Homemade Laundry Soap

1 cup washing soda (Arm & Hammer, not baking soda)
1/2 cup Borax (20 Mule Team)
3 1/4 gallons Water
1 bar Fels Naptha Soap

Pour 3 gallons of warm water in 4-5 gallon bucket. Pour washing soda and Borax into bucket with water and stir. Boil 4 cups water on stove. Grate soap bar. (The same way you would grate cheese). After water comes to a boil, turn down and simmer while adding grated bar of soap. Add soap slowing to make sure it dissolves. Stir for long time (10-15 minutes) until dissolved and add to the bucket with water, washing soda, and borax. Stir together. Set out over night without lid on. It will set to a jello-like substance. Stir as needed. Use about 1 cup to your load of laundry.

Price Guesstimate: $10 first time expense (including the 5 gallon bucket), and $1.50-ish for each time after (you only use a little bit of each box for each batch of laundry soap - the only thing you have to re-buy each time is the Fels Naptha Soap, which is ultra cheap!)

Steph's Comments: I've had this "recipe" for a long time. It's from my sister's mother-in-law, Lynn. However, I haven't made it ever because it seemed overwhelming to gather all the supplies I hadn't heard of, and plus, I thought it would be like those pioneer women who made their own stinky soap... but I finally decided I wanted to try it, and I'm SO GLAD I did! It wasn't a big deal to make it AT ALL, and I found all the supplies at my local Smith's grocery store! (Except the 5 gallon bucket, which I got for $4 at Home Depot.) It honestly wasn't hard, and it's WAY WAY cheaper than buying laundry detergent from the store. And I used it this morning, and it seemed to work great! Hooray! Oh, and it smells good too! :)