Homemade Laundry Soap

I've been trying to find ways to cut cost and add a healthier lifestyle to our lives. I ran across this blog...Being Creative...and she had a homemade laundry soap recipe I thought I would give a try to. I bought all the items I'd need and mixed it all up. I've done the laundry in this and am a total believer. The colors in the clothes brighter, the whites whiter, and the stains that wouldn't go away with the other detergents I'd bought....GONE!!!

Now, this is a mild smelling soap so if you like the strong smell on your clothes you'll need to add a fabric softner to the wash. I don't use fabric softner at all and clothes are extremely soft.

You want to try it out? By the way...it works in HE washers too...you know those fancy front load ones...here's the recipe.

Ingredients:
1 - 4lb 12oz box of Borax
1 - 3lb 7oz box of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
1 - 4lb box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
2 - 1.75lb container of OxyClean
3 - Bars of Ivory Soap

Directions:
1. Grate the bars of soap
2. Empty all the boxes/containers into a 5 gallon bucket and mix in the soap shavings.
3. Add 1-2 TBSP to your load of laundry...add water to your wash then put in the soap...then the clothes.

According to Being Creative's blog it lasted her about nine months. I'm assuming it will be the same so won't need to buy anymore stuff until Octoberish, maybe sooner depending on how dirty the laundry is or how often I start doing it.

Cost Breakdown:
5 Gallon Tote Box - $5.97 (won't need to purchase again)
Ivory Soap 3/pk - $1.24
OxyClean - $3.98
A&H Baking Soda - $2.10
A&H Washing Soda - $3.24
Borax - $2.98
Total - $19.51

$13.54 will be the cost to make more since I've already invested in the laundry storage. Now if this lasts the whole nine months I would be looking at $1.50 a month in laundry detergent costs.