this is the one I use...yours may be different

Homemade Laundry Soap

1/3 bar Fels Naptha

cup washing soda

½ cup borax powder

~You will also need a small bucket, about 2 gallon size~

Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan. Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts. Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket. Now add your soap mixture and stir. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel. You use ½ cup per load.

Nicole, Here is the one I posted right at the beginning.
Since you live in Ont. you'll be able to find the ingredients easily.

1/2 cup borax
1 cup washing soda (So Clean by Arm and Hammer)
1 Sunlight bar soap (Food Basics sells them 2/$1.99)

Grate the Sunlight bar and dissolve in 4 cups hot water.

I use a 5-gallon pail, Fill halfway full of hot water, add the dissolved soap, and add the borax and washing soda.
Stir well, then fill the rest of the way of the pail with hot water.

Let sit overnight, covered. It will be gelled in the morning. I use the gel for cat bar stains on the carpet and stains on my clothing.

I dilute the gel 1/2 and 1/2 with water in my laundry jug.

Thank you, thank you!

I've got the ingredients sitting in my laundry room - I just forgot the proportions.

Thanks again!

Reminds me.I need to make some more.Finally found the washing soda! I love that homemade soap!

This is the one I use.. I now make my own laundry soap, fabric softner and cleaning solution like fantastic.. I too will not be wasting my money on store bought laundry soap any longer....this is so very inexpencive!!
HOMEMADE LIQUID LAUNDRY DETERGENT
4 cups hot water
1 Ivory, Sunlight bar soap OR Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar (I like the Fels-Naptha)
1 cup washing soda
1 cup Borax
Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan of hot water. Stir constantly over medium-low heat until soap is all melted.
Fill a large kitty litter bucket or 5-gallon pail ½ full of hot water. Add melted soap, washing soda and borax. Stir well until the powder is dissolved. Fill bucket with more hot water.
Stir, cover and let sit overnight.
The next morning the pail will be all gelled and very thick. Stir with a stick to break it up. (I actually just used my fingers and got in there and squeezed!) Fill a laundry jug half-full of the detergent, and top with more water. (Or leave it concentrated and just use 1/8-1/4 cup)
Shake Well before each use. (I like to leave it very concentrated....less bottles around)
Use ½ cup for top-load machines, and ¼ for front-load.
Use the thickened, undiluted soap as a pre-treater.
(I have made THIS recipe from several recipes combined, and what I like) This makes 10 gallons...
Susie

Here's 10 recipes. It's pretty forgiving as to formulations by the looks of the recipes. Some like to add water softener, OxyClean, dishwashing detergent or other additives to help with their needs.

10 Homemade Laundry Soap Detergent Recipes

Recipe #1

1 quart Water (boiling)
2 cups Bar soap (grated)
2 cups Borax
2 cups Washing Soda

Add finely grated bar soap to the boiling water and stir until soap is melted. You can keep on low heat until soap is melted.
Pour the soap water into a large, clean pail and add the Borax and Washing Soda. Stir well until all is dissolved.
Add 2 gallons of water, stir until well mixed.
Cover pail and use 1/4 cup for each load of laundry. Stir the soap each time you use it (will gel).
Recipe #2

Hot water
1 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
1 Soap bar

Grate the bar soap and add to a large saucepan with hot water. Stir over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
Fill a 10 gallon pail half full of hot water. Add the melted soap, Borax and Washing soda, stir well until all powder is dissolved. Top the pail up with more hot water.
Use 1 cup per load, stirring soap before each use (will gel).
Recipe #3

Hot water
1/2 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
1/3 bar Soap (grated)

In a large pot, heat 3 pints of water. Add the grated bar soap and stir until melted. Then add the washing soda and borax. Stir until powder is dissolved, then remove from heat.
In a 2 gallon clean pail, pour 1 quart of hot water and add the heated soap mixture. Top pail with cold water and stir well.
Use 1/2 cup per load, stirring soap before each use (will gel).
Powdered Laundry Detergent - Recipe #4

2 cups Fels Naptha Soap (finely grated - you could also try the other bar soaps listed at the top)
1 cup Washing Soda
1 cup Borax

Mix well and store in an airtight plastic container.
Use 2 tablespoons per full load.
Recipe #5

Hot water
1 bar (4.5 oz) Ivory Soap - grated
1 cup Washing Soda

In a large saucepan add grated soap and enough hot water to cover. Heat over medium-low heat and stir until soap is melted.
Fill a large pail with 2.5 gallons of hot water, add hot soap mixture. Stir until well mixed.
Then add the washing soda, again stirring until well mixed.
Set aside to cool.
Use 1/2 cup per full load, stirring well before each use (will gel)
Recipe #6

2.5 gallons Water (hot)
1 Bar soap (grated)
3/4 cup Washing Soda
3/4 cup Borax
2 TBS Glycerin

