Homemade Laundry Detergent and Fabric Softner

This article was submitted by Shayla.

I had never even heard of homemade, eco-friendly  laundry detergent up until recently! I know how to make my own fabric softener, but didn’t realize there were recipes for detergent. Regular, store bought detergent is very unhealthy, just google “dangers of laundry detergents” and see what comes up.  They are loaded with all kinds of chemicals which are not simply washed out via the rinse cycle, they linger as do the fumes and they are absorbed by the skin. And worse, these chemicals have been linked to all kinds of problems from allergies and skin and eye irritations to cancer as they throw the body’s hormone levels out of balance and add to a toxic chemical build up in the body. Chemicals in the body are a very real problem, and have  even been linked to infertility. Often times, the natural laundry detergents are so expensive. This makes creating one’s own in today’s economy a real winner! The best part of all, making your own is better for your family, the environment, and with essential oils you can create your own fragrance too!

Eco-Friendly Laundry Detergent Recipe  One
Makes over 2 gallons-use approximately 1/4 cup per load

• 1 quart boiling Water

• 2 cups grated Zote or Kirks Castile soap

• 2 cups Borax

• 2 cups washing Soda

• 1/2 cup Thieves Household Cleaner

• 1 teaspoon of your favorite essential oil blend-Purification, Thieves, grapefruit, eucalyptus dives, and lavender are my favorites!

Stir finely grated bar soap to the boiling water until the soap is melted. You may need to keep in on low heat in a pan on the stove until melted. Pour  into a large, clean pail. Add Borax and Soda. Stir until all is dissolved and add 2 gallons of water, stirring until well mixed. When cool enough to touch, add the household cleaner and essential oils, and stir again (don’t add the oils while the mixture is still hot). Before each use, be sure to stir again or gently shake as this may gel.

Laundry Detergent Recipe  Two
Makes over 8 gallons-use approximately 1 cup per load

• Hot water

• 1 cup Washing Soda

• 1/2 cup Borax

• 1 grated Soap bar (Kirks or Zote)

• 8 gallons water

• 1 cup Thieves Household Cleaner

• 3 Teaspoons essential oils of your choice

Add the grated soap to a large saucepan of hot water. Stir over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted. Fill a 10 gallon pail  with 5 gallons of hot water. Add the melted soap, Borax and soda, stirring  well until all is dissolved. Top the pail up with more hot water. When it cools down to lukewarm, add the household cleaner and the essential oils. Stir before each use.

I have a confession to make. I love fabric softeners! Having clothes that smell wonderful, are all soft and easy to fold too-can’t beat that! What I don’t like is the chemicals in regular fabric softeners. The residues hang around on the clothes and can be absorbed by the body, especially if you sweat. One of my favorite natural fabric softeners is Morning Fresh by Ecover, I just love the smell of it and it works great. It is spendy though, and depending on how much my husband is making it can be too pricey for our budget (we go through alot of laundry). So, I created a simple “create your own fabric softener” that is so easy!

Fabric Softener Recipe
Simply add the following to the last rinse cycle

• 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons baking soda diluted in water
• 10-20 drops of your favorite Therapeutic grade  essential oil (just make sure it is not a gummy oil that will stain clothes)

Read my article on Petrochemicals, Free Radicals, and Essential Oils to learn more ways to avoid chemicals in our environments and build a healthier lifestyle.

Learn how to clean your home the “Green”, natural way!

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Tammy Baile

Young Living Essential Oils Distributor, # 1156558

I'm looking forward to helping you get "on with living" in a happy, healthy, chemical and pain-free way as I, my family and our pets have.

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