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Eco-hacks for the Laundry

#ecolaundry #ecoliving #laundryhacks #soapberries #soapberries #organic #organiclaundry #natural #ecoliving #economical #raw #vegan #paleo #hypoallergenic #nochemical #wholefoods #zerowaste #thatredhouse #antibacterial #antifungal #chemicalfree #wastefree #gentle #compostable #allnatural #thatredhouse #wooldryerballs #woolballs #reduce

We are all trying to reduce our impact on the environment, as well as our wallets. Here are some hacks that might help you out in the laundry.

Chalk

That’s right! Chalk! It will not only enable your budding picasso at the blackboard, but it can help you in the laundry too! Keep some handy for those tough greasy stains. Simply rub the chalk directly onto the stain and watch it absorb the grease! Then wash the garment as normal.

Re-shape a stretched jumper
Before you start making rags out of that over stretched jumper your teenager will no longer wear, soak it in a bucket of luke warm water with some hair conditioner. Push it back into the desired shape and dry it flat. Voila!

Chewy mess

Kids and chewing gum usually results in a bad haircut or a new t-shirt. To remove the chewing gum from an item of clothing – place the garment in the freezer and once the gum is frozen, it can be snapped/shattered/broken off and removed. This method is not recommended for the kids hair! Ok, not your own kid anyway, but maybe that kid down the street you can’t warm too! #jokingnotjoking

Keep you denims looking rockstar

To keep your fav black drain pipes from looking worn and faded, add a couple of cups of brewed coffee or tea to your rinse cycle, it will keep your denims looking guitar-smashing black. Save those half consumed cups in the morning!

Make friends with vinegar – she is like your rock solid girlfriend

Like your girlfriend, vinegar can also be powerful at making your day.
Use her as a:

  • Fabric softener - simply add 1/2 cup to the rinse cycle.
  • Fabric protector - reduces fading of fabrics (add to the rinse cycle)
  • Pre-soaker to remove grub and grime
  • Stain remover - mix with bicarb soda to make a paste and apply to stain
  • Lint and static reducer (add 1/4 cup to the rinse cycle)
  • To remove nasty chemicals from new fabrics - soak new clothes in diluted vinegar, then wash, before you wear them. 

Brighten your whites the natural, cheap and eco way with...

LEMONS!!
Mix 1/2 cup lemon juice (or sliced lemons) with 3 litres of very hot water. Soak the clothes in the solution for an hour or overnight (for better results), then wash as usual. Do not use on silk or wool.

Line dry and if you can’t, use Wool Dryer Balls

The sun is the biggest stain remover, bleacher of whites and killer of bacteria. It’s definitely the best option when it comes to clothes drying but we all know in life, the sun ain’t always shining!  The dryer should be a last resort and if you do have to use it, make sure you have some wool dryer balls in your machine. They absorb moisture, create pockets of air for a more even distribution of heat and drastically reduce drying time (by more than 40%) wrinkles, ironing time and static. #ecofurrydryingballs

Using Soapberries? Save power and water - turn off your rinse cycle

If you’re using soapberries (and if not – why the hell aren’t you?!) you can turn off the rinse cycle on your machine. This will save you power and massive amounts of water! The natural soap in soapberries is a surfactant, which means it breaks the surface tension of the water and draws the dirt out and away from the fibres of the clothing. This leaves NOTHING behind to be rinsed out of the clothing fibres. If you can’t turn off the rinse cycle on your machine, your berries will not be affected in any way. #ecocrustywashingballs

Sort as you hang…

If you have the unfortunate task of washing for a lot of people, hang garments on the line in segments according to who they belong to. That way when you bring the clothes in, they’ll already be sorted! A kids and adults wash basket can also help with this!

Do you have a hungry sock monster lurking in your kids bedrooms?

The sock monster seems to eat a lot of socks, but rarely two of the same? It’s weird.  Anyway... to keep pairs together, give your small people (or the larger people in the house if they need it) a lingerie/delicates wash bag to pop their socks in when they take them off. Then just throw the whole bag in the wash and the socks ‘should’ stay together. Now… a small detail… how to get the kids to use the bag! 
And on second thought, If you have large people in the house who need to use this method. Slap them.



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