DIY No-Grate Powdered Laundry Soap

Like so many other people who are making their own cleaning supplies, I thought I would try it out myself. So, I found the preferred recipe for Laundry Detergent and went to work. The one thing that I ran across repeatedly was that no one liked grating the soap. So here is an alternative idea.

Recipe:

1 Box Borax (4lb 12oz) 

1 Box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (3lb 7oz)

1 Container OxiClean (3lbs)

2 Boxes Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (2lbs each)

3 Bars Fels Naptha Soap

Mix all ingredients together except the Fels-Naptha. You can either add the bars to the mixture by grating or microwave the bars using the directions below. If you are sensitive to strong smells, you had better just use the grating method.

Place Fels-Naptha Bar in microwave safe bowl like Corningware. Microwave on high for around 3 minutes (microwaves vary, so this is an estimated time). It will swell into a monstrous glob. When finished, carefully remove from microwave and set aside for a couple of hours to cool. After it is thoroughly cooled it easily crumbles and flakes apart in your hands. If it didn't cook quite long enough there will still be some hard chunks in the middle, you can just pop them back into the microwave for a few seconds until they plump up, then cool again and crumble.

You may end up with some unusual shapes like my Alien friend below:

 

* I cannot stress the cooling part enough because I did burn my fingers by being impatient. It cools very quickly on the outside but will maintain hot pockets of goo inside for a long time.

* The scent will not be unpleasant but will be very strong and quite overwhelming, your microwave may retain the smell for quite awhile.

This is definitely the best and easiest method for me but please do not try it if you or a family member cannot tolerate strong odors. Your whole house will smell like Fels-Naptha!!

Skunked

I went home late last night to send someone an email and to visit with Angus. Angus has been moved out of the goat stall because Calico and Paris were being too mean to him. They were butting him and pushing him around too much. So he has the free run of the barn again.

While I was there, Angel came into the barn to say, "Hi!" or to say "Help!", I am not sure which. I grabbed her by the collar before the smell got to me. I was escorting her out of the barn when I realized what I had a hold of. Being the brilliant person that I am, I put my hand to my nose and not only sniffed it but also touched my nose with it.

A few days ago, Abby had been sprayed by a skunk and since Abby never leaves the goat lot we knew that the skunk had probably tried to get into the goat/chicken shed. This is a very bad situation for the dogs, they are doing their jobs very well but are really suffering for it.

I used the goat milk soap that I ordered from Hidden Brook Farm and it actually removed the skunk smell from my hand, however I didn't realize that I had touched my nose until the smell kept following me around. After I washed my nose all was well again. By the way, Hidden Brook Farm included a large bar of "Pumpkin Spice Goat Milk Soap" as a bonus with my order that smells just wonderful.

Goat Milk Soap Recipe

I haven't tried this goat milk soap recipe because I don't have all of the ingredients yet, I need to find the lye.

3/4 cup Lard
3/4 cup all vegetable shortening
1/2 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup frozen goat milk
1/4 cup lye

Makes one 1 lb. about 6 bars.

Melt all of the oils together then cool to room temp. Break your frozen goat milk into small pieces with a hammer and place in 4 cup glass measuring bowl or cup. Using goggles and long, heavy rubber gloves, slowly sprinkle the lye onto the frozen milk pieces while stirring constantly with a stainless steel spoon. Using frozen is very important in order for the lye not to burn the milk.

Stir until all the milk is melted and all the lye is dissolved. Then slowly pour the milk/lye mixture into the oils. Continue stirring with a stick blender until the oil and milk are completely blended and starts to thicken like thin pudding. With a blender this should take about 3-5 min. At this point (called trace) you can add 1/2 oz. of skin approved fragrance by hand, not blender.

Then pour into prepared molds that have been coated with vaseline. Cover with plastic wrap and place on a level undisturbed surface, then cover all with towels or blankets. Soap can be unmolded in 24 hours, cut or shave if needed. Place bars on rack with plenty of air circulation to cure, soap can be used in two weeks but will be soft and not last as long as soap that has been cured for 3-4 weeks. Longer cured soap will also lather better.