How to Make Eco-Friendly Washing Detergent With White Vinegar
Most detergents are not eco-friendly or hypo-allergenic. Making your own washing detergent from white vinegar is an easy, healthy way to detoxify your home and support the environment
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Video Transcript:
I'm Anjie Cho and this is how to make eco-friendly washing detergent with white vinegar.
Sadly most conventional laundry washing detergents are not biodegradable. Most are petroleum based and they aggravate skin allergies. I'm here to share my favorite do-it-yourself recipe for an eco-friendly washing detergent.
You'll need a bar of natural Castile soap, washing soda, borax and your favorite essential oil. And of course white vinegar. First you grate the soap into small pieces. Avoid commercial soaps which are not eco-friendly. This is also a great way to use up those small left-over slivers of soap. To that, add one cup of washing soda. Washing soda is also known as soda ash or sodium carbonate. It's easy to find at your local grocery store.
Next add one cup of borax. Borax is a naturally occurring mineral. Also find this at the grocery store. Mix this all together with nine drops of your favorite essential oil. I love lavender or orange. These oils have a sweet and cheerful scent. You store it in an airtight container and you can use two to three tablespoons per load.
Now what about the white vinegar? White vinegar is a great all around natural, non-toxic cleaning alternative for everything from cleaning windows and counter tops to adding to your washing detergent. It's also a perfect alternative for bleach. Chlorine bleach isn't necessarily bad but it's very dangerous to have in your home around children. It's fatal if swallowed and caustic. It also pollutes and contaminates our water supply.
Instead of bleach use white vinegar in conjunction with your eco-friendly washing detergent by adding one cup to each lead and half a cup to the rinse cycle. The vinegar will boost the laundry detergent by fighting odors as well as whitening and brightening your laundry. It's a natural bleaching agent. In the rinse cycle it can replace our conventional fabric softener which is also terrible for the environment.
Making your own eco-friendly washing detergent is an excellent way to go green and create a healthy and non-toxic home.
