Frugal Scholar, who must read everything of value on the entire Internet, stumbled upon an amazing remark in, of all places, the Wall Street Journal. In one article, Seventh Generation founder Jeffrey Hollender remarks that it’s surprising most people use laundry detergent at all: “You don’t even need soap to wash most loads,” he says. The truth is, it’s the action of the agitator, not the chemicals, that gets most clothes clean.
Uhmmm… Say what, my Captain of Industry?
Most of us have figured out that we need only a fraction of the amount we were brought up to pour into the washer, partly because newer detergents are far more efficient and partly because you don’t really need even the recommended amount. But…no detergent at all?
Well, of course, the gantlet was down.
Straightaway to the garage, stately home of the washer and dryer! Mustering all my nerve, I laundered two small loads with zero detergent, one of whites and one of coloreds. The whites load included a few pieces of underwear; the colored, a shirt I’d worn for a day of gardening.
The result? Pretty interesting.
Everything came out looking clean. Minor stains that I thought would come through unscathed actually washed out. This pair of fluffy cotton socks, which I wear around the house and patio as slippers, was pretty grimy when I put them in the washer. They came out looking exactly the same as they do when they’re washed with detergent.
These socks, which are three or four years old, always have a little gray on the bottom—no amount of detergent or bleach gets it out. If anything, they actually look a little better than the last time I ran them through the washer.
Peeking into the machine during the “wash” cycle, I found the water looked exactly as dirty as it does when I’ve added detergent, only without the suds:
The “rinse” cycle ran clear as tapwater.
The Sniff Test: By and large, all of the freshly washed clothing came out with an odor: it smelled of clean water! Because I didn’t want to heat-set any residual stains into the whites, I line-dried those; the coloreds went into the dryer. When fully dry, most of the pieces were fresh-smelling and free of either body odor or yukky commercial factory perfume. I use a perfume-free detergent, anyway, so there was no way the clothes would have retained any scent from previous launderings.
A couple of pairs of undies retained a very slight odor. I ran one of these through again with the colored clothing, and after a second drubbing in the washer, it came out completely odor-free.
Isn’t that something!
Conclusion: Because I’m not willing to consume the amount of water needed to run my underwear through the wash twice each week, I would put a small amount of detergent in with those. But apparently most outer clothes that have not absorbed much B.O. and that are not excessively dirty can indeed be washed in plain, clean water, without benefit of factory chemicals.
I’m just going to experiment and not tell my husband. If he doesn’t notice, PASS with flying colors! What a great tip!
I don’t know that I am willing to make this leap anytime soon. I also use odor free detergent I just don’t think I could accept the fact that I hadn’t used soap on my laundry.
I agree…it is a little creepy. On the other hand, we’re so strongly socialized to believe we have to slap soap and disinfectant on everything — think of the 87 million detergent ads any American has been blitzed with between infancy and about age 21 — that one has to wonder how much of our craving to suds up the laundry is a cultural thing.
I halved my laundry detergent use per load and haven’t noticed any appreciable difference. I already use white vinegar in there as a fabric softener (works great!) and don’t know if that is picking up some of the slack. If the amount of detergent required on the bottle is anything like the amount of shampoo suggested on their bottles, half should be about right!
I have experimented with homemade and more natural soaps for laundry. I have cut down on the amount of soap I have used unless it’s like greasy work clothes. I too have used vinegar for rinse in my dishwasher and clothes washer. It works great.
Laundry detergents contain surfactants that help keep soil particles suspended in the water and out with the drain water.
I have severe allergies. Many years ago I stopped using detergents and used the ceramic gimic instead. At first your laundry will be fairly clean because the soap residue is released in plain water. Later….I found dingy, discoloration and icky smelling laundry. I ‘m back to detergent.
@ Anette: Yeah, that’s pretty much what I’ve come to suspect. IMHO you can probably do with lots less detergent than most of us have been taught to use, but dispensing with detergent altogether probably isn’t gunna work over the long term.
Actually, I’ve gone with nothing but a ‘color booster’ in my laundry for over a year before. Sure, there is a mild smell left behind, but it’s more from the water than the ick on my clothes. I’ve gotten used to the smell, and still only get sick about once a year, so it has to be far more sanitary than people think.
