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Susan's Toxinless Laundry Detergent and Fabric Softener
I get frustrated when bloggers use a sensational title promising a recipe or other “gift,” but then make you wade through many long paragraphs before actually getting to the point of the article.
I’m a pretty straight-forward, transparent gal, so the recipes are right here at the top of the article.
Still, I encourage you to read beyond the recipe, because information is power; it’s good to know the “why” behind the “do.”
The Recipe
This recipe makes 1 gallon of laundry detergent, and the recipe can be halved.
Equipment:
For 1 gallon (16 cups), be sure to have a full gallon of filtered or distilled water on hand, as well as one, 1 gallon, OR 2 half-gallon, OR 4 quart glass jars for storing your finished product.
Long handled wooden or stainless steel spoon
Large stock pot for “cooking” the ingredients
Additionally, a small immersion or stick blender is very handy for mixing this recipe, though small batches can be blended in a standing blender.
Ingredients:
1.5 to 2 Tablespoons Xanthan Gum* 1 Cup Washing Soda** 1 Cup Borax 1/3 Cup Kosher salt 16 Cups filtered or distilled water 1.5 Cups Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds ½ to 1 teaspoon essential oil of choice (optional)
Method:
1) Pour 1 cup of your reserved water (room temperature) over 1.5 to 2 Tablespoons Xanthan Gum in a glass bowl or Pyrex measuring cup. Allow to sit while working on step 2.
2) Place the following ingredients in a large stockpot and bring to a boil,
· 8 Cups filtered or distilled water · 1 Cup Washing Soda**
· 1 Cup Borax
· 1/3 Cup Kosher salt
3) Reduce heat and simmer, stirring until washing soda, borax, and salt are completely dissolved. Turn off heat.
4) If you are using an immersion blender, add the cup of water with xanthan gum to the stock pot and blend the mixture right in your stock pot. If you do not have an immersion blender, pour the cup of water with xanthan gum into a standing blender and add 1 cup of the hot mixture. Blend until thick and smooth, then add to the stock pot and stir.
5) Once the mixture is well blended and the xanthan gum is completely incorporated, add the remaining 7 cups of water to the mixture in the stockpot.
6) When the mixture is cool, gently add 1.5 Cups Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds, and ½ to 1 teaspoon optional essential oil.
7) Gently stir until all is incorporated, then pour into waiting glass jars.
Use 1/3 cup of detergent for small loads, and ½ cup for large loads. I also use this detergent as a pretreatment for stains. This is safe for HE machines.
*Xanthan Gum helps thicken your detergent and helps prevent separation of your end product.
**A quick chemistry lesson: Do not substitute baking soda for washing soda; they are similar, but not the same. Both washing soda and baking soda are natural substances made from the mineral trona. Washing soda, aka Sodium Carbonate (Na2CO3), is highly caustic; use caution when working with it. Its relative, baking soda, aka Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCO3), is most commonly used as a leavening agent in baked goods. Baking soda is milder than washing soda; it does not have the cleaning oomph of its cousin.
Washing soda can be found in the laundry section of a grocery store, or it can be purchased online. I often make my own washing soda using baking soda: Spread a thick layer of baking soda in a jelly roll pan, rimmed baking sheet, or in a glass casserole dish. Place in preheated 425°-450° F oven for 1 hour. Stir with a wooden or stainless steel spoon midway through baking. You will know your baking soda has converted to washing soda: washing soda is course, grainy, heavy, and easily separates into individual grains, while baking soda is fluffy, light, and clumpy.
Susan’s Fabric Softener
Now that you’re washing your laundry with non-toxic detergent, don’t stop there! Fabric softeners and dryer sheets are some of the worst cancer-causing products in the home.
For over 13 years the only “fabric softener” I’ve used is straight, distilled white vinegar. I just pour it into the rinse cup in my washing machine. I don’t bother with adding essential oils; I don’t even use those nifty felted wool dryer balls, though I’ve made them and given them away as gifts!
How Susan Brightens her Whites and Colors
Oxygen bleach, a granular form of hydrogen peroxide, is a safe way to whiten whites, brighten colors, and remove stains. You may have heard of, and even used, the most popular brand of oxygen cleaner, OxiClean.
Like most multi-billion dollar industries, the makers of OxiClean have managed to take a perfectly benign, effective, and affordable commodity, sodium percabonate, and turn it into an expensive and toxic product. Clean up your laundry act: ditch the Oxi and switch to safe, affordable, and effective generic sodium percarbonate. Sodium percarbonate/sodium carbonate peroxide gets a green light from Environmental Working Group. You can find a great tutorial on how to use sodium percarbonate in your laundry, as well as its numerous other applications here.
