And probably perform just as good if not better. You can make your own laundry soap with borax, Washing Soda(sodium carbonate), and bar soap.
Modern, high-strung “HE” washers unfortunately can’t tolerate the sudsing generated by traditional saponified-fat soaps. Like gas bubbles exerting pressure in the stomach, the suds force their way past bearing seals and wash out the seal lubrication. The special detergents are the only game in town with these machines. Attempting to simply “use less” of a sudsier formula gives a poor wash, coats the inside of the machine with gook, and gets into the bearings anyhow.