I know it's not really survival or prepping, but part of being prepared is being self-sufficient.
For laundry soap I used this recipe: 1/2 bar of fels-naphtha soap, grated 1 cup borax 1 cup washing soda (sodium carbonate; not to be confused with baking soda) 1/4 cup baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
1. Mix well with a blender. Store in an air-tight container. Use 1-2 teaspoons per load. When doing my research, I found that some people don't like fels-naphtha, so you can substitute plain ivory soap.
For fabric softener, we've been using one of two methods: 1. white vinegar - use like commerical fabric softener; 2. home-made felt dryer balls
I've been using this for a couple of weeks now. My clothes still come out as clean as they did with commercial detergents. I really like the smell of the soap and I really like that my clothes don't smell like anything when they come out of the dryer.
If you're a prepper, these components are cheap, relatively easy to store and have multiple uses. Borax is an insecticide, baking soda and vinegar are excellent cleaning agents both alone and together.
Has anyone else tried making laundry detergent, fabric softener, or other household items?