I’ve also been told that letting your clothes dry in the sun is an anti-bacterial due to the UV rays. (The government has used UV rays to kill pathogens and bio-genetic agents in mail as an anti-terrorism tactic for years.)
Welcome, Vincent!
Yes, when I tried this trick, I also found that the clothes smelled like water when they were pulled from the washer. Commercial detergents, of course, cover that odor with perfumes that some guy in a factory imagines women will think smells “clean.” Hate that stuff! What’s not “clean” about treated city water?
Wait. Don’t answer that question…
Hanging your clothes to dry is great. For most modern fabrics (including cotton and linen), if you give the garment a sharp shake or two and then hang it on a plastic hanger (metal may leave rust stains), they come out as good or better than they do from the dryer. Shake it again a couple of times before putting it in the closet, and you won’t have to iron it.
In the US, unfortunately, many homeowner’s associations forbid residents from hanging out their clothes. It’s considered a WT thing to do.
Love, love, LOVE IT. Going to try this with my work clothes. I work in an office setting and we buy laundry detergent on a fairly regular basis. I might freeze when it’s actually time to put this in action. I’ll at least put in about one fourth of what I’m using now.
Thanks for the tip!
My son entered the Science Fair and his experiment was about which laundry detergents work. He purchased TIDE, ALL, Safeway Select, no brand and water to wash 4 white t-shirts in the washing machine. He spread spaghetti sauce, mud and mustard. The TIDE cleaned the best and then it was ALL and Safeway Select. It was very, very close as far as who cleaned the best. The water, of course did not get the stains out.
What about fabric softener? We line dry all of our clothes and cannot go without using liquid fabric softener or else all of clothes and towels are stiff as a board and like sandpaper on our skin. I’m open to any and all suggestions.
@ Vickie: I can’t imagine that plain water would do much to remove real stains. It would be interesting, though, to try treating the stains with Shout or Spray ‘N’ Wash & washing in plain water. Even that stuff, though, probably wouldn’t get most stains out alone–it’s mostly alcohol, and what’s really needed with stains is soap or detergent. Spot-treating with liquid detergent or rubbing with a wet bar of soap probably would do the trick.
The point of my little discovery is not that you needn’t ever use laundry detergent, but that you can get away with using a lot less than most of us have been trained to use.
@ Christina: Don’t know about fabric softener, other than that you can substitute dilute shampoo, which at least doesn’t have such a heavy perfume as laundry softeners. I strongly dislike fabric softener and always have, even before a friend blew himself up when he tried to get the sticky residue out of the washer with gasoline. It stinks, it goops up the clothes, and it gums up the laundry appliances. For line dried clothes, after taking them off the line I put them in the dryer for five or ten minutes, no heat. This shakes out the stiffness. An alternative for at least some clothes might be to shake each garment vigorously after it’s dry. This is, I imagine, why our grandmothers ironed everything including the underwear. That stiffness acts like a light starch, and ironing it at least gives the fabric a more comfortable finish.
I am a security officer,i will try it on my white shirts.
has anyone used this in a front load washer would it work in a front load washer
@ bonnie: Supposedly it’s the agitation that gets clothes “clean.” I don’t have a front loader but also would be interested to know if other readers have tried it. The only way you’d know, really, is to put a few clothes in and run them without detergent. Note the reader’s comment above, though, where the person discovered that over time the un-detergented clothes got dingy. Might want to try this on things that don’t matter much, or that you’re willing to bleach if the results are unsatisfactory.
I’m on vacation right now, but I have a front loading washer so will give these suggestions a try as soon as I get home. More later ……….
I agree with the comment that states that plain water may not got out the worst of stains without soap. think i will try it also. Also it depends on how clean your basket is. left over or built up dirt could still be present and end up back on your laundry.
I was wondering if anyone has used the homemade laundry detergent in a front loader? Is it high efficiency compatible?
>Laundry detergents contain surfactants that help keep soil particles suspended in the water and out with the drain water.
I’d like to see someone come up with a “detergent” that contains only surfactants and maybe an anti-bacterial agent. No sudsing agents, dies, deodorants.
@ CJ: Cool! I’d love to find out how it works.
@ Cathie: I believe I recall reading someone tried it. You have to be careful that it doesn’t suds up too much. Try searching The Simple Dollar’s site–he’s very hot on homemade detergent, and I do recall his writing about how pleased he was when he and his wife bought a new front-loader.
