Home-Made Cheap Laundry Soap

This is not a food recipe, so I feel like I'm breaking all the rules. :) But I guess when you're the one making them, it's ok. I just got this recipe from a friend and tried it, and it works great, so I had to share. I will always miss the fresh scent of Tide detergent, but certainly not the price. This is very inexpensive and space efficient. (I think it is something like ten bars of the Fels Naptha is supposed to make a years supply.)

This recipe for home-made laundry soap is a concentrate --- no water added to this mix--- that is why you use such a small amount of the mix.... Easier to store than the recipes with the water added.

AT WINCO

$1.06 per bar of Fels Naptha

$3.54 Borax

$2.71 Washing Soda (Arm and Hammer)

Home-Made Cheap Laundry Soap

1. 1 bar Fels Naptha soap, grated (comes out to about 2 cups)
2. 1 c. Borax
   Comes from the grocery store laundry aisle and some hardware stores.
3. 1 c. Washing Soda
   Can be found in little grocery stores, online, or Mexican markets.
4. 1/4 c. OxyClean (optional)

Mix it all together into a bumpy, granular mix. Don't worry about stuff getting correctly dispersed, even if it doesn't quite look like it does.

Use 1 Tbsp. for a light load
Use 2 Tbsp. for a large or dirty load (It's true! Only 2 Tablespoons per load!)
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I've never used this, but I have heard it works well. I'm just trying to come around to the thought of vinegar in the laundry- if you give it a shot, let me know how it works.

Laundry Rinse (instead of fabric softener)

1. 1 gal white vinegar
2. 25-30 drops essential oil - optional (Straight vinegar works just fine though.)

Use 1/4 c in the rinse cycle. I promise your clothes won't smell like vinegar. The vinegar clears the last bit of soap remaining on all your clothes and reduces static.

Using vinegar really works. It's great for removing odors from towels and work jeans, too. You can use 1 c. instead of 1/4 c. in your worst loads.