Homemade Laundry Detergent

Since Michael and I have been married we have tried to make anything and everything homemade.  With both economical and environmental benefits, searching how to make everyday items from scratch has proven to be a fun challenge.  So I am starting a string of postings about the items that we make at home.  This first posting will be about our homemade laundry detergent.  We have been making our own detergent for about two years, and it has worked great!  

Ingrediants

2 cups of Arm & Hammmer Washing Soda (found in laundry detergent aisle)
2 cups of BORAX
1 quart of water
2 gallons of water
Essential Oil (any kind you like, we used lavender)
5 Gallon Pail

Directions
1. Grate 2 cups of Kirk's Castile Bar Soap and add to 1 quart of boiling water, stir well until dissolved.

2. While soap is dissolving in boiling water, measure out 2 cups of Washing Soda, and 2 cups of Borax into 5 gallon pail.
3. Once soap is well dissolved in boiling water, add to 5 gallon pail of Washing Soda & Borax and stir well.
4. Add 10-20 drops of your favorite essential oil and stir well
5. Add 2 gallons of water to mixture and stir well.
6. VUALA! Homemade laundry detergent- average cost per batch, $3.00- better for you, the environment and your pocket book! Fun stuff.

NOTES
*We poured desired amount into an empty laundry detergent bottle-use 1/4 cup per load of laundry. This mixture will become very gel-like, so make sure to shake very well before each use. 

*On average this cost $0.01 per load!  Can't beat that!!!