Here is a recipe for home made laundry detergent.

4  Cups - hot tap water
 

1  Fels-Naptha soap bar

1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda

1/2 Cup 20 Mule Team Borax

Stir thickened detergent again the next day, it should remain thin for a while. We use a large wisk and put some of the detergent in a smaller container and stir it well, then return it to the large container.

You only need to use 2-4 ounces per load. The Fels is a one time use, but the boxes of Borax and Washing Soda will make more batches such that your total cost to make a 5 gallon bucket of detergent is around 3 dollars. A 5 gallon bucket will do 600-1200 loads, so your savings are huge.

The Arm & Hammer Washing Soda is Sodium Carbonate and I do not have an alternate source. Kroger keeps all three items in the laundry isle.

If you can't find Fels, you can substitute a bar of regular soap or use 1-2 ounces of Sodium Laurel Sulfate that you can order from Amazon.com.

A half cup of vinegar works as a fabric softener.

Your home made laundry detergent will clean about as good as regular Tide. You can also keep an extra bar of Fels Naptha around to rub on stains. Soak the stained clothes item and then do a regular wash.Fels no longer contains napthalene, but still works well and smells like lemon.

Try this out and save some money.