Homemade Laundry Detergent

Homemade Laundry Detergent:

1 bar soap (I use Ivory, but you can use Fels Naptha, Zote, or just about any soap you like. Make sure it's not filled with moisturizers or other ingredients that can leave residue on your clothes.)
1 cup Washing Soda (Arm & Hammer brand- do NOT confuse Baking Soda with Washing Soda. Washing Soda can be found in the laundry aisle at Publix locally, right next to the Borax.)
1/2 cup Borax

Heat 4 cups of water in a pot over med-low heat. Meanwhile, grate the bar of soap and add it to the water. Stir occasionally until soap is melted.

Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add washing soda, borax, and melted soap/water. Stir until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket the rest of the way with hot water. Stir, cover, and let sit overnight.

Optional: If you want to add a scent, you can add 10 drops of essential oil per gallon. (Ex: lavender, tea tree, rosemary, etc) I did not add any scent to mine because we prefer the fresh, clean, soapy scent.

The next day, you will find the liquid has turned to a slimy gel-like substance. Very cool! You can stir it if you want, but it will work just as well if the gel separates from the liquid a little. Just try to get equal parts gel and liquid for each load.

I Fill a 2 qt Rubbermaid "juice container" with the detergent and keep that on the washing machine instead of dipping from the bucket each time. We just shake the container a little before we add the detergent to the machine. We use 1/2 cup per load.