About my washing routine
I love doing laundry. It's hard to describe why, as it's more of a feeling, but I still am gonna try. To me, doing laundry, is a way of taking care of myself, it feel in some way like the utter pampering experience, just like taking a shower can make you feel, but then it's my clothes instead of my body. I love that I am able to get them all fresh again for me and that I have done that for myself. It might not seem like so big of a deal, but if you think about how much it makes you take care of yourself and the benefits you will reap because of it, you may change your mind.
I enjoy it too when I am able to hang my freshly laundered clothes drying on my clothing rack or let them dry in the open air when the weather is nice. I love seeing my clean clothes hanging to dry. It makes me happy.
I also enjoy hearing and seeing the washing machine washing. Sometimes, I just sit and stare at the washing machine washing.
Now, you are fully entitled to laugh and think it's funny, because it probably is, but I find it quite therapeutic and soothing :) After all, being happy is all about the ability to
Huh? :p
Now you may ask, what has all of that to do with my washing routine. Why do I want to tell you about it?
Well, because I like to do my laundry a bit differently, or better, I do not use commercial detergents to launder nor soften my clothes. I had the luck to find out about it and as it's a method that's environmentally friendly as well as beneficial for your own and your family's health, I want to share my luck/method with you!
Once upon a time
An alternative to fabric softener
I have always wondered about how people like say our great-great grandparents did their laundry and which products they used though. I have been curious about alternative laundering methods as early as I was still very little. I can still remember that one day, when I was 8, I had sat up a bassin in our backyard with a piece of wood in it serving as a washing board and I was washing socks on it using the traditional savon noir. Needless to say that II really enjoyed myself that day : )
Now back to how I started my alternative fabric softener and detergent journey.
Ever since I read on my cloth pads' instructions not to use fabric softener, I never used any fabric again. Ever. (Hey, I do NOT wish to leak! :p) I do not even use it on my clothes anymore. I never liked the smell of most conventional laundry detergents and fabric softeners anyway as some of them in my opinion really stink and are so overpowering they make me nauseous, so to me it actually it is a relief that I no longer have to spend a large amount of time browsing the detergent aisle in my supermarket to figure out which fabric softener stinks less ( :
(Of course, I did not have to do this every time I went buying some, only when they had changed smells (again).)
I don't? But, isn't that bad for my clothes? Do they still smell fresh?
No, it's actually even better for your clothes! It is said that it would even be safer to use on delicate fabrics like wool and silk.
Fabric softener is unhealthy as well. It contains synthetic perfumes and the problem with these is that they do not have to be specified by the factory exactly what they put into them. This way, they can contain any type of chemical, often these even contain carcinogens, without you knowing.
The smell of conventional detergents and fabric softeners also often just camouflages the dirt instead of really deep-cleaning your item of clothing. Thus if you wash your clothes with them and they smell all 'fresh' this does not always mean your clothes necessarily really are that clean, they just appear to be : ) Right now, when my clothes smell fresh, I can rest assured they are clean, because, yes, even without fabric softener I get them to smell fresh. Yay :D!
But, fabric softener is supposed to make your clothes soft, but I no longer use it, so: 'How do I get my clothes/cloth pads soft? Do I use something else? Can I do magic?'
I found out about it, using cloth pads!
Since using cloth pads does not allow you to add fabric softener, I had to find another solution to keep my pads' top layers (I love flannel tops, but with water only they get rough) soft and comfy. I have to say that I had no clue as to what I could use as a fabric softener replacement. I needed a solution though as for some clothing items like woollen sweaters, you also need some kind of softener to keep them soft and fluffy.
I honestly had no clue, until
I gave it go though and I have to admit that it really works. It does! Yay! I was so happy! It worked like magic! Thumbs up for white vinegar as a laundry softener!
Since, I have always used white vinegar as a fabric softener on our laundry. Using vinegar thus besides in your kitchen also as a laundry softener you thus can use one product for many jobs. Easy isn't it!
Important note:
If you use white vinegar on cloth pads (or wet bags) which have PUL in them, be careful! Some say that the white vinegar will damage the PUL. I alas, do not know whether this is true or not. The only thing I can say, is that I have been using white vinegar on my own pads that have PUL inside and they still look and work fine, but this is only my experience.
Second important note:
White vinegar and soda do not mix well! If you use one, avoid to add the other! Soda also softens so rest assured that your laundry still will come out soft! It also is used as a whitener, that's why white vinegar is mostly used, but on white laundry it works fine.
Third important note:
Make sure you add your vinegar to your fabric softener compartment. If you were to add it to the detergent compartment, it would annul the workings of your laundry detergent!
An alternative to laundry detergent
How to make your own laundry detergent?
Making your own laundry detergent is super simple:
You need:
- 5 liters of water
- either a bar of organic soap or flakes (It's okay if the soap is scented BUT it's important that the soap you choose to use is organic and does not contain 'perfume' as then it would still contain harmful chemicals)
- a grate
- scales
- a few drops of any essential oil you like (Make sure the essential oil you choose is 100% pure essential oil and preferably it also should be organic (so it contains no chemicals))
- for white laundry: 30 grams of soda crystals per liter of water (soda is very ecological as well!)
- a cooker (stove)
- a kettle or an electrical kettle
- enough empty bottles to cover 5 liters of homemade detergent
- a funnel
- a soup ladle or a tea cup
How to:
Without soda
Boil 5 liters of water using your (electrical) kettle and pour them in your large pot. While you're waiting until you have boiled all of them, grate the soap, or if your using soap flakes just pour them, on your scales as to the point you have 80 grams. For the following step: Be really careful because the water is extremely hot! Gently and cautiously you now add the 80 grams of soap into your pot. Stir gently until all the soap has been dissolved in the water.
Let your mixture sit in the pan until the following day. I know it looks like a very long time (read: omgee it takes ages!), but this really is necessary for your mixture to get the right consistency.
Note:
The consistency of your homemade laundry detergent should be like that of the conventional liquid laundry detergents you can buy at your supermarket. If, however, the mixture still is too watery, add a bit more soap and reheat the whole mix. Let it cool off again and check if it's thick enough. If you mixture might be too thick, simply add a bit of water, reheat, stir, and let your mixture cool off. Check if it's consistency now is okay. If the consistency is okay, take your empty bottles and take off their lid. Now use a funnel and your soup ladle (or tea cup, whichever you find easiest) to pour the mixture into the bottles. Put the lid on the bottle and you're finished. It's as easy as that.
Once again: (I know, but it is important!)
White vinegar and soda do not mix well! If you use one, avoid to add the other! Soda also softens so rest assured that your laundry still will come out soft! It also is used as a whitener, that's why white vinegar is mostly used, but on white laundry it works fine.
To try out this alternative softening and detergent method: (I know! but you know ;-) )
Please keep in mind:
Avoid:
- to combine vinegar and soda
- to boil soda
Have a happy laundry day!