Simple laundry - Healthy Home Series

Lets talk about the Laundry. 

Those with sensitive skin may have already made some switches in this department....I know I had. Skin reactions to fragranced detergents and softeners are very common and yet for some reason the manufacturers still think we need our wash to smell like sea breeze or orchard fresh.

 

Washing Powder - 

• 1 Cup Baking Soda
• 1 Cup Washing Soda
• 1 x 5oz bar of Castile Soap (I used Dr Bronners)
• 1 Cup Kosher Salt
• 30 drops  Essential Oil of choice - I used Lemon Myrtle.

Grate the Castile bar soap. Add all the dry ingredients together in a bowl and mix well.
Add the Essential Oil drops and re-combine. 
Store in a glass jar. 

Washing Powder 2 - (I have not trialed this yet)

• 2  Cup of Washing Soda
• 2  Cup of Borax
• 1 x 5oz bar of Castile Soap (I used Dr Bronners)
• 25 drops of Lavender Essential Oil.

Place the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Add the Essential Oils and mix again to combine well. Store in an airtight container.  Use ¼ cup wash. (Recipe source HERE)

Deep Clean for your washing machine

Do you clean your washing machine regularly? 

I've got to be honest here...I don't! 

However...I came across this Washing Machine Cleaner DIY..and really loved the idea of a deep clean for my machine.

Its a two part job... first cycle involves baking soda and the second cycle is with vinegar and essential oils...and the result is sparkling! 

½ teaspoon natural dish soap
4 tablespoons washing soda
1 cup white vinegar
20 drops Tea Tree oil

Follow the link for the detailed steps (HERE)

Stain Remover

In a 500ml spray bottle add -

500 mls of White vinegar

15 mls of On Guard Cleaner concentrate

20 drops of Lemongrass or Lemon Essential Oil

Spray to stains and wash as per normal. 

Liquid Laundry Detergent

1 cup Castille Soap

1 cup Baking Soda

7 litres hot water

20 drops On Guard Essential Oil or Tea Tree  or even Lemon Myrtle perhaps?

Mix together well in a large bucket and then decant into bottles... use 1/3 cup per wash.

Fabric Softener

2 Litres of Vinegar

1 Cup of Baking Soda
15 -20 drops of Essential Oil (Clove..Lemon..Lavender or an oil of your choice)

Mix together in a container. Use ¼ - ½ Cup per load. 

Fabric Softener 2

1/2 cup of vinegar

2 drops Purify or Tea Tree or Lavender oil

Simply add to the fabric softener dispenser for each load.

Dryer Sheets

Small cloths or squares of fabric
a large wide mouth jar
1 cup of vinegar
20 drops of oil of your choice - Wild Orange, Lavender, Peppermint ..whatever takes your fancy.

Combine vinegar and oils then moisten the cloths before storing them in the jar. Any left over vinegar / oil mix can be stored for future cloths. The vinegar smell will evaporate during drying.

Ironing Spray

Simply Add 2 - 3 drops of Lavender Essential Oil to distilled water and use as a linen spray. Lavender naturally relaxes the fabric and smoothes wrinkles.

Unfortunately manufacturers are not required to list all the chemicals in their products unless they pose an immediate risk... so some will be listed with a warning to avoid skin contact etc...others wont even be in the label. Aside from the immediate risk there is also a risk from cumulative exposure which is so worrying.  Some chemicals to avoid when reading your labels are - 

SLS - Sodium Laurel Sulphate -  a known skin irritant

Quarternary Ammonium Compounds (Quats) – Found in fabric softeners and fabric softening sheets. These also operate similarly to triclosan and can cause asthma and dermatitis.

Brightners - We’re talking things like naphthotriazolystilbenes (linked with developmental and reproductive effects), benzoxazolyl, diaminostilbene disulfonate, and more. Since these remain on the clothes, they are likely to come into contact with skin. (SOURCE)

Fillers - Found in washing powders ... irritating for the skin... and unnecessary.

Bleaches and Dyes - Irritating on the skin and constant use degrades the fabric.

Zeolites - Skin irritation.

Phthalates / Synthertic Fragrance - labeled as 'fragrance' and responsible for endocrine disruption.

You might like to consider - 

doTERRA ON Guard Laundry Liquid - this cleans really well and works as a great prewash stain remover. Add a drop of liquid direct to the stain and rub gently before washing as normal.

doTERRA On Guard Cleaner Concentrate 

Simply Clean Products - I love their Lemon Myrtle range.

Or choose Another green product - be cautious about 'all natural'  and other claims... read the ingredients and do your checks.