Melt bar soap over medium-low heat topped with water, stir until soap is melted.
In a large pail, pour 2.5 gallons of hot water, add melted soap mixture, washing soda, borax and glycerin. Mix well.
Use 1/2 cup per full load.
Recipe #7

2 cups Bar soap (grated)
2 cups Washing Soda
2 - 2.5 gallons hot water

Melt grated soap in saucepan with water to cover. Heat over medium-low heat and stir until soap is dissolved.
Pour hot water in large pail, add hot soap and washing soda. Stir very well.
Use 1 cup per full load.
Recipe #8

2 gallons Water (hot)
1 bar Soap (grated)
2 cups Baking soda (yes baking soda this timenot washing soda)

Melt grated soap in a saucepan with enough hot water to cover. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring frequently until soap is melted.
In a large pail, pour 2 gallons hot water. Add melted soap, stir well.
Then add the baking soda, stir well again.
Use 1/2 cup per full load, 1 cup per very soiled load.
Powdered Laundry Detergent - Recipe #9

12 cups Borax
8 cups Baking Soda
8 cups Washing Soda
8 cups Bar soap (grated)

Mix all ingredients well and store in a sealed tub.
Use 1/8 cup of powder per full load.
Recipe #10 - (Powdered)

1 cup Vinegar (white)
1 cup Baking Soda
1 cup Washing Soda
1/4 cup liquid castile soap

Mix well and store in sealed container.
I find it easiest to pour the liquid soap into the bowl first, stirred in the washing soda, then baking soda, then added the vinegar in small batches at a time (the recipe foams up at first). The mixture is a thick paste at first that will break down into a heavy powdered detergent, just keep stirring. There may be some hard lumps, try to break them down when stirring (it really helps to make sure the baking soda isnt clumpy when first adding).
Liquid Detergents Note:

Soap will be lumpy, goopy and gel-like. This is normal. Just give it a good stir before using. Make sure soap is covered with a lid when not in use. You could also pour the homemade soap in old (and cleaned) laundry detergent bottles and shake well before each use.

*If you cant find Fels-Naptha locally, you can buy it online (check Amazon).

Optional: You can add between 10 to 15 drops of essential oil (per 2 gallons) to your homemade soap.

This is the recipe that I used, and I have to tell you I'm not at all impressed! Our clothing is looking dinghy, the towels smell kind of sour........Bought a new box of Tide!
4 cups hot water
1 Ivory, Sunlight bar soap OR Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar (I like the Fels-Naptha)
1 cup washing soda
1 cup Borax
Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan of hot water. Stir constantly over medium-low heat until soap is all melted.
Fill a large kitty litter bucket or 5-gallon pail ½ full of hot water. Add melted soap, washing soda and borax. Stir well until the powder is dissolved. Fill bucket with more hot water.
Stir, cover and let sit overnight.
The next morning the pail will be all gelled and very thick. Stir with a stick to break it up. (I actually just used my fingers and got in there and squeezed!) Fill a laundry jug half-full of the detergent, and top with more water. (Or leave it concentrated and just use 1/8-1/4 cup)
Shake Well before each use. (I like to leave it very concentrated....less bottles around)
Use ½ cup for top-load machines, and ¼ for front-load.
Use the thickened, undiluted soap as a pre-treater.

Maybe Marry you need to rinse with white vinegar. I have been using this for many months and have not had that problem. I do have soft water. I have made it nine times and give it away to the girls in my family.

Sue

My mom really likes the detergent as well, but step-father misses the smell of regular detergents.

Does anyone use some kind of "essence" in their detergent? If so, what scent do you use and where can you buy it?

After many tries, I made up the one that Susie posted, I do use 2 little bottles of LorAnn Gourmet (1 dram) lemon. (You can find these at Hobby Lobby or any place that have candy making items.) My DD just loves the scent...the first batch I made and gave to them...she called and said that they both wanted to EAT it...it smelled so good! LOL

I made the last batch using Ivory bar soap. It was fine for warm and hot water washing, but it did NOT dissolve enough in cold water. I was trying to find a good recipe for baby clothes. I think the 'normal' soap will work, just not as much in a load of baby clothes.

Marry...I would cut your amount in half and try that. I think we all use wayyy too much (and I am guilty!) of it.

Sandy, I was barely using any to begin with,
a little less than 1/4 cup......and we do have
soft water too. So I have always cut the amounts
of any kind of soap that I use.

Thanks for posting this again.

Hi Jasdip,

As for that " ... cat bar ..." that you referred to ...

... would that be a bar in a cat house?

o j

I'm with Marry. I love the smell of the homemade soap but our whites got so dingy. Towels didn't look clean, etc. We do use the vinegar rinse. Switched back to Tide with bleach and our clothes are soooo much cleaner looking and smelling.

Linda