Cheap and easy laundry soap recipe

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Cheap and easy laundry soap recipe
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judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Wed Sep 14, 05 12:45 pm Post subject: Cheap and easy laundry soap recipe

I wanted to try out my home-made soap for laundry before I went ahead and posted the recipe. I've been experimenting for about a month now, and I am pleased to report that it definitely washes better than the ï¿½greenï¿½ washing liquid that I was using before. The acid test was the muddy nose marks that the pigs leave at about knee height whenever I go to feed them ï¿½ the liquid barely shifted those at all, while the soap seems to get them out without a trace. At the risk of sounding like a soap powder commercial, that was enough to convince me.
The other potential sticking point was whether OH could be bothered to use it and, provided that I grate it up and store it in a big jar ready for use, he is happy to carry on with it. So a result all round, I think.
Following Sally-in-Walesï¿½ very helpful guide from a while back, I put two heaped tablespoons of the grated soap into the washing ball thingy, top up with hot water and stir a bit to dissolve. I also put a small amount of vinegar in the fabric conditioner drawer. We have nice soft water here, so I donï¿½t bother with borax. I sometimes add a bit of the Ecover bleach alternative if Iï¿½m doing a whites load (donï¿½t put in the washing ball as it reacts with the soap and froths all over the place).
This is the soap recipe I am using and I canï¿½t recommend it highly enough for simplicity. Iï¿½m a complete beginner at this soap-making lark, and I've used it twice now with no problems whatsoever. I don't think I would use the soap for washing me as it doesnï¿½t lather very well, but for the washing machine it is great. And very cheap!

1 lb lard
ï¿½ cup cold full-fat milk
2 oz caustic soda crystals
2 t essential oil (optional)

1. Put the lard in a stainless steel saucepan and melt very slowly.
2. Put the milk in a bowl, and very gradually add the caustic soda crystals. Stir each addition with a wooden spoon until the crystals have dissolved. This will take 5 ï¿½ 10 minutes to do thoroughly. The milk will heat up quite a lot and will turn a bright yellow colour (don't worry about this!).
3. Take the lard off the heat and stir in the milk. Then take a stick blender and mix to trace (this takes less than a minute). It will look like and have the texture of butterscotch blancmange. If you want to add essential oils, do so at this stage.
4. Pour into moulds (I use a square baking tray lined with clingfilm) and leave to set for 24 hours. It seems to set perfectly well without swathing in towels to keep warm. Cut the bars and then cure for 3 weeks before using. The butterscotch colour gradually fades to creamy white as the soap sets and cures.

Anna-marie

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 980
Location: West Wales

Posted: Tue Oct 04, 05 11:00 pm Post subject:
Hi Judith, I would like to try this recipe, but is it ok to use a vegetarian alternative to the lard? Thanks, Anna-marie

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Tue Oct 04, 05 11:08 pm Post subject:

I don't think you can do a straight swap of lard for another fat. They all have different saponification values, and I think you can get into all sorts of trouble if you don't get the quantities right.

I have certainly seen other recipes with milk / oil on the web, but I haven't tried them and so wouldn't want to recommend any. The only reason I used lard was because I had lots of it in the freezer from our first two porkers, which made the recipe very cheap indeed!

Cab and Sally-in-Wales are planning a soap-making masterclass soon - I think that will be entirely vegetable-based.

Anna-marie

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 980
Location: West Wales

Posted: Tue Oct 04, 05 11:33 pm Post subject:
Thanks for your reply, Judith. Perhaps I should wait until the masterclass? I'm more likely to get it right, then. Thanks once again, Anna-marie

Sarah D

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 05 7:32 am Post subject:
I use the vegetable fat in a straight wieght-for-weight swap in soap recipes with no problems, then my vegetarian daughter can use the soap. I tend to use what's in the fridge as well. Meant to add it just makes a slightly softer soap than the lard/tallow version. Last edited by Sarah D on Wed Oct 05, 05 7:54 am; edited 1 time in total

Anna-marie

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 980
Location: West Wales

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 05 7:53 am Post subject:
Thank you Sarah, I'll try the vegetable fat then - when I finally manage to get some time!! Do you use anything in the fridge? (sorry - couldn't resist!!)

Sarah D

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 05 10:05 am Post subject:
Only the stuff that doesn't go into wine or jam.............. I actually meant fat-wise, but having read it back it wasn't very clear, was it? The last lot I used was Crisp and Dry, but won;t be using that again as it's one of Unilever's. Trex was fine too.

Anna-marie

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 980
Location: West Wales

Posted: Thu Oct 06, 05 6:00 am Post subject:

Sorry, Sarah, I don't know why, but I had a weird vision of you chucking everything out of the fridge, into your soap!!

Especially yoghurt - why on earth did I think of yoghurt???

It was just a bit of lateral thinking on my part

Trex is good - I have Trex in my fridge already, but don't do much baking at the moment

Hubby won't eat it!!

Anyway, thanks for the tip. I'll try and get around to making some soap one day.

Is it OK to use any essential oil in it?
Thanks,
Anna-marie

Sarah D

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584

Posted: Thu Oct 06, 05 7:18 am Post subject:
Yes, any you liked, added at trace. Be aware that it requires quite a lot to scent the soap enough - I use over a teaspoon usually.

Anna-marie

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 980
Location: West Wales

Posted: Thu Oct 06, 05 7:19 am Post subject:
OK, Sarah, thanks. Anna-marie

2steps

Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Posts: 5349
Location: Surrey

Posted: Wed Nov 02, 05 9:51 am Post subject:
how much of this soap should I use per wash? and can I grat it all and store it or should I leave it whole and grate as needed?

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Wed Nov 02, 05 10:12 am Post subject:

I use about 8 teaspoons per load. It goes in the ball thingy with a bit of hot water to start it dissolving.

I have been just grating up a jarful every time, using the fine side of my cheesegrater. It looks like little worms! What I have found, though, is that the soap is becoming harder, and thus harder to grate, as it ages, so if you have the time and the energy, it might be a good idea to do the whole lot at once and store it in a big box or jar.

2steps

Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Posts: 5349
Location: Surrey

Posted: Wed Nov 02, 05 10:16 am Post subject:
thank you

Stacey

Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Posts: 8380
Location: Kernow

Posted: Wed Nov 02, 05 11:00 am Post subject:
Would you be able to add water to the grated soap to make laundry liquid? I don't have one of those balls and prefer a gloop of liquid in the washer.

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Wed Nov 02, 05 11:12 am Post subject:

stacey_guthrie wrote:

Would you be able to add water to the grated soap to make laundry liquid? I don't have one of those balls and prefer a gloop of liquid in the washer.

I don't see why you shouldn't do that - it is effectively what I do in tiny batches in the wash ball. You would have to experiment a bit in terms of quantities, but it makes sense to make up a big bottle of the stuff all in one go.

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