FRUGAL TIP #1 - HOMEMADE LAUNDRY DETERGENT

Recipe for homemade laundry soap.......

4 Cups hot water
1 bar Fels-Naptha or Zote soap
1 Cup of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (NOT BAKING SODA)

1 Cup Borax

First you want to grate the bar soap into a saucepan and add the 4 cups of hot water.  Continue heating but not boiling until all the soap has melted. 
Fill a 5gallon bucket 1/2 full with warm water.  Add melted soap/water mixture, borax and washing soda...continue stirring until fully dissolved.  Finally, fill the bucket all the way to the top with more warm water.  Put the lid on your bucket and let it sit overnight to thicken. 
Use an empty detergent bottle and fill it 1/2 way with your homemade soap and the rest of the way with water.  Shake well. 

NOTE*****This homemade detergent will have NO fragrance at all...you may want to add 10-15 drops of an essential oil of your choice to each batch that you make in your empty detergent container. 

This recipe makes 5 gallons of concentrate detergent = 10 gallons of detergent
For Top Load Machine use 5/8 Cup per load (About 180 loads)

For Front Load Machines use ¼ Cup per load (About 640 loads)

Estimated cost for the 10 gallon batch = $2.00!!!!   That's a HUGE savings from buying detergent at the store!

I have been testing out and using this homemade detergent for about 2 months now and I am quite satisfied with it.  I do prefer it with essential oil so that the clothes have a nice fragrance...but it does the job and gets them clean...FOR CHA CHA CHA CHEAP!!!!!
ENJOY!