DIY Liquid Laundry Soap {Lavender}

I've been meaning to make my own all-natural laundry soap for a couple months now!  I saved the last two containers from store-bought gallons and ordered the supplies from Amazon. Tonight, while watching tweedle-dee & tweedle-dumb debate, I actually got to making the soap.  Here's the breakdown of what I used, and the cost per gallon.  Scent it however you like...I used lavender this time since that is the scent I normally buy.   I think the Fels-Naptha soap smells pretty nice on its own. <3  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 cup grated Fels NapthaSoap ($1.69)
1/3 cup Borax ($0.22)
1/3 cup Washing Soda  ($0.41)
4 drops lavender (or your choice) essential oil ($0.15)
Total Cost:   $2.47/gallon

Equipment: 
Empty laundry soap containers (gallon sized)
Box Grater
Large pot
Long-handled spoon
Funnel  (I need to buy one....I used a measuring cup...and it was messy!)

Step One: Pour 1 quarts (4 cups) of water into the pot

Step Two: Turn the stovetop burner temperature onto medium.

Step Three: Add the grated Fels Naptha soap to the water.

Step Four: Stir the soap mixture with the spoon over medium heat until the soap is completely dissolved.

Step Five: Add the Borax and the Washing Soda to the dissolved soap in the saucepan.

Step Six: Stir the mixture for a few minutes until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed and the solution thickens into a syrupy consistency. Do not allow the mixture to boil; if needed, reduce the stovetop temperature to maintain a slow simmer.

Step Seven:  - LET IT COOL a bit -   You don't want to pour hot liquid into BPA ridden plastic containers. ;)

Step Eight: Pour the dissolved soap solution into your gallon containers using the funnel to avoid spills.

Step Nine: Tightly cap the container and shake well to thoroughly mix the contents. Slowly add water to fill the gallons, capping & shaking a bit along the way and leaving a bit of space at the top.

NOTE:  This soap may be a little chunky.  Don't worry too much about that.  From what I've read and from my experience with my first load, it seems to work itself out in the wash. 

How to Use: Use a large cap-full of the liquid laundry soap to a load of laundry. This is a low-sudsing but effective cleaner.