DIY Laundry Soap

Laundry is probably my favorite chore- good thing it is never ending! I have always used Gain. It's what my mom always used and I love the smell- it reminds me of my mom's house; but dang is it expensive! I did some research online and decided to try making my own. I took a little advice from several different recipes and tweaked a few to make my own. Here's what I used and how much I spent... All of the ingredients came from Walmart- everything is in the laundry aisle except for the soap.

Arm & Hammer All Natural Super Washing Soda- $3.24 (3 lb 7 oz box)
20 Mule Team Borax All Natural Laundry Booster- $3.38 (4 lb box)
Oxy Clean- $3.86 (Small 1.3 Lb container)
Ivory Bar Soap- $4.27 (12 pack)

This part is the most fun (I wish I would've taken pictures!) Cut one bar of Ivory soap into quarters. Put it on a paper plate and stick it in the microwave for 3 minutes. It will puff up like cotton candy! Take it out and let it cool completely. While it's cooling, mix one cup of Washing Soda, one cup of Borax and one cup of Oxy Clean in a big bowl. The soap should be cool by now. Dump it into a separate bowl and smash it with a fork until it's a powdery consistency. Towards the end I ended up pulling my shirt over my nose and mouth 'cause it's not so fun to breathe! Once the soap is nice and powdery (I've read you can also use a food processor or blender, but I did just fine with a fork and my muscles), mix everything together.

SHAZAM~ DONE! The best part is you only need to use 1-2 tablespoons per load of wash! This recipe filled 2-1/2 mason jars and barely put a dent into the ingredients I bought. So for less than $16, I now have enough supplies for laundry soap to last me through the end of this year (at least!). Another bonus is the scoop that comes in the small container of Oxy Clean is exactly 2 tablespoons so it's come in handy.

You can use whatever scent of Ivory you like best. Ben chose the aloe scent and it smells great. The first load of wash I tried it on was a nasty one- gross towels that I stuck in the washer and forgot about. Ew. They were super rank and after one wash with this detergent they smelled delightful! Our clothes look great too. I was concerned about it fading colors but it hasn't. It also has worked well with the bleach loads.

Enjoy!