The Laundry Load from Down Below

Down, deep below our house is a dark, slightly damp place that sometimes smells like cat litter and other cat products. But in this place, the idea is that I will get our clothes clean and dry and folded. Sometimes I forget about this place for a couple days, maybe three, and the clothes reach the second floor of our laundry chute and I sigh. "Didn't I just get this empty like a week ago?" I cry aloud with wonder and dismay.

Every so often, in this dark place of despair there is a laundry load that becomes my nemesis. A certain group of clothes that decides it will need to be washed at least three times. I discover it, slightly stinky, and start it again. Then I go through the day and sometimes forget again, and sometimes make a conscious decision that I am not going to do another thing before bed and leave it. Then it gets washed again the next day. Now, if you don't have trouble with this, you must be a rocket engineer, or have a washer and dryer right next to your kitchen in a fantastical place called "a laundry room." It is a Spare Oom that we do not have in our world. But I have discovered a little secret.

My good friend DD gave me some lovely laundry soap she made herself, and I have noticed that even if I leave a load all day and "rediscover" it that night, it doesn't smell musty, but pretty much normal. Like even better smelling than normal. She used lavender and wild orange essential oils in it (I think). I don't love lavender usually, but I do not mind it in this laundry soap, and it is much better than neglected, fusty clothes. Here is the recipe she uses, courtesy of the Duggars: Duggars' homemade laundry soap. Essentially you will need naptha soap (grated yourself), Borax, washing soda, hot tap water, and essential oils if you like them (I am telling you, they come in handy sometimes!). I am going to check with my friend again, because for some reason I don't think she grates the bar of soap, but has a different trick...but I will get back to you on that.

Supposedly it is much cheaper--this recipe will make 10 gallons! You do kind of have to swish/shake it around a second before you pour some in, because it is kind of a gel-like, liquid consistency. I have really liked it so far! Boo ya, laundry load from down below.