Take II

The batch of homemade laundry detergent didn't turn out too well in my opinion. I will admit, though, that perceptions are key for me when evaluating products. For example, I *hate* face wash that doesn't foam. Do I know that it's not the suds that do the cleaning? Yep. Do I feel like my face is clean without the bubbles? Nope.

The laundry detergent that I made with the original recipe looked like a big bucket of water. It smelled nice, but I just couldn't convince myself that pouring a cup of it into my washer would produce clean clothes. Megan had made some, too, and her batch looked just like mine, so I know I didn't screw it up. And, it just didn't seem like there was enough "stuff" in it.

Upon further research, I made another attempt using this recipe:
Ingredients
1 5-gallon bucket with lid
1 bar soap
1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda
soup pot
water
cheese grater

Instructions
Grate soap in a saucepan with 3 quarts of water and heat until dissolved. Stir in washing soda and borax. Stir until thickened and remove from heat. Add 2 quarts hot water to bucket. Add soap mixture and mix well. Add another gallon of boiling hot water and 3 additional quarts hot water and mix well. Set aside for 24 hours, or until mixture thickens. Use 1/2 cup of mixture per load.

To me, it seems like the ingredients get much hotter using this recipe and that it should gel more as it cools. I guess I will have to wait and see. I am not going to determine the cost per ounce for this recipe until I see if it works.