Making Liquid Laundry Detergent

Here is how I got 3 gallons of liquid laundry detergent for 71 cents. 

Grate a bar of soap into a pot with several cups of water and heat on the stove.  This bar of soap I received free so that cost is not included.  You can get a bar of soap for between $ 0.50 and $ 1.50, and more depending on what you choose.  In the past I've even saved up several bath bar slivers and used them.

The heat will help to melt the soap bar.  I've tried soaking the bar soap overnight and mushing it up, but this does not work as well as grating.

When melted, add 1 cup Washing Soda [$ 0.50] and 1/2 cup of Borax [$ 0.21] to the pot and mix.  Then place this in your bucket, adding water to fill.  Overnight the mixture will congeal.  I keep a stick with the bucket to stir before I scoop out a cup of detergent because the gel floats.

A three gallon bucket gives 48 cups / 48 loads of detergent.  This brings the cost per load to $ 0.02 and as I usually do a load of laundry every other day, this bucket will last over a year!

Sometimes when putting the cup of detergent in the machine, I add a few drops of essential oil for fragrance, which bumps up the cost per load a few cents.