We don't need no stinking named brand detergent.

So are you tired of forking down lots of $$ to buy all those named brand detergents that line the supermarket shelves?

They are quite pricy these days, but fear not fellow readers. There is indeed a solution!

Andi makes our own detergent for us!

Yes, every once in a while I see her doing her mad scientist routine, cooking up our own homemade, non-toxic, earth friendly laundry detergent.

So first off, save that last giant jug of detergent you have.

Once you've used up that corporate sludge, clean it out. See, you can put the new stuff in there!

You'll need:

BORAX
WASHING SODA
CASTILE SOAP
5 GALLON CONTAINER

Bring 4 cups of water to just below a boil.

Shave off a bar of castile soap into the water. You can use something like a cheese grater to do this.

Once the soap has melted, remove it from the heat and pour it into your 5 gallon container.

Add 3 gallons of HOT water. Stir together until well mixed.

Add a cup of washing soda. Still well.

Add 1/2 cup of borax. Mix all of it well, cover with a lid, and let sit overnight.

It will become a sort of strange gelatin like substance. We then fill our re-usable named brand jug with our new detergent.

Each load calls for about 1/2 a cup or I guess, really, just fill the cap like you normally would.

Just remember to shake the bottle up each time before you use it.

Now, I can tell you that we have not been let down by this. Our clothes get clean, we save money, and we don't destroy the planet in the process.

It's good stuff.