What is Laundry Detergent?
Detergent (Merriam-Webster) -any of numerous synthetic water-soluble or liquid organic preparations that are chemically different from soaps but are able to emulsify oils, hold dirt in suspension, and act as wetting agents.
Whether in liquid, powder, or pod form, laundry detergent has been around for a quite a while. While some type of cleaning agent has been used since ancient times, laundry detergent came<img alt="armours laundry soap" class="hs-image-align-right" src="https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/8800969/armours%20laundry%20soap.jpg" style="width: 150px;" width="150"> into being around the early 20th century, due to the shortage of available ingredients in Germany during WWI to create soap for washing. Synthetic detergents, while they may be produced from petroleum or traditional fats and oils,&#xA0; are not derived from fatty acids. Their chief advantages over soap are that they can be formulated at lower pH and that they perform well even in hard water. This was a more chemical alternative to washing soap (which was in either a solid, flake, or liquid form) and has been popular commodity ever since. Today, you can find it in a more natural and sustainable form of laundry detergent which we will discuss here.
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What&apos;s in (Natural) Laundry Detergent?
Natural laundry detergents have only a few common ingredients.&#xA0;Its the combination, lack or use of these ingredients that makes each formulation unique.&#xA0;
<img alt="551e09a8117b5.image" class="hs-image-align-none" src="https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/8800969/551e09a8117b5.image.jpg" style="width: 688px;" width="688">
Borax a.k.a Sodium Borate - a natural component that has an effectiveness often compared to OxiClean. It works by converting water molecules to hydrogen peroxide. It has a pH of 9.3 and produces a basic solution in water which increases the effectiveness of cleaners.&#xA0;
Baking Soda - a natural particle that dissolves while cleansing. It is a natural alkaline that neutralizes acids and washes away oils and dirt. It is great to use in soaps, bath salts, and skin scrubs.
Washing Soda a.k.a Sodium Carbonate - an excellent stain remover and sometimes used as a water softener. Often used in combination with sodium borate, also known as borax. It increases the effectiveness of laundry detergent and is also a cleaning agent.
<div class="hs-callout-type-tip" data-hs-callout-type="tip">
Tip: A lot of commercial detergents will use softening agents in their products to soften clothes while washing by leaving a residue on the fabric. Natural Detergents have no such additive. Using White Vinegar in your load much like fabric softener will provide the softness but with out the harsh chemical component. Don&apos;t worry, the vinegar smell dissipates in the washing cycle (there is a possibility that the white vinegar may degrade the rubber components of the washer over time, so check your appliance&apos;s user guide and don&apos;t use it too frequently).
</div>
Soap -&#xA0; a surfactant used in conjunction with water for washing and cleaning. Can come in a solid or liquid form and is the base ingredient in detergents. You can make your own soap, or buy a popular brand name bar used in laundry like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fels-Naptha" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Fels-Naptha</a> or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zote_(soap)" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Zote</a> (If making a liquid detergent you can also use <a href="https://www.drbronner.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Dr. Bonner&apos;s Liquid Castile Soap</a>)
Fragrance - an optional additive that makes the formulation as well as your clothes smell wonderfully.&#xA0;
All of these ingredients can be found on our sister websites, <a href="https://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/default.aspx" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Wholesale Supplies Plus</a>, <a href="https://www.makeyourown.buzz/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">MakeYourOwn.Buzz</a>, <a href="https://www.elementsbathandbody.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Elements Bath and Body</a>, <a href="https://www.rusticescentuals.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Rustic Escentuals</a>, and <a href="https://www.justscent.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Just Scent</a>. 
<div class="hs-callout-type-caution" data-hs-callout-type="caution">
As always, test any new formulation or ingredient before use to ensure it works as intended and make sure you are in compliance with all FDA regulations.
</div>
 Recipes to try:&#xA0;
<div class="hs-embed-wrapper" data-responsive="true" data-service="vimeo" style="position: relative; overflow: hidden; width: 100%; height: auto; padding: 0; max-width: 640px; max-height: 360px; min-width: 256px; display: block; margin: auto;"><div class="hs-embed-content-wrapper"><div style="position: relative; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 56.25%; margin: 0px;"><iframe allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/164471591?h=d03fb7e9de" style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; border: none;" title="vimeo-player" width="640"></iframe></div></div></div>
 <a href="https://www.lisabronner.com/green-laundry-care-with-dr-bronners-video/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Green Laundry Care with Dr. Bronner&#x2019;s</a>
<a href="https://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/handmade101/how-to-make-recipes/coastal-cottage-laundry-soap.aspx" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Costal Cottage Laundry Soap Recipe</a>
<a href="https://homemadeonourhomestead.com/effective-and-toxin-free-laundry-soap/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Homemade Laundry Detergent with Essential Oils</a>

