Cheap Thrill - Laundry Detergent you can make at home for pennies per load.

As many of you know  I  not only teach cake decorating, I also teach couponing and frugal living classes. This means that I love a good deal, if the product is effective and easy to use. I have been making my own laundry detergent for years now. Initially I started doing it because I was allergic to everything and making my own soap was a way to combat being itchy all day.  This recipe takes minutes to make and will last you several weeks. This is my personal recipe, I tested many and this is the combination  I came up with. If you have a super stinky load of laundry you can add 1/2 cup of white vinegar to the load along with this detergent. This soap can also be used in combination with bleach for whites if you want to. The coolest part of all of this is that  the ingredients are organic and easy on the environment

As I tried out soap recipes,  I realized that making detergent is a huge money saver too. The ingredients are easily found on the Internet. Our local Publix on Kennerly Road carries both the washing soda and the borax. The all glycerin soap can be purchased in small bricks or by the bucket at your local craft store. Of course, I get mine at Michael's in the super size bucket. I just wait until a week when they are offering a 50 percent off coupon to purchase it. The orange essential oil I purchase on eBay in a 3 oz. bottle which lasts me a couple years if I store it properly. I saved an super size laundry detergent bottle with the nice spout on it from Sam's club and I just pour my home made soap into it for storage.

This recipe can be made on the stove top in a big stock pan. If you do not have a pan big enough just divide the recipe in half and make smaller batches.

Tara's Laundry Soap
1 1/2 gallons water ( just use a milk jug to measure this out)
3 ounces ( 1 bar) pure glycerin soap
1/2 cup Borax
1/2 cup washing soda
5-10 drops orange essential oil ( as many as you think smells right)

Start by putting your water in a stock pan on the stove top, set the burner to medium heat and bring the water to a simmer. As the water simmers, add the glycerin, Borax, and washing soda. Stir occasionally until everything dissolves. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool to lukewarm. When the mixture is lukewarm  you can stir in a few drops of the orange oil until it has a pleasant smell. Use a funnel and pour the lukewarm mixture in to your storage container. When it cools it will look like any other detergent.

** If it looks slimy or really thick when it cools that just means you simmered it too much, you can reheat it and add a bit more water or just use it as is.. it won't hurt anything.

Everything you need to make soap for months!!!!!