Please stop buying big plastic bottles of laundry detergent

[Maraya1969]

They are ruining our planet, especially our oceans.

I was told years ago to mix borax with washing soda and use a good quality environmentally friendly soap that you shave off, ( I use a potato peeler). You can add more or less of the soap. (I am not getting money out of their but I but a lot of good soaps from Etsy)

Apparently now they are suggesting that you boil the water first. I don't understand why and personally I never needed to do it. Here is one of the formulas that boil water first.


How do I make homemade laundry detergent?
Begin by boiling 8 cups of water, says Balanced. Next, add 2 cups of borax and 2 cups of baking soda. Dilute 1 cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide with 2 cups of water; add to mixture. Add 2 cups of dish soap and another 8 cups of boiling water.

You can also by sheets of detergent but personally I like the homade ones. Plus I can add my favorite scents from creative soaps

[senseandsensibility]

1. Thank you for this suggestion

I am the type that needs to be nagged about stuff like this, so I honestly appreciate it. What are some brands of sheet detergent since I may be too lazy to make the homemade kind?

[Maraya1969]

58. I have bought several different kinds and truthfully I don't see much difference. I found a drying

sheet I believe by 7th generation, (I am not home so I can't check it) that is made with lavender and that smells great.

That being said I like the combination of washing soda with borax and adding some soap. I suppose you could add any liquid soap that is environmentally friendly. You can make a big tub of it and just add a few tablespoons of liquid detergent.

[we can do it]

104. You use a dryer??? This is a bit hypocritical.

[intheflow]

107. Good lord.

Maybe they rent a room with no space to hang drying clothes. Maybe they don’t have a w/d at home and don’t want to and/or are physically unable to haul baskets of wet clothes home. No one can lead a pure life in the modern world, and I’ll bet there are many places in your own life where you are a “hypocrite” to your own ideals. Do you drive a car or take a bus to work? Contributing to emissions. Do you eat prepared food, or for that matter, buy anything from a grocery store? Even fresh produce comes in plastic these days. Etc.

[we can do it]

110. I didn't start the discussion so back off.

We are solar all electric and I do walk to work…. And if you have room to make your own laundry soap you have room to air dry. We do it every vacation.

[intheflow]

115. Oh, your vacation home is roomy enough to dry your laundry?

[we can do it]

116. Small hotel room, no vacation home. What is your problem?

[Maraya1969]

118. Thank you. In this day and age any attempt at saving the environment should be applauded

not ridiculed. That being said I do drive a hybrid and and right now having solar installed on my roof, (They have a new program that won't cost me $30,000 damn dollars but just an agreement with the solar company). All of my paper products are either 100% recycled or made from bamboo. Even my poop pick up bags are compostable, along with the new sandwich bags I found.

I didn't feel the need to say that to the person who ragged on me but I wanted to tell you.

[wnylib]

74. Gain makes washer sheets. They come in a cardboard box.

I've never tried them, but maybe I will.

[Elessar Zappa]

2. I tried homemade but I couldn't find a combination that didn't make me itch like crazy.

[Maraya1969]

59. Maybe you need a good, natural dryer sheet?

[mgardener]

81. I bought woolen dryer balls

Reusable , drying time is less and they biodegrade when thrown out.
I have been using the same 2 since March

[Maraya1969]

99. Oh I have them too!!! I forgot. But mine are about 4 years old......maybe I am just cheap and

don't want to buy any knew. I put essential oils on them that make everything smell good!

[we can do it]

102. Air drying should be suggested by person originizing this discussion.

Air-drying your clothes can reduce the average household's carbon footprint by a whopping 2,400 pounds a year.

https://www.greenamerica.org/green-living/ditch-your-dryer#:~:text=In%20many%20households%2C%20the%20dryer,whopping%202%2C400%20pounds%20a%20year.

[we can do it]

112. Dryer sheets are bad for the environment because you cannot recycle them.

They contain volatile organic compounds or VOCs, and the lack of regulation around dryer sheets makes their use dangerous to you and the ecosystem at large. In a nutshell, dryer sheets are bad for the environment because they are not sustainable or recyclable and contain volatile compounds.

https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/are-dryer-sheets-bad-for-environment.php#:~:text=They%20contain%20volatile%20organic%20compounds,recyclable%20and%20contain%20volatile%20compounds.

[Meadowoak]

3. I use CLEAN PEOPLE detergent sheets, made in Canada, they work really well.

[JCMach1]

64. Just find some environmental friendly concentrate sheets

I do that and have a number of ceramic bead balls and magnets.

