Laundry sauce

   I have not bought laundry detergent since Bush W was president. No, we aren't grungy people, not do we buy new clothes every time our clothes get dirty. When I did buy laundry detergent, we went through a jug every 2 weeks or so with just my husband, son, and I. Any mom who has ever perused the laundry aisle knows that kind of usage translates into huge spendings.
   So our solution, make it ourselves. Like most people I read about while finding my method, I started with the Duggars. If you don't know them google them, they are a Christian family of 22 living debt free and with out any government assistance. They have a recipe on their Web site that works great, however i looker my laundry to have some fragrance.
   After doing a lot of research, all homemade laundry boil down to three ingredients: bar soap, borax, and laundry soda. For the bar soap, most recommend Fels Napa or Zote, I use two bars of my goat milk soap. The recipes break down to 1 grated bar, 1 cup and 1 cup. Boil the grated bar in approximately 4 cups of water then add the powders and mix completely.
   Now this makes an extreme concentrate so here is where the recipes vary. In this house we split the mixture into two quart size main jars and fill the rest with water. After about 3 hours I mix the mixture again to turn it into a smooth sauce. It only takes a tablespoon per load. We get about 68 loads a jar so not too bad.
   The real reason anyone might do this is cost. This recipe cost us about $0.95 a batch the last time I crunched the numbers. (I'm sure it's gone up, thanks economy) and it lasts us about a month. Now that is a lot better than the $30 ish I was spending before.
   Now the does it work aspect is a big yes. We are a homestead family which translates to a lot of out doors time. Also 3/5 of this family are children/toddlers, and they are very hard on their clothes. If you are looking for some where to pinch some pennies, this would definitely be a good place to start. It cost next to nothing to try it out which is the best selling point. Good luck and God bless.