Here’s your Green Cleaning Tip for August 2017 from Going GreenHouse. Their focus is often on green cleaning products and how to green-ify your home. However, it is important not to forget one important element to cleaning… YOUR LAUNDRY! So, people have been using these laundry detergents for years- is it really THAT big of a deal?  Well, let’s look a little deeper and let you decide for yourself…

Regular detergents contain chorine, phosphates, and other artificial additives that are dangerous to human health. Not to mention, the synthetic dyes and perfumes that can be harsh on your skin and cause allergic reactions and skin outbreaks. Chemicals found in conventional laundry detergent emit fumes that are constantly inhaled throughout the day. Breathing in chemical fumes, even at minute concentrations, may have damaging consequences on endocrinological and neurological health.

Further, we need to halt the damaging effects of phosphate– a common chemical added to detergent for its ability to enable the cleaning components of detergent to act, by preventing interference by the “hardness” of water (mineral ions). This chemical has done significant damage to our environment in last 40 years, mostly due to the poisonous effects on fish and the environment.

Enough with the “problems” what about a “solution”?

Here is where you do your part… for your sake, your family’s sake, and the environment’s sake, let’s make a change. What if we stayed free and clear of these harmful ingredients and switched to a more natural option? You can find natural/organic detergents at just about any grocery store these days, but if you are looking for a more resourceful option, try making your own at home. We even have a recipe for you!

Natural Laundry Soap:

1. One bar of Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castille Bar Soap (try lavender, tea tree, or peppermint)- grate in a food processor until finely ground
2. In a large bowl, mix 1 cup washing soda (find in the laundry section of your local store), 1 cup Borax, and 1 bar grated soap
3. Store in a closed container (like a 1 quart or half gallon mason jar).
4. Use 2 tablespoons to ¼ cup per load of laundry.

If your loads of laundry need an extra boost, try these helpful tips:

•  – Remove musty odors from fabrics by adding ¼ cup white vinegar to the wash cycle
• – Revive dingy whites by adding about ½ cup of baking soda 0r ¼ cup white vinegar to each load
• – Soften clothes by adding distilled white vinegar during the rinse cycle (try sing a fabric softener ball for easy dispensing)
• – Pre-treat stubborn organic stains, such as yellow caused by sweat, with a paste of baking soda and water before washing