“The laundry room is highly toxic, containing chemical perfumes in the laundry detergent and especially the dryer sheets. Dryer sheets coat all your clothes with a layer of toxic chemicals. When you wear those clothes, your body moisture causes those chemicals to come into contact with your skin and be absorbed directly into your bloodstream. It’s an easy way to poison your system with cancer-causing chemicals.” Natural News
Yep, that stuff is just nasty. Think how many chemicals that might be hiding in your clothes by the time you have stain treated, soaked, washed, rinsed, dried and ironed! Us mums are usually the ones using the products and inhaling them, so we get the double dose! Let’s not talk about how expensive all those products are too.
This is one area we have been natural in for over ten years as my precious girl has sensitive skin. So I have put together my top picks when it comes to keeping your laundry toxic free and all natural.
Stain Removal. It doesn’t come much simpler than this homemade stain remover. It’s cheap, effective and totally natural.
For stubborn stains (and yes, they are frequent with messy kids!) I like to use Kin Kin Natural’s Oxygen Whitener and soak. It really works well.
Washing. Washing powder can be extremely irritating to sensitive skin and the chemical residue hangs around in your clothes! I have a couple of brands I recommend:
♥ Kin Kin Naturals. Made in Queensland by a family-owned company. Felix used to work for Omo so he has used this knowledge and applied it to totally natural and effective products.
♥ Abode Healthy Home. Developed by leading Australian building biologist, Nicole Bijlsma and author of one of my favourite books, Healthy Home, Healthy Family. You can buy it in bulk online, making it cheaper and more eco-friendly.
♥ Soapnuts are also very eco-friendly as they are simply the seed pod of a berry containing a very high percentage of saponins, a natural surfactants. I find they are good for lightly soiled clothes with the addition of essential oils for a bit of fragrance. Other people swear by them. Try them out and see what you think.
There are a few other natural washing powders on the market, but be aware of ‘green washing‘ and do your research! What brands do you like?
Fabric Softener. I don’t use it. If you want, use vinegar or some drops of essential oils. In fact, once you read this blog post at Care 2, you may never use it again either!
Drying. I try not to use the dryer, but when I have to, these Tumblemonkey wool dryer balls ease my eco-guilt.
If you are hanging out your clothes in the sunshine, use bamboo pegs. They are environmentally friendly, sustainable and will break down in land fill. I hate having bits of broken plastic pegs all over the yard!
Dry cleaning. Dry cleaning uses harsh petrochemicals to clean your clothes. Avoid it if you can or check if you dry cleaner has a Green Earth option, where liquid silicon is used instead.
Ironing. There really is no need for aerosol or chemical ironing sprays. I just use water in a spray bottle and a hot steam setting. There are recipes around to make your own starch, but I haven’t tried them. Has anyone got a good one?
So, can you ditch the chemicals and keep your clothing and linen natural? Is this something you might like to try?
You might also like to read: Washing your dishes, naturally!
♥Thanks to my awesome friend, Jules for the fab pic of her laundry! ♥
Hmmmm, I am no good at deciding or picking so Il let you choose, if i become the lucky winner -_- But they both look great and i’m happy to try try either way! 🙂
Hi There, Would love to try them too, I try not to use the dryer but some days you just have to – or run round naked….lol! I think the happy little faces would be lovely to open up the dryer and see. Thank you .
I really like the muted colours of the cookies and cream balls! They’d look really cute in a glass jar as a display in the laundry too 🙂 I’m excited to give your eucalyptus stain remover a try – my boys school uniforms all have a white panel down either side of the t-shirts – right where they wipe hands, ugh! I have been soaking them every week, but hopefully a spray before I wash them (daily) will help!
Good luck everyone but as we do not own a dryer… A line under the veranda works a treat and in winter if you need something sooner the airier in front of the fire does the job. I try to avoid buying white cloths then I don’t have to panic about stains LOL.
No fires in rainy, humid sub tropics!! If I don’t use the dryer the clothes start smelling mouldy in the wet weather.
Yep used to get that mouldy smell when we lived in Isa. One of April’s jobs was to wash everything we owned.
How cute ate those cookie and cream balls!?! Would love a set for the wet season 🙂
Cookies & cream for me! Thanks for your inspiring & life changing blog. Its all the little changes that are helping make my familys life much more healthier! xx
What’s your thoughts on Earth Choice laundry and cleaning products?
I just had a look at the website and it appears they are not so great. I am not a scientist, so I don’t get all the ingredients, but they have a health hazard warning! I suspect they are one of those products that are green washed. Here is the list http://www.naturesorganics.com.au/uploads//product-imagery/earthchoice/2009221320430.msds%20-%20dish%20-%20ec%20dishwash%202006.pdf
The fact that is contains Sodium Laureate Sulphate puts it in the dodgy corner straight away. SLS is one nasty chemical, look it up on Google. It’s the stuff that makes soap bubble and foam (in shampoo, dish liquid, etc) and is highly toxic for both the environment and yourself. Don’t go near it.
What about eco store? I use a lot of their stuff.
I *think* they are okay. I just didn’t find them as effective as Kin Kin. 🙂
Aww you are the best Sonia – I love bosistos so can make that stain remover!
We don’t have a dryer simply because when we did, I found it too tempting to use and because we have a second mini laundry set up in the garage (racks).
yay! tell me if you like it – I am not a fan of the smell, but it’s great stuff!
Oooooohhhhhh, cookies and cream for me. Iceceam too. Thanks!!