@ William R. Cousert: Hear, hear!! Detergents are a wild chemical brew–in addition to the suds, dye, and perfume, they also contain brighteners and bluing. It is possible to get clear, unperfumed detergent. Some of the environmentally friendly detergents are free of many objectionable substances, but they don’t clean as well and they’re often expensive. I go for Costco’s or Wisk’s environmentally hostile clear odorless liquid detergent and try to use the smallest amount that will get the laundry clean and unstinky–which, amazingly, is not very much at all.
I have saved loads of money not using detergent on every wash. When I use detergent I have made my own.
Christina, you can use a cup of vinegar instead of fabric softner. I would also say if you use less detergent then you can use less softner. The reason you need softner is due to detergent not getting completely rinsed out of the clothes.
In fact… I’ve been only filling ONE compartment on my dishwasher for years! And I see no difference in the cleanliness of my dishes.. I’m sure the same would apply to washing our clothing.. using only 1/2 as much as called for. I’m threw with giving so much of my hard-earned money to these billion-dollar corporations!
I have a washer that dumps the water in a tub beside it – yes, VERY old, but so is my house. I noticed that when I wash some items there is a fun pile of suds in the tub – sometimes even after a second run through, there they are!
I was reading on the care of washing machines and I wish I could tell you where I found it, but they were saying that you can actually ruin the machine by using too much soap and one of the signs that you are using to much? Yep – the suds in the tub!
Turns out, I was using too much soap and it remained with my clothing, even after the rinse cycle.
I am now using less then half of the lowest line on the cup that comes with the soap and while I still have suds, they are just sad little things in the sink.
My clothing is still clean and does not stink or have any wierd stains. My towels are a little softer, not having all that soap left in them.
On a side note – I use Tide because it was the only one that would get out baby formula spitup from when my daughter was a baby – I was too tired to use the shout stick.
I am going to give it a try. It won’t hurt trying something new.
Well has anyone really looked at what the ingredients are in most detergents ?
Mostly there are chemicals there for the Ooooooooo-facter. As with most soaps there are foaming agents. foaming agents, though few in laundry detergents as compared to handsoaps creat bubbles which give the viual illustion of things getting cleaned. Actually foaming agents in detergents do nothing for cleaning except for their visual effect on the human mind. It’s called marketing.
One of the main ingredients are wetting agents. These things make water wetter. Wetting agents are used in agricultural applications all the time to get petroleum based fertilizers or pesticides (oil doesn’t naturally ix with water) to emusify (or blend in the holding tank) properly. Water molecules are stickier than in times past. They mostly have a possitive charge to them which causes them to bond in large groupings. Water from pure springs have a negative charge influenced by the earth’s internal energy. Hence, rather than a molecule mega cluster of 80-90 , you get 6, 7, 8 to a cluster. In the washing machine, wetter water allows water molecules to move through fabric fibers more easily than thicky possitively charge molecule clusters. Water is what actually cleans, not soap. Here’s an easy experiment for anyone to try. Take a drop of tap water in an eye dropper and put one drop on the kitchen counter. Notice the thick water tension that allows it to form a farely large bubble on the counter for it’s size. Now take a bit of liquid soap on the end of your finger and barely touch the water bead. Seeing how it flattens out across the counter ? You can do the same with sprinling of some powdered soap grains. The soap simply breaks the hydrogen/oxygen bonds of water molecules using chemicals as opposed to the way nature does it with a negative electrical charge. The same phenomena can be seen with the large rain drops ONLY from an electrical thnder storm which fall to earth having a flat dull sound as the hit a surface as opposed to rain minus electrical conductivity which pings as it hits a surface.
Many companies have created devices which work off an electrolysis device for breaking the bond of large water clusters couple with tight votex compression in a plumbing device they’ve invented to simulate exactly what the earth does naturally to spring water. The results are that mineral scale build up is eliminate inside of pipes and maintenance is eliminated. These electrolysis applications have been used for years in various industrial and other commercial and home applications for softer water and also in the gas industry for preventing corosion of gas lines in the soil.
Another item contained in the ingredients is finely ground silca (basically the major component of glass). This is used for agitation of soiled particles, but the effect also causes minute cits in the clothing fabric fibers which is why after many washing your clothes look ragged and dull.
