Keeping it clean for less green.

My husband's most hated phrase at the moment is "In these tough economic times...". You can't watch more than 5 minutes of the news without hearing it and you can't peruse a newsstand without reading it. Everyone is looking to save as much of their hard-earned money as possible and more and more people are looking to "get back to basics"; making things themselves that they had purchased pre-made in the passed.

One of my favorite ways to save money is by making my own laundry detergent. Yes, you read that correctly! It's super easy, good for the environment, and it makes a ton. It's great for those with sensitive skin or sensitive noses. (My husband hates anything scented unless it smells like food.) It can be a little clumpy and therefore not as pretty as commercial laundry detergent but who cares! Personally, I don't think we should judge a cleaning product by it's appearance. ;-) It's low-sudsing and is good for High E machines I'm told. (I don't have one so I've never tried.) Here's how to do it:

5 Gallon Tub with lid and a stir stick (I got a tub from Home Depot and I use a paint stir stick to stir it with.)
3.1 oz bar Ivory Soap
1 C Borax
1/2 C Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
3 Gallons & 5 C water

Pour 5 C of water into a pot. (I bought an old one at a rummage sale to use just for this) Grate soap with a cheese grater and place in water. Bring the water to just shy of a boil and stir until completely melted. When soap is just about melted, pour 3 Gal. hot water into a 5 Gal. tub and let it sit until soap is totally melted. Once soap is all melted, pour mixture into 5 Gal. container and stir.
Once soap & water are thoroughly stirred, add Washing Soda and stir until dissolved. Then, pour in Borax and stir until dissolved.
*Optional: Drop in a few drops of essential oil for fragrance. (I did this once and, even though the detergent itself smelled great, you couldn't smell it on the clothes at all. If you want to smell it on the clothes, you would need to add more than a few drops I guess)
Cover the container and let it sit overnight. Stir before using. Use 1/2 C per load.
Yields 442oz, 4 oz/load = 110.5 loads.