For some reason, my Photo Booth App is doing mirror images. Oh well. LongLeaf Soaps that I posted last week arrived in MY HOUSE!!! French Country Sunrise and Cool Vanilla Mint...
So far my soap making experience has been limited to making pure olive oil soap. But recently I've discovered a great product. It's called African Black Soap. It has really cleared up my skin. Anyhow supposedly you can melt it and add things to it (mill it) Could someone give me a few pointers? Thanks so much.
Thank you all for being so generous with your help, as always!!
Since I discovered glycerin soap more than 5 years ago, I have been endlessly fascinated by how versatile the craft is. When I began I couldn't find very many styles, though. Now things are really picking up and there are more soap crafters exploring their creativity with "melt and pour." If you haven't found your glycerin inspiration yet, here are some of my free tutorials I recommend depending on your style. I hope you like them!
You: Classic, casual, jeans and tee shirt kind of gal. You like things modern and clean.
Your project: "Parsons Soap Blocks Video"
You: Romantic, old fashioned. You love roses and tea cups, fragrances and cameos.
Your project: "Romantic Soaps Tutorial"
You: Eclectic, funky. Strange is best. You don't want to do anything remotely "normal," not even with soap.
Your project: "Soap Slime"
You: Lover of all things cute. Hello Kitty, smiley faces on everything, and fun prints.
Your project: "I Heart Soap" and "Ombre Heart Soaps".
You: Mega sweet tooth. Anything dessert inspired is right up your alley. Ice cream, cupcakes, donuts... and pile on those rainbow sprinkles!
Your project: "Two Scoops Please!" and "Pretty Parfait Soaps".
For even more tutorials with tons of great pictures and a huge range of styles, check out Let's Get Soapy, my glycerin soap crafting eZine.
No matter what your style is, there's a project for you!
Brown Sugar and Spice Vegan Organic Soap by Little Batch
Cocoa Brown Sugar by The Jane Co.If you’re worried that it won’t work as well as your regular detergent, don’t be. I’ve been using the recipe I’m about to share with you on our family’s laundry and I haven’t noticed any difference in the cleaning power.
If you’re worried that it’s going to take a lot of time to make, don’t be. It’s quicker than whipping up a batch of cookies – even if you use the refrigerated dough.
If you’re worried that it won’t smell like detergent, you’re absolutely right! There’s no overpowering laundry smell, which is great for people with sensitivities to fragrance.
Ready to get started?
First, you’ll need to obtain the following items:
Second, collect the following items from your kitchen:
Food processor, cheese grater, 1 cup measure, and ¼ cup measure.
Third, grate up the lye soap with the cheese grater:
Or, you can try using the grater attachment on your food processor – since you have it out anyway. I ended up with this last piece of soap floating on top of the attachment, which had to be grated manually.
Finally, insert the chopping blade in your food processor, add 1 cup each of borax and washing soda, and ¼ cup oxygen cleaner (along with the lye soap):
Give it a whirl until it’s chopped and mixed nice and fine:
Store in an airtight container. Use 1 tablespoon for light loads, or 2 tablespoons for large or heavy loads. I have a front loader washing machine, and it works just fine! You can also use ¼ c. of vinegar in the rinse cycle to remove the last bits of soap and reduce static, but your clothes won’t smell like vinegar! Add some essential oil to the vinegar if you prefer (20-30 drops per gallon). What I noticed was that our clothes were softer after the first time I used homemade laundry soap.
Which is why I’m offering free samples of this laundry soap, pre-made, to anyone who places an order at GreatCakesSoapworks.com over the 4th of July weekend only. Mention “laundry soap sample” in the Special Requests area of the shopping cart to receive yours! While supplies last. (Pre-made laundry soap is not available for purchase, but the Orange Essence Lye Soap is.)
Thank you, Jo, for the opportunity to share my recipe! I hope it has inspired your readers to try it out! If anyone has experience making their own laundry soap, I’d love to hear it! I know there are other recipes out there…
Amy Warden