The best way I have used for clothes washing is using a device for softening and oxygenating the water by replicating what the Earth accomplishes through electromagnetism. Also I pre-spot if I have a really soiled stain. Also it was recommended using borax, but you can also use hydrogen peroxide which you can purchase in powdered industrial form or a food grade for which is what I use. Most people don’t know that Hydrogen Peroxide will not only bleach whites, but also brighten colors. So you can also eliminate bleach. Another benefit is that I have a grey water line which goes out to a woodland garden and the plants thrive. Caution though if you go back to harsh chemical methods, the grey water will stiffle the lush growth. The softer loosely bonded water also excites the micro-organism which form a symbiotic relationship on plant roots anyway.
Okay that was my two cents. The big marketing chemical companies in the end will win out because it’s the nature of the animal and our ever production/consumption world. If you’d like to see what the damaging effects of all these chemicals are doing in water and it’s effects on nature, then go to this peer-reviewed scientific website on why aquatic life in many areas around the planet are unable to reproduce and are actually going extinct in some areas where the pollution is intense.
http://www.ourstolenfuture.org
I don’t know if just water would work here in Los Angeles- our water is so hard that I regularly give our white towels a soak in TSP to get rid of the scum.
Maybe just washing soda or oxyclean in the water if you live in a ahard water area?
OK…after reading all posts, here’s what I can share with everyone:
Our washing machine broke down two days ago. We are in Puerto Rico, in the country. No repairman is coming anywhere near where we are. The parts will cost a bit to repair and they need to be delivered. So, until we can get them we’re washing BY HAND. Our laundry room is outdoors with a washing sink beside the washing machine. The front inside of the sink has grooves where you can scrub the clothes on much like those washing boards from the not so long ago prehistoric era.
We filled the sink half way, added a minute amount of detergent (I’d say about 2 tbps. and after discarding the dirty water about three times we washed two large loads of laundry for six kids and two adults, plus towels. We found a wasted bar of laundry soap the previous home owner had left behind and used that on stains scrubbing with a soft laundry brush. Also, everything had to be wrung out by hand as well. That was hard to do, specially the heavy towels. Everything was placed on clotheslines to dry. There was an unexpected twist: it was FUN! The kids had a ball – at least for now – and are looking forward to doing more laundry today.
The conclusion to my pioneer experience: We saved an incredible amount of water – about half the amount of that used in the washer. Most of the water used went in rinsing the clothes to which I did add about 1 tbp. fabric softener. Now, the reason I used so little detergent/softener is because I was thinking that the kids and I were going to be putting our hands in that water and worried about the effects of the detergents on our skin, not actually to save on detergent. The results of yesterday’s laundry saga with half the normal H2O and almost no soap? Incredibly fresh smelling and clean clothes we are proud to wear any day.
When my husband came from work he asked: “So….can we forgo the washing machine altogether and save all the water and energy used to run it?” I was surprised to hear a, “Sure!” come out so quickly out of my mouth. So OK, we know that’s not going to happen. Men have this thing with machines and – according to dh – if he doesn’t get it fixed and running, well, then, what the use of having a husband? But we all learned a great deal from this experience. From now on, I’ll definitely use WAY less detergent and unless the clothes are my husbands – heavily soiled from construction work – I can see myself with my little ones definitely washing most of our lightly soiled items by hand and having great fun during the splashing out in the sun.
Great day to everyone and best wishes with your greener laundry 🙂
That’s an amazing experience! I grew up with a wringer washer and a big tub of cold water for rinsing. But we never had to use a washboard. 🙂 Seems to me the only way this would work would be to have a stay-at-home-spouse with plenty of strength and energy to do the job.
Interesting. I wonder how much you would save on water and detergent by washing a whole family’s clothes by hand.
Has anyone of you tried the so-called soap nuts?
The tree (Sapindus) is growing in India and its dried nuts have been used for centuries there to wash clothes. The nuts contain Saponin, so once they come in contact with water they start foaming.
I started using them recently and am quite pleased with the result. You need 5-10 nuts per washing and some oxygen-bleaching for the whities.
Vinegar + some essential oils can serve as a softener.
Very economical and eco-friendly! 🙂
The below site sells them in the US.
http://www.buysoapnuts.com/
@ Jenny– I’ve never tried them myself. There’s a lot of enthusiastic chatter about them on the Web, though Amazon.com has some negative reviews from folks who don’t care for the odor. It would be interesting to know what other readers’ experience has been!
