Tip 1: Read the Label on your Detergent: the fewer ingredients, the better
We are in the process of transitioning from “regular detergent” to natural detergent. If I am being honest, we have not yet made the leap 100% but we are working on it. My kids are 3 and 6 and they spend a lot of time outside playing, which means dirty clothes. Not just “I wore this today so it is dirty” but “I’ve got melted fudge pop, strawberry juice and mud all over myself” dirty!! Sometimes, they are so dirty after playing outside, I make them change clothes as soon as they step in the door.
Another confession, I am NOT good with stains. At all. I try and try but usually, I fail. I think I know my problem though, not soaking the clothes. Unfortunately, I didn’t think to ask the salesperson when we purchased our washing machine if it had soaking capability. Silly me thought all washers could soak. Apparently the new environmentally friendly washers, that limit the amount of water used, do not offer this option, at least our LG doesn’t. Once I discovered this, after starting a load and pausing, and losing all of the water in 5 minutes, I did buy a soaking bucket to keep in the laundry area…3 times…and each time my husband took it and never returned it. Somehow they always end up with holes. Actual holes. What in the world is he using my soaking buckets for? Eventually, I just gave up. I guess I need to break down and buy a new one and maybe chain it to the wall this time!
So, back to the topic at hand, laundry detergent. I have tried, what feels like, every single laundry detergent ever invented. You know by now, I suck at stain removal, so I searched far and wide for a detergent to clean my clothes magically. I tried and tried and waited for the stain fairy to appear, but all in vain. That being said, I finally narrowed my favorite choices down to two. A natural solution and a not so natural, but circumstantially necessary, solution.
I use On Guard laundry detergent when I can. It is clean and natural with no artificial smells or harmful chemicals. The ingredients include Protease, Amylase, Cellulase, Mannanase, Lipase – doTERRA On Guard Essential Oil Protective Blend: Wild Orange, Clove, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus, Rosemary. The laundry smells divine when I use it! And I definitely trust that it is 100% safe for my family. (I have included the link to my website below if you are interested in trying On Guard yourself!)
From the doTERRA blog on ON GUARD detergent: “Utilizing the doTERRA On Guard Protective Blend, the doTERRA On Guard Laundry Detergent includes essential oils like Wild Orange, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus, and more, that are perfect for natural cleansing. Not only do the essential oils in this formula leave your clothes looking, smelling, and feeling clean, but you won’t have to worry about the synthetic ingredients that are often found in commercial detergents. A formula free of dyes, synthetic fragrances, and toxins, the doTERRA On Guard Laundry Detergent makes laundry day safer and more enjoyable.”
But I have found that it doesn’t always get the tough stains out…the muddy, juicy, fudge poppy kind. At least not when I do the laundry. So I tend to use the On Guard detergent on my clothes, our delicates, sheets and towels…you know, the items with normal wear and tear.
I continue to use Tide Pods on the super dirty and stinky clothes belonging to my kids and my husband. There are too many ingredients to list here. You can go to the Tide website for more information. I have found this particular Tide Pod to be the most effective at removing stains and stinky smells. And I only use 1 pod despite the recommendation to use 3 on large loads. I get mine using subscribe & save on Amazon to get a discount. If you purchase using this link, I get a kickback. And I assure you, this mama could use it! Some days I feel like all I EVER do is laundry! Link to Tide.
I would love to use the limited ingredient natural detergent by doterra on all of our laundry but until I get my stain removing skills up to par, I will have to use both natural and regular laundry detergent. And that’s ok. We are moving in the right direction. It’s not about making all of the changes at once. It’s about taking baby steps in the right direction.
