Making laundry detergent

I don't know about y'all, but I spend a FORTUNE in laundry detergent. I am a fan of The Duggar's and I had seen how they make their own soap and save lots of money by doing so. So... I broke down today and bought the stuff to make my own. I had to buy the stuff to get started, but once it is all said and done it is supposed to cost $2 to wash 640 loads. Right now I spend $213 to wash 640 loads! It took me less than an hour to get it all mixed up.

Here is the "recipe" if anyone is interested.

4 Cups hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup Washing Soda
½ Cup Borax-

Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled.

Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.-
Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.-
Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

I am also doing my own fabric softener. I am using option # 2 in the recipe below:

Inexpensive Fabric Softener Recipes
Recipe #1 Cup White VinegarAdd vinegar to rinse cycle. Works great. Removes residue and odors. Also helps to keep washing machine and hoses fresh and clean too.

Recipe #2 Container of Name Brand Fabric Softener4 Inexpensive sponges, cut in halfPour entire container of softener into a 5 gallon bucket. Fill empty softener container with water twice. (2 parts water to 1 part softener) Add sponges to softener/water mixture. When ready to use wring out extra mixture from one sponge and add to the dryer as you would a dryer sheet.