Natural Laundry Detergent

What is a Soap Nut exactly?
&#xA0; &#xA0; &#xA0; Soap nuts are actually the dried shells (or husks) from the soapberry nut, which come from the Sapindus mukorossi tree&#x2014;a unique species of trees found in both the eastern and western hemispheres, but native to the tropical conditions of India and Nepal. While called a nut, they&apos;re<img alt="13435-Soap-nuts" class="hs-image-align-right" src="https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/8800969/13435-Soap-nuts.png" style="width: 310px;" width="310"> actually classified as dried berries (or rather, the husks of berries) so those with nut allergies need not worry. Soap Nuts are 100% natural and biodegradable, making them an wonderful alternative to chemical detergents.&#xA0;&#xA0;
<div data-ved="2ahUKEwjTsuWUoaP2AhVsUt8KHZOIC9QQ7NUEegQIFRAD">
<div data-hveid="CBUQBA" data-ved="2ahUKEwjTsuWUoaP2AhVsUt8KHZOIC9QQu04oAHoECBUQBA">
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<div aria-level="3" data-attrid="wa:/description" data-hveid="CA0QAA">&#xA0;</div>
<div aria-level="3" data-attrid="wa:/description" data-hveid="CA0QAA">How does it work?</div>
<div aria-level="3" data-attrid="wa:/description" data-hveid="CA0QAA">&#xA0; &#xA0; &#xA0;The shells of the Soap Nut contains a natural soap, called Saponin.&#xA0; When the nutshells absorb water, the Saponin is released, which creates a bubbly lather and that is what is used to wash your clothing. &#xA0;To use for a full load, place between 4-6 nuts in a muslin bag (which is either provided at time of purchase or you can purchase your own) then throw the sack of nuts into the machine and wash as usual. Be sure not to overfill your machine with laundry, as soap nuts work the best when they have room to move around. When done, simply hang the bag of soap nuts to dry until your ready to use them for your next load.&#xA0; &#xA0; &#xA0; &#xA0;If you need to hand wash an item, you can certainly still use these!&#xA0; Just put around 2 nuts in the muslin bag and soak them in a jar of hot water (be sure to agitate the jar a little).&#xA0; Then add the water mixture to your sink or large bowl of cool water and hand wash away. &#xA0; &#xA0; &#xA0;Soap nuts may be used several times (About 10 washes, or until the soap nuts disintegrate). Once the shells become soft, grey, and start to disintegrate, toss them into your compost.&#xA0;</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="hs-callout-type-tip" data-hs-callout-type="tip">
Tip: Saponin needs hot water in order to be activated.&#xA0; For cold water loads, simply stick the bag of soap nuts into a jar (mason or whatever you have on hand) of hot water, shake for a minute or so, and let them soak while you prepare your load. Once you&apos;re ready, simply tip the contents of the jar (nuts included)&#xA0; into the load to wash!
</div>
 Benefits of using Soap Nuts
&#xA0;Gentle - Soap Nuts are a great option for those who have sensitive skin, eczema, or psoriasis. &#xA0;<img alt="Growing-Requirements-for-Soap-Nuts" class="hs-image-align-left" src="https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/8800969/Growing-Requirements-for-Soap-Nuts.jpg" style="width: 155px;" width="155">They are perfect for laundering baby clothes, cloth diapers, and delicate items, leaving no harsh chemical residue.
Versatile - Soap nuts can be used for all laundry types: hand-washed, commercial and standard machines, as well as HE washers.&#xA0; They are also safe for both septic and greywater systems. It can also be used&#xA0;for shampoo or body wash formulations as well.&#xA0; It can come in solid or powder form, and a liquid concentrate can be made from it.&#xA0;
Economical and Environmental Friendly - A little goes a long way with these! It costs significantly less to purchase and use soap nuts as a natural alternative to chemical detergents and there is no plastic waste associated with these. They are 100% natural and biodegradable.&#xA0;
&#xA0;
Recipes:&#xA0;
<a href="https://blog.mountainroseherbs.com/homemade-laundry-detergent-recipe" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap with Soap Nuts-Mountain Rose Herbs</a>
<h3 id="soap-nut-powder-detergent">Soap Nut Powder Detergent&#xA0;</h3>
 1 cup <a href="https://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/products/soap-nut-powder-fine.aspx" rel="noopener" target="_blank">S</a>oap Nut Powder &#x2013; Fine&#xA0;
&#xBD; Cup Sodium Carbonate&#xA0;
&#xBD; Cup Sodium Bicarbonate&#xA0; 
(These ingredients can be found on <a href="https://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/default.aspx" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Wholesale Supplies Plus</a> and <a href="https://www.makeyourown.buzz/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">MakeYourOwn.Buzz)</a> 
Directions: (Wear a mask and Goggles for safety because the powders are fine and will become airborne)&#xA0;
<ol>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-level="1" data-aria-posinset="1" data-font data-leveltext="%1." data-listid="11">Add 1 cup of Fine Soap Nut Powder, 1 cup sodium carbonate, 1 cup sodium bicarbonate and mix.&#xA0;</li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-level="1" data-aria-posinset="2" data-font data-leveltext="%1." data-listid="11">Use 2-3 teaspoons per wash load.&#xA0;</li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-level="1" data-aria-posinset="3" data-font data-leveltext="%1." data-listid="11">Store in a ziplock bag or airtight container.</li>
</ol>
The Results:&#xA0;
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-level="1" data-aria-posinset="1" data-font="Symbol" data-leveltext="&#xF0B7;" data-listid="13">This was super simple to make. I put the dry mix in the dry detergent dispenser of my washer, used hot water.&#xA0;&#xA0;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-level="1" data-aria-posinset="1" data-font="Symbol" data-leveltext="&#xF0B7;" data-listid="13">It did not clear all the way out of the dispenser, and upon doing more research, I found that the powder will disintegrate better if thrown directly in with the clothes.&#xA0;&#xA0;</li>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-level="1" data-aria-posinset="2" data-font="Symbol" data-leveltext="&#xF0B7;" data-listid="13">This recipe also worked surprisingly well. My bath towels, and my son&#x2019;s clothes came out clean and free of odors. I also did not use softener, and the items were soft and fluffy out of the dryer.&#xA0; Excellent Cleaning power!&#xA0;&#xA0;</li>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-level="1" data-aria-posinset="3" data-font="Symbol" data-leveltext="&#xF0B7;" data-listid="13">My favorite of all the homemade choices.&#xA0;</li>
</ul>
&#xA0;
<div class="hs-callout-type-caution" data-hs-callout-type="caution">
As always, test any new formulation or ingredient before use to ensure it works as intended and make sure you are in compliance with all FDA regulations.&#xA0;
</div>
&#xA0;

