laundry soap

I started making homemade laundry soap several months back.  I'd been wanting to try it for years, but I just never got motivated enough to do it.  I was reading an article about the health risks of fabric softener one day and ran across a very simple recipe and decided it was time to try it.  Not only does it contain far less chemicals than the typical laundry detergent that you buy, but it is also much, much cheaper!  I'm still using the original ingredients that I purchased months ago and all together they cost under $15!  I see no change in how clean our clothes seem and I rarely have to pre-treat anything.  I've had several people ask me for my recipe so I figured here would be a good place to post it!

the ingredients: 

* 20 Mule Borax laundry booster
* Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
* Ivory bar soap

I had trouble finding the Borax and the washing soda at Target so I did have to go to Wal-Mart for that.  (bummer!)

the recipe: 

Step 1 - Shave one bar of Ivory soap with a cheese grater.  (I use the smallest part so the flakes are tiny).

Step 2 - Measure 1 cup borax and 1 cup washing soda and pour into container you plan to store the soap in

Step 3 - add the soap flakes and mix, mix, mix...done!

It takes a grand total of about 5 minutes and it makes me enough soap to last several weeks.

how to use: 

1 tablespoon per load unless very soiled then use up to 2 tablespoons.
(I almost always use just 1 tablespoon, but occasionally if I stuff it full I will use a little more).


I do have an HE washing machine and this recipe is safe to use in this type of washer as the ingredients, like the HE detergents, produce very low suds.