Add Odoban if you have to disinfect and de-skunkify

[Maraya1969]

121. You know with the wolen balls I do not have to keep the dryer on that much. I put it on "Less dry"

and most everything is done. My clothes get hung up. I might look up those ceramic bead balls.

[JCMach1]

127. My newer washer doesn't have a center agitator, so the balls help keep the agitation going

whatever the woo science behind the chemistry.

The can also slip into the dryer and help keep wrinkles down (similar to the wool balls).

[ariadne0614]

76. We just received our first CleanPeople order.

One less guilt trip trigger. Glad to hear you like them.

[Goddessartist]

4. Right on! We buy Ecos laundry sheets at Costco - link below

Right here -

https://www.costco.com/ecos-he-laundry-detergent-sheets%2c-free-%2526-clear%2c-100-loads%2c-100-sheets%2c-2-count.product.4000104131.html

[CrispyQ]

5. Most cat litter also comes in plastic containers.

[wnylib]

75. And milk. It's hard to avoid plastic.

[Cheezoholic]

89. We have a dairy in N. Indiana that has switched to glass bottles

The price is about 4.50 a half gallon but you can return the bottle to the store and get 2.99 deposit back. Just like the good 'ol days

[wnylib]

92. WOW. I can't remember the last time that I saw a glass milk bottle.

Wonder why milk bottlers switched from the waxy paper cartons that you could pull open. Maybe tree sources were too expensive? Plastic is pretty cheap to produce, even though petroleum is used on making it.

[intheflow]

109. The cardboard liquid boxes were also problematic.

They’re lined with a thin layer of plastic. Which is how cardboard becomes waterproof.

[Maraya1969]

122. Did not know that. Shit.

[Maraya1969]

142. Weight a minute. I am not talking about liquid anything. It is powdered washing soda and borax

Nothing liquid in them.

[Maraya1969]

119. You can buy container milk at Whole Foods. I realize Whole Foods is not for everyone but may

be they will start doing that at other stores. I notice also that you can buy container water now! I have refused any water in plastic for years now and anytime I see someone with a plastic container I tell them how the plastic leaches into their body because of it. Maybe someone will care about that. IDK

[wnylib]

120. No Whole Foods anywhere near me.

[TeamProg]

87. Our cats just go outside like the rest of the family.. nt

[Maraya1969]

123. Thank you for that!!!!

It seriously made me crack upl

[vercetti2021]

6. I buy Tide Evo

They come in paper boxes instead

[ProfessorGAC]

7. I'll Disagree

Not on the environmental issues. They could sell detergent in paper cartons, and paper is highly recyclable.
But, soap is a poor substitute for a properly formulated laundry detergent.
Soap is a poor surfactant for protenaceous soils & is, at best, equivalent on oil-based soils.
It's notoriously poor in hard water, and the hardness precipitates don't rinse well during that cycle. Then, using a fabric softener doesn't help because any metathetic reaction will leave behind the fat from which soap is made.
There's a huge chemical difference between soaps & detergents. The physical chemistry of the soil removal is a minimum of 5x more efficient using chemistry-derived surfactants.
Oh, and synthetic surfactants are actually more readily biodegradable in municipal waste water treatment sites.

[sl8]

17. When they say "dish soap", don't they mean "detergent"?

That's in the second recipe, the first one definitely calls for bar soap.

I googled the second recipe and found it in many places, some specify Dawn dish "soap", which I've always thought was a misnomer. No?

[marybourg]

51. Lately they have started to call it soap. I looked it up thinking it was

a new product, but it seems to be the same dishwashing detergent, as it used to be called. They seem to be wanting to muddy the (dish)water, maybe because of well, things like this thread. And doesn’t dishwashing detergent come in the same kind of big plastic jug as washing machine detergent?

I asked on this thread what “dish soap” is and have not received an answer yet. Years ago, many years ago, my mother washed dishes by hand with a bar of soap meant for dishwashing. But she also needed to use steel wool to get the pots clean. I just very quickly looked up “dish soap” on Amazon, and there seems to be a small number of incredibly expensive ($10 a bar) products with that title.

