Not only environmental activists are now talking about the dangers of household chemicals (and not without reason). But the idea of washing without powder clearly belongs to either the most economical person or a level 80 allergy sufferer. The problem with this approach is clear: washing powders began to be used for a reason. If you refuse them, you will have to sacrifice the purity of the fabric.
Is it possible to wash without using powder? Of course you can. Will washing be effective? Only if there are no visible dirt on the fabric. If your goal is to get rid of stains, you will have to use something other than water.
Is it possible to wash without washing powder?
Is it possible to wash clothes without detergent in a washing machine and by hand?
There are two main reasons why housewives are interested in detergent-free laundry detergents:
- I've run out of washing powder at home, but I don't have time to go to the store;
- I have a desire to wash my laundry using eco-friendly household products without chemicals.
Hand washing without detergent is safer than machine washing because some products have increased foaming. They should not be machine washed.
Let's look at laundry detergents without washing powder, which are found in every home.
Wood ash
Our grandmothers also used this product, in the absence of soap or washing powder. In order to wash with wood ash, it was usually wrapped in burlap and placed in a basin of water. Why do you need to wait for a while? The alkali that is in the room must dissolve in water. After this has happened, you can start washing. But you need to take into account one fact: to use this method you need to take ash without any foreign impurities.
Washing with laundry soap without powder by hand and in the washing machine
If you run out of washing powder, you can wash things with laundry soap.
You need to prepare a washing solution from laundry soap:
- Grate 50 g of soap;
- add 3 tbsp. l. soda and stir;
- Dissolve the mixture in 0.5 liters of warm water and use for washing by hand or in the washing machine.
Laundry soap can be used to wash linen and cotton fabrics. This mixture is not suitable for wool and silk.
If you are going to wash colored items, it is better not to add soda, as it is a bleach.
All replacement options
A substitute for washing powder can be products found in the household. Effective alternative options include natural preparations, washing with which gives very good results.
Depending on the chosen drug, the appropriate level of acidity is ensured:
- A moderately alkaline environment is better suited for caring for synthetics.
- Alkaline - for processing things made from plant fibers - flax, cotton.
- Sour – for caring for wool and silk clothes.
When selecting a treatment product to replace powder, it is necessary to take into account the fabrics for which the product is selected.
Laundry soap
Laundry soap is one of the options for washing preparations that can be used to care for the things of children and allergy sufferers. This is an environmentally friendly product that prevents things from becoming harsh.
Bar soap is also suitable for washing, but for complete washing you need to make soap shavings . To do this, the laundry soap is rubbed on a fine grater. You can supplement the composition with soda and salt.
If the soap is intended for washing in a machine, it is advisable to add it not in its pure form, but as part of products that contain soda. It is best to pour it not into the tray, but directly into the drum. This is due to the fact that upon contact with water, the soap becomes viscous and may not be washed out of the cuvette.
For one wash, a mixture of a spoon of soda and 50 grams of soap is enough . If the laundry is not very dirty, the amount of soap shavings can be halved.
In order to prevent soap residue from sticking to the elements of the washing machine, it is better to add a little citric acid to the washing mixture. For hand washing, this is not necessary, and you can even use just grated soap, without additives.
Homemade soap-based powders are a product that is better not to be used on an ongoing basis in automatic washing , as it increases the likelihood of breakdowns due to the adhesion of soap mass to the elements of the washing machine.
Read more about washing with laundry soap here.
Borax
The use of borax is possible for processing adult clothes and children's underwear. You can purchase this substance at a pharmacy. A good result is obtained by mixing borax, soda and soap shavings.
One of the popular recipes:
- grate 200 g of laundry soap;
- add a glass of soda ash and the same amount of borax;
- mix everything.
Store covered in a dry place. When washing, add a glass of borax product to the drum (instead of the usual powder).
Soda
Soda ash and baking soda create an alkaline environment, which ensures washing of cotton and linen items. This option is also suitable for processing bed linen, including those made from thick fabrics.
For washing things, it is advisable to set the temperature in the range from 50ºС to 70ºС . Only in this interval the effect will be high. Soda ash has a pronounced bleaching effect. If this is undesirable, then it is replaced with food grade food.
Silk and wool should not be washed with soda solution, as this can lead to damage to the material - fragility and rapid wear.
Read more about washing with soda in this article.
Mustard
The use of mustard is quite universal. Its use allows you to wash things in a machine or by hand.
For processing in an automatic machine you need:
- Place things in the drum.
- Sprinkle 50 g of finely ground mustard directly onto the items.
- Set the washing mode.
- Adjust the temperature reading. It should be no more than 40ºС, otherwise the mustard will brew.
You can even wash woolen items with this product. After treatment, they will smell fresh, and all dirt will be washed away.
Mustard is a product that can be used not only for laundry, but also for washing dishes.
Salt
Regular kitchen salt can be used to wash cotton and linen items. An additional advantage from this use is the preservation of bright colors .
When washing by hand, a solution is prepared based on the proportion: for each liter of water - 1 tbsp. l. salt. The laundry is soaked for a couple of hours, after which it is rinsed well. The disadvantage of this use is its poor effectiveness on difficult stains.
Salt can be used as an addition to another detergent to enhance the effect and maintain the brightness of colors, including during automatic processing.
Soap root
For silk and wool, soap root can be used. You won’t be able to use it right away – you need preparation.
