Every day washing clothes, washing powder quality and amount related to whiteness washed clothes, environmental pollution, costs and so on. Especially white wear long clothing, often leaving some difficult washed perspiration, in fact, the laundry service may be used five kinds of household items: sodium bicarbonate , soda , vinegar , citric acid, soap; detergent can be used to reduce The amount used to deal with stains and other problems, and even used to make your own washing powder. This article introduces two washing powder formulas, one can be used to clean white clothes, the other can be used to clean delicate clothes and wool.
Use sodium bicarbonate or soda as a substitute for washing powder
Every family is different, so every family’s laundry basket looks different. Some people worry about the grass stains on children’s pants, but most people only need to deal with normal laundry challenges, such as washing off the environmentally polluted parts, body odor and sweat.
For clothes that are generally soiled, four tablespoons of washing soda can be used instead of washing powder. In soft water environments, this amount is sufficient as a substitute. If it is hard water, the amount required may be a bit larger, eight tablespoons or more, you can try it first to find the best amount. For animal fibers such as wool and silk, soda should be avoided, and sodium bicarbonate should be used. Pure sodium bicarbonate is another excellent washing powder, suitable for light to normal soiled clothes. Just four to eight tablespoons of sodium bicarbonate can replace your usual washing powder. (Editor’s note, soda is the common name for sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), and baking soda is the common name for sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3))
You will be surprised by the effectiveness of these two laundry alternatives. They can not only reduce the chemicals that cause large amounts of waste water and environmental pollution, but also reduce the family budget.
Reduce the amount of washing powder
Manufacturers of washing powders usually recommend dosages based on the hardness of the water. If the water in your home is hard water, you can still use the amount of soft water for laundry, as long as you add two to three full spoons of detergent. Washing alkali can soften water quality and enhance the cleaning effect of general washing powder. For wool and silk clothing, it is recommended to use sodium bicarbonate instead of soda.
Washing powder formula for white clothes
If you want to save time, you can mix the following materials to make a simple washing powder. The ingredients are similar to laundry detergent. This kind of washing powder is made faster and is especially suitable for washing white clothes.
Ingredients for homemade washing powder:
100 grams of dishwasher salt
100 grams of hard soap
150
grams of soda 150 grams of sodium bicarbonate
10-20 drops of aromatic essential oils to add fragrance (such as lemon or lavender essential oil, with or without addition)
● Organic washing powder
For white clothing, you also need 100 to 150 grams of citric acid. Citric acid can be used as a water softener, and the dosage is determined according to the calcium content in the water. Citric acid also has a slight bleaching effect, so it is only suitable for washing dark or colorful clothes under limited conditions. For dark and colorful clothes, it is best to use vinegar instead of citric acid as a softener for clothes, or increase the amount of sodium bicarbonate.
★ Note: If you use this formula, you must use dry baking soda, do not use crystalline soda, and the prepared mixture should be stored in a dry and sealed place as much as possible. Crystalline soda contains bound water, soda and citric acid can combine with moisture in the air. This will lead to premature reaction between acidic and alkaline components and reduce the washing effect. ★
The production of washing powder is very simple, and it is carried out in two steps:
1. Grate hard soap with a kitchen grater.
2. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl or directly in a glass for storage.
We use mason jars (salting jars) with flip lids to keep the powder sealed.
This powder is used in the same way as other washing powders. Depending on the hardness of the water, one to two tablespoons each time is sufficient. If the clothes are dirty, add a little more according to the situation.
Neither laundry detergent nor washing powder will leave any odor on clothes. You may not get used to it at first, because we are used to smelling good smells on fresh washed clothes. However, fragrance is not necessary at all. If you can’t forget the smell of your clothes after washing, you can add a few drops of aromatic essential oils when washing your clothes.
If the washing powder starts to agglomerate after a period of time, you can put a few tablespoons of rice in a small cotton bag and put it in the washing powder. Rice absorbs water, which prevents the powder from clumping.
When washing wool and silk clothes, you should avoid adding soda to this washing powder, or you can use a formula specially designed for delicate clothes and wool.
★ Reminder: It is also recommended to add some vinegar to the washing machine as a substitute for the softener when using this washing powder. Vinegar can soften clothes and prevent soap from remaining in the fibers. ★
Exquisite fabric and wool laundry powder formula
The washing powder formulas introduced so far all contain soda, which not only has a washing effect, but also softens the water quality. However, as mentioned earlier, soda is not suitable for washing animal fibers, because soda will swell them.
For delicate clothing and wool, the following formula can be used. This formula not only has the same environmental protection effect, but is also simple and cheap to manufacture. To make 400ml washing powder you need:
250ml water
50g hard soap
100ml fuel alcohol
In addition, you need a soup pot, a sharp knife, a whisk and a glass jar with screw lid or similar container to store the washing powder.
Follow the steps below to make detergent for delicate fabrics step by step:
1. Cut the hard soap into small pieces or use a kitchen grater to grind.
2. Put water and soap in the soup pot.
3. Bring the pot to a boil, and at the same time stir thoroughly with a whisk.
4. After the soap is dissolved, boil the water and soap mixture once, and then remove it from the stove.
5. Add fuel alcohol and stir the mixture thoroughly again.
If you want to add some fresh fragrance to the clothes, you can add about 10 drops of pure essential oil, such as lemon essential oil.
Depending on the amount of laundry and the degree of soiling, you need to use 50 to 100 milliliters of detergent at a time. If the washing powder is left for a long time, the hard soap will settle slightly. Shake it briefly to mix it evenly again.
This washing powder is also suitable for lightly dirty colored clothes. For heavily soiled clothes, it is recommended to use detergent with soda.
Also Read: How to choose a summer dress? Cool and thin, wear a new style every day