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What Are Some Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Laundry Detergent?

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

There are a number of alternatives to laundry detergent which are not only more environmentally friendly than commercial detergents, but also much cheaper. Especially if you do a lot of laundry, these alternatives can save you a great deal of money, freeing up funds for trips, fun projects, or savings. Alternatives to laundry detergent are also easy to make and to alter to suit your needs.

Two techniques can be used to make eco-friendly laundry soap at home. The first results in a large bucket of a slimy, sloppy liquid which can be a real pain to deal with. The second is used to make a laundry powder, which can be made in batches of any size, and stored with ease. Since the only difference is the addition of glycerin or water to the liquid version, this wiseGEEK author highly recommends sticking to powdered alternatives to laundry detergent and saving yourself a headache.

Borax, which can be used as an alternative to laundry detergent.
Borax, which can be used as an alternative to laundry detergent.

To make alternatives to laundry detergent, you are going to need: soap flakes, washing powder, and borax. Some people also like to use baking soda, especially for laundry soap which will be used in bleaching. Soap flakes can be purchased loose in the store, but you can also just buy bar soap and grate it, or use home-made bar soap. Washing powder is found in the laundry aisle of most grocery and general stores, as is borax.

Laundry detergent.
Laundry detergent.

The basic recipe involves half soap flakes, one quarter washing soda, and one quarter borax, with around one scoop usually doing the trick per load. However, you can play around with these proportions quite a bit, and you can add baking soda to the mix to replace the borax. The key ingredients are the washing soda and the soap flakes; borax and baking soda just make your laundry soap a little more powerful, and they can also cut grease and odors, which may be useful for you.

Baking soda can boost a homemade laundry detergent.
Baking soda can boost a homemade laundry detergent.

For extra bleaching power, add lemon juice or peroxide to a load of laundry once it gets going with your alternative to conventional detergent. Lemon juice or vinegar can also be used to deodorize laundry. For stains, soak laundry in a mixture of cold water, vinegar, and baking soda; you may want to spot test the fabric first to make sure that the fabric does not bleach or stain in this mixture.

Laundry detergent can be made by grating bar soap.
Laundry detergent can be made by grating bar soap.

If your alternatives to laundry detergent don't smell as exciting as your favorite detergent or laundry soap, you can add essential oils to them to create a specific scent. Just be careful to avoid essential oils or floral extracts with artificial dyes, which can stain your fabrics.

Beyond their convenience and effective cleaning, the laundry detergent sheets carry an inherent environmentally conscious aspect. With reduced packaging waste and minimized excess usage, they align seamlessly with sustainable practices. By opting for the best laundry sheets, you're not just upgrading your laundry routine but also contributing to a greener planet, making each wash a small step towards a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a HomeQuestionsAnswered researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a HomeQuestionsAnswered researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

anon1005670

Borax is listed as harmful to the environment and to health, according to the Environmental Working Group.

JavaGhoul

@Tufenkian925

I think that we are ignoring the larger issues of the world when we try to be persnickety and focus obsessively on small environmental issues such as laundry detergents. The environment is a concern, and should be, but it should be secondary to the plight of the poor and dying in the third world. There are diseases out there that need to be cured. Should we care more for humans or for flora and fauna?

Tufenkian925

The future of the world and the ecosystem that our children will have to deal with depends on our good decisions concerning what products we use and what level of discretion we choose to employ concerning small issues such as laundry detergents and other mass-distributed products in the market. Although you might not consider something as simple as candles or laundry detergents to be dangerous, think of your decisions amplified by a factor of ten million. This describes how societies function and harm the earth on a large scale. You can effect change.

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    • Borax, which can be used as an alternative to laundry detergent.
      By: Vidady
      Borax, which can be used as an alternative to laundry detergent.
    • Laundry detergent.
      By: Sinisa Botas
      Laundry detergent.
    • Baking soda can boost a homemade laundry detergent.
      By: Vidady
      Baking soda can boost a homemade laundry detergent.
    • Laundry detergent can be made by grating bar soap.
      By: Chris leachman
      Laundry detergent can be made by grating bar soap.
    • Laundry detergent alternatives can be enhanced with essential oils.
      By: viperagp
      Laundry detergent alternatives can be enhanced with essential oils.