Still makin' stuff - (laundry part 2)

Since the Pinterest DIY powdered laundry detergent didn't work so well for me maybe it was our hard water, I decided to try out a liquid form.  It's been about a month since I made my concentrate, I hope I can remember which recipe I used.  It was either this one from Jillee or this one.  Either way they are about the same.

You'll need the same ingredients for the liquid detergent that you did for the powdered; Borax, Washing Soda (not baking soda), a bar of soap (Dr. Bonner's, Fels Naptha, Kirks or Ivory) I used Dr. Bonner's Lavender this time, no Essential Oil for fragrance.   You'll need a heavy pot to cook the soap in, whoops forgot to mention this is a cooked soap you'll need a wooden spoon too, and some canning jars to pour the concentrate into for storage (or you can do as in the above examples and make a huge batch and put it in jugs.)

I grated the bar of soap by hand right into the pot I was going to use.  My little food processor burned up grating soap so I went back to the old fashioned method.

All grated

Add some water, and if you are adding essential oil for fragrance this would be the time for that addition.

Slowly add the washing soda, stirring well.

Then add the Borax and stir until dissolved, it's going to start to thicken.

The concentrate made 3 jars, I put about 2 cups in each jar.

I don't have much storage in my laundry room, especially for 6 gallons of laundry detergent.  I sure wish I'd saved that last two gallon jug/dispenser of EOS laundry detergent... If only I'd known 2 years ago.  I sort of like the concentrate like this.  It takes up so little room this way.  I was even able to give Jolea a jar to take to her new place in Austin.

So now to make a jug of laundry detergent.

You'll need a mixer, very hot water, a funnel is helpful and a gallon jug to put the liquid detergent into once mixed.  I used my KitchenAide mixer it's soap, it'll wash off before I make the next cake.  Put 1/2 a jar (about 1 cup) of concentrate into the mixer bowl and add a couple of cups of hot water.

It will be lumpy at first, just give it time to break down.

Mix slowly so that you don't have a huge mess.  Just keep adding the warm water....

Looks like whipped cream.

 After all the concentrate is liquid, pour it into the jug using a funnel.  This won't completely fill the jug at least mine didn't, as the bubbles start going down you can add a little more warm water.  Give the jug a little shake to keep it mixed, it tends to gel up.  Keep adding water until the jug is full.

I put the date I started using this batch so that I'll know how long it lasts.

Jolea didn't have a gallon jug, much less a mixer to dilute the concentrate.  So we improvised, I gave her a little Tupperware shaker cup and told her to put a 1/4 teaspoon and 1/2 cup warm water and shake.  This should be fine for a load of wash.  So far so good.... she says it's working great.

Give the jug a good shake before you pour about 1/4 cup into the washer (I keep a little plastic measuring cup with my detergent and just toss cup and all into the washer.)  No residue on the darks!!!  I'm glad, now to go dig those yoga pants out of the Good Will bag to see if I can wash them back to normal.

Have a great week.  It's summer, put the top down!