Rock on! Let me know when you do and how you like it.

Let's hear it for the Great Aunt Idas of the world that are still here to teach us.
I'm going to keep picking her brain.

Oh...Castile and Clearly Natural are the best brands. I'm partial to the Clearly Natural as it has twice the amount of glycerin then the other glycerin soaps.

Happy shopping.

Thanks, AG, I can't wait to try it! I've learned a lot from my grandmothers and aunts, too.

My mom used to make her own laundry soap but it was lye soap. Curious what you use for it?

Ginny, my mom made lye soap too.

If I remember correctly it was really soft? She used it in a wringer washer (or that's what we called it anyway). Darn brain is getting old

Yes, we had the wringer washer too. The clothes went between rollers and it was very easy to get your fingers caught in them.

https://www.bing.com/images/se...

Or your arm

It was awful for people who wore large rings.

I've starred the recipe for the soap. As soon as our current amounts get low enough I will be making this.

AG -- thanks for sharing the soap recipe! Does it make much in the way of suds? (I have an HE washer that needs a low-suds formula...)

I pulled out my great-grandmother's copy of Mrs. Owen's Cook Book and Household Hints The book was originally published in1884 and had several reprints. There is one on line that can be downloaded free ...

https://archive.org/details/mr...

My copy is very fragile, so I don't get into it very often.

I looked up laundry and one of the "recipes" for making your own soap is very similar to the one Agavegirl posted. It appears Mrs. Owens was making a much larger batch of soap ... , but the ingredients seem to be the same. The names are slightly different. For example, she calls "Washing Soda" salsoda

Some of the other hints appear to be quite useful and I even remember liking some of the recipes, but as I said before, I am almost afraid to touch the book. It is falling apart.

I couldn't figure out how to get to a link to John McGovern's letter which she mentions in the preface and is printed on page 352 in my copy with the title "An Old Citizen To A Young Wife". It's kind of a fun read. If any one can put up a link that would be great.

Just found the recipe.

AgaveGirl1 said:Laundry soap:
Also if you're expecting suds you are going to be in for a shock. There aren't any. The water looks kind of white-grey but that's just the soap dissolving and the oxidization starting. It cleans but doesn't harm colored clothing as there is no bleach in this.

No suds.

If my local stores do not carry what I need I look to Amazon or eBay for it. I have Borax and washing soda on hand. All round great cleaners. Borax makes for great carpet cleaner in my carpet machine. They want too much $ for carpet cleaners. Vinegar also works well on carpets. Gene

Oops -- thanks, Amanda, I must have read over that part!!

Lyn, that old cookbook is so cool -- I love things like that, and downloaded the PDF.

Here's the link to the letter you mentioned https://archive.org/stream/mrs...

Thank you Sandy.

There is a lot of good advice all through the book. For example on page 409 there is a chapter called "Save Yourself".

@AgaveGirl1, I'll bet your Aunt Ida will recognize some of the tips and hints and recipes. As we found out, sometimes the old ways really can save us money and a lot of hard work from your sharing her soap recipe.

For me, it's a joy to read this book without worrying about damaging the book. My great grandmother tucked keepsake items into her cookbook.

Thanks guys.
Glad you like my Great Aunt Ida's soap recipe. Gene, let me know what you think once you start using the stuff. Curious to see if others are getting the same satisfaction that I am.

Heard of lye being used to make soap. Not sure how to do it but it would be interesting to find out.

I'm going to have to take a look at that Mrs. Owens Cookbook. Sounds interesting and just up my alley. I may have to see if I can rustle up a copy of it. Would love to have this. Thank you for sharing that.

Vinegar is pretty useful but I'm not thrilled with the smell. In addition to the laundry soap I'm into the Borax for a lot of the home uses for carpets, drains, tubs, sinks, toilets, cleaning appliances, pots and pans. Interesting history of it if you read the side of the box. This product comes from my figurative back yard. I never knew that.

The washing soda I can also clean silver, copper and brass, small appliances, bathroom surfaces and kitchen surfaces. Really cool I clean tile grout with it, stainless steel and garage and cement floors and patio furniture and even regular upholstery.

I'm loving these things. When I'm done with most of the cleaning stuff in my cabinet, it looks like I won't need Comet Cleanser, toilet bowl cleaner, grout cleaner, laundry soap, floor cleaner, degreaser and spot remover for the garage floor, and 10 other things I use to spray and wipe every surface in the house. Be green when you clean and save them pennies!

Not sure why I never asked my Aunt for more tips, help and info. Think about it. Back in the day they didn't have Rug Doctor, Tide or even toothpaste. They had toothpowder. Not that I want to start making my own toothpaste and deodorant but it would still be interesting to see how it is/was done.

Now I'm going to research to see if there's something I can use to replace fabric softener sheets. Hate those things. They multiply in my dryer like loaves and fishes. May have something to do with the fact I just leave them in there.

Furniture polish is another thing I'd like to find out about.

Have a great day all.
AG

I never use fabric soft sheets. Are you sure you need to? Baking soda is a great toothpaste. It is about abrasion not chemicals. Removing tarnish from silver - and this is just way cool. Line the bottom of glass pan/bowl with alum. foil. Put your silver in it. Fill with boiling water, add baking soda. Tarnish will disappear just like magic! Gene

Heah @agavegirl1
I'm glad i been watchin this thread 😁😁😁!!! Wow!!! It should be called ???😕???? Clean anything A to Z soap ###
When i finish. I'm gonna give Y'ALL a remedy for a sore throat or streep throat from my dearly departed Auntie Bernice. Bless her soul 😁!
All my questions about it have been answered 😮😮😮😁😁😁 Especially about H.E. laundry detergent # I have front load h.e. washer and use right detergent and right amount. Really less amount. When wash gets done. Suds are left on inside bottom of door. And when i open door 👺 Clean clothes fall on suds. GROOSS #!#!#👺👺👺
I'm gonna make some up and let my other soaps gather dust.
HAY !!! Could you wash your face.body and hair with it ???
I know it would be a bit gritty ! But ! Hay ! A great exfoliant !!! I'm a guy. So ! What the hay !!! But ? What do you think Ladies ??? or ???

OK !!! Auntie Bernice's sore throat remedy !!! Take a jar with a good amount of salt in it. Fill jar three quarters full with hot water and stir till salt is dissolved. Top up jar with white 5% vinegar. Only white # or ya be sorry. !!!
Its ready to go any time you need it.
If i get a little itch in my throat, like im gonna get a sour throat. I gargle. Imedeically. Then in morning. When i get home from work and before bed. Same thing if i get sour throat. And i could swear that a couple times i've had streep throat and it cured it.
If it dosent kill pain .it will make it tolerable. Tips.... DONT breath while gargling and ! DONT rinse your mouth out afterwards. Taste will go away in few minutes. Use less vinagar if you cant handle it at first. But as you get use to it. Increase vinegar till you get to half vinegar to half water. And dont forget the salt of course.
😎😎😎