I found this recipe for homemade laundry soap am going to try it out. We have had problems with laundry soaps working, we use well water and its very hard water, hope this one works. Here is the link for the homemade laundry soap:
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/04/09/making-your-own-laundry-detergent-a-detailed-visual-guide/
I use vinegar as my fabric softener in the wash. I just put it in a downy ball. One of the things I always hated was finding a fabric sheet floating around everywhere. I felt like I was constantly finding them. No More! I buy a sensitive skin cheap fabric softener liquid and dilute it half and half in a spray bottle with water and spray 5-10 times per dryer load. It does the job of getting rid of any static, very inexpensive and no more sheets floating around!
@ Sarah: Yup. If you take an old washcloth or clean, lint-free rag and soak it in cheap fabric softener or diluted hair conditioner (1 part conditioner to 10 parts water), then wring it out, you’ve got a very fine DIY fabric softener sheet. To refresh, just dampen it again for each dryer load.
For many years I have washed my clothing, except pants, ie socks, underwear and shirts, in the shower. The clothing goes in under foot, which provides agitation. After a shave using bar soap and overall soaping the rise water flows down through my clothing. I hang the clothing in the shower, and most days it is ready to wear the next morning. No electricity is used, the moisture from the clothing in winter helps raise the humidity in my dry bedroom. Summertime, two days drying time may be required the clothing goes on a garage clothesline to dry. Not only have I reduced the size of my wardrobe but the clothing comes out much nicer looking and seems to last much longer than clothing processed in a washing machine.
I’m game for trying anything to save money, especially these days, but on the topic of vinegar as a fabric softener, does it leave a vinegar smell in your clothes? Also, I have a recipe for homemade laundry soap, does anyone know where I can buy “washing soda”?
Reporting on Day Two of washing By Hand
This morning we only had a few laundry items to wash since most got done yesterday. The kids did most of it. As they folded yesterday’s leftover air dryed laundry, they kept smelling for signs of bad odors. None found. Just crisp and clean.
Now I must report this to all – my husband works in a construction site where he is surrounded by red soil all day. It stains clothes if not tackled in the laundry the same day. He’s been at this for about a month now and each time I threw his clothes separately in the washing machine to wash: extra detergent and in the longer washing cycle. The clothes would come out “clean” but many red mud stains remained regardless of how many times I washed them.
This morning I had no choice but to wash yesterday’s work clothes by hand in the laundry sink. With this blog in my mind, I asked one of the kids to bring me a bar of soap from the bathroom (bought at the 99 cent store). I soaked the clothes in the sink, passed the bar of soap over each piece and scrubbed them with the soft laundry brush. ALL the mud stains are GONE. His shirts are grey once again. He’ll be very surprised when he comes home today. Now, can someone explain how come the detergent couldn’t do this before, even in a washing machine?
Would love to know!
Alright, I got it as I squeezed the juice out of an orange. The reason it did not take the stains out was because the washing machine was already in the process of braking down. It was not agitating the clothes as forcefully as before. It had nothing to do with the detergent. Because now the clothes got agitated by hand and scrubbed by a brush, all the stains came out regardless of the soap used.
I’m sold. No need for so much detergent. Thanks for all your suggestions for softerners. I’ll try those too. I’ll keep the machine just for larger items such as heavy sheets, comforters, etc., oh, yes, and those towels!
In an email, I read that the Laundry Detergeant Industry is the MOST unregulated industry in the country. The ingredients include chemicals from Formaldeyhyde to many other OUTLAWED chemicals. They get absorbed by the largest organ of your body, your SKIN. I purchased and have been using two laundry magnets, that are supposed to go on either side of the agitator. I have a front loader, so I just put them inside. They cling to each other and sometimes have clothing material between them. Since there is no soap to rinse, I only use a rinse cycle. This is half the water. I have detected no odors at all after eight months. If something doesn’t come out clean, I rub it up and put it through a whole cycle using Oxi Clean, as well as the pre-soak cycle and whatever else my machine has to offer. At this rate the Oxi Clean should last a year or more. My water bill has decreased; and I don’t buy laundry detergeant. The life expectancy of the magnets is supposed to be 50 years; and I paid $50. I wonder now, reading this, if I paid too much. I swore off drugs and surgery; and I endeavor to have a chemical free house and food. I had been plagued with health idiosyncrasies that are going away. Big Business is destroying us; and it’s legal. Europe has outlawed chemicals in soaps and detergeants. I listened to a speaker last night that stated Johnson and Johnson Baby Shampoo in this country has Formaldehyde in it. Yet they ship J&J Baby Shampoo to Eurpope without it. Can you imagine how they might differentiate that product to be sold here, without blowing their cover. DOES YOUR BABY REQUIRE Formaldehyde in their shampoo? How far will we be taken in our free country before we realize that 999 out of 1000 facts we are are spoon fed are nothing but deceptive. Why is that legal?
