There are so many unnecessary ingredients in todays cleaners that I prefer to make my own.  They are often much less expensive, you can mix together from everyday ingredients at home, you help keep more plastic and packaging out of landfills or whatever used plastic is done with because you can just keep reusing the same bottle, or make up a fresh batch each time.

Homemade laundry soap with just three ingredients that you mix together and keep in a reusable plastic tub.  It takes 2 teaspoons per laundry load.

1 bar of Ivory Soap, grated

8 ounces of Borax

8 ounces of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda

For smelly loads add 8 ounces of white vinegar .  If you washer is a top load you can pour it straight into the machine  for front loading which is what I have just put the vinegar in with the laundry soap.

I love to use white vinegar for lots of cleaning.  It works wonderfully for getting rid of unwanted smells throughout your house.  Even though you have the smell while it is wet, once the vinegar is dry the smell is gone.  When I want a soft smell like mopping my bedroom floors, I will add a couple of drops of lavender essential oil to the mop water which leaves the room smelling calm and wonderful.