Homemade Laundry Soap

So I posted on facebook that I was making laundry detergent and I have had a few people ask me how it is done, so this is for you!

1/2 bar of ivory soap (grated--don't let it intimidate you, it grates so much easier than cheese)

Melt over the stove in a pot with 8 cups of hot water.

Then add:

2/3 c. borax

2/3 c. washing soda (Not Baking Soda)

Mix well and then add into a bucket of 11 quarts of water and mix again! That's it.

I store this whole batch in a large bucket and use a funnel to pour it into a regular laundry container. The soap kinda sets up and can get a little clumpy so I make sure to shake it before I pour it.

This is not thick soap, I use a 1/2 a cup per load but remember it isn't scented or anything so just the laundry soap alone is not going to make your clothes smell all clean. But now that I am saving so much money on making my soap I don't feel guilty splurging on fabric softener.

I also read that you can use 1 T. Borax with 1 T. BAKING Soda (not washing soda as you would the laundry detergent) for dishwasher detergent. I really want to give that a try when I run out of dishwashing detergent.