original link: http://www.dwellinginhappiness.com/chemical-free-liquid-laundry-detergent/
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I like doing laundry. I mean, isn’t it fun to throw in dirty clothes, add a little soap, and then see how clean and good smelling they come out? It’s actually kind of satisfying! Now, I didn’t say I like the folding and putting away part, I just like the “doing” part. Who’s with me?
While I love the smell of my fresh clean clothes, I really dislike knowing that a ton of harsh and “icky” chemicals went into cleaning them. Don’t believe me? Visit the Environmental Working Group’s site and check it out. I dare you to type in your favorite laundry detergent that you’re using right now and see the grade it gets. My favorite that I used to use a few years ago received a big fat F. Yikes! I was shocked when I started typing in other known brands and seeing more and more “F’s.” No good, folks! There are known chemicals in store bought laundry detergent that have developmental and reproductive effects, cause respiratory problems, skin irritations, and allergies. To name just a few!
First, I’ll share with you how to make this chemical-free liquid laundry detergent. Then I’ll go into more detail about each ingredient and what it does.
Supplies:
- 2 gallon bucket
- 2 gallons water
- 1/2 cup Super Washing Soda
- 1/2 cup Baking Soda
- 3/4 cup castile soap (I use Dr. Bronner’s in lavender)
- 30 drops of your favorite essential oils (I used lavender and “joy” blend)
- Large wooden/plastic spoon to stir (not pictured)
- 2 1-gallon glass containers
STEP 1
First, measure out 1/2 cup of the Super Washing Soda and pour into a 2 gallon bucket. I use this bucket for making this detergent only; I store my supplies in it and just grab it when I need to make more! That way it stays nice and clean and doesn’t get used and dirty with other things.
STEP 2
Add just enough hot tap water to cover the washing soda, and stir well to dissolve.
STEP 3
Measure out and pour 1/2 cup of Baking Soda into the water/washing soda mixture, and stir well to dissolve.
STEP 4
Fill up your bucket all the way to the top with hot tap water, only leaving about 1/2 inch of room on top. Make sure you do this BEFORE adding in your castile soap, or you’ll have a bubbly mess!
STEP 5
Measure and pour into the bucket 3/4 cup of castile soap. My favorite is Dr. Bronner’s, and they have a few different scents. I used lavender because I love how fresh it smells. But, you can also buy unscented and use your favorite essential oils to give it a yummy fresh smell!
STEP 6
Pour in 30 drops of your favorite essential oils! I used 20 drops of lavender, and 10 drops of “joy.” They smell SO good.
STEP 7
Carefully stir everything together until well mixed.
STEP 8
Pour the detergent into jars or bottles. I used a soup ladle to transfer into my big jars, but if your bottle is thinner you can use a funnel.
TO USE:
Pour 1/3 cup of the detergent in with your dirty clothes and wash as normal. Contents might settle to bottom or clump, but just give the bottle a good shake before you use it every time and it’ll be fine. The clumps will break up in the wash. I noticed mine gets clumpier when it’s cold, so I try to keep it in a warmer spot, like under my kitchen sink during the winter.
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