Laundry Detergent Project

I am in the midst of a laundry detergent project.
I am trying several different soaps in the recipe to see which detergent I like the best and which one is the most economical to make. I had never thought to make my own detergent before, but with five kids living in the country, I have so much laundry to do that I thought perhaps I could economize on detergent costs if I made my own.
My laundry detergent project has tested using Fels Naptha detergent, ivory soap, and homemade soap. So far I cannot detect a noticeable difference using any of the bar soaps, so my recommendation is to use which ever is the cheapest. I do like my clothes to have a nice (but not overpowering) smell, so if I went with the ivory soap, I would probably add a bit of lavendar essential oil to the deteregent (just note that if you add a fragrance, you also add cost). But a detergent without fragrance is very desirable to many.
You would have a fragrance free laundry detergent with the ivory bar or with your own homemade soap. I would be sure to modify my homemade soap intended for the laundry just a tad. I would strive for a bar that does not have any margin in it (usually I have 5% superfatting for a mild, gentle soap). I think it helps not to have the extra oil in the soap. Again, I have not done a scientific experiment to prove this, but I personally would try to have a bar without margin. If you need help in making your own soap go check out my website at How to Make Soap
I am still working on this project and am sharing the laundry detergents with others to get feedback, so I will post the results as they come in.

Homemade Laundry Soap

6 cups of water
1/3 bar grated Fels Naptha Detergent Bar (or one whole bar of Ivory Bar Soap or your own homemade soap)
3/4 Cup Borax
3/4 Cup Washing Soda (Arm & Hammer makes this)
1 Quart hot tap water
6 quarts water

Directions:
Dissolve the grated soap in the six cups of water on your stove over medium heat.
Once the soap is fully dissolved, then add the borax and washing soda. Stir until dissolved (a couple of minutes).
You will need a container for your laundry soap that is large enough to hold 3 gallons. In this container, put 6 cups of hot tap water. Pour your hot soap solution into this container and stir. Add the additional 6 quarts of water. This laundry detergent will gel up. It may also separate a bit before it is all used. This is all okay. I like to break up the gel solution and pour it into old laundry containers I have saved. I generally shake the bottle before using to allow it to pour well.
Use 1/2 cup for one load. I like to use one full cup of detergent and add an extra Tablespoon of borax when I wash my towels (especially if they have been damp and waiting in the laundry basket a few days).

You may also add some essential oil to your laundry detergent when you are incorporating all the water.
Enjoy!

Which Laundry Detergent Works Best on Stains

It has been about a year since I first began experiementing with making my own laundry detergent. I have found a couple recipes and have tried various bar soaps in the recipe. I am very happy with the home made detergent, but have found that I really need to pre-treat stains (just as I did when I used commercially made detergent).
So when asked which laundry detergent works best on stains, I would answer that none of them really do. But I have found a GREAT stain treater and that would be a bar of Fels Naptha detergent. It takes very little of this to treat stains. I apply it directly to the stain and scrub the stain with a brush or with my hands in the fabric. If you can let it sit a bit that usually helps as well. This one bar will last you many many months!!
I have been able to remove grass stains from my sons' grass stained pants (even the stains that I previously couldn't remove) with the Fels Naptha.
So my recommendation would be to use an economical detergent and use the Fels Naptha to treat the stains. I will post my recipe and variations of the recipe in another post. If you are interested in making your own laundry soap and want to make it even more economical, then learn how to make a basic bar soap that you can use in the laundry soap (it's also great for your family's skin). You can get information about soap making at How to Make Soap.