In a quest for paying the least I can for the things I need, I have made my own laundry soap. At $6-12 bucks for a box of powders I knew I could do better. So I went from site to site and compared recipes. They all use the same ingredients just in different measurements and as a result some will gel more than others.
This is the one I used.
2 cups Mule Team Borax
2 cups Washing soda (not baking soda) Arm and Hammer makes a washing soda
2 cups shredded Fels Naptha soap.
This will make 2 gallons.
Put 1/2 to 1 gallon of water in a pot on the stove add the Fels Naptha and cook it on low till it all melts down ...stir frequently. I have a big plastic jug that my kitty litter came in and it holds 2 gallons easy, a bucket will do to mix in also. 2 one gallon jugs will be useful to split it up as for ease of handling and you will also need a funnel.
Once you have the shredded Fels Naptha melted down then you can slowly add the rest of the ingredients.
Pour mixture in whatever your using that will hold 2 gallons and then add the rest of your water. It will be very hot so you may want to let it cool down a little. After it cools shake it well then transfer to your gallon jugs. There is a gel that settles on the top which is the Fels Naptha so you do want to shake it each time before you use it. I use 1/4 cup per load and it works very well for me. If your laundry is really dirty you may want to adjust how much you use per load. The Fels has a real nice fresh scent but your cloths come out smelling really like nothing. This is a good thing as there is no scent to conflict with what ever scent you may be wearing.
The best place I found to get the Fels Naptha is at http://soapsgonebuy.com very inexpensive. You may be able to find it in the laundry isle at your grocery but I had to order mine. Everything else you need should be on your laundry isle.
Give it a try, you cant beat the savings and best of luck!
