I've been using homemade laundry soap for many years now, a gel variety that's worked well even with messy children's clothing. I found this recipe for powdered homemade laundry soap that I'm trying now, from Wellness Mama. It's a little simpler to make, which is nice. It only took me about 20 minutes or so to make. The hardest part is grating the soap, but next time I'll try using the food processor for that, which would make the soap very quick.

 
 You only need three ingredients for this recipe, and they are all very cheap: borax, washing soda, and a bar of soap. The finished product is so pretty, and looks great in a nice glass jar. I'm thinking I'll make this as Christmas gifts next year!