Now, let's take a look at WHY I make my own laundry detergent, and why I use what I use to make it.
Sal Suds:
First of all, as I explain here, "natural" isn't always preferable when it comes to household cleaning products, nor are all synthetic ingredients dangerous. We live in the 21st century and have access to many manufactured ingredients that have been found to be completely safe and effective. Soap, while safe and natural, is not effective for cleaning your laundry or your dishes, while the synthesized, concentrated detergent, Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds is not only perfectly safe and non-toxic, but highly effective for a multitude of purposes. (I swear, I'm not getting paid to recommend this product, but it's that good, and I have yet to find its equal.)
This is a good time to mention: while SOAP is completely natural and can be made at home from combining fats and oils with a base (such as lye – a.k.a. Sodium Hydroxide, for hard soap, or pot ash – a.k.a Potasium Hydroxide, for soft soap) DETERGENT must be synthesized in a lab or factory; they are two very different surfactants and behave differently from each other. Despite that, the term "soap" is frequently used interchangeably with "detergent," even though the products themselves are not interchangeable.
Washing Soda and Borax:
Washing soda and borax share a long history as workhorses in the home. They are both caustic (use with care) and soften hard water.
Washing soda as mentioned above, is far more alkaline than baking soda. If you've been using baking soda in your homemade cleaning supplies and have been disappointed by the performance, try replacing it with washing soda. Washing soda acts as a solvent, lifting stubborn stains and dirt. It gives the Sal Suds an extra boost for more efficient cleaning.
Borax, aka sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, and disodium tetraborate, has been used safely by homemakers for generations. Borax helps disinfect clothing and neutralize odors. The alkalinity of borax helps lift acidic stains. Like washing soda, borax is a great laundry booster, giving the Sal Suds a leg up on the fight against dirt.
A brouhaha over borax:
Borax has received some undeserved negative press over recent years, apparently due to confusing and conflating borax with boric acid, which are two very different compounds. Borax is an alkaline; boric acid is an...acid. It's true, borax, as a strong base, must be handled carefully; wear gloves if you plan to submerge your hands in it, and wear a mask if you plan on shaking up the powder and releasing it into the air. Honestly, I use neither gloves nor mask; I use caution when measuring the ingredients and I've never had a problem with it. Of course, keep both borax and washing soda out of the reach of children.
After considerable reading on the subject, I am completely at ease using borax in my cleaning supplies and sharing what I do with you. If you are skeptical, I invite you to do your own research and come to your own conclusion.
Kosher salt:
Salt is another effective water softener, and also helps thicken your detergent.
Xanthan gum:
This plant-derived, soluble fiber is fermented with the bacteria Xanthomonas campestris. Xanthan gum is used in food and cleaning supplies as a thickener and stabilizer. Xanthan gum gives your laundry liquid a nice gel consistency and also prevents the ingredients from separating.
What You're Missing When You Make Your Own Laundry Detergent
The following is a very abbreviated laundry list of dangerous ingredients found in most commercial laundry supplies. These chemicals include neurotoxins (damage the brain and nervous system); endocrine disruptors (interfere with the healthy expression of your hormones); and carcinogens (substances that are known to cause, or suspected of causing cancer). The act of disrupting our hormones in and of itself sets the stage for cancers to develop; add proven carcinogens into the mix and we're creating a perfect storm of opportunity to eventually develop cancers.
Fragrance:
Manufacturers create their own fragrances by combining a number of chemicals, none of which are required to be labeled or disclosed to the consumer because the resulting fragrance is considered proprietary, and is therefore protected. A big problem with fragrances and scents is VOCs, Volitile Organic Compounds. ("Organic" in this case refers to carbon based chemicals.) VOCs are gasses created from various carbon based chemicals. This article explores the dangers we face using products containing scents and fragrances.
1,4 Dioxane:
You're unlikely to find this carcinogen listed on your detergent bottle; it is an unintended byproduct of the manufacturing process. 1,4 dioxane is found not only in laundry detergents, but in dish detergents, shampoos, body washes...basically any commercially made product that creates lather and suds.
Surfactants (Cleaning agents):
Surfactants act as detergents and foaming agents. Some of the nastier chemicals used as surfactants are: quaternium-15, known to release cancer-causing formaldehyde, diethanolamine (skin, eye, and liver irritant), and petroleum distillates (linked to cancer and lung damage).
May your Wash Day be a little cleaner with my laundry tips!
Wishing you well,
Susan
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