|
DIY Laundry DetergentProverbs 31:25 She is clothed with strength and honor, and she laughs without fear of the future.
15% Off THRIVE MARKET: http://thrv.me/philiaministries DOTERRA ESSENTIAL OILS: http://mydoterra.com/leardinonno Arm & Hammer Laundry Booster Super Washing Soda (Walmart or Amazon) Molly Suds: https://mollyssuds.com (Available at Thrive Market or Amazon.com Dr. Bronner's Organic Pure-Castile Soap - 5 oz bar (We used Lavender but it comes in a variety of scents - Best price we have found is Thrive Market http://thrv.me/philiaministries Cloth Wipes: http://www.grovia.com Proverbs 31: She is Clothed in Strength & Honor Challenge: Remove a Toxin from your life/home Declaration of the week: "I am a woman who has mental, emotional, and spiritual fortitude. New strength is arising within me" |
The Laundry Room
by Rebecca Bramblet
When boxed cake mixes first came out, the original recipe required only one additional ingredient to add to the mix-water. Well, no one would buy it because it was too simple. People couldn’t believe that a cake could be made with only the addition of water. So, the company added oil and an egg to the additions and the rest is history. I bring this up because like it or not I am a more is better person. I have to go against my very nature to make this recipe because my brainwashed mind still believes that if there are more ingredients in a cleaner then it has to clean better because each addition must add something to the mix. Well not in this case. Why add eggs and oil if it is not needed. Ok, we are not adding eggs and oil to this recipe, I was just making a point.
My point is this: many DIY laundry recipes add anything from washing soda, borax, salt, citric acid, baking soda and soap but are they all really necessary? The main ingredient in my recipe is washing soda. Most commercial detergents consist of 50% washing soda. It is twice as strong as Borax, baking soda or salt. Borax is a controversial ingredient in the “greener” more “crunchy” circles. I am not going to go into detail about Borax and its safety because I don’t use it in my recipe. It is a naturally occurring substance although toxic if eaten (not that I plan on doing that). Truthfully, washing soda performs head and shoulders above it anyway so no need to even make it an argument. Baking soda is not in any commercial detergents - not even Arm and Hammer. Baking soda is only half as strong as washing soda for softening water and doesn’t allow the cleaning pH to go as high so why dilute a recipe with an inferior product when you have a stronger one? Citric acid is great if you are making laundry tabs and need things to stick together but other than that, it is a waste of money. Salt is not in any commercial detergents so why put it in yours? And soap, I do use. I like to use Dr. Bronners lavender castile soap because it is a natural product, smells great, and gets my laundry clean in conjunction with the washing soda. So, there you have the break down and the scoop on DIY laundry powder in a nutshell.
Powdered Laundry Detergent: With my rather large family, I like to make this in a large batch. I mix it in a kitchen garbage bag doubled and tied together so nothing leaks. The kids enjoy pushing it around and I find it easier to include them this way then having them stir over a large pot. This is a fun project to get them involved and making meaningful contributions to the family. It is necessary to mix the ingredients well because you only use 1-2T per load so this I find to be the best and easiest way. For the recipe, I add 3-55oz boxes of washing soda to the bag. I cut up 3 bars of Dr. Bronner’s lavender castile soap (you can use whatever scent you like). I add these to my food processor with the cheese grater attachment a little at a time until I have all the soap shredded. This is the only part that is a hassle and maybe a better more efficient way can be thought up but this is what I do. I dump all the shreds out into a bowl and then fit the processing blade back onto the processor. I add about 3 cups of the washing soda (from the bag) to the processor along with 15 drops each of lemon essential oil (for whitening and brightening) and tea tree essential oil (for its amazing disinfectant and antimicrobial/antibacterial/antifungal properties) and then add back in all the soap shreds. This allows the soap to incorporate into the soda and prevent gumming up. In the end, you won’t even see the shreds. Essential oils are optional but I love the smell of all three scents together in the laundry room. If you are concerned that I can’t count or forgot to mention a third essential oil, no worries, I was including the lavender scent from the soap in my three scents. You won’t smell them in the end as they disperse in the wash but my laundry does end up smelling so fresh and clean.
Recipe:
3 boxes washing soda
3 bars Dr. Bronners 5oz soap shredded (I use lavender scent)
15 drops each lemon and tea tree essential oil
This recipe yields 180 oz. for 360 loads if you only use 1T per load. For hard water use 2T.
Oxygen Beach: I considered just adding this to my homemade laundry detergent because who doesn’t want that extra cleaning punch in every load right? Well, upon researching, come to find out, it would be a waste of money considering oxygen bleach is only truly active in hot water. Not many of us wash everything in hot water. I mostly wash my clothes in cold except my whites, sheets, and towels I wash in hot. That means that the majority of the time the Oxygen bleach would just be washed down the drain. So, I prefer to add a scoop to my hot water loads or just use it to soak any garment that is stained or looking a little dull due to hard water or just plain use. My mom taught me this cool trick with a tiny cooler. I add a few scoops of oxygen bleach to the cooler and then fill with the hottest water possible and then add my stained garment and shut the lid. Steep overnight. In the morning, voila. No stain. This stuff is great. My favorites are Molly’s Suds Oxygen Whitener or Earth Friendly OXO Bright Color Safe Whitener and Brightener for Laundry and Stain Remover -Fragrance Free. Wow that is a mouth full.
