Sunday, January 18, 2009

this is the way we wash our clothes

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Homemade laundry soap? Don't laugh -- it's amazing stuff.

I have a variety of allergies and skin issues, too numerous to mention here. Suffice it to say that if it smells good, I can't be near it and if it it is washed in commercial laundry detergent, I can't wear it.

Pleasant by-products of making this at home: it costs about 85 percent less than the stuff from the store, it is gentle (and therefore doesn't eat away at clothes -- or skin) and I am not buying a bottled, diluted product that has been shipped from who knows where, with its environmental impact expanding by the mile. I am not an expert and I have no idea how much this reduces our laundry's carbon footprint. But it has to help.

The basic recipe is here. I use a vegetable-based, natural glycerin soap and I do not add essential oils, though I recommend doing so if you are not allergic.

Go forth and have clean clothes. Enjoy

3 comments:

Chris Worthy said...

Ira, I have heard of soap nuts, but have not had time to research them. (Note that Ira provides a link to his (?) site that sells this product.)
I guess I would have several questions -- How is the product obtained (environmental impact of harvesting? fair trade with workers?)? What is the carbon footprint when shipping is taken into account? (Presumably less than traditional detergents.) And if users compost the soap nuts after they are no longer usable, will they harm plants and animals that come in contact with the compost?

Gypsy Forest said...

I've been looking for a laundry soap recipe, thanks :)

Heather said...

I just found this page, and I love it. How did I not see this blog before???

OK, I am to get the ingredients to make the liquid soap. I would like to use Dr. Bronners bar soap, I think that should work.

Thanks Chris, this blog is amazing