Frugal Fridays - Homemade Laundry Soap

So I have decided that on Fridays I am going to post about things we have learned that we can do to save money.  God has blessed us richly and we desire to be able to joyfully give much back to his Kingdom.  The less we can live on, the more we have to give away :o)  We also are trying to pay off the mortgage on our house as quickly as possible so that we "owe nothing to anyone except to love one another" (Romans 13:8).

About a year ago we started making our own Laundry Detergent and this has saved us TONS of money.  We have two little ones and cloth diaper both so we do A LOT of laundry!  I am also allergic to many laundry detergents so I can't just buy whatever is on sale or the cheapest.  I bought all of the ingredients below on amazon over a year ago and still have PLENTY of supplies (enough for at least another year or two).  Each batch lasts us between 1-3 months (lately we have been doing much more laundry with potty training and still having one in diapers). 

SUPPLIES:
*Fels Naptha or Ivory soap (we use Ivory because the baby seemed to have a problem with Fels Naptha)
*Washing Soda - not the same as Baking Soda
*Borax Powder
*Water
*Small bucket, ~ 2 gallon size

RECIPE:
*Grate 1/3 bar of soap (Fels Naptha or Ivory) and put it in a large pot with 6 cups of water.  Heat it until the soap melts.
*Add 1/2 cup washing soda and 1/2 cup borax powder and stir until it dissolves.
*Measure out 4 cups of hot water (from tap) and pour into the bucket. 
*Add the soap mixture (once dissolved) to the bucket and stir.
*Add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water to the bucket and stir.
*Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel.

USE:
Use about 1/2 cup per load.  For really dirty loads or diapers you can sprinkle 1/2 cup baking soda over the laundry.  We also use some vinegar instead of fabric softener.


For more frugal tips check out The Urban Homemaker.  She is also presently doing a contest to give away the Wondermill Junior.  Click here for the contest page: Wondermill Junior Contest