Make your own laundry detergent

Ok, ok, I know what you're thinking...really, lady?  Make my own laundry detergent?  Ha.  Riiiight!  You can think I'm being "cheap", but really, it's easy, inexpensive, and works just great!
If you have been reading, or know anything about me, I do lots and lots of laundry.  Using cloth diapers generates laundry everyday, not to mention my Tech Ed, football and wrestling coaching husband who could go through three outfits a day.  (kidding...kind of)

So my mom saw this recipe in the Buffalo News.  Apparently the Duggar Family (you know, the "19 kids and counting" people?) use it, and heck, if they use it, you know it must be inexpensive, and last a long time, because I can almost guarantee that I don't do nearly as much laundry as Mrs. Duggar!

Anyway, go in with a friend, or ask around for supplies, because it really does last a long time, and then you'll have to store some of the ingredients until you need to make it again. (Which for you may not be a big deal, and I should note that you don't need to go in with a friend to split costs, because they say this makes 10 gallons for $1.21)  My mom got the washing soda for her own batch, and then I took what I needed from her (one cup).  I also asked a friend that I work with to save me one of her big cat food containers, because the recipe says use a five-gallon bucket with a lid, but I didn't have that, or want to buy it, so I used the (clean) cat food container.

So here it is:
4 cups hot tap water
1 bar Ivory Soap or Fels-Naptha soap
1 cup Washing Soda (not baking soda- they sell Washing soda at most grocery stores, and of course, Wal-Mart)
1/2 cup Borax

*Grate the bar soap into a saucepan with 4 cups of water.  Stir continuously over medium to low heat until the soap dissolves. (This took me maybe 5 minutes?)
*Fill a five-gallon bucket halfway with hot tap water.  Add the melted soap, washing soda and Borax.  Stir until powder is dissolved.  Fill the bucket the rest of the way with more hot water.  Stir it, cover it and let it thicken overnight.  This will create the concentrated "sludge." (Mine wasn't really thick, but I could tell a definite difference.)
*For ease of use, take an empty liquid detergent container (or milk jug or whatever else you want!) and fill it halfway with the "sludge."  Fill the other half with water, and voila!  You've got your very own laundry detergent!  Be sure to shake it before you pour.
*The directions say to use 5/8 cup for standard top-loading machines, (which cleans about 180 loads) and 1/4 cup for front loaders or other HE machines (cleans about 640 loads).

Now, I can honestly tell you that I will not be able to tell you how many loads I washed with this, because I don't plan to keep track, but I can guarantee you that I won't be buying laundry detergent for quite sometime!