Hand wash laundry detergent?

[messylttlfoodie]

Hi, I couldn't find anything on here so if I missed something please refer me to the correct thread, but I'm really interested in what I could do to handwash my clothes since my living situation means either my clothes get washed with everyone else's with chemicals or I wash them myself in the sink but I have no idea what to use that's safe for both my hands and my clothes.

I have a very small wardrobe, and it's sadly mostly acrylic fabric (I just can't afford new cotton clothes now so I'm doing my best with what I have access to) I feel that the detergent issue is more pressing than the actual fabric issue.

What kind of non toxic hand wash laundry detergents do you recommend, and any tips on treating particular everyday stains?

TIA!

 

[Herbie]

@messylttlfoodie

Ray Peat recommend using "washing soda" which is baking soda.

The traditional bars of washing soap for hand washing are mainly made of beef tallow but have fragrance and some additives.

 

[Sphagnum]

@messylttlfoodie

Ray Peat recommend using "washing soda" which is baking soda.

The traditional bars of washing soap for hand washing are mainly made of beef tallow but have fragrance and some additives.

Washing soda is sodium carbonate, while baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. Washing soda has a higher pH and is more effective for laundering clothing.

You can actually make washing soda from baking soda very easily by simply dry heating the baking soda in a pot or in the oven. It’s great if you live somewhere that washing soda isn’t readily available.

I concur with Herbie and Ray on washing soda being a good choice. Borax can be used in a similar fashion. Borax is sometimes ingested in small amounts to add boron to the diet, as a bonus (helps retain calcium.) Both Borax and washing soda work in similar fashions, washing soda being a bit stronger. You’d generally soak the clothing in hot or warm water and the powder you choose for a while. Then, while wearing gloves (not necessary but gentler on your skin) you would scrub them clean.

Now it is best to add a little detergent to the water to help lift and remove the sebum and dirt so that they don’t resettle in the fabric. The reason laundry detergent is used in a washer as opposed to whatever other soap we have around like Castile soap or liquid hand soap, is that “detergent” means there are additives that keep the soap from building up in the clothing material. That build up with make your clothes dingy, heavy, and more prone to mildew. I’m not sure where you live or what your budget is, but I would try to find a detergent that is mostly bad-chemical free. I’ve seen 365 brand, and Seventh Generation labels and both looked okay. Baby detergents are usually less chemical laden, but never a guarantee.

Again, I don’t know your budget, but in another thread here it was mentioned that Terra Wash+Mag is great from cleaning clothing without detergent. You just add the reusable packet to the machine (in your case the sink) and wash. It also works by raising the pH so you’d have to let it soak a short while to get going, and then scrub. It’s about $50 for the reusable packet, but they last a long time (like a year minimum, with user here saying that they easily go longer.) It’s a higher up-front cost, but could save money overall in the long run because good detergent isn’t cheap either.

Both washing soda and borax are also good for “everyday stains” as you asked. For stains in general, though, if you know what caused the stain then you can usually search online specifically for getting that type of stain out. Both washing soda and borax are alkaline, but sometimes an acid like vinegar, or an oxidizer like peroxide are better for the particular stain you have. I would rinse whatever stain remover used out fully before washing as it could have a reaction with whatever you’re using to launder. For example if it’s a stain that requires a vinegar soak, the vinegar is going to react harshly with washing soda if you don’t rinse it out first. It’s likely won’t ruin anything, but it could make a foamy mess and would also weaken the cleaning strength of the wash water.