 10, 1999.

Here is the one I use and I copied it from this board.

Homemade Laundry Soap One regular size Bar of Ivory Soap or any brand you like the smell of (be sure it is soap not a beauty or cleansing bar) 1 Cup Washing Soda (not baking soda)(The box I buy says Super Washing Soda by Arm and Hammer)

Fill a large bucket or container with hot tap water. Up to 3 gal. Set aside. Grate bar of soap into a sauce pan. Add water just to cover. Heat, stirring constantly, until soap is dissolved. Add soap/water mixture to the hot water in the bucket. Stir to combine. Then (do not reverse this order) add 1 cup of Washing Soda and stir. As this cools it will turn into a bucket full of white gelatinous soap (thickness depends on size of bucket used). I pour very hot water over my soap slivers into my bucket the soap melts completely and leave no soap lumps. I use one to wto scoops per load and add bleach or stain removers if needed.

-- Carol (glear@usa.net), November 10, 1999.

Sorry for the two post. This site is acting up on me today. I didn't think the first post made it in.

-- Carol (glear@usa.net), November 10, 1999.

Thanks so much Carole! I can't believe how very helpful the people on this forum always are.

-- FOX (ardrinc@aol.com), November 11, 1999.

I made this soap and it is great....used some of my homemade soap that I thought was a failure but my husband had saved and stored in the garage(you should see that garage; another story !). It was out there at least two years and turned into mild hard soap which cleans wonderfully...so now am inspired to try soapmaking again.

-- mutti (windance@train.missouri.org), November 11, 1999.