make your own laundry soap

Do you want to save money on doing the laundry?  Here is a recipe to make your own laundry soap from Money Talk News on Yahoo.com:

• 4 cups of water.


• 1/3 bar of cheap soap, grated.

• 1/2 cup washing soda (not baking soda).

• 1/2 cup of Borax (20 Mule Team).

• 5-gallon bucket for mixing.

• 3 gallons of water.

First, mix the grated soap in a saucepan with 4 cups of water, and heat on low until the soap is completely dissolved. Add hot water/soap mixture to 3 gallons of water in the 5-gallon bucket, stir in the washing soda and Borax, and continue stirring until thickened. Let the mix sit for 24 hours, and voila! Homemade laundry detergent.

The cost is about 2 cents per load compared to about 20 cents per load for store bought detergent.