Vinegar: One of my very good friends, who I learned so much about natural living from, always added vinegar to each wash load. So, I did too. It wasn’t until 5 years later when someone asked me why I added vinegar that I realized it was because Shirley did. So, I called her and asked her why I add vinegar to my laundry wash. She is worthy of imitating without question in my estimation. Adding ½-1 cup vinegar to the rinse cycle balances the pH of the laundry to make it more alkaline for skin contact. It also is a fabulous rinse aid in removing any residues or salt deposits left on your clothes. No worries of lingering smell. Everything comes out clean and fresh. Note: do not add vinegar to the rinse cycle when adding oxygen bleach. Oxygen bleach works well with washing soda to remove stains in a more acidic environment. Vinegar counteracts this process by lowering the acidity. Throw in a dryer sheet when drying the load and your laundry will balance its pH and smell fresh and clean.
DIY Dryer Sheets: To start you will need 12 6”x6” squares of material. I use GroVia Reusable Terry Cloth Wipes. They are the perfect size and texture. You can cut up an old shirt or towel, use retired cloth baby wipes, or buy or sew your own squares from pretty material. That is totally up to you. Next you take a quart mason jar with lid (I prefer the plastic lids because they do not rust.) Fill the jar with 1 ½ cups of vinegar and ½ cup filtered water. Add in 5 drops of your favorite therapeutic grade essential oil. I prefer the soft scent of lavender but lemon, sweet orange, or even peppermint might be fun too. When your liquids are combined, you may add your cloths and give it a good shake. The cloths will eventually soak up all the liquid. Pop 1 in each dryer load. Your clothes will come out soft and fresh. Remember to retrieve it after each load and set aside until the jar is used up and you can start the process over again. Super easy, right? Note: if you are having problems with static electricity, especially in the winter months, you can add a few metal paper clips or an aluminum foil ball to the load. If you still spark your neighbor or walk around like a chia pet with hair in all directions due to the charge, dampen your hands and rub them over your clothes to deactivate. This happens because of the mixture of materials dried together. Do you know that even the Bible talks about not mixing your materials? Pretty impressive. Even God knew how best to do laundry. (Deuteronomy 22:11)
I hope this helps. Enjoy the satisfaction of not only saving loads of money on your laundry (about 3 cents per load verses 12 cents) but also gain the control of what comes in contact with your family’s skin and your clothing. You are contributing to a greener world as well. If you make it a project the kids can do with you or for you, then they have learned a life-skill, feel a sense of significance and belonging as well as gain a vision for their own family someday. It is important to pass on the truths we learn to the next generation. Teaching them how to build their homes ensures we leave a legacy of freedom. In this case, financial as well as freedom from harsh toxins and chemicals. God bless you and your family and find joy in building your house one step at a time.
My point is this: many DIY laundry recipes add anything from washing soda, borax, salt, citric acid, baking soda and soap but are they all really necessary? The main ingredient in my recipe is washing soda. Most commercial detergents consist of 50% washing soda. It is twice as strong as Borax, baking soda or salt. Borax is a controversial ingredient in the “greener” more “crunchy” circles. I am not going to go into detail about Borax and its safety because I don’t use it in my recipe. It is a naturally occurring substance although toxic if eaten (not that I plan on doing that). Truthfully, washing soda performs head and shoulders above it anyway so no need to even make it an argument. Baking soda is not in any commercial detergents - not even Arm and Hammer. Baking soda is only half as strong as washing soda for softening water and doesn’t allow the cleaning pH to go as high so why dilute a recipe with an inferior product when you have a stronger one? Citric acid is great if you are making laundry tabs and need things to stick together but other than that, it is a waste of money. Salt is not in any commercial detergents so why put it in yours? And soap, I do use. I like to use Dr. Bronners lavender castile soap because it is a natural product, smells great, and gets my laundry clean in conjunction with the washing soda. So, there you have the break down and the scoop on DIY laundry powder in a nutshell.
