Green Cleaning: For Your Clothing!

     It's a whole new year and you know what that means... Resolution time! One of my main resolutions this year is to utilize natural "green" household cleaners, deodorizers, hair/beauty products, ect. and get rid of the chemical-laden sprays and scrubs I previously used! Going green is not only better for the environment, it's also great for your pocketbook! I'll be incorporating posts over the next few months with tips and tricks on how you can go green (cleaning wise) for 2012. This week I would like to focus on our favorite topic here at Azuma: LAUNDRY!

     Did you know you can make your own laundry detergent that works just as well as the manufactured kind you would buy in a store? Even better, did you know you could make that detergent for a fraction of the cost? It's true! With the right ingredients, you could wash your clothes for as little as .003 cents per load! Now let's take a look at this spectacular process, which actually looks extremely fun in a science experiment-type way.
      The first thing you will need to do is gather your ingredients. You can purchase everything you need, a whopping 3 items total, at any grocery or drug store. The ingredients include borax, washing soda, and a bar of soap. That's it!!! Any bar of soap will do, but upon my research names such as Fels-Naptha, Ivory, Zote, and Dr. Bronner's were on the top of most DIY-er's lists. After you get the ingredients it's time for the fun to begin!
     Take the bar of soap and grate it with a cheese grater. Ideally you want the soap as fine as possible, I would recommend using the small side or Parmesan cheese side of the grater.  If you have a food processor, I hear that works wonders too! Just grate the soap, then add your other ingredients and pulse until smooth. Otherwise you would just add the other ingredients and stir until well combined. A good ratio for this would be 1 bar of soap (grated), 1 cup washing soda, and 1/2 cup borax. From here you can leave it be and use that as a powdered detergent, about 1 tablespoon is all you need per load! Another option would be to liquefy the detergent a.k.a. the fun part.

     To make the liquid detergent, you are going to need two extra things that were not included for the powder - water and a 5 gallon jug or bucket. You will first grate the soap as before, only this time you will add it to 4 cups boiling water and stir until melted.  Then you will fill your bucket half full with water and pour your soap solution into it. After that, add the same amount of borax and washing soda (1/2 and 1 cup respectively) and mix, making sure you get the bottom and sides. Top off the bucket with some more water and stir once more for good measure. Finally, place a top on your bucket and allow to sit overnight. Stir once more the next day and then, using a funnel, fill a small container halfway (recycled detergent bottles work great of course, but you could also use milk jugs, glass jars, ect). Add more water, shake, and wah-lah - your own homemade laundry detergent, with plenty to spare or share! Using the liquid detergent couldn't be easier, just add 5/8 cups to your top-loading washer or 1/4 cup to your front-loader! There's no denying, whether you prefer powder or liquid, making your own detergent is a great way to save money and help our wonderful planet! So until next time, stay clean (and green)!!!