Non-toxic Laundry Products
Instructions for Mixing your own Non-toxic Household Products ... Non-toxic Personal Care Products
Safe Alternatives for Laundry Products: Tips & Tricks for a "Green" Laundry Room
Hydrogen Peroxide - Laundry / Stain Removing
Reusable & Cost-effective: Laundry & Dryer Balls - A Novel Idea!
How much money are you spending on laundry detergents? Using laundry detergent costs between $.20 to $.75 - just for the detergent, not including the heated water. Every powder and liquid carries some environmental hazard. In fact, laundry products are considered the household products that cause the most damage to the environment ... below are some options for you to go "green" and save "green".
The effectiveness of laundry balls has been widely debated. Some people loved them, while others felt they are scams. I found these laundry balls work well for me - although some stains need to be pre-treated -- however, they would have to be even with laundry detergent. I even heard about some studies that indicated that loads washed with laundry detergent were no cleaner than those simply washed in warm water.
The effectiveness of these laundry balls may indeed be the manual agitation they provide, and some people suggest that some rocks, doggie or baby toys dropped into the machine may work just as well. (If this is your choice, do make sure that they don't dissolve in warm water or the coloring comes off!)
Below are the ones that I could find with the highest user ratings. All received great reviews and useful / interesting customer comments. The only found that is unrated is the "dryer and laundry ball combination pack" which included just for the convenience and cost-savings associated with it.
If you are not ready to give up detergent, but are looking for "green" alternatives, please scroll down for some options and ideas ...
Dryerballs are a safe, toxic free and environmentally friendly way to soften your laundry.
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Laundry & Dryer Ball Packs:
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Amazing Laundry Balls Product Features
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| My personal tips for laundry are:
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| Seventh Generation produces eco-friendly cleaning supplies and household products. Some of the products are now available at your local natural food store (i.e. Whole Foods). Many mainstream grocery stores even started to offer them. A great selection is available online. | |||||
LeBlanc Summer Verbena Laundry wash - for all your laundry! Product Features
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Maggie's Soap Nuts Product Features
I have tried these nuts and found that they are cleaning as well as my laundry detergent. The first time I washed it, I washed some really dirty towels (used for cleaning the floor). After the wash, I inspected the towels and they were cleaner, but there were still stains in them. I left this load in the washing machine and washed it a second time with my regular laundry detergent. The same stains were in there after the second wash, so obviously these stains would have had to be pre-treated to get out. These were just cleaning rags, so I didn't really care. Anyhow, these work fine for regular loads. |
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Safe Alternatives for Laundry Products:
An effective and less toxic / environmentally damaging alternative to detergents is soap. Soap is an effective cleaner for natural fabrics, leaving such items as diapers softer than detergent can. For cotton and linen, use soap to soften water. A cup of vinegar added to the wash can help keep colors bright (but DO NOT use vinegar if you are using bleach -- the resulting fumes are hazardous). One-half to three-quarters of a cup of baking soda will leave clothes soft and fresh smelling. Silks and wools may be hand washed with mild soap or a protein shampoo, down or feathers with mild soap or baking soda.
For synthetic fabrics or blends (including most no-iron fabrics), there are biodegradable detergents on the market that do not contain phosphates, fragrances, or harsh chemicals. They are often imported from Europe and are generally available at health food stores or by mail order.
Washing/Laundry:
For safer detergents and softeners, use fragrance-free versions from companies such as Seventh Generation, Ecos and Mountain Green; or try the Oxy Ball or 1/2 cup of baking soda per load instead of detergents.
Add 8 ounces of 3% hydrogen peroxide to your wash in place of bleaches.
Herbal laundry soap:
- 2 Cups Distilled Water
- 2 tsp dried, powdered soapwort (roots, leaves and stems)
- 4 drops alfalfa, carrot, rosehip, lavender and lemongrass extracts
- Bring water to a boil; cover and simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat, add soapwort and mix; let cool, then mix in remaining ingredients. Bottle and store. Use 1-2 oz per load instead of laundry detergent.
Instead of dryer sheets ...
- ... use an aluminum foil ball in the dryer; 1/2 to 1 cp of vinegar in the rinse cycle, or separate your synthetics and cottons when drying.
Hydrogen Peroxide - Laundry / Stain Removing:
3% Hydrogen Peroxide is the best stain lifter if used fairly soon - although blood stains as old as 2 days have been successfully lifted with Hydrogen Peroxide. Although it will bleach or discolor many fabrics. If a little peroxide is poured onto the stain it will bubble up in the area of the blood, due to a reaction with catalase. After a few minutes the excess liquid can be wiped up with a cloth or paper towel and the stain will be gone.
3% H2O2 must be applied to clothing before blood stains can be accidentally "set" with heated water. Cold water and soap are then used to remove the peroxide treated blood.
Washing/Laundry:
You can also add a cup of hydrogen peroxide instead of bleach to a load of whites in your laundry to whiten them. If there is blood on clothing, pour directly on the soiled spot. Let it sit for a minute, then rub it and rinse with cold water. Repeat if necessary.
Peroxide is a perfect alternate solution to keep those clothes white. Also, when chlorinating clothes, they tend to wear out faster - peroxide won't do that.
