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Basic laundry liquid
2 litres of hot water ° 1 bar of pure soap
(about 100 grams), grated or cut into small pieces or 100 grams of pure soap flakes ° ½
cup borax or ¼ cup washing soda
Dissolve the soap and the borax or the washing soda in the water and store in a bottle
or jar. If using bar soap, place the water in an old saucepan, add the soap and heat over
a low flame, stirring constantly until the soap is dissolved. Do not boil. Use
approximately half a cup of this laundry liquid for each load. For heavily soiled loads
add a tablespoon of ammonia to the wash. The ammonia also works as a fabric softener and
conditioner. In hard-water areas, add an extra tablespoon of borax to the mixture.
To soften fabrics Add a tablespoon of white vinegar or a tablespoon of glycerin to
the final rinse.
For woollens Mix one cup of soap flakes to a quarter of a bar of grated soap with
one cup of hot water, as described above. Add one dessertspoon each of eucalyptus oil and
methylated spirits to this mixture. Use sparingly -- about one tablespoon for a large
jumper or several smaller items. Rinse lightly.
To brighten and remove general stains Soak clothing overnight in a bucket of water
containing half a cup of cloudy ammonia. Always test for colour-fastness before soaking
any clothing. If ammonia is too strong, soak clothing in a bucket of water with half a cup
of white vinegar.
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