Recipes Other Than Food

Liquid Laundry Detergent

To make your own batch of laundry soap you will need a bucket with a lid that will hold 2 gallons.  Plastic kitty litter buckets are very useful for this.  If you have an old laundry soap container, you can refill it from your bucket as needed.

Directions:
  3 Pints Water
  1 Cup (approximately 1/3 to 1/2 bar) Fels Naptha (or Ivory) Soap,
     grated (cheese grater recommended)
  1/2 Cup Washing Soda
  1/2 Cup Borax
  2 Gallon bucket
  1 Quart Hot Water
  Hot Water to make 2 gallons total

  Mix grated soap in a saucepan with 3 pints of water, and heat on
  low until dissolved.  Do not boil.  Stir in Washing Soda and Borax. 
  Stir until thickened and remove from heat.  Add 1 quart Hot Water
  to 2 gallon bucket.  Add soap mixture, and mix well.  Continue
  adding hot tap water, 4 cups at a time until the mixture totals 2
  gallons.  Mix well.  Set aside for 24 hours, or until mixture thickens. 
  Use 1/2 to 2/3 cup of mixture per load in top loading machines or 2
  -4 Tbsp for front loading HE machines.

If you like fabric softeners, you can use 1/2 to 1 cup of white vinegar in the rinse cycle.  It helps by removing excess soap from clothing and reportedly keeps the inside of your washer from getting soap buildup.  "Oxyclean" is an environmentally friendly whitener that can be used as an alternative to chlorine bleach.