We also have only 2 adults in our household. I prob do 2 loads a day and it last way over 6 months.

Me, too...:D I use the borax, fels-naptha, and washing soda...sometimes with Oxy for all clothes...human, and doggy, and for washing the doggie toys. I don't use anything perfumed...I don't like the idea that they chew on toys I have chemically perfumed, so anything I would add would have to be unscented and very minimal in additives, if any.

Thank you, LilAnnCamp...lots of good ideas and a great base recipe. I think it is the same as what I have...that I patterned just adding raw ingredients in the drum after.

I also use white vinegar...kills mold that might grow on their chew toys...and on them, too, very diluted, of course, at times when humidity is high.

Thank you for starting this thread. I hope to see some great shampoo recipes...conditioner, too...posted. :)

I use vinegar a lot on different things. Honestly, if I didn't make a dry detergent I would add vinegar in it. Often on the dogs blankets I will add the yellow Lysol and chew toys mostly in vinegar!

I also use vinegar and mostly everything. It's great to remove urine (including cat). Clears up drain clogs, best clean aid, disinfectant...

Apple Cider Vinegar is my 2nd best friend. :D

Dog shampoo,
I use baking soda wash and vinegar rinse for my own hair but wasn't sure about using this on dogs. Add vinegar to your laundry it helps keep the colors. I still bleach my whites because nothing I found gets the white enough, homemade for rest clothes.

I always use a dry detergent (my preference), yet I often add white vinegar in the softener dispenser, instead of using softener. It works great....and for those that haven't ever tried it....NO it does not leave your clothes smelling like vinegar. :)

Some of the things that make shampoos safer, i.e. not burning the eyes or irritating the skin aren't that easily available over the counter. Shampoos have been tested for gentleness, and I don't recommend using something made for human hair and skin for dogs. Dogs have a different pH and their hair is not as acidic as human hair so using vinegar on their skin might be very irritating. If you don't believe me, take some water, and add it to baking soda, which is very alkaline, and make a paste and put it on your face. Since our skins are more acidic, this will irritate most people's skin, same thing with a dogs skin, it needs a product made for their pH, not for human skin. Joey’s breeder stressed how important it was too keep their skin healthy, she insisted I should always use a conditioner, as it conditions the skin as well as the hair. Please remember that it’s so much easier to keep the skin healthy, then to try and heal damaged skin. The Biogroom company makes a wonderful inexpensive shampoo that you can get a sample of by emailing the company. It’s very concentrated, and you mix it with water before using. We would throw a fit, if some company was testing a new product on dogs, yet so many private individuals think it’s okay to use their dog as a test subject. Remember, the skin is the largest organ of the body, and it keeps out all the harmful bacterial that surrounds us, your job is to keep it clean and healthy.

Not sure if it's true, but I have read that you can use a human hair conditioner on your dog, without upsetting the pH balance, I know a lot of people do it with no ill reports, but I would not use a human shampoo.

I already dry bathe with baking soda or cornstarch between baths

This may be a really dumb question but I was wondering if you could explain how you "dry bathe" your pup between baths. I need to do something as Princess Sophie needs a bath almost every two or three days. I try wiping her face, paws and bottom (cause she walks in and sniffs her pee). But that doesn't seem to really take care of the smell. I'm open to new ideas. Thanks!!

I sprinkle either baking soda or cornstarch onto their coats and rub it in. Avoid the face. Then I comb it out. It leaves them smelling good and removes excess oil from hair. My pup is black so it takes a while of brushing before he turns black again. I do this on all of my dogs and it keeps their coat shiny and smelling good so I don't to bathe as frequently.

Baking soda is alkaline and cornstarch is almost neutral little alkaline so does not mess with pup alkaline ph. I just read that colloidal oatmeal is supposed to be a great conditioning rinse.