Yard to table blog exists to highlight and integrate natural therapies into the everyday life. Natural, Healthy living is not hard. In fact, the means to live Healthy is all around us. Most just need to start. Most just need to take that first step towards Health.
So many of the toxins and health disruptors that we encounter everyday occur right in the very site that should be the safest—our homes. 
As Dorothy stated, “There is no place like home”. Unfortunately, for toxins, that quote rings true. We expose our families to chemicals and toxins through the foods that we eat and the chemicals that we use. The EPA estimates that the air inside the home is 2-5 x more toxic than outside the home. For many, stepping outside the home is the first step towards Health. What better place to start Healthy living than right at home.
Laundry detergent. That is right laundry detergent. In our house of 6, laundry detergent is something that impacts my family on a daily basis. Our washing machine seems to run 24/7. Yes, we want clean clothes, but what chemicals are we using at the expense of our Health to clean the clothes? A list of toxins commonly found in laundry detergents include:
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
- 1,4-dioxane
- Nonylphenol ehtoxylate
- Phosphates
- Phthalates
- Bisphenol A
- Triclosan
These chemicals have been shown to be Hormone disruptors, carcinogenic, and/or both. There are enough Hormone disruptors and carcinogens outside the home, why bring them inside the home?
There are many recipes online for natural laundry detergents. Some better than others. Below is a natural recipe that we use in our home. The primary components of this natural Detergent are essential oils. Make sure you use pure, unadulterated oils. The cost is low, the number of loads produced is high and the return on health is priceless.
This recipe is a step in thinking differently. I can’t take credit for this recipe, but we sure do use it.
Laundry Detergent:
4 cups hot (very hot ) water
1 Thieves bar soap
1 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
1/2 cup Thieves Household Cleaner
Optional:
10-15 drops Young Living essential oil of choice
(Lavender, Lemon, Eucalyptus, Rosemary, Melaleuca (alternifoila), etc.)
1. Grade bar of soap and add to saucepan with water.
2. Stir continually over medium – low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
3. Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water.
4. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax
5. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Very important to completely dissolved so soap won’t clump.
6. Fill bucket to the top with more hot water (tap).
7. Stir, add Thieves Household Cleaner and Essential oils if desired.
8. Stir, cover, and let sit overnight to thicken.
9. Fill empty liquid laundry detergent container half full with homemade laundry detergent, fill the rest with water and shake to mix well.
(Shake container well with each use.)
Use Variants:
Top Load machine – 5/8 cup per load (approx. 180 loads) Front Load machines – 1/4 cup per load (approx. 640 loads)
Would you like more information? Get in touch with us today!
