Today I made another batch of laundry soap. I've made it several times before and it didn't gel. Someone told me that I needed to cook it a little longer and it should gel. It has to cool yet but it does look like it's going to gel this time. I made a double recipe so I don't have a half bar of soap sitting around (losing itself when I need to make a new batch). I used 1 bar soap, grated, 1 cup borax, 1 cup washing soda and about 4 gallons of water. First melt the soap in about 1 gallon of water, let it cook, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes (every time I walked past while I was doing other things) on medium. I didn't let it boil. Mix in the borax and washing soda. After letting it sit for a few minutes, stir it again. Fill your pail with 2 1/2 gallons of water and then pour in the hot soap mixture. Rinse out the pan with the last 1/2 gallon of water and pour that in, too. Stir it well and let it cool, then stir again (adding lavender or tea tree oil [30-60 drops]) and pour into whatever bottles you want to store it in. I use a vinegar jug and some apple cider bottles usually. The tea tree oil helps keep it longer and also helps make your laundry smell fresher.
That's all for today. W
