From: http://searching4hiddentreasures.blogspot.com/2011/06/dish-washing-detergent.html

• 1 quart (8 cups) of water
• 1/2 bar of your favorite soap  (I use Ivory, but you can use castle or whatever you like best.)
• 2 cups of vinegar to cut the grease  (I suppose lemon juice would do the trick too, but citrus takes the shine out of your silver ware too, so I use vinegar.)

Recipe @ http://beingcreativetokeepmysanity.blogspot.com/2010/11/homemade-laundry-soap.html
Found in the comments that you are suppose to use 1 tablespoon a load but some do 2 tablespoons.
Going to try this since i have quite a lot of laundry soap supplies built up. They say it’s cheaper then the wet laundry soap.

Step by step instructions @ www.bystephanielynn.com

I have personally been using this Laundry Soap for about 6 months or so. I think it is wonderful and so easy to make! Plus it is so cheap! I love it, love it!

~ Ammiel

You can make either powdered or liquid soap with the recipe. We’ve done both, but tend to prefer the powder as it’s easier to make and store and seems to work as well as the liquid in my large, front-load washer. Note that this detergent will not create suds. This makes it very good for new, high-efficiency washing machines – but it may look really odd to you if you have a top load machine and peek in while the load is running.

Ingredients

1/3 bar Strong Soap (see below)

1/2 Cup washing soda

1/2 Cup borax

Optional – essential oil for fragrance

Equipment

Grater or food processor

3 gallon stockpot (for liquid soap)

5 gallon bucket (for liquid soap)

Stove (for liquid soap)

Stick blender (optional for liquid soap)

Air-tight container (for powder soap or extra powder to make more liquid)

Empty detergent bottle (for liquid soap) look for one with a no-spill, self-measuring lid

Directions

Note that this recipe is easily multiplied. It’s a lot easier to make a triple batch of powder than a single one. If you’re making liquid soap, you can keep the extra powder in an air tight container until you need it. That way you don’t need to store gallons of liquid at once. For both recipes you’ll need to grate the soap. I use a Cuisinart food processor and the fine grating attachment. I cut the bar in thirds and feed it into the food processor. It makes short work of the job.

Liquid Soap

If you’re going to make liquid soap you’ll need 6 cups of water and a large (3 gallon) stock pot. Put the water in the pot and put it on the stove on medium heat. Add the grated soap and stir until it dissolves. Then add the washing soda and borax and stir over heat until they are dissolved. If the mix is not dissolving well, carefully use a stick or hand blender to mix it up. Increase heat and bring pot to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes. The liquid should have about the texture of honey.

Take the pot off the heat. Mix it well with a hand blender. Once the soap is dissolved and well mixed, add enough hot water to make two gallons. Add water a quart or so at a time and mix well before adding more to keep the mixture smooth. Add a teaspoon or two of essential oil if desired. A lighter oil (less viscous) with no color is best. We like lemon and cedar,

I use about 1/2 cup per load in my large, front load washer. Make sure the lid on the bottle fits very tight, as it’s best to shake the bottle before using it.

Dry / Powdered Soap

For dry soap, just grate the bar soap and add it to the borax and soda. Stir well, then add essential oil if you want and mix again. About 1-2 Tbsp per load (depending on how dirty the clothes are) works for me.

This soap will not work well if you have very hard water. Adding extra borax to the recipe may help in this case.

A Note Regarding Bar Soaps

Regarding soaps. The most commonly available strong (lye) soap is Fels Naphtha. Fels is a lye and animal fat based soap. It used to contain Stoddard Solvent (or mineral spirits) which made it more effective at removing oily stains. Fels was an old time remedy for poison ivy. If the name or the idea that it used to contain solvents bothers you, you can substitute Octagon Soap or Zote. Fels Naphtha and Octagon are available at our local grocery and hardware stores. You’ll find Zote at a tienda.

Don’t use facial soap. It usually has added oils you don’t want and isn’t an aggressive enough cleaner for laundry.

Or if you are incredibly motivated — and handy (like Audrey is) you can make you own bar soap from lye and rendered lard.

