Sulfate Free Laundry Soap Recipe
There’s been a lot of talk about using sulfate free laundry soap as well as other soaps and cleaners in our homes. There is a way to Enjoy Sulfate Free at home and to feel like you are in control of your family’s health and well-being.
Why Use Sulfate Free Laundry Soap?
First of all, sulfates, or sodium lauryl sulfate, is also known as SLS. And you are probably asking, are sulfates really that bad? If so many laundry detergents – and other household items – include sulfates, doesn’t that mean they are necessary?
Well, that’s a loud yes and a hard no.
Sulfates are BAD. With prolonged use, sulfates are known to make the skin more susceptible to absorbing carcinogens from the environment. So they do not directly cause cancer, but they increase the likelihood of an individual developing cancer in spades.
We don’t NEED sulfates. They are often used because they create sudsing, and people are so used to thinking that you need suds to clean. Sulfates also attract dirt and grime away from the material it is intended to clean so it seems like they are awesome, but there are alternatives to cheap, easy cancerous sulfates.
After witnessing my mother lose the battle with a glioblastoma brain tumor, I am so pumped to get rid of anything in my home that may contribute to cancer spores in the air or on our skin.
More Reasons to Use Sulfate Free Laundry Soap
Besides nasty sulfates, the average detergent has a long list of other synthetic chemical ingredients. Anything in those products can potentially be absorbed through your skin or breathed in through your nose, as well as passed down the drain to our waterways.
Easy Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe
This simple, homemade detergent is inexpensive to make and free of harmful chemicals.
16 cups baking soda (you can buy baking soda in bulk and it’s super cheap!)
12 cups washing soda (you should be able to find this at your grocery store in the laundry section)
8 cups grated castile soap (try Dr.Bronner’s Lavender Soap here)
3 tablespoons lavender, lemon or grapefruit essential oil (optional)
Combine baking soda, washing soda and soap flakes. If using, add essential oil and mix with a wire whisk. Use 1/8 cup per load.
Note: This may seem like a lot but this recipe makes enough powder to last a typical family of four for one year.
Tips for Safer Laundry
- Start reading labels. Look for labels that say “Does not contain…” because manufacturers are not yet required by law to list what is in the product. However, green companies will proudly display what is NOT in the product if they want to sell their product to environmentally conscious people like you.
- Use items that say “phosphate free,” “no bleach,” “SLE free” and “NPE free.” Look for “biodegradable” detergents since those often do not contain the harmful ingredients listed above. Look for plant- and animal-based ingredients, instead of petroleum-based.
- Buy concentrated detergents. These have reduced packaging and a smaller carbon footprint.
- Wear it more than once. Too often, we just toss our clothing into the hamper after wearing it, out of habit, without regard to whether or not it’s really dirty. Washing less often also extends the life of your clothes.
- Wash and rinse in cold water. You will save so much on electricity just by doing this, because 90% of the energy required for washing comes from heating the water.
- Make your own detergent using the recipe above.
Make sure to read these other posts to Enjoy Sulfate Free at home.
