The Laundry Room
We're a little sensitive around here - well our skin is - to harsh detergents that is. We're always looking for healthy alternatives to everything. One natural alternative we've found recently has saved our hides, our planet and our pocketbook! This LAUNDRY SOAP recipe is good for sensitive skin, non-toxic for the environment, inexpensive, quick to make and works well in older washers or the new High Efficiency models.
Don't have time to make your own? - let us make it for you!
June 2008
LAUNDRY SOAP
Ingredients:
2 cups grated soap (2 bars* - brands like Pure & Natural, Basic, Ivory, and Kirk's Castile work best. No colors, not much fragrance.)
1 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (found on the laundry aisle - looks just like the big box of Baking Soda)
1 cup Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
1 cup 20 Mule Team Borax
Mix together
* Use a cheese grater (the fine side) or a food chopper or a food processor.
This makes 4 cups when added together (I know, it adds up to 5 - but it settles into 4 somehow!) I store it in a quart-sized Mason jar.
This makes enough for 28 loads of laundry. Use 2 tablespoons per load.
Read the labels on each of the ingredients and go visit their websites. It will help you understand how simple these naturally occurring ingredients/compounds are and also give you tons of helpful uses for each one all over your house.
Now how about a way to eliminate the fabric softeners (liquid or paper)?
FABRIC SOFTENER
Ingredients:
1 gallon White Distilled Vinegar
That's it! Use ¼ cup per load either in the fabric softener compartment in your washer or in a "Downey Ball" at the time you drop in the clothes and soap. No, your clothes don't come out smelling like pickles, just fresh and clean. Actually the vinegar helps remove any build-up of old detergents, rinses clean and sets the colors (think what the vinegar does when coloring Easter eggs).
Now I can never leave well enough alone so I like to add a few drops of a pure essential oil to the vinegar. I like both Orange and Grapefruit essential oils for clothes and Lavender for sheets. Tea Tree oil would be a good choice as well. Many E.O.'s have multiple beneficial qualities (like being antibacterial) as well as the aroma! Maybe we'll talk about those another day in The Laundry Room.
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