How much does it cost:

Here is the breakdown of my costs and how I came up with those numbers (I am using the prices I paid for these items and you may find your price varies some based on what you pay):

Fels Naptha: $1.12 for a 5.5 oz bar. The recipes says use a 1/3 of a bar. I calculated 2 oz. just to make the math a little easier. The cost of the Fels Naptha per batch is: .40 cents

Washing Soda: $2.23 for a 55 oz. box. This came to .17 cents per batch. I calculated how much per oz (2.23 divided by 55) and then weighed a half cup of washing soda (4.2oz.) and multiplied my per oz. price by 4.2

Borax: $3.27 for a 76 oz. box. This came to .14 cents per batch. Did the same calculations as above, however a 1/2 cup of borax weighs 3.5 oz.

For the final numbers I have .40 + .17 + .14 = .71 for 2 gallons of laundry detergent.

I looked up a few DIY recipes. The easiest calls for one part Borax to one part WASHING soda. The accompanying article includes a helpful cost breakdown.

Amy at Momadvice uses a more kitchen-cabinet-friendly version: 1 cup Borax, 1 cup baking soda, 1/4 cup salt. Test a tablespoon's worth in your next load for effectiveness. If everything's not squeaky clean, add straight vinegar to the rinse compartment next time. I keep mine in a Tupperware canister that's just as easy to pour as Cascade.

Go ahead and buy the giant jug of vinegar. You'll use it to de-stink left-too-long laundry and concoct homemade volcanoes. Borax is handy, too, as a cheap laundry booster and natural insecticide.

http://www.likemerchantships.org/2007/06/how-to-make-dishwasher-detergent.html

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Recipe for Dishwasher Soap

Dishwasher soap is easy to make, and cost effective. I mix up a batch in an empty canister, and pour it in the dishwasher as needed.

Mix and use per dishwasher load:

1 Tablespoon Borax

1 Tablespoon Baking soda

Mix equal parts Borax and Baking Soda, and add 2 Tablespoons per load. Increase proportion of soda for hard water. Use vinegar in the rinse cycle.

Lorraine

http://www.stretcher.com/stories/02/02dec09b.cfm

Cost Comparison:

Depending on how much you pay for your dishwashing detergent and how much you pour into the dispenser will determine how much you are paying per wash for your detergent and spot removing gel.

The cost for this recipe is less than 4 cents per load.

Calculation as follows:

Cost of Borax: $2.50 for 76 ounces = .03/oz or .015 for ½ oz

Cost for Washing Soda: $2.50 for 55 ounces= 4/oz or .02 for ½oz

Recipe calls for ½ ounce of each so the cost per wash is 3.5 cents. How much does your detergent cost (this week)? Next week the price may probably go up.

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Liquid Dishwasher Detergent Recipe

1 part baking soda

1 part borax

1 part water

1 drop lemon or orange essential oil per cup of detergent

• Mix the ingredients thoroughly and store in a sealable jug.
• Use 2 to 3 TBS per load.

http://tipnut.com/homemade-dishwasher-detergent-recipes/

#1 Soap-less Lemon, Lime, Orange, or Grapefruit Shower Gel

1 cup of water

1 teaspoon of cornstarch or arrowroot

2 tablespoon of glycerin

1 tablespoon of jojoba oil

1 teaspoon of cane sugar

4 tablespoons of aloe Vera gel

8 to 10 drops of Essential oil – lime, lemon, grapefruit, or orange

1 or 2 drops of yellow food coloring (optional)

Place all ingredients except food coloring in a bowl and mix until smooth. Add food coloring if desired. Pour into a squeeze bottle and use within 24 hours.

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#2 Pear or Apple Shower Gel

1 bar of unscented glycerin soap

1 cup of water

1/2 cup of pear or apple juice

1 tablespoon of glycerin

3 to 4 drops of lemon essential oil

5 drops of pear or apple fragrance oil

Grate or chop the bar of soap. Place first three ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat and simmer until the soap dissolves. Cool the mixture. Add glycerin and essential oil. Mixture will thicken as it cools completely. Store in glass jars with lids and transfer to a squeeze bottle as needed. Place under hot water to liquefy if the gel becomes too thick.

