DIY laundry detergent / bathroom cleaner / kitchen scrub, no synthetics.

Step 7 And if you want whiter whites...

Whereas this mix doesn't contain any optical brighteners or special whitening enzymes or chemicals
(the ones that irritate skin and shorten the life of clothes?) so your whites may yellow a bit, especially if you use an electric dryer, because the sun will whiten your whites naturally.
But if it's winter, or you can't use a line, etc... there is a time-tested method for whitening that is nontoxic and trusted: bluing.

And you can also use it safely to make fun " Pacific ocean" baths to end a cranky day for the kids on a happy note, and make other neat things from it.

Simplicity never felt better.

Comments

[THELOVEOFGREG]

I have been using this recipe for a year now. I have a front load machine and city water.We do not have a water softner. I must be doing something wrong when I wash.I find that if I do not send all the dipes cotton/hemp and the micro towels through a 30 minutes soak once per month in vinegar , they have a water barrier. Not good for dipes, no no no. I do notice because of this none of our clothes hold stains anymore.This vinegar soak is not a big deal for me really because my washer shines when I am done. This poor washer does 5 to 6 loads per day.

[megmaine]

I came across some info that some people are complaining about hemp diapers holding odors and having "water sheeting" problems in general. Check out www.diaperswappers.com for the conversations on hemp and whether people find it to be troublesome for diapers over pure cotton.

[megmaine]

I wonder if you have a "high efficiency" front loader? I wonder if that could be the issue, because I use this recipe for cloth dipes and have never had a problem, city water and all. When you say a water barrier, do you mean they actually repel water? I have no experience with that, but maybe someone else here can offer a suggestion. I know I have read that HE washers aren't so good when it comes to cloth diapers because one really does need a greater amount of water for those.

[THELOVEOFGREG]

yes I have the HE washer.As far as the water barrier, if I pour water on the diaper or micro it will roll right off. Non of it soaked up.It will absorb water if I squeeze it. I now use sham wow for diapers(pockets). I now have switched to dawn washing liquid. I can still use cold to wash the diapers and it only takes half an ounce. I use the home made stuff for clothes. I love the fact that clothes stay looking clean. Stains just do not stay.

[megmaine]

I wonder if your success against stains with this homemade mix is due to your quality washer? I have young kids and stains plague me, and my washer isn't much help (and leaves everything linty besides, but one day i too will get a front loader). For now, I stick to wearing busy prints and dark colors...
But glad to hear that stains aren't a problem for some!

[gweedoh!]

This looks awesome. i've been wanting to make my own laundry soap for a while. and for stains I have a suggestion for you! I make a paste of baking soda and dish soap, smear it on the stain, and let it sit, a few hours or over night. it got out coffee and bakery stains, including grease and frosting colors! (i'm a cake decorator)

[megmaine]

Glad you found a solution; HE washers are great, but not for cloth dipes. I also didn't realize you were using pocket dipes; I use cotton prefolds. Thanks for sharing the solution for pocket dipes and an HE washer!