Alternatives to Laundry Detergent
Laundry detergents contain a high amount of chemicals. These chemicals not only damage your clothes after repeated washes, but also pose environmental problems. Many individuals commonly face skin problems due to such detergents. Harsh detergents often lead to allergic reactions on the skin. Well, in order to reduce the use of chemicals in our daily routine, many individuals are opting for less harsh, and green alternatives to detergents. You can as well opt for homemade or commercial alternatives for laundry detergents, most of which are natural and safer. Here are the details of detergent alternatives.
No-detergent Laundry
Borax and Washing Soda
These two ingredients make a natural powered laundry detergent which is known to offer a perfect cleaning solution. All you need to do is combine one part borax with one part washing soda, and mix them well. Store this dry mixture in an airtight box and use as required. You can decide the quantity of this homemade detergent depending upon the total quantity of clothes to be washed.
Lemon
Well, you might have heard of rubbing lemon over stains to clear them off. Yes, lemon juice is one of the best natural as well as inexpensive alternative. Citrus juice, not only removes stains, but also whitens the white clothes. You can add a full cup of lemon juice to a half-filled bucket of water, and soak the clothes in this water for 5 - 6 hours.
Vinegar
Vinegar that is commonly available in your kitchen makes a popular homemade laundry cleaning solution. Simply add a few cups of vinegar to hot water and stir well. Soak your clothes in this water for 3 - 4 hours, and have them clean and odor free. You can dab vinegar or paste of baking soda on tough stains, an hour before soaking the clothes in this solution.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is another natural alternative to harsh detergents. As mentioned above, paste of baking soda is effective in cleaning tough stains. Even grease stains can be cleaned by application of a thick paste of baking soda for 1 - 2 hours on the stain. You can add baking soda to the first cycle of laundry wash, and have fresh and clean clothes that are free of any chemicals, stains and odor.
Aquaball Laundry Balls
Now this is a commercial alternative to detergents, which claims to be natural, safer, and as effective as a chemical detergent. A pack of Aquaball consists of two balls, each of which is capable of doing up to 60 washes. You simply need to add this ball to the water collected in the washing machine. The Aquaball deep-cleans your laundry without damaging the fabrics, and leaves the pieces soft, fresh and clean.
OXY-Prime
OXY-PRIME is a non-toxic and environmentally safe alternative to harsh detergents, that is safe and does not contain phosphates. This is an ultimate laundry cleaning solution, that thoroughly dissolves in water and cleans the fabrics without leaving any stains and spots. Moreover, OXY-Prime is suitable for whites, pastels, bright colors, printed fabrics, and permanent press fabrics as well.
You can opt for the aforementioned homemade or commercial products that are good alternatives to the detergents containing harsh and unsafe chemicals. Mild shampoos also make a perfect alternative to a detergent, when the above solutions are not available at your home. Soaking soiled clothes in plain water before washing them is a good idea, as the same will reduce the amount of detergent required for cleaning them later on. So try out the aforementioned options, and pick the best one, instead of the expensive and unsafe laundry detergents.
