Adventures in laundering

I have felt really pumped since reading through that Make Your Place book. I don't want to feel like I have to use products that I am not sure about. Weird chemical names freak me out and consumer boxes that don't list ingredients do too. With that in mind, I have been on a mission for the past few days to source the ingredients for some DIY laundry soap and I think I have it! Maybe...

DIY laundry!

I found a couple of different recipes for soap and also got some good info from a good friend of mine who makes her own soap regularly. Here are the recipes:

From Make Your Place by Raleigh Briggs:
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup powdered castile soap
1/4 cup washing soda
1/4 cup borax
few drops essential oil (optional)
Use 1/2 cup per load

From Suddenly Frugal by Leah Ingram
2 parts washing soda
2 parts borax
1 part grated Fels-Naptha soap
Use 1/4 cup per load

I am working on getting my friend's recipe and will update when I do so.

I am not quite sure which one I will do yet... I am thinking maybe the one from Suddenly Frugal because I already have all the ingredients. I am not too excited about sitting down to grate some bar soap but I will do it to try it. I am excited to see how it compares to what we have been using for some time, off- brand Tide. I looked into the castile soap from the recipe in Make Your Place and found some at the local health food shop but it was liquid, not powder. I might have to get some shipped.

Either way, I am experimenting to find the most healthy, cost effective and easy way to wash my clothes and keep anyone of my kids from being the "smelly kid." This makes doing laundry that much more exciting!