Powdered Laundry Detergent: With my rather large family, I like to make this in a large batch. I mix it in a kitchen garbage bag doubled and tied together so nothing leaks. The kids enjoy pushing it around and I find it easier to include them this way then having them stir over a large pot. This is a fun project to get them involved and making meaningful contributions to the family. It is necessary to mix the ingredients well because you only use 1-2T per load so this I find to be the best and easiest way. For the recipe, I add 3-55oz boxes of washing soda to the bag. I cut up 3 bars of Dr. Bronner’s lavender castile soap (you can use whatever scent you like). I add these to my food processor with the cheese grater attachment a little at a time until I have all the soap shredded. This is the only part that is a hassle and maybe a better more efficient way can be thought up but this is what I do. I dump all the shreds out into a bowl and then fit the processing blade back onto the processor. I add about 3 cups of the washing soda (from the bag) to the processor along with 15 drops each of lemon essential oil (for whitening and brightening) and tea tree essential oil (for its amazing disinfectant and antimicrobial/antibacterial/antifungal properties) and then add back in all the soap shreds. This allows the soap to incorporate into the soda and prevent gumming up. In the end, you won’t even see the shreds. Essential oils are optional but I love the smell of all three scents together in the laundry room. If you are concerned that I can’t count or forgot to mention a third essential oil, no worries, I was including the lavender scent from the soap in my three scents. You won’t smell them in the end as they disperse in the wash but my laundry does end up smelling so fresh and clean.
Recipe:
3 boxes washing soda
3 bars Dr. Bronners 5oz soap shredded (I use lavender scent)
15 drops each lemon and tea tree essential oil
This recipe yields 180 oz. for 360 loads if you only use 1T per load. For hard water use 2T.
Oxygen Beach: I considered just adding this to my homemade laundry detergent because who doesn’t want that extra cleaning punch in every load right? Well, upon researching, come to find out, it would be a waste of money considering oxygen bleach is only truly active in hot water. Not many of us wash everything in hot water. I mostly wash my clothes in cold except my whites, sheets, and towels I wash in hot. That means that the majority of the time the Oxygen bleach would just be washed down the drain. So, I prefer to add a scoop to my hot water loads or just use it to soak any garment that is stained or looking a little dull due to hard water or just plain use. My mom taught me this cool trick with a tiny cooler. I add a few scoops of oxygen bleach to the cooler and then fill with the hottest water possible and then add my stained garment and shut the lid. Steep overnight. In the morning, voila. No stain. This stuff is great. My favorites are Molly’s Suds Oxygen Whitener or Earth Friendly OXO Bright Color Safe Whitener and Brightener for Laundry and Stain Remover -Fragrance Free. Wow that is a mouth full.
Vinegar: One of my very good friends, who I learned so much about natural living from, always added vinegar to each wash load. So, I did too. It wasn’t until 5 years later when someone asked me why I added vinegar that I realized it was because Shirley did. So, I called her and asked her why I add vinegar to my laundry wash. She is worthy of imitating without question in my estimation. Adding ½-1 cup vinegar to the rinse cycle balances the pH of the laundry to make it more alkaline for skin contact. It also is a fabulous rinse aid in removing any residues or salt deposits left on your clothes. No worries of lingering smell. Everything comes out clean and fresh. Note: do not add vinegar to the rinse cycle when adding oxygen bleach. Oxygen bleach works well with washing soda to remove stains in a more acidic environment. Vinegar counteracts this process by lowering the acidity. Throw in a dryer sheet when drying the load and your laundry will balance its pH and smell fresh and clean.
DIY Dryer Sheets: To start you will need 12 6”x6” squares of material. I use GroVia Reusable Terry Cloth Wipes. They are the perfect size and texture. You can cut up an old shirt or towel, use retired cloth baby wipes, or buy or sew your own squares from pretty material. That is totally up to you. Next you take a quart mason jar with lid (I prefer the plastic lids because they do not rust.) Fill the jar with 1 ½ cups of vinegar and ½ cup filtered water. Add in 5 drops of your favorite therapeutic grade essential oil. I prefer the soft scent of lavender but lemon, sweet orange, or even peppermint might be fun too. When your liquids are combined, you may add your cloths and give it a good shake. The cloths will eventually soak up all the liquid. Pop 1 in each dryer load. Your clothes will come out soft and fresh. Remember to retrieve it after each load and set aside until the jar is used up and you can start the process over again. Super easy, right? Note: if you are having problems with static electricity, especially in the winter months, you can add a few metal paper clips or an aluminum foil ball to the load. If you still spark your neighbor or walk around like a chia pet with hair in all directions due to the charge, dampen your hands and rub them over your clothes to deactivate. This happens because of the mixture of materials dried together. Do you know that even the Bible talks about not mixing your materials? Pretty impressive. Even God knew how best to do laundry. (Deuteronomy 22:11)
I hope this helps. Enjoy the satisfaction of not only saving loads of money on your laundry (about 3 cents per load verses 12 cents) but also gain the control of what comes in contact with your family’s skin and your clothing. You are contributing to a greener world as well. If you make it a project the kids can do with you or for you, then they have learned a life-skill, feel a sense of significance and belonging as well as gain a vision for their own family someday. It is important to pass on the truths we learn to the next generation. Teaching them how to build their homes ensures we leave a legacy of freedom. In this case, financial as well as freedom from harsh toxins and chemicals. God bless you and your family and find joy in building your house one step at a time.
|
|
