Soap Free Laundry Powder
I am not going to say this will work miracles – but I know from my experience that I have been itch free since I started making this and that Mr 8 no longer has huge swaths of eczema.
As a pre-soak this will remove anything from died bloody, curry stains, diesel and oil while keeping colours bright and whites white!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Sodium Carbonate (Soda Ash)
- ¼ cup Sodium Per-Carbonate
- 2 tablespoons Citric Acid (for extra fabric softening)
- 2 tablespoons Borax (extra cleaning/bleaching power)
- A few drops of essential oil
Place the ingredients in a jar (I just use a large Agee jar). Sprinkle a couple of drops of oil in, Put the lid on the jar and give it good shake. Leave at least overnight for the oil to infuse. Store in an airtight container.
This is highly concentrated: ONE tablespoon per load of washing in a top loader washing machine is all you need. – I use a fairly small plastic spoon (see photo).
For fabric softening – ½ cup of white vinegar in your fabric softener dispenser (this has the added bonus of helping to dissolve any left over powder).
Liquid Laundry Soap
This liquid laundry soap is biodegradable and front loader safe. It works out at 2￠ per washing load. (Liquid soap from a store is around 15￠ per load)
Requirements
For a 20 litre bucket:
- ½ cup Lux Flakes or ½ cup grated Sunlight Soap
- ½ cup Washing Soda Crystals
- 4 litres Boiling Water
- 11 litres Cold Water
- Essential Oils for fragrance (optional)
For a 15 litre bucket:
- ¼ cup Lux Flakes or ¼ cup grated Sunlight Soap
- ¼ cup Washing Soda Crystals
- 2 litres Boiling Water
- 5½ litres Cold Water
- Essential Oils for fragrance (optional)
Instructions
Put Washing Soda Crystals and Lux Flakes or Sunlight Soap into a bucket
Add boiling water and mix until dissolved
Add cold water
Add essential oil if you would like fragrance
Mix well
Let stand until the consistency of runny shampoo (I leave mine overnight)
Use
1 cup per load of washing
General Stain Removing
- 600 ml water
- 50g Borax
Mix together in spray bottle. Spray on stain. Leave to dry. Wash or wipe as normal.
Specific Stains
Blood – Cold water and soap if the stain is fresh. Dried – soak in 1/2 cup of washing soda overnight
Chocolate – Soak in washing soda. Borax stain remover
Grass – Dab on glycerin or white vinegar.
Grease/Butter – Undiluted glycerin. Dabbed on stain. Soak in bucket of 1/2 c washing soda overnight
Ink – Half a lemon – dip in salt and rub on.
Mould and Mildew – General (Borax) Stain Remover
Perspiration – Washing soda soak or General (Borax) Stain Remover. White vinegar may also work.
Wine – Washing soda soak. Baking soda and water mixed to a paste and spread on the stain.
