I make our own laundry soap. It's dry, not liquid, and it lives in a 5-gallon bucket. Our HE machine gets 1 Tablespoon per load. Clothes come out clean-smelling and it works well!

Guys, if you're putting away laundry soap, get an extra bottle of Woolite for ladies delicates.

I've seen all sorts of recipes online. Instead of "1 cup of this" and "1 1/2 cup of that", here's what I do:

1 box of Borax
1 Box washing soda
3 lbs baking soda (1/2 of those big bags you can buy at Sam's club)
1 tub of generic Oxyclean cleaner (not absolutely necessary)
4 bars grated Fels Naptha

Dump everything into a 5 gallon bucket. Mix the ingredients by stirring, or putting the lid firmly on the container, turn it on it's side and rock it back and forth until it's mixed.

This stuff lasts, and goes a LONG way.

I also use white vinegar as a rinsing agent. White vinegar is terrific for sanitizing.