DIY Laundry Soap

If you would have told me I should try making my own laundry soap a few years back (before 3 boys).....I would have laughed. Not just a little chuckle but a full-out laugh. Well, now I'm laughing at my self because I just made my own laundry soap. Due to muddy sports and the expense that goes into the store-bought stuff with an ever-full hamper, I decided to give it a try. I've read how much money you can save (I think I initially heard it from the Duggar family show) and the home-made variety often cleans better as well. I've got to say, I'm impressed with the results already. Thanks to Pinterest, I decided on THIS 'recipe' for the soap:

1 (4 lb 12 oz) Box of Borax
1 (3 lb 7 oz) Box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
1 (3 lb) Container of OxyClean- Found in the detergent aisle. (This is optional but I highly recommend adding it)
2 (14.1 oz) Bars of Zote Soap (I used the pink Zote because of the scent)
2 (2 lb) Boxes of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
1-2 (55 oz) Bottle of Purex Crystals Fabric Softener- Found in the detergent aisle (This is 100% optional...but the smell is amazing)

I pulled out my food processor and the cheese grating blade to shredd the bars of Zote soap so that it only took about 5 minutes. This recipe above is so concentrated that you only need to use 2 tablespoons to do a full load (I used the lid of the Purex Softener as my measurement for each load) so this batch will probably last me about 9-12 months of a load a day for only about $25! Yes, I give you permission to laugh at my excitement too. It really is quite pathetic.