2 four lb. boxes Baking Soda ($1.87 @ Wal*Mart)
4 four lb., twelve oz. Boxes of Borax ($2.67 ea @Wal*Mart)
4 three lb., seven oz. Boxes of Washing Soda ($2.87 ea @ Wal*Mart)
8 twenty oz. Containers of generic OxyClean ($1 ea @ $1 store)
8 bars shredded, ground Fels Naptha Soap ($1.50 ea @ SuperOne)
This makes a plastic five gallon pail full, which lasts our family of four about a year. Feel free to adjust this recipe to an appropriate amount.
This is appropriate for front loaders. Use the one ounce OxyClean measure as your scoop- you don't need much. This does not suds, so don't expect it.
We successfully used this in a dishwasher, a half full OxyClean scoop per load with white vinegar as the rinse agent (a la JetDry). We also use white vinegar as fabric softener.
We have really, really good water, so I cannot vouch for how well this will work if you have hard water.
The hardest part of making this is grinding the Fels Naptha. I cut it into chunks and then grind it into powder in a food processor. You need to do this in a well ventilated area, because the dust will make you cough when you open the food processor cover. Alternatively, you could grate the Fels Naptha on a cheese grater, but that will not get the soap powder fine and it will take forever. This is why I make so much at once, because dealing with the soap is a PITA and this way I only have to do it once a year.
If you are making a lot at once, it's nice to have two people, one to pour the powders into the bucket while the other person stirs with a broomhandle, so everything is well mixed.
This can also be used to keep odors down in a diaper pail, to clean a toilet bowl, and as a base for all purpose cleaner (put a scoop in a spray bottle, add a dash of Dr. Bronner's, some tea tree oil [or just use TTO Dr. B's] and a glug of white vinegar, then fill the bottle up with warm water to dissolve the powder and shake well. Be aware that this can streak if not dilluted enough.)