Traci:
Washing soda is simply like the Arm and Hammer brand soda you buy for cooking and taking the smells out of your refrigerator.
I have been washing my families clothes for YEARS without using any detergent. Being broke and having them be expensive was the motivator when I had to choose between food and wash soap in my budget. I can afford detergent now but wouldn’t bother buying it. I keep a container of the stuff in my house so other people who come here think i use it. but otherwise have found no soap and soaped laundry come out the same. Clean. I have never found anything that works for sock stains. no sticks, soap, or anything else i have tried works. I don’t use anything in the dishwasher either. What a scam that is when the hot water sterilizes the dishes anyway? I have never had a problem with that either and it’s been working for years that way. If the water didn’t get so hot, i’d probably falter, but I have a machine that does excellent water agitation so i don’t worry about it anymore. Never have had a problem.
have you not heard of dryer sheets? no having to wait to pour it in the washer. they work great. my grandmother made her soap. i use less than 1/4 cup with clorox for colored clothes and oxyclean. works great
I’ve cut down on detergent years ago but I’m now going to try the vinegar for softener. Of course now that it’s warm again, I’ll be hanging the clothes outside. I never use any kind of softener if I’m hanging outside. The only thing I do is to make sure I don’t hang synthetics next to each other, there’s almost always some cottons to hang inbetween. I’ve never had probems with static or roughnes, except for towels and I like that roughness anyway. The roughness only occurs if there’s no breeze though. That outdoor smell is head-and-shoulders about ANY fabric softener scent anyways!
Hi Eocene,
You mentioned that you use a device for softening and oxygenating water in your washer. Can you tell me the name of the device and where I may purchase that, as well as the powdered industrial form of Hydrogen Peroxide. You also mentioned that you pre-treat stains. What do you use to do that? To clarify, are you just using the device mentioned above, a pre-treater, and powdered hydrogen peroxide to wash your clothes?
Thank you!
I don’t know a lot of things, but this I do…laundry detergent is not necessary. For stains use that laundry bar soap (Neptha – spelling?), my great-grandmother use to do it that way, and my memory can still recall the *clean* smell of the clothes while helping her fold them. She’d soak all her whites (and all under garments) in a bucket with some Borax (Mule Train, if I remember correctly) while another load washed. Then she’d pull the clothes out, without even so much as wringing them out, and plop them in the washer; without adding anything else would run the load that way. The secret to keeping whites white…line dry on a sunny day. The sun naturally bleaches fabrics. Vinegar can be used as a water softener, and steam ironing after removing from the clotesline works great, BUT is a lot of work if it’s more than just your own laundry you’re doing. As for myself…Well, I’m a creature of convenience and maybe just a touch bit lazy when it comes to laudery chores . I still use laudry detergent, but it is the hypo- allergenic type that is free of all things mean and evil 🙂 , but I now only use a fraction of what most would think to be useful, I’ve invested in a front load washer (an LG) that only uses just enough electricit to get it going then generates it’s own power. Kinda like an alternator in a car, at least that’s what the sales guy sold me on. I’ve not turned to line drying, but last summer while vacationing in Cinque Terra, Italy, I line dried my clothing there and loved it, but I had more time there than I do at home for that type of luxury. Hope this helps. Ciao!
@Merari – Since you don’t have a wringer, when your husband repairs your washer, you can use it to remove the water from your hand-washed clothes using a spin cycle only, instead of wringing them out by hand, which is exhausting and hard on the fabrics. Shake each piece when you remove it from the washer, then line dry. I hang shirts on a non-metal hanger to dry – make sure the collar and front plackets are straight by smoothing them on a flat surface with your hand.