Tip 2: Replace Dryer Sheets with Dryer Balls: reduce chemical exposure
I was shocked when I read about dryer sheets and the harmful chemicals that are in them. When my daughter was born, my eyes were opened, and I started paying attention to things, simple things, like dryer sheets. According to the health and wellness website Sixwise.com, some of the most harmful ingredients in dryer sheets and liquid fabric softener include benzyl acetate (linked to pancreatic cancer), benzyl alcohol (an upper respiratory tract irritant), ethanol (linked to central nervous system disorders), limonene (a known carcinogen) and chloroform (a neurotoxin and carcinogen), among others. Talk about an eye-opener!! And those chemicals coat our clothing, sheets and towels and then, get rubbed all over our skin. No thanks!!
Dryer sheets were a normal part of laundry for me from the time I started doing laundry until just a few years ago. After I learned the components of dryer sheets, I would dry my clothes with nothing but hot air. They didn’t smell as “clean” (aka. chemically) and there was some static but they were dry. I had never heard of dryer balls until a friend of mine told me she switched and never looked back. I was thrilled when I received a set of 4 out of the blue. I had wanted them for a while but buying them wasn’t a priority. If I had known then what I know now, I would have added them to my laundry routine immediately. You can add a few drops of essential oil to your dryer balls for a nice understated scent, a much safer and natural alternative to chemical-laden dryer sheets. My favorites are lavender, serenity, and lemon, but really, it’s a matter of personal preference. I use 6-8 wool balls in my dryer, but as long as you have 2-3, you’ll be fine. I add about 5 drops of doTerra essential oil to two balls each time I use the dryer.
I love my doTERRA dryer balls but they are a limited edition product that we only have available once in a while. Another company that I can recommend for dryer balls is Norwex. Like doTERRA, Norwex is an MLM company so you have to purchase through a rep. If you don’t have a rep, I can refer you to mine! Amazon also has some great deals on Dryer Balls. I have heard great things about these. They last 2-5 years or up to about 1000 loads.
Tip 3: Use a Clothesline for Sheets and Towels: cut energy costs
When we bought our house a few years ago, one of the first things I purchased was a clothesline for the backyard. I have such fond memories of helping my grandmother hang the laundry on the line as a child and the fresh smell and crispness of the sheets and towels when they came off the line. This not only freshens the items, but it also helps save energy by not using the clothes dryer as often. I have found that using the clothesline for clothing can be overwhelming! Not to mention, like going to the gym and lifting weights. For real, the first time I hung clothes on the line it took forever. My arms hurt. I was SO SORE the next day. That sounds pitiful I know…to be sore from hanging laundry. But it really is a great workout! So, if you have the time and want the workout, by all means, use the clothesline for all of your laundries!! That being said, I usually focus on the big items like sheets and towels, and now that it is summer, bathing suits. It isn’t as time-consuming and I am still cutting back on our electric usage.
Some other random uses: I used the clothesline a few weeks ago to pin up our pillows to let the sun bake them and freshen them a bit. And back to my issues with stain removal…I use the line for whites that have stains to let the sun aid in bleaching the stain out. I have found this method to be hit or miss; but that could just be me again and my laundry incompetence.
I did some research on price and reviews and settled on the Household Essentials Rotary Outdoor Umbrella with 30 lines for drying. As the name implies, it folds up and down like an umbrella giving it a very small footprint. It also spins in a circle allowing you to find the sun if your clothesline is in a position of partial shade and sun. The link is with the photo above. I also purchased these clothespegs from Amazon when I got the clothesline. This box of 100 large wooden clothespins made of Natural Pine Wood has lasted me 3 years and counting! It also comes with a handy dandy clothespin bag for storage. (Again, if you use my links, I get a kickback)
In Conclusion…
Don’t feel like you have to make the transition to more natural options all at once. That can feel daunting. Instead, focus on taking baby steps in that direction. As you can see, I haven’t completely changed my detergent yet and I still use my dryer for most things but we have made some small changes in a healthier direction. Once I figure out how to treat and soak stains, I will transition to all-natural detergent. And if you have any stain removing tips, I’d love to hear them!! Please!! HELP ME.