Homemade laundry soap

Since I'm mixing up another batch today, I thought I would write out the recipe for "Homemade Laundry Soap".  It's safe for septic systems and HE machines.  We have been using it since March of this year and have really enjoyed the lemony smell and how inexpensive it is! 

1/3 of 5 ounce Fels Naptha soap, grated
1/2 cup of washing soda (not baking soda)
1/2 cup boraxo (20 mule team is just fine)

Have two 1 gallon bottles (we use well washed milk jugs) and a funnel for filling them.  You will need 13 cups very warm water in these bottles.
Also 8 one quart squirt bottles (dish detergent type, water bottles, soda bottles) empty.

First step:  grate fels naphtha coarsely with a cheese grater (we dedicate a grater to our soap making and don't use it for food obviously)

Second step:  add grated soap to 6 cups water in a pan on stove (we dedicate a pot just to soap making and don't reuse for food) and heat medium low until completely dissolved. 

Take off heat, add other ingredients and stir until completely dissolved, smooth and a little thickened. 

Add hot soap mixture to hot water in bottles (3 cups of soap mixture plus 13 cups of warm water = 1 gallon)

Mix and while still quite warm pour into smaller bottles.  It will "set up" as it cools.  Then it will dispense smoothly through the squirt bottles or you can shake them a bit to break up the gel.  We stopped using the squirt bottles due to the volume of laundry and just use the gallon jugs.  We actually make a double batch of this recipe each time :)   Use 1/2 cup per load.

Enjoy!