Works for Me Wednesday: Homemade Laundry Soap

Before I dive into each post this month, I want to journal things I'm thankful for.....one for each day of the month of November 2010.

1. Fresh produce. I left the grocery store Monday with mango, cilantro, avocado, celery, carrots, jalapeno, grapefruit, bananas, green peppers, sweet potato, grapes, and a tear in my eye. For most of the world and much of history my grocery cart is nothing short of a miracle.
2. Celebrating with friends I've never even met
3. His grace is enough.

And now.....laundry soap. :)

I've been using homemade laundry detergent for two years now (ever since Janice posted it in 2008). It's SO QUICK and EASY, I can't think of a reason not to! One batch lasts us a long time, so it's worth the 15 minutes to whip it up. You have the option of adding 1/2 to 1 oz of essential oil or fragrance oil, which I've never done, but someone else might.

For me, making laundry soap is not a matter of frugality or being "green" (though it's good for those things, too). The soap I use as the base of my laundry soap is homemade by a lady in Tennessee. This is what excites me the most.....the opportunity to, even if it's just a wee little bit, give my money to a homeschooling mama who makes soap on the side instead of corporate America. Little by little.

There's nothing special about the way I do it, so I will simply link to a picture tutorial that I recently saw posted on another blog. Happy washing!