The foil balls are a great idea. I'll have to try it.
For my own hygiene, I stopped using regular soap. Instead I get pure soap bars, like Dr. Bronner's (the bars, not the liquid bottles, because the latter have too much plastic and cost more to ship so they're less environmentally practical). Anyway, I like liquid soap, so I make my own.
LIQUID SOAP
Ingredients
Half gallon of water
1 bar of pure castile soap, e.g., Dr. Bronner's or Kirk's (you need the castile soap, because it contains natural glycerin)
Big pot
Cheese grater
Funnel
Steps
Sit in front of the TV with your big pot, cheese grater, and soap.
Grate the soap in the pot as you watch TV.
When your show is over, add the water to the pot.
Bring the water to a boil so that all the soap melts.
Set the pot aside for 24 hours, stirring occasionally. It will thicken.
Funnel into hand-pump liquid soap containers.
It's not as pretty as store-bought soap, but it's (1) just as soapy, (2) contains no chemicals, and (3) doesn't waste transportation fuel. Lasts forever, too.
I make my own laundry detergent, too.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT
Ingredients
1 bar of pure castile soap, e.g., Dr. Bronner's or Kirk's (you need the castile soap, because it contains natural glycerin)
1 cup of Borax laundry booster
1 cup of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
Big pot
Cheese grater
Steps
Sit in front of the TV with your big pot, cheese grater, and soap.
Grate the soap in the pot as you watch TV.
When your show is over, add the super washing soda and Borax.
Mix it up and put in a container with a small scoop and tight lid.
Use 1 tbsp for a small load and 2-3 tbsp for large loads. Before adding it to a cold-water wash, put it in a jar with a pint of warm water and shake. This will dissolve the soap.
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