Homemade recipes for laundry

We’ve shared lots of recipes for cleaning your kitchen.

You’ve discovered how to make antibacterial cleaners, shine your sink and clean your oven without toxic chemicals.

Today we’re sharing tips on how to do your laundry without the use of conventional cleaning products

Laundry

i) Wash cycle – combine 2-3oz borax with 1 drop lemon essential oil.

Rinse cycle – 2oz white distilled vinegar with 1 drop lavender essential oil.

To boost stain removal, add 8oz of 3% Hydrogen peroxide to the wash cycle.

To brighten clothes, add ½ cup lemon juice to the final rinse cycle

Pre Soak

ii) As a pre-soak for stain removal, add one tablespoon of borax per gallon of water or 4oz in the washing machine and pre-soak for at least 30 minutes before washing.

Laundry Gloop

Laundry gloop Recipe; the alternative to detergent.

You will need:
A large tub capable of holding about 4 litres, with a good fitting lid (or a few smaller tubs) to store gloop
A big pan
1 bar unscented white soap; something like Simple or a shop’s own-brand sensitive skin soap is suitable
1/2 cup washing soda crystals – usually on the cleaning aisle of the supermarket
4 litres hot water
Optional:- About 20 drops of essential oil. Tea tree and lavender are probably the best choices for reducing any risk of adverse reaction.

To Make
Put the water in the pot and bring to the boil.
Meanwhile grate the soap and once the water has boiled, add the soap and turn the heat down.
Stir until all the soap has dissolved.
Take off the heat and add the soda crystals stirring until they have dissolved as well.
Leave to cool until you can safely handle it, then decant into your tub(s) and add essential oils.

To use
Use about half a teacup for each load.

CAUTION
To avoid problems with the gloop and machine blockages:- It is HIGHLY recommended that you put the gloop directly into the drum not the drawer. If the gloop sets hard, chop it into small pieces so that it melts easier.
Adding a ½ a cup distilled white vinegar to the final rinse will also help prevent any problems.

Laundry powder

iv) Laundry Powder – a quick, easy alternative to making the gloop

Mix together:
1 Cup Grated White Soap
1/2 Cup Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Borax

For a light load, use 1 tablespoon. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 tablespoons.

Fabric softener

v) Fabric Softener

Mix together:
2 Cups White Vinegar
2 Cups bicarbonate of soda
4 Cups Water

The bicarbonate of soda and vinegar will fizz so combine them slowly and carefully over the sink.
Pour into a storage bottle, cover, and shake.

Use 1/4 cup in the final rinse.

Laundry powder 2

vi) Another laundry powder, shared by a visitor to the site:

sieve and mix together:

a cup borax

a cup bicarbonate of soda

1 cup grated castille soap

Add a few drops essential oil of your choice. Store in an airtight container and use 1/2 cup per load

To freshen drains:

If you a nasty odour coming from your sink in the kitchen it will undoubtedly be your drain needing a freshen up. Instead of filling the sewers with expensive commercial products simply pour a cup of vinegar down the plughole. Let stand for 30 minutes and then flush with cold water. It will deodorize it a treat. If you repeat this process every week the odour should not return.

To prevent blocked drains

Washing soda is an excellent choice for helping drains stay clear because while it is alkaline-a pH of 11-it isn’t as caustic and damaging as the commonly used lye-based commercial product.

i)Ideally, use washing soda on your drains once a week to keep them clear. Just pour 1/4 cup or so down the drain, and then flush with water. Washing soda is found in the laundry section of the supermarket.

ii) You can use baking soda instead by pouring 1 cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by three cups of boiling water. The boiling water will change the chemical composition of baking soda to become more alkaline like washing soda.

Blocked drains

i) Pour 1 cup bicarbonate of soda down the sink, followed by ½ cup white distilled vinegar. Cover tightly for one minute -the chemical reaction between these two substances will create pressure in the drain and dislodge the obstruction. Rinse with plenty of boiling water.

ii) Pour ½ cup salt and ½ cup baking soda followed by lots of hot water. Plunge the sink

iii) pouring 1 cup of washing soda (or baking soda) down the drain followed by three cups of boiling water. Repeat two or three times. If you still have a clog, try pouring down 1 cup of vinegar. Being an acid, the vinegar will neutralize the washing soda or baking soda and there will be some foaming and gurgling, but sometimes this agitation is all that is needed in the end to dislodge the grime.