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#3 Strawberry-Lemon Shower Gel

1/2 tablespoon of unscented natural liquid soap

3 large frozen strawberries

1 teaspoon of salt

1 tablespoon of aloe Vera gel

6 to 8 drops of lemon essential oil

5 drops of strawberry fragrance oil

Thaw fruit and puree in blender or food processor. Pour into a bowl and add salt. Stir, and then add aloe Vera gel, liquid soap, and essential oil. Mix well. Use immediately.

http://www.essortment.com/all/showergelrecip_tuog.htm

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Ingredients

1. 1 cup of unscented shampoo
2. 1/2 cup water
3. 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
4. 12-15 drops fragrance oil (I like to add vanilla extract.)
5. food coloring (optional)

   Directions

6. 1
   Mix the shampoo and water together first then add the salt and fragrance.
7. 2
   I usually only add the food coloring if I am giving this as a gift.

http://www.recipezaar.com/Homemade-Shower-Gel-Recipe-92166

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Scented Shower Gel Recipe

By Pioneer Thinking

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unscented shampoo
• 1/4 cup water
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 15 drops fragrance oil
  food coloring ( optional)

Directions:

Pour shampoo into a bowl and add the water. Stir until its well mixed add the salt and fragrance.

Suggestions for scents:

• Kiwi extract
• Raspberry extract
• Strawberry extract
• Coconut extract
• Vanilla extract

Mix and match or use one alone. I personally like the raspberry and vanilla mix...smells so good!

http://www.pioneerthinking.com/showergel.html

Here’s what you do:

In a pot, bring about 3 cups of water to a boil. While the water is coming to a

boil, shave the bar of soap into fragments, or break up the already small pieces of left over soap. The smaller the fragments, the quicker they will dissolve in the boiling water.

http://www.blulow.com/2007/07/05/homemade-liquid-hand-soap/

1. If you are going to add essential oils, it is best to mix the oils with a small amount of alcohol. (I like Everclear but rubbing alcohol will work if that is all you have.) This will allow the oils to mix with the water. Otherwise, they will just sit on top your soap.

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Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Soap Coloring
• Soap Fragrance
• Liquid Soap Dispensers (recycled)
• Honey
• Bars Of Soap
• Glycerin
• Blenders
• Graters

1. Step 1
   Grate one bar of soap.
2. Step 2
   Place the grated soap and 1 c. boiling water in a blender and set it on "whip."
3. Step 3
   Add 1 tbsp. honey and 1 tsp. glycerin and stir.
4. Step 4
   Cool the mixture for 15 to 20 minutes and whip again.
5. Step 5
   Add cold water to the mixture until you have 6 c.
6. Step 6
   Whip the mixture again.
7. Step 7
   Pour it into a storage container and let it cool. Do not place a lid on the container.
8. Step 8
   Fill a pump dispenser with the soap. Shake before using.

http://www.ehow.com/how_9095_make-liquid-hand.html

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Coffee Soap Recipe

Here is a basic soap recipe that adds the scrubbing power and odor eliminating benefits of coffee grounds. This recipe makes 3 pounds of soap.

Prep Time: 1 hours, 00 minutes

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. palm oil
• 8 oz. coconut oil
• 8 oz. olive oil
• 2 oz. castor oil
• 9 oz. water or 50:50 combination of water and coffee
• 3.7 oz. lye
• 1.2 oz. coffee fragrance oil
• 2 tbs. of already brewed coffee grounds

Preparation:

Mix your lye solution first and set it aside to cool. Make sure you understand how to make a lye solution with liquids other than water. Measure and heat your solid oils until completely melted. Measure and add the liquid oils to the melted solid oils. When both the lye and the oils are at about 100-120 degrees, slowly pour the lye solution into the oils. Stir with a stick blender, alternating short blasts with the blender and stirring. Mix the soap until it reaches a light trace. Add the fragrance oil and coffee grounds. Mix them into the soap thoroughly. Pour the raw soap into your mold and let it sit for 12-24 hours until it has cooled off completely and is hard enough to cut. Remove it from the mold and slice into bars. Let it cure an additional 2-4 weeks.

http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/soaprecipes/r/CoffeeSoapRecip.htm