My kids will love the felted faces – too cute!!! Your blog is amazing, thank you! Not only is it informative, but instead of just telling us how we should be living, you include links and practical steps we can take in order to improve our lives. Well done, your research and the effort you put in is appreciated!
thank you so much Kerry – you are so kind and it means a lot to me !
Lots of great suggestions there, it’s an area I’d like to improve in.
I’m really quite taken with the idea of the tumblemonkey dryer balls – they sound really economical. The kids would love the little faces. Though I don’t think they know how to use the dryer. 🙂
I love both sets – but the faces look great and their little coloured faces would go nicely with my cloth nappies 😉 Love the title pic!!!
what a clever photographer, hey?
Hi Sonia, I love the fact that your blog/page exposes me to so many new and natural ideas. I had never heard of dryer balls before and after having a look at the Tumblemonkey page I would have to choose the “Felted Faces” if I was a lucky winner. I have only just sat down to check my emails after loading the dryer with all the “small stuff” because after a week of constant rain I am over having washing hanging around the house. Would make me smile to see the funny faces flying round in there too!!! x
I love the “Felted Faces”, I think they would brighten up a day in the laundry!
I avoid using the dryer too, we only got one 2 years ago, when my daughter was tiny – I pretty much just use it on cold/windy days to finish things off when they won’t dry on the line. I loved bamboo mcn’s too, and they needed a few mins in the dryer too after a couple of days drying in winter too!
What do you think of Ecostore or Rockin’ Green laundry powder? They are the two I use. I’ve bought some Lectric Soda though, and am going to have a go at making my own!
Ecostore is okay, haven’t tried the other one – where do you get it from?
Either would be great – cookies & cream if I had to choose. Thanks
Son, this could ot come at a more perfect time. I am trying to geenify (that is so a word) my home a little more and laundry was one I have had problems getting my head around. So THANK YOU xx
go you eco-warrior!! come to the blog or FB page anytime and ask questions !!!
Thanks for all the tips! Especially the stain removal one – my boys have white school shirts and I am forever scrubbing them trying to get the stains out, will definitely give that a go. I would love to try the cookies and cream balls, we do need to use our dryer a little over winter in Tassie sometimes for finishing off – think these are a great idea! I noramlly put in a dry teatowel with the things I am drying because that is supposed to help but i haven’t noticed that much of a difference!
Great post Sonia……I think I would love the Cookies and Cream the most. Don’t have little children to help with the washing, so don’t need the happy faces 🙂
Must try those soap nuts sometime soon and like the idea of the natural whitener too
Another great post…Cookie and cream looks nice and will double up as play balls for my toddler!
They are awesome (and cute) I love the “Felted Faces”!! I can’t help but think it would be funny to watch them going around and round in the washing machine too 😀
I would prefer the cookies and cream set please 🙂
Oh, I love the cookies and cream set. And they would perfectly match the tiles in my laundry!!
I love the novelty faces so cute! The cookies and cream would make me hungry for ice team. Ha ha
I think both the cookies & cream & the felted faces look great!
Novelty faces look like fun. The cookies and cream would make me hungry for icecream. Haha
Thanks for the tips Sonia, I do some of those things already. The homemade stain remover sounds great, ill give it a go. I’d love the felt faces dryer balls. I have 3 white ones already that my almost 3 yr old likes to play with any chance she gets so she’d love the faces.
I’d love the cookies and cream cos the faces would disappear with the little ones
Hmm, what an interesting array of products. Can’t wait to try them! And cookies and cream look pretty snazzy, should I be lucky enough to win
Like both pages.
I love the cute dryer ball faces.
Some great tips, thanks.
Such a great idea!! The cookie and cream sounds great ~ if only we could eat them lol 🙂
I love the dryer ball faces! Anything to make doing the laundry that bit more pleasant 🙂
Thanks 🙂
Liked the page and following you already 😉
I’d like to try cookies & cream please.
I like cookies and cream; also I think my toddler would be a lil attracted to the ones with faces 😉
Thanks for the chance!
Ooh I would absolutely love to win a set of the “felted faces” dryer balls!! I plan to purchase some dryer balls for winter and would love love love to try these out! Fingers crossed :))))
I would like the felted faces, they are just super cute.
Would love, love, love the cookies and cream!! Anything that makes doing laundry for a family of six easier and more eco-friendly is awesome!!
Felt faces please they are so cute!
Hi
I am a regular follower and have liked Tumblemonkey Handmade. I love the balls with faces – they would remind me to smile while doing the laundry!
I just love the smiley faces! My mum always said she used to think about the person that the clothes belonged to as she was doing the washing. She used to “pour love” all over our clothes. The smiley faces make me think of that love.
Cookes and cream please! 🙂
Either are cute, you can decide when I win 🙂
Hi, fabulous post, love it!! I wanted to make a few things so this is perfect timing – don’t know if it’s just my computer but when I click on the stain remover link, it doesn’t work for me, takes me to a lot of other great recipes though! Thanks again, alisha x
some of the links where hinky when I changed over… will fix it, thanks for the heads up honey xxx
I hate using the dryer as I think it leaves fabric feeling “blergh”…sounds like the dryer balls could help me out! Would love some felted faces…or some cookies and cream. 🙂
ohh cookies and cream! love this idea, i used my dryer nearly everyday in our last place due to a giant eucalyptus tree behind our unit dropping leaves/bark/sap and bird poop, now i love that we have a washing line but , like you these would certainly give me less dryer guilt
I love the felted faces 🙂