DIY Powdered Laundry Soap/Fabric Softener

For those that asked here is the recipes for these two items.  They both worked great and are much more friendly to the wallet!  I did not add fragrance to my soap but you can add drops of any essential oil that you choose.  Just be sure they are pure essential oils and not room fragrance oil.  Many sites suggested using at least some Tea Tree Oil because of it's anti-fungal and bacterial qualities.  Lavender, Rosemary, and Thyme are also popular scents.  If you use these in conjunction with the, very fragrant, DIY Reusable Dryer Sheets also featured on this blog, you will not need to add fragrance to your soap.

The Laundry soap averages out to about 6 cents a load.  Tide is roughly 12 cents a load and Sun is roughly 9 cents.   I did both whites and darks and both came out clean. The Fabric Softener worked as well.  Vinegar is an amazing household item that you can also make pretty much any household cleaner out of.  The smell does not linger at all.  In fact from doing some research many laundry professionals have been adding it undiluted to their wash loads for years.  It is a stain fighter, whitener, color brightener, and fabric softener.

Laundry Powder Soap (1 Batch)

1 Bar of Soap (Ivory is cheap and works best, plus many times almost free with coupons.  You can use what you want just remember some soaps contain a lot of fragrance and additives that can irritate some people.)
1 Cup Washing Soda (Comes in the same yellow box as baking soda, but much larger.  In Laundry Aisle.)
1 Cup Borax (20 Mule Team is most popular brand)

I made this batch times six.  Grate the bar of soap with a cheese grater or you can use the grater attachment on a food processor to make it quicker.  Then simply mix with the two powders and place in a container.  I bought a cheap coffee scoop to portion it out. 1 Tbsp for regular loads, 2 Tbsp for heavy Soil loads.  It works in HE machines and even in cold water.

Fabric Softener

2 Cups Hair Conditioner (I used Suave because of the price and the Ocean Breeze Scent, but you can use any.)
3 Cups White Distilled Vinegar
6 Cups Warm/Hot Water (The warmer water helps to break up the clumps of conditioner)

Simply mix together well with spoon or whisk and place into a container. I bought a cheap plastic pitcher.  I use the Downy Ball so just poured into it the load size I was using as I would regular softener.

*Update (1/7/13) - I have now used this for a little over 5 months and I am in love with it.  My clothes are clean without the use of harsh chemicals. I have not had to buy laundry soap or fabric softener. I only recently had to make a second batch of softener, but still have PLENTY of soap left.  And that was a 6 times batch which took me less than 20 minutes.  So I have saved money and time with this.   Used in combination with the DIY Reusable Dryer Sheets I could not be happier with my DIY laundry experience!