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Sustainable living › Healthy home › Clean green › Laundry cleaners
These recipes for less-toxic soap, fabric softeners, deodorizers and bleaches, stain removers, and moth repellants can help you save money and protect your family and the environment.
Commercially formulated laundry detergents that are more environmentally friendly are available. Seventh Generation, Ecover, Life Tree and Earth Friendly Cleaner provide concentrated, vegetable oil-based (not petroleum) laundry soaps without synthetic fragrances. Add 1/2 cup washing soda to the wash cycle as a booster for cleaning heavily soiled clothes.
Add 1 to 2 cups of vinegar to rinse cycle to deodorize and soften fabrics.
Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to rinse cycle to deodorize and brighten clothes.
Look for a commercial nonchlorine bleach or try using:
Tip: After clothes have spun dry in the washer, hang them to dry in the sun. Sunshine is a natural bleach.
Mix 1 cup baking soda with 1 teaspoon tea tree or other essential oil. Work out all lumps with a fork. Sprinkle in bottom of pail after liner is removed. Periodically rinse pail with vinegar and dry in the sun.
Combine 2 to 3 teaspoons cornstarch with 1 cup water in a spray bottle. Shake well. Use as you would commercial spray starches.