I know I run the risk of sounding like a free spirit, granola eating, bathing optional, all you need is love type (what with the previous post being about cloth diapers and all)... but I'm doing it anyway. I'm going to talk about making my own laundry detergent.  

I like to save money. I like to make things. The idea of making my own laundry detergent just seems like a natural progression, right? And I was pleased to discover that making your own detergent really isn't that hard and it is more affordable than store bough stuff. Unless you're one of those extreme couponers that gets 70 bottles of Tide for free because you spend 40 hours a week clipping coupons and figuring out how you can store the 200 free spicy brown mustard's you just scored. I digress.

Join me on this magical adventure of detergent making. Here are the things you'll need...

1 bar "Fels Naptha" soap bar

2 cups Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda

1 cup Borax 

4 cups hot tap water

A 5 gallon bucket (make sure to buy a lid for it too)

 To get started...
-Grate the entire soap bar. Pour grated soap and 4 cups hot tap water into pot and place on stove over medium heat. Stir continually until melted. 

- Fill 5 gallon bucket up halfway with more tap water and add the melted soap, washing soda and borax. Stir until everything is well combined and dissolved.

 -Finish filling the bucket full of tap water and stir.

-Cover with lid and let thicken and congeal overnight.

-In the morning stir vigorously until combined. Then fill a 1 gallon jug or pitcher 1/2 to 3/4 full with the detergent. Add tap water to fill to the top. Shake well. Store remaining (undiluted detergent) out of the way until next time you need a refill.

-Shake well before each use. Use 1 to 2 cups for each full load.

The only place I could find all the soap stuff in my town was Harris Teeter. All together it cost about $7. I got my bucket at Home Depot for $3. For $10 you get between 7 and 10 gallons of laundry detergent. I call that a win. AND... the next time you make detergent you will only have to buy the Fels Naptha soap bar ($2ish) because you'll have left overs of everything else. Hooray! 

I use this homemade detergent mainly on my towels, bed sheets and jeans. For baby clothes and our nicer shirts I use store bough stuff. The homemade detergent doesn't get stains out very well. However, I've been told a scoop of Oxi Clean along with the homemade detergent works well. Also, if you would like a fresh sent (the homemade detergent is unscented) add a scented fabric softener sheet when you throw your load in the dryer.

And that's it. :)