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It's laundry day! Begin to sort the whites from the darks and lose some more socks in the dryer. And this time, try something different.
Set aside your commercial laundry cleaners and try homemade laundry cleaners. They're gentler on the environment and are often just as effective as, if not better than, their ready-made counterparts.
Detergents, fabric softeners, bleach and stain removers can all be replaced with a homemade alternative. Generations ago, families relied on simple ingredients such as pure soap and vinegar to get clothes soft and clean. Today it can be just as simple. To help you get started, Waste Reduction Office has compiled a list of recipes for alternative laundry cleaners.
Environmentally-safe ingredients
Use the ingredients listed below when making your own alternative cleaners. Either combined, or on their own, they will produce safe, effective and cost-efficient cleaners.
| Baking Soda (sodium bicarbonate) | An all-purpose, non-toxic cleaner. It cleans, deodorizes, scours, polishes and removes stains. |
Borax: (sodium borate) |
It deodorizes, removes stains and boosts the cleaning power of soap. It also prevents mold and odours. |
| Cornstarch: |
Cleans and deodorizes carpets and rugs. |
| Lemon
Juice: |
Cuts through grease and stains on aluminum and porcelain. |
| Castille Pure Soap: (not detergent) | Cleans
everything. |
| Table Salt: (sodium chloride) | A mild disinfectant and makes an abrasive, but gentle, scouring powder. |
| Vinegar: (dilute acetic acid) | Removes mildew, stains, grease and wax buildup. Vinegar is a great glass cleaner. |
| Washing Soda: (sodium carbonate) | Cuts grease and disinfects. It will also increase the cleaning power of soap. |
Here are some recipes. Give them a try. Experiment with them by adjusting the strengths and proportions to suit your cleaning needs. You may find that they're often just as effective as, if not better than, commercial brands.
The following recipes have been compiled from a number of reputable sources. However, Waste Reduction Office does not accept any responsibility for the effectiveness of the cleaners.
Laundry Soap
To switch from commercial detergents to an environmentally-safe solution, you will first have to get rid of the detergent residue in your clothes. Use water as hot as the fabric can stand and 50mL washing soda for each load. This must be done once for all of your laundry to prevent yellowing.
| All-Purpose Soap: |
250mL soap flakes 125mL borax 125mL washing soda Mix together and store in a properly labelled container. Measure 125mL of soap mixture and add to water in your washing machine before adding clothes. Use your regular wash setting and rinse in cold water. |
| Delicate Care Soap:
|
125mL borax 250mL soap flakes 1L boiling water Mix together. Cool and pour into a properly labelled container. Use 250mL of solution for each litre of water. Add clothing and wash gently. Rinse thoroughly. |
| Starch General purpose: |
15mL cornstarch 250mL water Mix together. Store in a properly labelled spray bottle and shake vigorously before use. You can adjust the degree of stiffness you prefer by adding more cornstarch. |
| Starch
Delicate fabrics: |
1
package unflavoured gelatin 500mL hot water Dissolve gelatin in hot water. Dilute with at least 1L water and add clothes |
| Bleach
|
Soak whites overnight in solution of 250mL soap flakes 50mL borax and 20L water.
OR |
| Fabric softener
|
If you wash with soap, add 125mL to 250mL of white vinegar to the rinse cycle. It softens fabrics and helps to remove soapy film. OR 500mL herbal vinegar or white vinegar 500mL baking soda 1000mL water Mix baking soda and vinegar together. Add to the water and stir well. Store in a properly labelled container. Add 60mL of the solution to the final rinse cycle. |
| Drying |
Hang all clothes to dry and iron while still slightly damp. For static cling: toss a small wet towel into the dryer a few minutes before the end of the cycle. |
Stain Remover
| Ballpoint pen: |
Rub toothpaste on stain or soak stain in milk and rub away. Wash. |
| Blood: | Soak stain in cold water for 30 minutes. Rub with soap. If necessary, wash with borax. |
| Coffee/tea: |
Rinse stain in cold water. Wash in a mild solution of borax and water as hot as the fabric can stand. |
| Felt tip pens: |
Rub stain with soap. Rinse and wash. Use lemon juice for stubborn stains. |
| Fruit Juice: |
Use boiling water. Bleach out stain with lemon juice. |
| Grass: |
Rub stain with glycerine (available at the drugstore). Wait one hour, then wash. |
| Grease: |
Rub stain with a damp cloth dipped in borax. Or for cotton fabric, wash in washing soda and boiling water. |
| Ink: |
Spray hairspray on stain and rinse out with warm water. For white fabrics, wet the fabric with cold water and apply a paste of lemon juice and cream of tartar. Let it sit for one hour, then wash as usual. |
| Lipstick: |
Rub stain with cold cream or shortening to dissolve colour. Rinse area with a solution of washing soda in warm water to remove grease. Wash in soapy water as hot as the fabric will stand. |
| Perspiration: |
Rub stain with a solution of white vinegar or lemon juice and water. |
| Red Wine |
Clean stain immediately with club soda. |
| Rust |
Saturate stain with lemon juice. Rub with salt. Place in direct sunlight until dry, then wash. |
| Urine: |
Rub stain with a solution of baking soda and water. Rinse in warm water, then wash. |
Environmentally-safe commercial products
If you don't want to make your own alternative cleaners, there are a number of commercial products available that were developed with the environment in mind. Before you buy, make sure the one you select for your cleaning job is truly environmentally-safe. These products can be found in health-food stores, some grocery stores and through direct-sales agents.
Do not purchase a product that does not list all of its ingredients. Some products, such as detergents, are petroleum-based. Ask your grocer for product details.
If you are concerned about animals, make sure the product does not contain any animal by-products and was not tested on animals. Soaps can contain animal or vegetable fat.
If your grocer stocks products that claim to be environmentally-safe, but are not, or misuse the word "green", express your displeasure to your grocer and the manufacturer.
If your grocer does not stock environmentally-safe products, ask for them or write manufacturers requesting that they produce some.
© 2006 Northern Environmental Action Team. All rights reserved. Site by Kreatikon Media.