@joni & @Traci – Arm & Hammer makes baking soda (sodium bicarbonate – lots of kitchen uses, as well as teeth-brushing and upset stomaches) and washing soda (sodium carbonate – also used in glass-making). They are not identical.
Would that be white vinegar? Or cider vinegar?
This is very interesting. I just read something about not using as much laundry soap and found out I was using way to much. I couldn’t see the lines on the cap. I am now going to try not using on light loads. This will sure help our budget.
@ Christina. I use to hang clothes on the line when my kids were small and we lived in the county. You may want to try leaving the wash on the line overnight. I did quite by accident and they seemed to be softer. It had something to do with the dew that settled on the cloths. I have even left them on the line when it rained and then dried again, but it will depend on where you live. I lived in the country and there was no pollution in the air, not like where I now live which is suburbia and all the pollution and rules about neighbors seeing wash hanging on a line.
I have a front loader and have never used HE detergent. The reason they tell us to is because the regular liquid detergent will suds up too much. That is the only reason I have found. I couldn’t afford the HE so I would buy the powder detergent. I started using less and less detergent each load. I now only use one scoop full from the oxy wash container (I think it is 1 oz) for each load. I also use 1 scoop full of baking soda (same scoop). The baking soda helps to make the water wetter like someone else was saying. I also have heard of people putting salt in the water to help make it softer. I also sometimes use vinegar (white). If I forget the load in the washer and it starts to smell (happens mostly in summer when it is hot) I re-rinse the load with some vinegar. It takes out the musty smell. I tried the new downy dryer bar and was pleased with the performance. However, I am sorely disappointed in it lasting only half the time it should have. I have 7 kids so we do a lot of laundry, still I feel it should have lasted longer. I am back to dryer sheets for now, but am wanting to try a fabric softener recipe I have come across. I also want to try a soap recipe..I will have to do more research first though.
@achey – Thanks so much for the great idea! I’ll do that once the machine is repaired.
I have been using phelsnaptha bar soap and peroxide for many years now to get out absolutely any/all stains. How I learned about peroxide was when my son was working with glass in an expensive home and cut himself, getting a good amount of blood on their white carpet. They were not the least worried about their carpet, only about his injury. They pulled out the peroxide and, wa- lah- clean! Now I will begin using less detergent.
I’ve been making my own Laundry Soap for a few years now. I can make 10 gallons for about $2.00. I started this for a few reasons 1. I want to know whats in it. 2. I need to save money and 3. I’ve challenged myself to live simplier The homemade soap works great except for whites. As stated above hard water is a problem. Store bought detergents have there own softening agents (the same things that make them hard on the environment) the homemade soap does not so after a lot of experimenting I came up with this recipe:
Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap:
Approximate cost $2 per 10 Gallons
4 cups hot tap water
1 bar soap *
1 cup washing soda**
1 cup Borax
-Grate bar of soap and add to sauce pan with water. Stir continuously over med-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot tap water. Stir, cover and let sit over night to thicken.
-Stir and fill a used, clean laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of the way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)
-Optional: You can add 10 -15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.
-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.
-Top Load Machine- about ½ cup
-Front Load Machine- about ¼ cup
DO NOT USE WITH BLEACH
* I use Ivory other good soaps are: Fels-Naptha, Sunlight, Kirk’s hard water Castile or Zote
** Washing Soda is hard to find up here. It has the same main ingredient as Oxy Clean but don’t use that as it never stops foaming (I speak from experience) the best alternative is a pool chemical called PH Balance any brand. The main ingredient is Sodium Carbonate.
Homemade Powder Laundry Soap:
1 bar soap
1 cup Borax
-Blend in food processor
-2 tablespoons per load
-add to washer before clothes
OK TO USE WITH BLEACH
Cheap Fabric Softener:
Use good Fabric Softener. Cut 4 inexpensive sponges in half. Pour Fabric softener in container. Fill empty container with water twice (2 parts water to 1 part softener) Add sponges to mixture. When ready squeeze excess mixture and add to dryer like a dryer sheet.
Works like a charm for me and we have 6 kids with a motorcycle mechanic Dad. Lots of laundry challenges. Oh my stain pretreat is a toothbrush and the 1-2 cup of laundry soap before I pour the rest in.