Like the PP said....if you google for recipes, you'll find a ton for household cleaners and detergents. This is the one I used for the laundry...
laundry detergent recipe:
Use 1-2 tablespoons per load depending on how soiled the clothes are. I use 2 tablespoons since I have a super capacity washer.
1/2 cup borax
1/2 cup Super Washing Soda
1/3 bar Fals Naptha
Grate the soap (I use a veggie peeler) and toss it in the blender with the borax and soda. Grind away until it's well mixed and in small particles so you don't have dissolving issues.
There is also a *liquid* version of this detergent that I can dig up a recipe for if anyone wants it, but it takes more time to make and more space to store. To me, not worth it since it cleans the same.
Some things to know:
Pretreat stains. This isn't Tide by any means, but I've never had a problem with it. I'm a stain pretreater. The only thing I accidentally let go through was a grass stain. It didn't remove it but I pretreated and washed again and the stain came out.
Get the water going in the washer and add the soap so it has a chance to get dissolving before you add the clothes. (FWIW, I've never had dissolving issues)
I don't add any scents to it. The soap you use will determine the scent. I like the scent of the Fals Naptha. Your clothes won't come out smelling like the detergent though. Especially if you dry them in the dryer. I do end up with more detergent scent on the items I line dry. They don't smell like detergent. They just smell *fresh*.
You can use any soap, really. No real magic in the Fals Naptha and it can be hard to find. (I found all 3 ingredients in the laundry aisle.) You can substitute any bar soap or even the slivers left from the shower. You need 1 cup of soap. The only thing I've heard about not using a "laundry bar" soap is that some bar soaps...especially those with moisturizers....seem to put a film on laundry leaving them less absorbant over time. Not good for towels. You could always combat this by adding vinegar to the rinse cycle, which I do anyway. And, NO....the laundry doesn't end up with a vinegar smell.
To give you an idea of cost/savings:
My box of borax was and washing soda were around $3 each, give or take. They were both around 4 pounds each...about the size of a bigger dishwasher detergent box. You only need 1/2 cup of each, so you can imagine how long those 2 boxes will last. The Fals Naptha was $1.29 and you use 1/3 of the bar. You use so little of the mix that it lasts a long while. Great savings!