So, youve just made that first batch of wonderful homemade bar soap. Youre giddy with accomplishment, and have it prominently displayed in every bathroom. But why stop there?

Each little scrap of soap youve made, from the imperfect bar that youre not sure what to do with, to the crumbs and shavings left over, can be turned into valuable cleaning products for your home.

How much do you think you could save each year if you no longer had to buy laundry soap? Beyond the financial savings you could reap, there are some serious health benefits as well. Virtually all laundry soap on the market today is a petroleum-based detergent, the vast majority containing dyes and perfumes that can aggravate allergy problems. After all, when you lay your head down to sleep at night, you have your nose pressed up against pillows, pillowcases, and sheets all washed in these chemicals. If you think this cant cause problems, let me tell you about my son.

For over a year my ten-year-old son suffered from severe allergy problems. He lived his life completely congested and was constantly on antibiotics for sinus infections. Finally his adenoids became infected and were removed. The problems still continued. After suffering through 87 injections for allergy testing, the medial community found that he reacted to nothing! Sent home, we were instructed to watch his diet for 2 months to see if he had a food allergy.

I had a better idea. I stripped all of his bedding, the curtains in his room, and all of his clothing and washed everything in a batch of homemade olive oil laundry soap. Within a week, he started to show improvement. Within two, his sinuses cleared completely. And today, its as though his allergy problems never existed.

Making your own laundry soap is easy. Because we have a septic system, I prefer liquid laundry soap. The following recipe can be made in a couple of hours, all from the scraps of your soap making ventures.

Ingredients: 16 oz. of homemade soap grated or cut into small chunks.

(Any kind will do.)

48 oz. water

16 oz. white vinegar

Combine all ingredients into a large pot and simmer on a very low heat for 2 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Continue to heat until the soap chunks are completely dissolved. Your liquid soap will be quite thick, but it will thin a bit once it has completely cooled. Allow your soap to cool, and then funnel it into a jug or old laundry soap container that has been thoroughly rinsed.

To Use: Add 1 cup of laundry soap to the water in your washing machine before putting in the clothes.

I have always used Olive Oil Soap, as this is the only soap I tend to make, and I am consistently amazed at how well it cleans. I never have a problem with oily spots on clothes, and seldom have to bother with pre-treating a stain.