1 bar ZOTE soap (I grate it by hand — my food processor can’t get it fine enough and it wasn’t breaking down in the wash)

1 1/2 cups of washing soda

2 1/2 cups of borax (the extra borax makes a huge difference with the hard water)

By sheer luck, I can get the Zote Soap for $1.39 a bar at the grocery down the street. I can get Borax at Target for $2.99 and Washing Soda for $3.30 at Kroger (I can get it cheaper, now that I’ve checked, but this is what I had on hand).

If my math is correct, $2.91 does 64 loads at 2 tablespoons a load. When wet, you can smell the citronella of the Zote but after drying (I line dry almost exclusively), they smell like nothing but clean.

Not only do I like the money savings, I like knowing what’s on my kids’ clothes, especially as my son is on the Autism spectrum and we like to limit his exposure to harsh chemicals.

All but the absolutely worst of my husband’s BO ridden shirts (like after chopping wood or mowing in the 90 degree heat) come fresh smelling clean and those few that don’t, I just soak a bit and wash again with vinegar in the fabric softener compartment and the bleach compartment. Works like a charm. I suspect the extra borax helps this too.

And if I wash in straight borax, as recommended by my mom, my daughter gets contact dermititis but so far nothing from this detergent.

Thanks so much for the motivation!

Also, one cool thing is, it works great as a fabric softener, your clothes come out really soft and flexible, I got a pair of Army ACU pants that had really stiff fabric, and they came out feeling almost like…Dockers? Somewhere around there for stiffness.

So, for now, I’ll keep just using vinegar for my clothes, they keep the colors looking awesome, it’s relatively inexpensive, and it keeps my fabric soft, oh, it also makes you get less lint in your dryer, too.

Most people use vinegar as just a stainremover or color brightener/fabric softener with their detergent, me I just use it alone. I almost think it’s almost like color safe bleach.

2 to 2 1/2 cups borax
2 to 2 1/2 cups washing soda
1/2 to 3/4 cup sun oxygen or oxiclean as a booster

when substitution is required
i use these combinations of soap bars
1 zote(zote is large) plus 1 ivory per batch
1 fels-naptha plus 2 ivory per batch
or just 3 ivory bars alone per batch

when making the liquid laundry soap i pour boiling water into the 5 gallon bucket(about 8-12 cups the more the better) and toss in the soap that i processed in my processor..then stir and add more boiling water and stir(it is now melted liquid) then add the borax, washing soda and some oxy booster…i dont use the stovetop method..i let it sit a bit then fill the bucket with cool water for 5 gallons and stir gently with whisk so no bubbles form. we use 1 cup or a bit more per load.

for 5 gallons liquid i use the same ingredients and quantities as it works well for me and the 5 gallons lasts forever in my home. i do prefer liquids for dark
clothes.

SOFTENER TIP
for a nice fabric softener i use any white/clearish hair conditioner and mix it 50/50 with water and put in a spray bottle/sometimes i do add fragrance oil of my choice..
i use 10-30 sprays depends on what i am drying…i like to spray it onto a fabric dryer sheet and fold it over ..i actually can reuse them that day doing a few loads….some people cut up regular sponges and use the softener in a container and toss a piece of sponge into dryer/but i prefer my fabric sheet method/i like to use the regular downy sheets myself.