Making the Best of a Soapy Situation
I make my own soap these days. No, it’s not because I am going ‘natural’ or saving the world and oceans or even because it’s cheaper. It’s simply because it makes easier to live with my husband.
It all started when we ran out of our stockpile of powdered Cheer. That’s all I have used for years and years. We couldn’t find the powdered form anywhere so we were reduced to settling for the thick, blue syrupy looking liquid. That’s when the trouble started. Made for the new front loading high efficiency washers that had become all the rage (and now people are starting to hate! LOL), the soap had some strange additive that was not in the former powdered Cheer. Unfortunately, it made my husband itch. The itching led to massive scratching that led to complaints and claw marks on his upper trunk and thighs. Yes, his sensitive skin was rebelling against the new detergent. The new HE Cheer was put on the shelf for use on rugs only and I went on the search for the old Cheer. Ordering it through the internet was just too cost prohibitive. I was back at square one.
With a shop on Etsy, I remembered I often run across people making body soap, facial scrubs, natural deodorant and other products that are similar and the little bell in my head rang. Homemade laundry soap! That was the ticket. After doing a bit of research I realized even I could handle that simple task so I sent the hubster to the grocery store with a list and he returned with the necessary ingredients. I went to work making soap.
My first attempt took about two hours. I grated the Ivory soap, measured out the washing soda and borax and then hunted down a big old gallon pickle jar. I started to peel off the label but thought, ‘what the heck, it can stay on, we certainly will know it’s not pickles’. Next I found an old aluminum tablespoon to stick in the jar and we were ready to start the maiden voyage with the new homemade laundry soap. 
That day I held my breath as my husband wore his freshly laundered shirt and I waited for the complaints of itching to start. Nothing, nary a word, that night he brought down the sheets, we washed those and he slept like a baby. The next day, no rash, no itching, it looked like we had hit on the solution.
Since that first batch almost two years ago I have lowered our laundry soap bill by over $200 and quit using fabric softener, too. I now use a cup of vinegar if I need a softener which that has helped lower the bills, too. With the old standby of hydrogen peroxide for stains (a trick I learned while working in dialysis units) my laundry days are a breeze and my cupboard has much more room.
If you are so inclined to try homemade laundry soap but don’t have the time or energy to make your own, feel free to order from my shop on Etsy. Using the name “Yellow Dog Laundry Soap” it features our yellow lab, Eilsa on the label. It is available in two sizes and refills. I add no scents and it is safe for septic tanks as it contains no phosphates.
It sure makes my laundry simpler by just going back to the basics I wish I would have thought of this sooner. Plus, I knew that pickle jar would come in handy someday.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/MeekaMayesMarket
meekamayesmarket 
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