Doing laundry is one of those tasks: everyone has to do it, when it’s done you feel a tremendous sense of satisfaction, when it becomes Mt. Washmore, you feel a tremendous sense of dread and pressure. As FLYlady (my good friend and email mentor) likes to say: Nothing says I love you like a drawer full of clean underwear!
Laundry is also one of those tasks that takes a lot of energy; mental physical and electrical (or gas, depending on how your dryer is powered). Is there any way to make laundry less of a chore and to use less energy in the process? Here are a few ideas:
1. Use homemade detergent. Here is a very nice recipe:
A Simple Homemade Detergent Mix ( Inexpensive and EASY to make + free of harmful chemicals)
*16 cups baking soda
*12 cups washing soda
*8 cups grated castile (or Fels Naptha) soap
*Oxygen Bleach (optional)
Combine baking soda, washing soda and soap flakes. If using, add essential oil and mix with a wire whisk. Mix in large bowl and then a blender to finely mix. Use 1/8 cup per load. If you have hard water you might need more product than if you have soft water. Through trial and error you will find the right amount that offers you the cleanest clothes.
Cost:
- Fels Naptha Soap – 97¢ at Walmart
- 76 oz. box of Borax – $3.38 at Walmart
- 55 oz box of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda – $3.24 at Walmart
- 16 oz. container of oxygen bleach – $1.00 at Dollar Tree
An umbrella clothes dryer.
3. Consider not using your dryer. This of course is highly dependent on space and the weather, but a little goes a long way if you are willing to experiment. You can string a clothesline in your backyard or across your porch, you can set up drying racks on your deck, or hang clothes directly on a fence/deck railing. You can hang clothes in your wash room, in your bathroom or set up the drying racks in any room of your house. You can even lay linens directly on the grass! I live in the northeast where cold weather and snow make up much of the year for us, so I try and take advantage of the warm months as much as possible. Every little bit helps.
"That got me thinking..." 