Laundry detergent is some of the vilest stuff on earth. OK. That’s a bit of an exaggeration. But much of it is terrible for the environment and it can load your clothes up with chemicals – which you then wear all day. Not a great way to avoid overburdening yourself with toxins.
Most commercial detergents contain petrochemicals. They can come in the guise of fragrances (even when they’re labeled “fragrance-free”). Some of the chemicals in detergent are carcinogenic. I’m looking at you 1,4-dioxane.
Though, I will say this: You’re probably not going to get cancer just from your laundry detergent. The amount you get on you every day is relatively small. However, we live in an increasingly toxic world. It’s best to avoid chemicals and toxins wherever you can. Plus, this recipe is inexpensive compared to most laundry detergents. So you’ll save yourself money and save yourself from chemicals!
Plus, it only takes a few minutes to make.
What You’ll Need
- 1 bar of castile soap (Get it on Amazon)
- 2 cups borax (Get it on Amazon)
- 2 cups washing soda (or soda ash) (Get it on Amazon)
- 1 cup baking soda
- Essential oils
- Large glass jar
Directions
There aren’t many steps in this recipe. I wasn’t kidding when I said it was easy.
- Grate your bar of soap. Use the fine side of your grater. You don’t want giant chunks of soap.
- Combine all the ingredients and put in an air-tight jar. Essential oils are optional. You want about 30 drops total. Just make sure you shake it after you put your drops in. You don’t want one super strong smelling load of clothes!
You only need about ¼ cup per load for a regular washer. If you have an HE washer, use 1-2 tablespoons.
One little warning: You may want to use gloves when handling your washing soda. It can dry out your skin. Washing soda has a pH around 11. That means it will suck moisture from your hand. However, all soap is like that. It’s part of why soap is so effective at cleaning your hands and clothing. It’s also the reason moisturizers are often added to soap.
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