Make your own Laundry Soap!

Another great way to save a lot of pennies is to make your own laundry soap! I have been doing this for 3 years now and have not spent more than $40 on supplies in that whole time. I actually started making it because my daughter was breaking out from any commercial soap that we used. It is easy to do, too! This is a great one for large families and also if you have anyone in your family with sensitive skin.

What you need
A 5 gallon bucket (I got at Home depot for $3.99)
Borax household cleaner ($2.99 at local grocer/store- with the cleaning supplies)
Arm and Hammer WASHING soda ($2.49 at local grocer/store - with cleaning supplies)
This one is a little harder to find. The only place in the cities that carries it is Rainbow Foods. Call around before you go out looking for this. Your local store can order it as well if they don't carry it.
Ivory Bar soap ($1.19 for a 3 pack at any store) Comes in unscented, lavender or aloe.
Water
optional: 1 oz essential oil in scent of your choice (I get it at the craft store or the dollar store for $1.00 a bottle)

What you need per batch of laundry soap
1 bar of shredded Ivory soap - the finer the better
1/2 cup Borax
1/2 cup Washing Soda
1 oz. essential oil (optional)
Water

In large pot, add 12 cups of water and the shredded bar soap. Boil until soap is dissolved.
Add in optional essential oil at this point if you are going to add it
Add 1/2 cup borax - stir until dissolved
Add 1/2 cup washing soda - stir until dissolved

Pour solution into 5 gallon bucket and add 1 and 1/2 gallons of water.
Stir well

Allow to set for 24 hours. Soap will be a jelly type solution. I always find it is gelled half way through and then liquid on the bottom. STIR WELL to make all of it the same consistency, and pour into old laundry soap containers.

One batch makes about 4 bottles of laundry soap.
Use 1/2 to 3/4 cup of soap per load of laundry.
1 batch lasts my family of 4 about a month. I do about 2-3 loads of laundry per day.

Things to keep in mind
The soap will be bumpy and lumpy. This is normal and how it should look
The soap will NOT suds up in the washer. This is also normal, and did you know that suds wear out your clothes and discolor them faster?
Without using the essential oils, a load of laundry with this soap costs about 1.5 cents.

Can't get better than that! It is actually pretty fun to make, too!