DIY detergent

I am off work today, so I am working around the house to get caught up on some things that have fallen by the wayside in the wake of the holidays. Part of this means laundry. Personally, I love doing laundry. The clean smells, the soft fabrics, the warmth from the dryer, the delightful pile of clean clothes at the end, the sense of accomplishment, etc. I especially love it because our utility room is on the 1st floor of our house, so I do not have to navigate stairs to check on the progress. But I digress.
Laundry soap can get expensive, especially if you are trying to remain as eco-friendly as possible. We have tried a few eco brands, with mixed results. The best we have found is Purex's natural line, but even then, we are looking at $11 for 96 loads worth. It does not sound like a lot, especially for the volume, but I am very determined to cut any costs that I can, so I have analyze this, too.
I tried to do a DIY detergent in early fall, but it did not work the best. Joel did not like that it did not lather, and we did not think it got the clothes as clean as it could have. So, I tweaked it. I increased the bar soap by 50%, and increased the washing soap and borax by 25% each, thus making it more concentrated.
At the end, we have approximately 4.5 gallons of laundry soap for less than $10, and it is 100% eco-friendly. The soap used to make it was 100% vegan, and the borax and washing soap are both phosphate-free. The only downside is that it is a bit lumpy, but I don't really mind at all.

So, here is the recipe!

Ingredients
4 c hot water
3 gallons hot water
1.5 bars of all natural soap (I used old creamy LUSH soap that was white in colour, but in the past have also used a white castille soap - I would advise against anything that is very moisturizing or has much colour.)
1.25 c washing soda (NOT baking soda!)
1 c borax
large bucket or medium tote with a lid

Shred the bar soap (I use a cheese shredder) and combine with 4 c of water over stove. Heat and stir until dissolved. Mix with 4 gallons of hot tap water, and add in remaining 2 ingredients. Stir for 5 min or so until everything seems well mixed. Cover and allow to set, stirring every few hours. Should be fully set within about 24 hours.

Then I usually just put into an old detergent bottle and keep the tote close by for refills as necessary. I have found I use between 1/3 - 1/2 c per load, which puts me at about 128 loads, give or take. Approximately 30 loads of laundry more than the store-bought stuff, and my biggest cost was the bar of soap.

That's it for today! Gotta go stir!