Laundry Made Even Cleaner!

This is the Way We Wash Our Clothes—

Doing laundry is not most people’s idea of a good time—though some do take pleasure in transforming a mountain of dirty laundry into neatly folded piles of fresh clothing and linens. No matter how you feel about doing the laundry, if you’re looking for ways to reduce your environmental impact, we have some great ideas for you.

Conventional laundry products contribute phosphates, petroleum products, chlorine, and other chemicals to the air (during manufacture), waterways (during use), landfills (when you toss the containers) or your skin (when you wear or use the laundered products). You can purchase earth-friendly laundry products at Linden Hills Co-op and Natural Home.

Here are some of our favorites:

Charlie’s Soap – non-toxic, hypo-allergenic and biodegradable soap that quickly dissolves, rinses thoroughly and leaves no residue that can make clothes stiff and irritating. especially good for baby clothes, diapers and people with allergies or sensitive skin

Bio-Kleen Laundry Liquid and Powder – phosphate and chlorine free, concentrated to leave the smallest footprint on the environment

Ecover Laundry Liquid – color safe, phosphate and petrochemical free

Stain Treatments

Biokleen Bac-Out – natural, non-toxic and biodegradable enzyme cleaner that can be used for pet, carpet and laundry stains and odors

Biokleen Oxygen Bleach Plus – phosphate and chlorine free, color safe, can be used as a stain remover or laundry booster to combat mildew and corrosion, naturally brightens, whitens and softens

Charlie’s Soap All-Purpose Cleaner – used as a pre-treat for laundry, will be gentle on delicates and tough on hard stains

Dryer Aids

Ecosisters Wool Dryer Balls – use these reusable, locally made, upcycled wool balls in your dryer to eliminate static, naturally soften and lessen drying time. non-toxic, long lasting

Static Eliminator – odor free, chemical free and reusable dryer “sheets” good for 500 loads. these are also hypo-allergenic and will eliminate static, soften and reduce wrinkles

You can also make your own laundry aids with ingredients found right at our stores! We sell Borax, gallons of vinegar, large boxes of baking soda, and a variety of essential oils
We also sell gloves, spray bottles and clothespins.

Laundry recipes—like cooking recipes—are a matter of varying opinions and experimentation to suit individual needs. If the consistency isn’t right or you don’t love the scent, tweak the ingredient amounts or the essential oil or soap you’re using. If you’re pleased, double the batch next time; if not, make smaller batches until you’ve nailed it. Here are some recipes to get you started.

Powdered Laundry Soap
2 cups grated natural bar soap
3 cups borax (a naturally occurring mineral, also known as sodium borate or sodium tetraborate)
4 cups baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
4 cups washing soda (sodium carbonate)
2 tablespoons essential oil (lemon, lavender, or a personal favorite)
Combine all dry ingredients. Whisk in essential oil. Store in covered tub, and use 1/8 cup per load of laundry.

Note: Keep in mind that these laundry soaps won’t produce a lot of suds. Don’t be fooled, though; they still get the job done!

Liquid (Gel) Laundry Soap
1 vegetable-based natural bar soap
1/2 cup borax
1 cup washing soda
5 drops essential oil (orange, lavender, rosemary, or favorite)
Grate soap into a large pot of boiling water. Remove from heat and stir until melted. Add the borax and washing soda. Stir until dissolved. Add essential oils. Pour into a bucket and add hot water to make about eight gallons. Let sit overnight. Stir before using (1/2 to 1 cup per load).

Gentle Laundry Soap
You can wash delicates in any of the above soaps, but another option is to use just a squirt of a good liquid castile soap in a sink full of water. Add just a drop or two of essential oil. (Add both as the water is running, swish, then add your wool sweater or delicate lingerie.)

Softeners

• Add 1/2 cup vinegar to the rinse cycle. Vinegar softens fibers naturally and rinses out any soap residues. It will also freshen baby clothes and diapers and remove static cling. Don’t worry; the scent evaporates when the clothing dries, so you won’t smell like a salad while wearing your vinegar-softened shirt!

• Add 1/4 cup baking soda to the rinse cycle. It’ll brighten your wash as well as soften it. (Baking soda also removes soap residues, which can leave a dull film on your laundered items.)

Whiteners

• Add 1/2 cup of washing soda to each load during the wash cycle.

• Fill washer half full with hot water. Pour in 2 cups of lemon juice. Add clothing and let soak for several hours. Drain water and follow with a normal wash cycle. Or add 1/2 cup lemon juice to rinse cycle.

• The best whitener is sunshine, so hang whites on a clothesline to dry. (You might use one of the above whiteners and then hang in the sun for best results.) Talk about eco-friendly!

Fragrance

• Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the rinse cycle (add to the water, not directly on clothing).
• Place a few drops of essential oil on a clean cotton cloth or washcloth, and toss in the dryer or drop in the washer during the rinse cycle.
• Add a fragrant sachet to your drier load. (Some scented herbs tied in a cheesecloth or hanky work well.) Or place one in each dresser drawer.

Stain Removers
Note: For stains on colored fabrics, first test the stain remover in an inconspicuous spot to make sure it won’t remove the color.

• Rub stubborn stains with white vinegar before tossing into your normal laundry load.
• Mix cornstarch with cold water to make a paste. Cover the stain and rub gently into fabric. Let dry in the warm sun. Brush off.
• Blot stain with cold water, sprinkle with sea salt, wipe clean with club soda, and launder.
• Combine borax and warm water and apply as paste to the stain. Let sit for an hour or so, then rinse with cold water and launder as usual.
• To remove perspiration stains, spray with distilled white vinegar, then wash.
• Combine water and hydrogen peroxide (50/50). Apply to stain, then launder.

Color Preservation

• Soak new clothing in cool water and vinegar (about a cup per load of water) before washing to help set the colors and keep them from running. (This is especially nice for keeping jeans and other dark clothing from fading.)
• If you use a clothesline, hang clothing that might fade inside-out.

Spray Starch

• Combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 2 cups of water in a spray bottle. Shake before spraying.

Linen Spritzer

• To scent linens, fill a spray bottle with water and add several drops of essential oil. Use to lightly spritz pillowcases and towels (don’t soak). Lavender oil is a good choice for inducing sleep, while sweet orange oil will enliven and freshen.

By making your own laundry products, you can feel good both about the piles of freshly laundered items and the process you used to get them that way.