How to Make Laundry Detergent

I really hesitated putting up this post. I mean - how bizarre can it get - showing photos of the laundry? But then a few weeks ago Bob - an arty type with whom I've worked in several operettas dropped by looking for Violinist and took note of my laundry flapping in the breeze beneath the deck rafters. "Have you always hung out your laundry or have you gone green?" asked Bob.
"I've always hung out the laundry," I replied.
Bob continued, "My father-in-law used to paint things like laundry - ordinary things - it inspired him. He'd open a closet and ta da! Inspiration!"
So while Bob stood there smiling away at my laundry, I looked at it too, but somewhat less inspired...Am I ever glad I only did the boys underwear today...and then said, "I've never thought to paint the laundry. But I have taken photos of it. But I would only tell you that, Bob" ...Because you are arty and understand and no one else would think to ask me this and I wouldn't be having this conversation about painting laundry.
"Well, it looks like you've got a system," said Bob nodding upwards.
"Yes, yes, I've got a system"... and I am so glad that system includes doing dainty whites separate from boxers.
So here it is - for all the WORLD'S VIEWING PLEASURE!!! never mind Bob - Decadent Housewife's LAUNDRY flapping in the sunshine. Yes, clean and I suppose green too, given it's washed with homemade laundry detergent. I didn't think to tell Bob that.
It all came about one morning when faced with a mountain of dirty laundry, Decadent Housewife realized she had forgotten to buy laundry detergent and didn't feel like driving twenty miles to Town to buy some, which would take longer to do than just making some because she just happened to have all the ingredients on the laundry room shelf because I'm just weird like that.

I wanted to do this years and years ago but never got around to it and now kick myself for not having done so. It's as hard as making brownies - ridiculously simple, quick and cheap, CHEAP, CHEAP. Think of all the hmmm...stuff I could have bought with the savings.

I used a recipe from That British Woman's blog tweaking it a bit. I suspect I used double the amount of bar soap than needed because her recipe calls for one bar of soap while her photo shows a twin pack of Sunlight bars, each bar weighing only 130 grams. I used a 270 gram bar of Linda soap because it is half the price of the Sunlight and I used to live with an Italian girl who knew all about laundry and swore by Linda. I have noticed that the laundry now, except for the towels, is very soft to touch after line drying.

Laundry Detergent

• 1/2 cup of borax
  
• 1/2 cup of washing soda
  
• 1 and 1/2 litres (6 cups) of hot water, lst amount
  
• 9 litres of hot water, 2nd amount - I just filled the bucket to almost the top.
  
• 1 bar of yellow laundry soap, Sunlight or Linda - I used a 270 gram bar of Linda.
  

Pour the lst amount of water into a stainless steel pot. I used an old granite wear canner, but will use the stainless steel cook pot in future because the bottom of the canner was uneven making stirring a problem. If you use a wooden spoon to stir, I'd recommend to keep it for just making soap. The flavour may permeate the wood and mess up anything else cooked with that spoon.Grate the bar soap and add it to the hot water. If you have to leave the grated soap unattended in the kitchen you may wish to put a note on it explaining that this is soap and not CHEESE. I did and still had wolves sniffing around. Stir over moderate heat until melted. Once the soap and water is mixed, whisk in the borax and washing soda. Stir until it thickens. It will be just gelatinous. Remove from heat. Next I poured the mixture into a bucket and then added the second amount of hot water whisking it in. It began to thicken up and took on a pearly appearance. Of course this was all very scientific looking and peaked GG's curiosity. A few minutes later he showed up with a long plastic tube with which he siphoned the liquid into empty detergent bottles he also had hidden in the Shop From Hell. The mixture thickened up nicely - maybe too much. After it cooled completely down in the bottles, it seemed a bit solid as if it wouldn't pour, but I really shook the bottles and was able to pour out the detergent. I did swish it around in the washer to be sure it was evenly distributed. Next time I will skip using the bottles and just pour it into a lidded bucket for storage.
I've been using 1/4 cup per large load. If the items are particularly soiled - up to 1/2 cup per large load. It will not suds up, so don't go looking for bubbles, however, this is big on savings. My batch filled up four jugs, less what got spilled onto the deck steps - approximately twelve litres. I didn't go and measure exactly. I did take time to do the sock test to see if the detergent truly cleaned. I smelled a just washed sock and it smelled clean.