How to replace synthetic typewriter detergent
There are several options for replacing powdered detergent for an automatic machine if allergies have started due to chemicals. It is important to remember that the negative effect of the powder is cumulative, and the effect on health does not immediately become noticeable. Fortunately, there are many inexpensive natural products you can use for your laundry.
Harmful properties of washing powder
Any powder contains two main components - phosphates and surfactants.Phosphoric acid salts, called phosphates in chemistry, have a strong environmental impact. Together with sewage, it flows through pipes and enters the city's water bodies, polluting them.
Surfactants, in turn, harm the human body. The consequences of regular use of powder can be very different:
- decreased immunity;
- skin irritation, allergies;
- nerve cell damage;
- negative impact on the kidneys, lungs, liver.
Diseases occur gradually, since surfactants accumulate in the human body for a long time, and only after years can they cause serious damage. Even with a good rinse, surfactants are retained in the fibers, especially in woolen fabrics.
Alternative products for the washing machine
In order not to harm yourself and the environment, you should use safe detergents, including laundry soap, soda, mustard powder and other substances.
Borax, soda and soap shavings
Regular baking soda is a versatile product that you can also use to wash your laundry. It not only whitens fabrics well, but also removes unpleasant odors, however, this tool is not suitable for washing colored items. Borax can be used to wash clothes for children and adults. This substance has several “pharmacy” names: sodium boric salt and sodium tetraborate.
By mixing baking soda, borax and shavings of any colorless soap, you can create a homemade laundry detergent that will remove stains perfectly and won't harm your skin and body.
laundry soap
Before, laundry soap was in every house and grandmothers and mothers washed things by hand. Today, however, you can remove the shavings from laundry soap and mix it with other ingredients to make an excellent homemade powder.
You can mix laundry soap with the following substances:
- plain soda;
- sodium carbonate;
- essential oil.
Grated soap is poured into the powder compartment without using additional additives.
sodium carbonate
Recipe for homemade sodium carbonate powder:
- you will need laundry soap 150 g, soda - 400 g, any essential oil - 2-3 drops, a grater for preparing soap and a jar where the finished mixture will be stored;
- the soap is rubbed, the shavings are covered with soda and mixed with essential oil;
- Before using the powder, you need to slightly shake the jar and take the required amount of the product with a measuring spoon.
Despite the fact that such a powder is natural, it should still be kept out of reach of children, in a tightly closed container.
Mustard powder recipe
To wash things in the machine, you need 50 g of dry mustard powder. However, in order not to regret such a non-standard solution and get clean and fresh laundry, you need to take into account several rules:
- Mustard is poured directly into the drum when laying things down.
- You need to put the wash at a temperature of 30 degrees. At higher temperatures mustard is brewed and gives things a yellowish tint.
- It is recommended to use mustard infusion for silk and woolen items.
It is not recommended to wash cotton with mustard.
Salt
Also, when preparing the powder yourself, you can use ordinary salt, mixing it with grated soap, soda and a few drops of essential oil.
soap root
The natural substance saponin, commonly known as soap root, can be obtained from your homeopathic pharmacy or at the market. A kilo of clothing will require a small piece of root of about 50 g. The root is crushed, poured with boiling water and infused for a day, after which the solution is strained through cheesecloth and used for washing. During washing, things should be thoroughly rinsed, first in hot water, then in cold water.
If a white woolen sweater is washed, then during rinsing add 2 teaspoons of ammonia, so that the fabric retains its shape.
horse chestnut
Another laundry detergent is horse chestnut.
It is an ecological product and a versatile product that removes stains well and gives freshness.
Terms of use:
- the skin must be removed, as it "gives" things an unpleasant tint;
- the white kernel of the nut is ground in a coffee grinder;
- before washing, the powder is poured with hot water and the resulting foam is transferred by hand into the machine.
To achieve the best whitening effect, things are pre-soaked in this water for an hour.
Beans
For washing, not the beans themselves are used, but its broth, in which things are soaked. This method is ideal for wool products. Previously, 200 g of beans are boiled in a liter of water, after which the liquid must be cooled. Warm infusion is strained through cheesecloth and whipped, which should cause foam to appear. It is also used to wash things in a typewriter.
Ash
Ashes of vegetable origin can also be used for washing clothes. When preparing the powder, it is important to ensure that no particles of chemical ash get into the mixture, which will seriously damage the clothes. Before washing, things are turned over and sent to the drum of the machine, and 200 g of ashes are poured into the powder compartment. In order to avoid brown spots, it is recommended to rinse extra things in the basin or set the "extra rinse" mode.
soap nuts
If you refuse household chemicals, you can use soap nuts, which are sold in eco-supermarkets.
To wash properly, you must follow a few rules:
- laundry should be sorted into color, white and black;
- heavily soiled items are pre-soaked;
- the nuts are put in a special bag and in a drum, together with the things.
In order to achieve maximum effect, it is recommended not to load the drum to full capacity, leaving free space. This method is ideal for removing stains from chocolate, cola, ballpoint pen and sunflower oil.
How to bleach fabric without chlorine
There are five ways to bleach fabric without using chlorine:
- half a glass of ordinary vinegar is poured into the conditioner compartment;
- baking soda is added instead of powder alone, or with soap root and flavored oil;
- hydrogen peroxide can be added to laundry or applied to objects during the soaking process;
- lemon juice is suitable for bleaching even stubborn stains. It is used when soaking, diluted with water.
A non-standard way to launder delicate light-colored items is to soak them in milk.
The use of gels as powder substitutes
Today, manufacturers offer an alternative to powders, and clothes can be washed with special gels. However, the question arises of how harmful or useful such funds are for things and for humans.
The standard gel is a surfactant solution. However, unlike powders, surfactants in gels are replaced by cations instead of anionics, and cause less harm to the human body. Items washed with gels have freshness without deforming.
The substances contained in the gel dissolve well and are removed from the fibers of the fabric when washed at a temperature of 30-40 degrees.
Tips and tricks from experienced housewives
In order not to make irreparable mistakes, you need to listen to the advice of experienced housewives and learn from someone else's experience:
- finely grated soap is poured into the tray of the machine, but if the homemade powder is too large, it is recommended to put it with objects, directly into the drum, in order to avoid sticking;
- if things of different colors were put in the machine and they faded, you should immediately lay out the dye jackets and trousers, and leave the dyed white laundry, starting a new wash;
- Lemon is an excellent remedy for whitening yellow spots in the armpits and on the fold of the cervix, just extract a few drops and mix with baking soda.
Eco-friendly laundry detergents are only gaining popularity, but the main question the hostess asks herself before the first use is whether the thing is washed? By using the correct formulation and proportions, all stains will disappear and the fabric itself will be refreshed.
Often when drying dark laundry, you can see small white granules - these are powder residues that negatively affect human skin and the body as a whole. Sometimes even repeated rinsing does not give the desired result, so the best option is to replace chemicals with natural ones.