My wife makes our laundry detergent. She buys a few items, grabs a cheese grater and makes a huge tub of it. I dont know what she uses but I think one item is borax. She also puts the little scent balls in it. It costs her $20 and it lasts in a 4 person household about three months. And it works good. I get a lot of grease stains and stuff and it gets it all clean