The other day, my goood friend Ebonie sent me a link to a really cool article about doing Baby Laundry.  As a new mom, I thought it was very informative!  It was actually a funny coincidence because just the night before I had finished up a batch of 6 gallons of homemade laundry detergent and I had been wondering if the ingredients would be fine to use when Little Jack came along.  In the article, it gave a list of natural laundry supplies that are typically healthy and easy on baby and the ingredients I used were in there!

Natural Laundry Supplies
If you prefer not to use chemicals on baby’s clothes, try these natural options suggested by Annie Berthold-Bond in “Clean and Green” (Ceres Press, 1994). Be sure to rinse the clothes thoroughly. Keep these and all household products out of the reach of children.

Baking Soda
An effective cleaner, deodorizer, and fabric softener. Mix with water to form a paste, and use on stains to absorb odors; or add to water when presoaking new clothes to eliminate residue.

Borax
A water-soluble mineral with antiseptic, antibacterial, water-softening, and whitening properties. Makes mild soap more effective (add 1/2 cup to wash). Also a good diaper presoak.

Sodium Perborate
A natural alternative to chlorine bleach that’s made of borax and hydrogen peroxide. Add 3 tablespoons to wash water to fight stains. (Available by mail-order from chemical-supply companies.)

Washing Soda
Also known as sodium carbonate, a mineral with strong cleaning and degreasing properties. Add 2 tablespoons to laundry soap to make it more effective, or make it into a paste to remove greasy stains.

White Vinegar
A naturally acidic pantry staple that cuts grease, softens water, and can lighten dingy and gray laundry. Add 1/4 cup to wash.

When we first got married, we tried everything we could think of to cut costs. Making homemade laundry detergent (as opposed to my usual $12 bottle of Tide) seemed like an easy quick fix. I found a tried-and-true recipe online and purchased the bulk ingredients for pretty cheap through www.soapsgonebuy.com.   ….and then I set out making the recipe!

It’s actually really easy.    here is how I do it -

 INSTRUCTIONS FOR 2 GALLONS OF DETERGENT:

3 Pints of Water

1/3 Bar Grated Soap

½ Cup Borax

½ Cup Washing Soda

2 Gallon Bucket

1 Quart Hot Water

Melt the grated soap in 3 pints of water.  Pour in the borax and washing soda, and stir until thickened a bit.  Pour 1 quart hot water in 2 gallon bucket, then pour the mixture into the bucket.  Fill the remaining space with hot water.  Close, shake, and let sit for 24 hours to gel up.

Add commercial laundry detergent during last step or essential fragrance oils for your smell of choice!

…I usually add whatever fragrance I have on hand or mix the rest of a tide bottle with it (about a 1:6 ratio).   The recipe above is for a 2 gallon batch.   I use to make it pretty frequently when money was tight, but this year we did pretty well so I went back to being a Tide loyaltist.   In fact, the 6 gallons I made the other night was the first batch I had made in over a year!   Now with a baby on the way, we’re tightening our money strings back up somewhat.   A $12 bottle of Tide just doesn’t compare right now with being able to use that money towards the baby. 

Some people laugh at the thought of a modern woman slaving over a hot stove, making her own detergent.  hehe….I guess if I was in someone else’s position (someone with more money than I!) I would laugh at home-grown liquid detergent too.   But it’s ok though.  I actually prefer commercial detergent (c’mon - I NEVER did my own laundry when I was living with mom and dad) because of the ease of use.   Back at home I never thought of how much it cost my parents to buy the detergent.  Sometimes though we just have to swallow our “wants” (ok, not literally…I never swallowed Tide) in order to work out whats best for your own family in the money area. 

And for us, homemade detergent works great.  :)   And it saves a ton too!

Tagged: Annie Berthold Bond, Baby Care Tips, Baking Soda, Borax, Ceres Press, Chlorine Bleach, Fabric Softener, homemade, Homemade Laundry Detergent, Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe, Household Products, Hydrogen Peroxide, Laundry Soap, Laundry Supplies, Mild Soap, Natural Options, New Mom, Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Perborate, Washing Soda, White Vinegar

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