The Emperor's New Suds: Natural Laundry Tips

Article Tools

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

We've been convinced we need Lemon-Freshened, Static-Removing Spot-Begone. Do we?

Many conventional laundry products are not biodegradable and, being made from nonrenewable petroleum products and harsh chemicals, negatively affect local waterways. Unfortunately, these super soaps don't really work any better than simpler, more natural products.

To clean up your laundry act, buy only one detergent—you can use it directly on stains. Avoid conventional detergents with health warnings such as "may cause skin irritation" or "harmful vapors." Look instead for a product that's biodegradable and plant-based, not made from petroleum, and produced by a company with strong environmental ethics. A powdered or concentrated detergent is a bonus; it contains less water. And if you must have fragrance, be certain it's derived from natural essential oils.

Skip the dryer sheets, chlorine bleaches and chemical spot treatments. You can find eco-friendly substitutes in your pantry. Add baking soda to wash water as a softener/freshener, hydrogen peroxide as a spot remover or bleaching agent, and borax as a detergent booster. Sample them on a swatch before using them on fine fabrics.

Finally, reduce packaging by buying the largest container of detergent you can, preferably one that's refillable—and be sure to recycle it.

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print

Comments

Add Your Comment

You can use this comment form to enter your personal experiences or additional information and resources that you'd like to share with Natural Home readers. Your helpful advice will be posted on this page.  E-mail addresses are never displayed on comments, but they are required to confirm your comments.

Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.

Loading ...

New to Natural Home Magazine? Sign up to share comments. Asterisks(*) indicate required fields. Name* Your name appears next to your comment. E-mail Address* This will be your login ID. City State Zip Code Password* Confirm Password*

Have you signed up before? Please log in before you enter your comment. E-mail Address Password Forgot your password?

Comments

1500 character limit (Offensive materials and/or spam will be removed, no HTML allowed)

Please Note: Your sign-up must be verified via e-mail before your comment is published.