homemade laundry soap

This is about the easiest thing in the world to do, it's dirt-cheap, and it will help you get rid of some of the nasty chemicals in your home! What's not to love?

Here's what you'll need:

1/2 cup washing soda*
1/2 cup borax (you can find this at Wal-Mart and Target in the laundry isle)
1 cup grated organic soap (I love Shea Moisture's Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Shea Butter Soap w/ Songyi Mushroom, which you can buy at Target, of all places!)

*The washing soda can be hard to find, so if you can't find any, just substitute baking soda. Put the baking soda on a cookie sheet in the oven at 350 for at least 20 minutes. This gets rid of the carbon dioxide (or something like that), effectively converting it to washing soda.

Mix the ingredients together, and and use about 3 tablespoons per load. For a healthy and chemical-free fabric softener, I put vinegar in a Downy Ball and pop it in the wash. Your clothes come out soooo soft, and they won't smell a bit like vinegar. Fabric softener is something I'm a bit of a connoisseur of ... I've tried every kind out there, and vinegar works better than anything else I've tried.

The Mr. snapped this picture of me while I was making the soap. I look soooo sad! It's an illusion, though. I was happy, I promise:)

If you buy these ingredients in bulk, it will last you FOREVER. I read that making your own laundry detergent with these ingredients cost about 10% of the cost of regular, store-bought detergent ... and I believe it!