Main
Family Pages
Articles and Fun
Previous Content
In the Laundry Room
Laundry Detergent
1 to 8 oz liquid castile soap or 1 cup soap flakes* 1/2 cup washing soda 1/2 cup borax and either 1/4 cup baking soda or 1/4 cup white vinegar Glass Jar
Using the soap as a base, combine with washing soda, and borax (for stains and bleaching). You can also add either baking soda (reduces static and softens fabrics) or white vinegar (softens fabrics, reduces static and bleaches clothes). If you feel like your clothes aren't clean enough, play around with the amount of liquid castile soap, using from 1 oz. to 1 cup. Store mixture in a glass container. Use 1 tablespoon per load (2 for heavily soiled laundry), wash in warm or cold water. For soft water: Use 1 cup soap flakes, 1/4 cup washing soda and 1/2 cup borax. For hard water: Use 1 cup soap flakes, 1 cup washing soda and 1 cup borax.
- Soap flakes can be made by grating your favorite pure vegetable soap with a cheese grater.
Starch
1 tbsp cornstarch 1 pint cold water Plastic Spray Bottle
For homemade laundry starch, dissolve cornstarch in cold water. Place in a spray bottle. Shake before using. Clearly label the contents of the spray bottle.
Bleach alternative
Instead of chlorine bleach, soak your whites in your washing machine with your laundry detergent and 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide for 30 minutes. Then launder as usual.
White Vinegar
Eliminate soap residue by adding 1 cup of white vinegar to the washer's final rinse. Vinegar is too mild to harm fabrics but strong enough to dissolve alkalies in soaps and detergents. Vinegar also breaks down uric acid, so adding 1 cup vinegar to the rinse water is especially good for babies' clothes. To get wool and cotton blankets soft and fluffy as new, add 2 cups white vinegar to a full tub of rinsewater. To remove smoky odor from clothes, fill your bathtub with hot water. Add 1 cup white vinegar. Hang garments above the steaming bath water. DO NOT USE VINEGAR IF YOU ADD CHLORINE BLEACH TO YOUR RINSEWATER. IT WILL PRODUCE HARMFUL VAPORS.
Baking Soda
1/4 to 1/2 cup baking soda per wash load makes clothes feel soft and smell fresh. If you still want to use chlorine bleach, you can cut the amount used in half when you add 1/2 cup baking soda to top loading machines or 1/4 cup to front loaders.