Less Costly Laundry

So...I finally did it! I've been saying for weeks I was going to make my own laundry detergent. Once I found that our local Walmart had all the supplies I needed (3 ingredients, believe it or not!), I knew it was time to stop procrastinating. The recipe I followed was very easy; too easy not to try. It calls for 1/2 c. borax, 1/2 c. washing soda (Sodium Carbonate), and 1 c. bar soap, grated. All the recipes I found called for Zote, Fels-Naptha (?), or Ivory soap. I used Zest Aqua because I wanted a fresh smell; I found later that the bar was blue and thought that surely wouldn't be a problem, but I added the detergent to the running water and let it dissolve before adding my clothes. I only used 1/2 c. of bar soap for this first batch. There were so many variations of the recipe, I decided to try equal parts of all ingredients, for convenience sake.
I located the washing soda in the section of pool supplies...don't be worried. It's very safe. I purchased a 5 lb. shaker of pH Plus Balancer. It is used to balance pH levels in swimming pools. It is Sodium Carbonate, the very same thing Arm & Hammer sells under the title Washing Soda.
I also read that the soap is easily grated in large amounts using a food processor; unfortunately my food processor is out of commission, so I'm proud to say that I have a super clean cheese grater now :)
The batch was very small, but it was experimental. Once I find out how it works (of course I have a load in the washer as I type), I can easily produce large batches for future use. Simply add 1 Tablespoon for small loads or 2 Tablespoons for heavily soiled or large loads, and happy washing!