I like the Purex sheets too, though I am skeptical of them for hand washing. I do suggest cutting them in half, as they actually contain too much detergent for most washing machine loads.
What I use for hand washing is Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap - the hippie stuff from health food stores. I dilute it to use as shampoo also. I'm not, however, brave enough to use it as toothpaste, despite the label suggestion. It's very effective and has the bonus of providing extra reading material if I get bored.