When I first started as a homemaker, my goal was not a healthy laundry routine. My goal was a CHEAP laundry routine. I was looking for the cheapest way to do laundry possible. I didn’t look at ingredients. I didn’t care about brands. All I wanted was cheap laundry detergent that I could buy for rock-bottom prices (usually using coupons).
That’s when I realized I could save even more money by making homemade laundry detergent.
I went thru several different recipes before I found one that worked for us. One of the reasons I tried so many options was because my son Eli has extremely sensitive skin. Not only did I want to save money, but I also needed to find a more healthy laundry routine. We have to be so careful because he has a reaction when he gets around anything synthetic, harsh cleaners or chemicals, etc. He couldn’t handle store-bought detergents or even some of the homemade detergent recipes I tried. I finally found one that wasn’t bothering him, but then our washing machine seemed to stop working. Barry decided to take it apart and clean it out to see what the problem was.
When he opened it up, I was mortified.
Inside the washer was beyond DISGUSTING. It was full of so much gross buildup from the grated bar soap I was using in my homemade detergent. My laundry wasn’t getting clean AND the washer stopped working. Ugh. I learned after researching that soap is not meant to go in your washer! It causes HUGE build-up. I had to wash everything with BioKleen Bac Out to try and get the soap back out of the clothes. Can’t even begin to explain how gross this process was! I do want to say though – if you are using homemade laundry detergent and it works for you, that’s awesome. However, the reason I made the switch was because I realized my “detergent” (soap) had caused my washing machine to stop working properly, and then I realized how much soap was building up on our clothes, too.
This is also about the time I first heard of the EWG Skin Deep website.
If you want to change up to a more healthy laundry routine, I highly recommend you check out the Environmental Working Group’s website to find their database, The Guide for Healthy Cleaning. Our family’s goal is to only purchase products with a score of 4 or under. Let me just say that most of the products I was using before Young Living were NOT 4 and under. Even “natural” brands like Mrs. Meyers or Trader Joe’s have “green-washed” labels that look like healthier options, but are really can be as bad as the conventional cleaners and products.
What are we using now? Thieves Laundry Soap.
We have settled on this for our family because, although it is a lot more expensive than the cheapest {garbage detergent} you can find, this is what works well for Eli and doesn’t destroy our washing machine. We are really loving it! You use 1/2 a cap for regular top loaders and 1/4 cap for front loader HE washers. Not a cup – just a cap. And we’ve discovered that it is so concentrated, you can actually dilute it 50/50 with water and stretch it way further. In other words, we can get nearly 100 loads out of that little, 32oz. bottle!
I also put 4-5 drops of tea tree oil and 1/2 cup of white vinegar in my towel and sheet loads.
Sometimes I use one and sometimes I use both. It keeps that stinky mildew smell away. I know the vinegar is really good at killing germs. I have heard people say, “Don’t use vinegar; it will damage the seals of your machine.” But I’ve had other plumber friends that say, “It’s good for the washer. It kills mildew.” But don’t do it just because I do! You decide what works best for you and your family and stick to it.
I’ve also started using homemade fabric softener in a beautiful Pioneer Woman mason jar made by my friend Leah made!
Her product is half Epsom salts, half sea salt, and a few essential oils. I add it right into the washer and have noticed a definite change to how soft my clothes are and they smell FANTASTIC.
When I dry my clothes…
I love being able to line dry in the warmer months. But when I don’t do that I always use dryer balls. I prefer to use two at a time and It helps things dry faster (which saves you money!) and wrinkle less. I also like to throw a Young Living Seedlings baby wipe in every load of laundry. I really think it helps clothes smell light and fresh after washing.
Static is from Satan. I hate it. But I learned that by turning my clothes down to the lowest heat setting, it prevents. I always thought the drying on the highest heat was best, because it dries faster, but it’s not… it makes them a static mess! When I do get static on my clothes I just spray myself down with water.
To sum it up, here’s the rundown of my healthy laundry routine:
- Thieves Laundry Soap (1/4 cap for HE and 1/2 cap for front loaders)
- 1/2 cup Vinegar or 4-5 drops of tea tree oil (instead of bleach)
- 1 tablespoon Epsom salts for fabric softener
- Dryer balls and a Young Living Seedlings wipe
- Lowest heat setting to cut down on static
Remember, if you want to change to a more healthy laundry routine, the first step is to research your laundry products on EWG or another similar site. Don’t assume it’s same before it comes in a green bottle and says all natural on it. You might be able to find a healthier substitution that’s better for your family, clothes, and washing machine.
Do you put the tea tree oil right in with the clothes? Or in the drawer with the laundry detergent?
Yes! It works like a charm 🙂
Julie, Humorous Homemaking Team
I still make my own detergent but I don’t use bar soap… never have. I add shampoo into the recipe instead. If I’m out of shampoo, I use dish detergent. They both work fine and I STILL save a lot of money. Maybe you should try it. Works fine, saves money, and DOESN’T GUNK UP YOUR CLOTHES AND THE WASHING MACHINE!
Interesting tips – thanks so much for sharing!
Julie, Humorous Homemaking Team
I see people using the dryer balls but no one can ever tell me where to find them. I’ve wantws to use them for a long time but cannot seem to get any info on them.
Also, I just looked at the Thieves laundry detergent and the ingredient list…..I’m sure Thieves is not as harsh on delicate skin as other more commercial brands but there is A LOT of ingredients in that little jug and most of them are not pronouncible. I don’t have time to research each of them as I’m not in the market to change laundry detergent but just at a glance I was blown away by the ingredients and price.
Yep, you’re right. I still make my own detergent but I don’t use bar soap… never have. I add shampoo into the recipe instead. If I’m out of shampoo, I use dish detergent. They both work fine and I STILL save a lot of money. Maybe you should try it. Works fine, saves money, and DOESN’T GUNK UP YOUR CLOTHES AND THE WASHING MACHINE!
Thieves Laundry Soap is too new to be included in the EWG database, but if you take each ingredient individually and punch it into the EWG database, each one gets a rating of 0, 1, or 2, with 10 being the highest level of toxicity. But most of these ingredients are actually only a 0 or 1! (The ingredients are: Water, Decyl glucoside, Sodium oleate, Glycerin, Caprylyl glucoside, Lauryl glucoside, Sodium chloride, Sodium gluconate, Carboxymenthyl cellulose, Alph-amaylase, Protease, Lipase, Citrus Limon† (Jade lemon) peel oil, Citrus aurantium bergamia† (Bergamot) peel oil (Furocoumarin-free), Syzygium aromaticum† (Clove) bud oil, Citrus limon† (Lemon) peel oil, Cinnamomum zeylanicum† (Cinnamon) bark oil, Eucalyptus radiata† oil, Rosmarinus officinalis† (Rosemary) leaf oil.)
Thanks for the comment, Rebecca!
Julie, Humorous Homemaking Team
Instead of dryer balls, you can make your own. Take aluminum foil and ball it up in your hands until its about the size of a tennis ball. Works great if you use two of them. Take the static out of clothes.
There are several different kinds on Amazon – if you just type in dryer balls you will see 100s of options. It’s worth reading the reviews to see which are the highest rated. Good luck, Rebecca!
Julie, Humorous Homemaking Team
How does the Thieves detergent do on stains? I have 2 kids who play baseball. I need something that gets stains out the first time. So far, the only thing that seems to work is Tide.
I use eucalyptus oil for most tough stains. But the Thieves detergent works pretty well in our family! We do occasionally soak clothes in detergent prior to washing for heavier stains.
Julie, Humorous Homemaking Team