Soap Nuts

What is Dishwasher Detergent?
Like with Laundry Detergent, Dishwasher Detergent is a synthetic water-soluble or liquid organic preparation that is chemically different from soap but is able to emulsify oils, hold dirt in <img alt="11200-Dishwasher" class="hs-image-align-left" src="https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/8800969/11200-Dishwasher.jpg" style="width: 136px;" width="136">suspension, and act as wetting agents. It is used in either powder, tablet, pod or liquid form in automatic dish washing machines to clean and sanitize a household&apos;s dishes. Created in the early 20th century, this product has been a staple in all types of households for many generations.&#xA0;
&#xA0;
What&apos;s in Natural Dishwasher Detergent? Like all natural products, dishwasher detergents only has a few common ingredients. 
Borax - disinfectant;&#xA0;a natural component that has an effectiveness often compared to OxiClean. It works by converting water molecules to hydrogen peroxide.
Salt -Many type of salt can be used (Sea Salt, Epsom, etc.)&#xA0; Gritty substance good for scouring grime and stuck on food from dishes.
Citric Acid - acidic ingredient to eliminate hard water spots and remove the film on dishes.
Washing Soda - Good for eliminating odor and cutting through grease.
White Vinegar - Rinsing Agent. Don&apos;t worry, the vinegar smell dissipates in the washing cycle (there is a possibility that the white vinegar may degrade the rubber components of the dishwasher over time, so check your appliance&apos;s user guide and don&apos;t use it too frequently).
<div class="hs-callout-type-note" data-hs-callout-type="note">
Note: the success of your formula depends on water quality, or more specifically the hardness of the water. Each city (or well) has water that will react differently. Most people have hard water (even with city water or water softeners), which can be problematic for for some recipes. Hard water will cause cloudiness or a powdery residue to remain on clean dishes. You may have to adjust your formulation based on this.
</div>
All of these ingredients can be found on our sister websites,&#xA0;<a href="https://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/default.aspx" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Wholesale Supplies Plus</a>,&#xA0;<a href="https://www.makeyourown.buzz/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">MakeYourOwn.Buzz</a>,&#xA0;<a href="https://www.elementsbathandbody.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Elements Bath and Body</a>,&#xA0;<a href="https://www.rusticescentuals.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Rustic Escentuals</a>, and&#xA0;<a href="https://www.justscent.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Just Scent</a>.
&#xA0;
<div class="hs-embed-wrapper" data-responsive="true" data-service="youtube" style="position: relative; overflow: hidden; width: 100%; height: auto; padding: 0; max-width: 560px; max-height: 315px; min-width: 256px; display: block; margin: auto;"><div class="hs-embed-content-wrapper"><div style="position: relative; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 56.25%; margin: 0px;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9OivmnM3usk" style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; border: none;" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div></div></div>
&#xA0;
<div class="hs-callout-type-caution" data-hs-callout-type="caution">
As always, test any new formulation or ingredient before use to ensure it works as intended and make sure you are in compliance with all FDA regulations.
</div>
 Recipes to try:
<a href="https://www.diynatural.com/homemade-dishwasher-detergent-soap/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Recipe-DIY Natural</a> <a href="https://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/handmade101/how-to-make-recipes/homemade-dishwasher-tablets.aspx" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Homemade Dishwasher Tablets-Wholesale Supplies Plus</a> <a href="https://www.makeyourown.buzz/green-living-recipes/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Green Living Recipes-MakeYourOwn.Buzz</a>

Natural Dishwasher Detergent

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