Getting Low

I definitely need to start making some soap!  Inventory is getting super low and so were some of my oils.  I picked up some supplies today, so that fixes one problem.  I attempted to make some laundry soap, made with 100% coconut oil, and had a slight problem.  After I poured it into my mold I put it in my warm oven, this is what happened after about 25 min.  

Obviously it got too hot.  The kids thought it was pretty cool, I thought what a great way to start after not making soap for a few months.  The good thing is I was going to grate this all up for making laundry soap.  So I let it sit for 24 hours then broke it up into small pieces and chopped it up in my food processor. 
You can make your own laundry soap a few different ways.  This is the way I make it:

5 oz soap bar
1 cup Borax
1 cup Washing Soda (I use the Arm & Hammer brand, big blue box)
Hot water

5 gal bucket with lid

Grate the bar of soap, either by hand or in a processor, into a bowl.  Pour about 2 cups very hot water over the grated soap, stir to help the soap melt.  I like to do this in a large glass Pyrex measuring cup, so I can zap it in the microwave if it is not melting.  I then pour the Borax and Washing Soda into the bottom of the bucket and add a few cups of hot water, stir until both have dissolved.  Add the melted soap, water mixture, stir.  Then fill the bucket half way up with hot water.  Stir again and add more hot water until bucket is about 3/4 full.  Put the lid on the bucket and leave in a cool place overnight. 
You should get something that has the consistency of jello.  But I've done this a few times now and never gotten the same consistency twice.   I pour some into an empty laundry detergent bottle and use about a 1/4 cup for each load.  I have a super-capacity front load machine and it works great.  If you are going to use homemade soap I suggest you use one that has not been superfatted.  Superfatting means that the finished soap will have a certain amount of oil left over that didn't turn into soap.  And I don't know about you but I don't think that extra oil will help make your clothes any cleaner.