Procedure:
- Prepare the required amount of root - 50 g for each kilogram of dry things.
- Chop the root into small pieces. The smaller they are, the better.
- For every 50 g of dry product you will need ½ liter of water. Boil water.
- Infuse the root for 1 day, stirring occasionally.
- Boil for 60 minutes over low heat.
- Remove from stove.
- Let cool.
- Strain.
- With the remaining root, repeat the entire procedure again, pouring boiling water for 6-8 hours. This will allow you to get another portion of the solution.
As a result of brewing, a soap composition is obtained that can be used for washing by adding to a basin of water. Since the product becomes foamy when washed, it is advisable to use it for hand washing.
You should not prepare a soap solution from the root for future use, since it cannot be stored and must be used immediately.
horse chestnut
Horse chestnut is a natural remedy that can also be used for washing. At the preparation stage you should:
- collect chestnuts;
- remove the top brown layer from them, this is a prerequisite, since the peel can stain fabrics;
- dry the white kernels;
- Grind the chestnuts very finely, it is best to do this in a coffee grinder.
The resulting powder is a laundry detergent; it can be used for both hand washing and machine washing. If you plan to wash by hand, it is advisable to soak the items in advance.
Why do you need to wash clothes without washing powder?
All the proposed methods are suitable if the powder in the house suddenly runs out.
But if you are looking for a way to wash without detergent, so as not to use harmful chemicals in your household, there are special products for this.
CHISTOWN washing powders for washing by hand and in the washing machine have a simple and harmless composition:
- soap;
- soda;
- lemon acid.
These powders are effective, harmless and hypoallergenic.
Now you have a choice - washing clothes without detergent using home remedies or washing by hand and in the washing machine with CHISTOWN powders.
Salt
For washing soiled cotton and linen fabrics, ordinary salt is excellent, which in most cases we use as a seasoning. The advantage of using salt is that colored fabric does not lose its bright appearance, even if you wash it several times.
To use this method, you need to take dirty things and place them in a basin. Using a measuring cup, pour warm water into the basin and note the amount of water. After this, you need to take out the things, squeeze them thoroughly and put them in another container. The remaining water will be the basis for preparing the cleaning solution. For 1 liter of water you need to add one tablespoon of salt. Then the composition must be stirred until the salt is completely dissolved. Place wet items in the prepared solution and leave them for about 2 hours. As soon as the specified time has elapsed, the items must be washed by hand in a salt mixture, squeezed out, and then rinsed thoroughly. This way you will get clean, pleasant-smelling laundry.
What not to use
Many recipes using soap are not machine washable. The soap forms a lot of foam, in addition, the remaining product settles in the tank, drain, filter and drain of the machine. As a result, this disrupts the operation of the washing drum, clogs the holes and disables the equipment.
For the same reasons, the following components and solutions cannot be placed in the automatic machine:
- Solid and liquid soap, soap shavings;
- Vinegar, acids, alkali;
- Mustard powder;
- Plants in crushed form with large fractions.
Even with timely cleaning of the washing machine, the risk of equipment breakdown when using the above components remains very high. But such products are well suited for hand washing. Use acids and alkalis with caution. They will remove old dirt and stubborn stains, but are not suitable for washing children's clothes.
Acids and alkalis can cause severe skin irritation. It is advisable to wear rubber gloves when working with such components. But vinegar can be added with each rinse to make things soft. You can soften water using special filters and traditional methods. How to do this, read the article on how to purify tap water.
How to choose?
The indication “soap powder” on the packaging indicates that the product contains soap.
Additionally, all ingredients must be listed. When making a choice, it is necessary to take into account a number of requirements:
- Natural soap and soda should be the main components of the product.
- It is possible to include natural components - oils, extracts, etc.
- The powder should not spoil the laundry, cause coughing, or wash out the colors.
- A natural product should cope well with most contaminants and provide a slight disinfectant effect.
- The composition must be hypoallergenic. This should be mentioned on the packaging.
- In eco-friendly natural soap-based products, anionic surfactants are not desirable in the composition.
- The product should not foam too much, as this may indicate additional synthetic components.
- There should be no pronounced aroma from the powder itself or from items after washing. A strong strong odor is a sign of the use of synthetic fragrance.
It is important that the packaging is intact, without damage, and contains all the necessary information about the composition and the manufacturer itself.
Lemon for cleaning an apartment
Lemon is distinguished by the fact that, along with the strong cleansing properties of its sour juice, it also has a pleasant natural smell. It is not for nothing that household chemicals produced industrially are often scented with the smell of lemon.
Thanks to its unique properties, lemon can help in several cases:
For cleaning the microwave oven.
Huge difficulties always arise when trying to tidy up the inside of a microwave. A simple recipe for a solution of lemon juice and water in proportions of 3 tablespoons per 400 ml can come to the rescue. If you heat an open container with this solution in a microwave oven at the highest power for 10 minutes, then at the end all that remains is to wipe the inside of the oven with a cloth to completely clean it.
Lemon as a natural air freshener.
By cutting a lemon in half and leaving it close to, for example, the cat's litter box, you can henceforth forget about the source of the unpleasant odor.
A slice of lemon will also do a great job of removing limescale deposits on the tap.
Simply wipe the mixer with lemon and then secure the result with a dry cloth or sponge.
