DIY Gel Laundry Detergent

Many years ago when I was a student, I first found a homemade laundry detergent recipe on ThirftyFun (so long ago it wasn't even called TF yet!) and have used a variant of it for years and years. Such that, I ALWAYS have both Borax and Washing Soda on-hand -- in fact, I use neither for any other purpose, and the mix for laundry is 1:1, so I simply mix the two boxes together when I purchase them.

Here's the refined recipe, bigger and less complicated, tweaked for maximum cleaning power and maximum thrift, along with maximum convenience. Every step rooted in basic science. It is totally non-toxic, so follow the directions closely or experiment/tweak it if that's your style:

Laundry Gel Soap (Use 1/4 cup per load)

Melt 1/2 bar grated Ivory (or ANY) soap (or 1/2 cup Castille soap)
in 1 quart of hot water. Dump mixture in an approx. 2 gallon bucket. Add 1/2 cup washing soda and 1/2 cup borax, 10 drops e-oil (for scent). Add 2 gallon of water. Mix, let sit overnight before use.

Tips:

• Double ingredients for a 5 gal bucket full.

• If you use a liquid soap instead of bar, no stove required, just mix all.

• Best if mixture is stirred/shaken before each use, so

• Pour into old laundry bottle or gallon jug (repurposed vinegar, milk)