This morning I attended a class on toxins in the home. One of the many things I was reminded of is that the laundry room is a hotbed of dangerous and highly toxic chemicals. One common family of chemicals in most laundry detergents on store shelves is petroleum distillates. As you can imagine, anything petroleum is not something you want to ingest or have come into contact with your skin. Petroleum distillates have been linked to mucous membrane damage, inflammation of the respiratory system, lung damage and cancer.
Phenols are also found in laundry detergents. These are known to attack the central nervous system, heart, blood vessels, lungs and kidneys.
Fabric softeners and dryer sheets contain many carcinogenic chemicals that are spread in a thick film over clothing. This film does not wash off and in the process of drying, the chemicals are heated and become airborne where they are easily inhaled. Also, wearing clothing that has been treated with these chemicals exposes them to perspiration which only accelerates the body’s absorption of them. These chemicals contribute to acute liver toxicity and have been linked strongly to a variety of cancers.
These are NOT things you want your family exposed to. So, what’s a thrifty, health-minded girl to do? Organic detergents, while certainly better for you, still have some unsavory ingredients. Plus they are cost prohibitive.
For several years now I have been making my own laundry detergent. I absolutely LOVE it! It cleans just as well, if not better, than it’s chemical-laden counterparts. Not only is it a healthy alternative, it is very inexpensive. Win/win!
Here is my recipe:
1/3 bar of Fels Naptha soap. Now let me talk about this for a minute. As much as I’ve tried to nail down the exact ingredients in this soap, I have not been able to. I have read that it may contain petrochemicals, which I am trying to get as far away from as possible. I am still experimenting with some alternatives and I’m working on learning to make my own soap. When I become proficient at soap making, that’s what I’m going to do. In the meantime, organic handmade soaps are a little out of my price range. I’ve used them in a few experiments and I’ve liked the results, but my fall back soap is still Fels Naptha. Soon it will be my own homemade laundry soap.
1/2 cup of washing soda. This is not to be confused with baking soda. Arm & Hammer makes a Washing Soda and you can find it on the laundry aisle at your local grocery store.
1/2 cup of borax. You can also find this on your laundry aisle.
1 oz. lemongrass essential oil (optional or you may choose another oil you like better)
Grate 1/3 of the bar soap (Fels Naptha or other) and put it into a saucepan with about 6 cups of water. Heat it until the soap melts. Add 1/2 cup of washing soda and 1/2 cup of borax. Stir until it is all melted. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups of hot water into a bucket or container and add your hot soap mixture. From there add 1-1/2 gallons of water into the mix and stir. Add your essential oil.
You can use 1/2 cup of this detergent per load for fresh clean clothes but I like to use a whole cup because the scent of the essential oil is more prominent in my finished clothes with 1 cup. It would certainly last longer if I would use just 1/2 cup but sweet smelling clothes is worth it for me.
That’s it! We do about four loads of laundry a day, conservatively. This laundry detergent lasts us anywhere from a week and a half to two weeks. It is very economical and our clothes are beautifully cleaned!
I highly recommend that you research the cleaning products you are using and consider the chemicals you are exposing your family to in the process. Laundry is particularly important because those toxins are not only inhaled but also absorbed through the skin.
Making my own soap works for me, our rather large sized family and our rather small budget. I encourage you to give it a try!
Thank you for the tip and recipe. How much soap do you use for each load?
You’re welcome, Alisha! I use 1/2 cup of my laundry soap per load and I do BIG loads. It works like a charm!
I’ve been using dry homemade laundry detergent for a few years not and love it that it is so inexpensive. I make up a gallon of soap at a time and it usually last for 3-4 months. We don’t use commercial fabric softeners either, but instead use the same amount of white distilled vinegar. We used to use lavender essential oil – about 3-5 drops, in my wash for a scent, but haven’t done that in a while. Most of my friends use the liquid detergent, but I just don’t have the storage space for a 5 gal. bucket of it!
http://cooking-with-aspiring-mom2three.blogspot.com/2008/10/homemade-laundry-soap.html
A great post with great advice. I too have been on the green clean bandwagon for years but haven’t yet switched to homemade laundry soap. Your post has convinced me to give it a try.
Where do you buy the Fels Naptha? I’ve never seen it before.
Have you ever tried Ivory soap in place of the Fels Naptha? That is what I have used. It may not be any more natural, I don’t know.
I like your new blog!
Marcy,
Thank you! We’re still working out the bugs in the new blog but I love the new design!
I have tried Ivory Soap and it works really well! I don’t think it’s more natural and I end up using more when I’ve used it so Fels Naptha is a bit more economical. But, I would be willing to pay the few cents more if I thought it was a better choice. I’m open to suggestions if anyone knows of a better, more natural alternative!
Tangled Zen,
I buy Fels Naptha at Publix on the laundry aisle. It’s also sold at our Walmart. If you can’t find it locally, you can order it online but watch the price. It can vary wildly. I pay $0.99 for one bar at my Publix. Let that be your guide if you’re ordering online. I’ve seen it as high as $4.19 for one bar and that’s just outrageous! You’d be much better off using a whole bar of Ivory Soap in place of the 1/3 of Fels Naptha if that is the lowest price you can find. Ivory works beautifully too.
Like you, I’ve heard the “stuff” about Fels Naptha soap – but I have used other varieties (pure soap, ivory soap) and they just simply don’t clean as well – at least in my area. We have VERY hard water, and the Fels Naptha is essential to keeping things clean.
I also add the same amount of BAKING SODA in addition to the WASHING SODA – simply because baking soda helps deoderize, and with our hard water it seems to make a difference, without adding to the cost. I’ve tried a similar recipe skipping the washing soda and substituting with baking soda, but it did not do as well.
That’s good to know, Debbie. Thank you! We don’t have hard water and Ivory has worked well for me. I still prefer Fels Naptha but I’m still looking.
Thanks for the info and pricing on the Fels Naptha.
In your quest for a more natural soap, I wonder – have you ever thought of using castile bar soap instead?
I have used castile soap before and it does work well. It’s just considerably more expensive than Fels Naptha so I’ve been waffling about making the switch permanently. That’s why I thought if I made my own it would be the best of both worlds… more economical and all natural!
I have a question for you, Lady Why (and Lynnet Hardwick, too, if you see this): how big are these loads you’re talking about? I’m a single guy: I need data.
As a comparison, I call a “load” maybe 6 to 8 shirts (medium water fill), 5 to 6 pairs of pants (full water fill), or two full weeks of underwear, socks, and maybe a few bar-towels thrown in (full water fill; I use bar-towels in the kitchen and bathroom a LOT).
Is that about in keeping with the size of your loads?
Hey Kaa,
My loads are about double that. I have a large capacity washer so I would say an average load for us would be on the order of 15 large bath towels or 20-25 pieces of kids’ clothing… maybe 10 pairs of mens’ jeans, something like that.
For people that don’t do nearly the amount of laundry I do, this recipe lasts for several months. For me, I average about two, maybe three weeks. On weeks where I’m washing things like sheets and bathroom rugs, it lasts about 1 1/2 weeks. Hope that helps!