We know that chemical bleaches are unsafe not just for you, your family, and pets, but also for the environment. It is time to go green even when it comes to washing clothes.
A Dash of Fragrance
You can use essential oils like tea tree, lavender, rosemary, eucalyptus, lemon, etc., to your homemade color-safe bleach, to give your clothes a comforting fragrance.
People who use chemical bleaches often complain about respiratory problems. Many chemicals even cause skin allergies. Such chemicals are neither safe for humans and animals, nor for the environment.
Like the solution to many of our problems, the best alternative is to go green. Using less harsher chemicals and environment-safe chemicals is the next best solution. Simple things you can get in and around your home can do wonders for your laundry and nature.
Natural Alternative to Color-safe Bleach
Hydrogen Peroxide
You Will Need
▶ Hydrogen Peroxide (peroxide diluted to 3% solution), 2 cups
▶ Lemon or lime juice or concentrate
▶ Lemon/eucalyptus essential oil, 10 – 20 drops (optional)
▶ Empty and clean milk or vinegar container, 1 gallon
▶ Filtered or distilled water, ¾ gallon
Directions
Pour all the above-mentioned ingredients, one by one, in the 1-gallon container or spray bottle, and mix it well.
Uses
Laundry Booster
For a load of white clothes, pour ½ cup to 2 cups of this solution. For a load of colored clothes, add only ½ cup to 1 cup of the solution. You can also put this solution in a spray bottle and use it to spot-clean directly on stained clothes.
Color-safe Bleach for Colored Clothes
Add 1 to 2 cups of the above-mentioned solution, instead of your bleach, in the slot reserved for bleach of your washing machine. It will also remove any foul odors, while brightening up your clothes.
Color-safe Bleach for Whites
Add 3 – 4 cups of the above solution to hot water. Put your whites one by one in hot water. Then add in your laundry soap, and run a normal wash cycle. You can also choose to add a cup of the solution again in the bleach slot during your rinse cycle.
Fabric Softener
Add the solution in the rinse cycle for extra softening.
Spot Cleaner
For tough and old stains on white clothes, add the above mixture to baking soda and make it into a paste. Apply this paste to old and tough stains. Leave it in for a few minutes and wash it all away.
Other Uses
The above solution can work miracles on other surfaces, viz., windows, mirrors, tiles, tubes, grout, fridge surfaces, etc. It is dishwasher-safe.
Storage
Keep in an airtight container, and store it in a cool and dark place away from direct sunlight.
Sunlight
You Will Need
▶ Sunny day
▶ Place for clothes to dry
▶ Clothes line
▶ Washed white clothes
Directions
Once the white clothes are washed, hang them out to dry in sunlight. The sunlight will effectively brighten your clothes while working as a natural disinfectant. Keep an eye on your colored clothes and do not hang them under direct sunlight for too long; you could always choose to hang them in the shade.