Homemade Washing Detergent! Day one - Lets's save money!! Let's make our own Washing Detergent. I did this back in 2009. 1 bar of soap (whatever kind you like; I used dial, its what I had, remember I am being frugal!) - 1 box of washing soda (look for it in the laundry detergent aisle at your local department store - it comes in an Arm & Hammer box and will contain enough for six batches of this stuff) - 1 box of borax ( located in the laundry detergent aisle). - A five gallon bucket with a lid (I had one in the garage, my hubby the landscaper, it was a clean empty one he was saving in case we needed one!) - Three gallons of tap water - A big spoon to stir the mixture with - A measuring cup - A knife or grate Step One: Put about four cups of water into a pan on your stove and turn the heat up on high until it’s almost boiling. I grated my bar of soap and added it to the almost boiling water, continue to stir until its all mixed well. Step Two: Put three gallons of hot wat