[ProfessorGAC]

56. Yes

There are a few commercial products for hard surface applications based on soap.
But the VAST majority are synthetic surfactant combinations.
Yes, it is a misnomer. Dawn (which is, as advertised, better than the average product) is a blend of sulfated alcohol salts & amine oxide. So are Palmolive & Sundrops. As is Ivory, but see below
The dish cleaning industry adopted the term soap for their products, unlike personal care & laundry divisions. For the former, we see body wash, not body soap. Tide is called laundry detergent not laundry soap.
For the dish side, the first national brand for home use was Ivory, which original was a potassium tallowate. The bar soap was the sodium version. (Potassium versions are less stiff and formulate more easily as liquid.) They changed to synthetic surfactants decades ago. That's likely why "soap" stuck.
A long-winded version of saying you are correct, it is a misnomer, chemically speaking.

[sl8]

61. Thanks for the explanation. Good info. nt

[raccoon]

133. So that's why Dawn is more expensive than some other dish detergents, such as Ajax.Thanks, Professor

[ProfessorGAC]

134. The Active Ingredients Concentration Is Higher

Pro tip: use less!
You literally need less Dawn than most (not all) other products.
You can do the same with Palmolive products. Ajax is designed to be Colgate's economy brand. It's not competing with Dawn, but products like Sundrops (made by Sun/Henkel). Still better than the true economy brands which have the same ingredients but more water. (The standards for artifact content & color are lower and their internal standards for color & fragrance consistency are more forgiving.)
Given my background, I encourage my wife to buy premium brands & use a little less, rather than bargain hunt for laundry & dish. I do food shopping & she usually handles the non-consumables, unless I'm going to the store anyway and she tells me to pick up some cleaning product. Then, I follow the same policy.
However, on personal care products I have enough inside knowledge to be able to buy on cost. Certain store brands & Suave are fine for shampoo & body wash.

[WarGamer]

140. Always learn something from reading PGAC... thanks!!

[wnylib]

80. Dish soap is very sudsy. I'd be wary of too many suds causing an overflow.

Dawn is good for a lot of stains, especially grease and oil based ones. I've used it as a pre wash stain remover. Just put a small amount (a few drops to a teaspoon of concentrated Dawn directly on the stain and rub it in, then put the item in the washer without rinsing out the Dawn, and add regular detergent. In a small amount like that, there was no suds build up. Worked well on a new pair of lavender slacks that I spilled motor oil on the first time I wore them. I had an old car then and checked the oil when I put gas into the car. A woman near me heard me cussing about the slacks and suggested the Dawn treatment.

[MadameButterfly]

18. As you said, there are options in biodegradable containers

besides soap. The poster's point was to stop buying detergent in plastic.

Laudry detergent is just the tip of the iceberg. Plastic lasts forever.

[ProfessorGAC]

57. That's What I Said

But, the OP brought up a home formula, not me.
So, the laundry detergent was ALSO a point in the OP.

[Hekate]

36. Thank you for explaining the reasons why this won't work for many of us

[Maraya1969]

124. Not quite understanding but is the all natural soap OK. I scrape into thin little pieces and put

in the washing/borax solution. (I'm reading here that borax is not so good)

[ProfessorGAC]

126. Borax Has Buffering Capability...

...in the upper mid pH range. (Around 10.0)
It is used because skin oils have some low pH artifacts that can exchange ions with soap, making the effective concentration go down.
Borax is not a huge safety & health concern in cleaning products. The risk is from ingestion & inhalation, so it's no longer allowed in foods.
As to "natural" soap, there is no other kind. Soap is made by reacting a strong base with a fat or oil. (Those are chemical analogs, but fats come from animals & oils come from plants. The former would be tallow, lard, mutton, the latter being coconut, palm, soybean, corn, and so on.) So in the case of the product you're mentioning, "natural" is a marketing word. There's no other kind of soap.
The process your describing is still susceptible to the lower efficacy & hard water intolerance issues I mentioned earlier.
Basically, I'm objecting to the notion that your home concoction is an effective alternative to synthetic surfactants, though we agree that the mass marketers ought to be pursuing more eco-friendly packaging.

[Maraya1969]

130. They advertise that they only use essential oils. That's good right? Plus are you saying that

installing a whole house water softener is a good idea?

[ProfessorGAC]

135. I Would Generally Say Yes...

...to the softener. Some municipal water systems that draw from large bodies of water (lakes & rivers) are usually very low in hardness, so the softener is a waste of money.
We draw from a river here. When we first moved here, the water was from deep wells. Softeners were a must!
After the built the new water plant, our in-flowing water was literally less than 1 part per million higher in hardness compounds than it was AFTER the softener before.
I haven't priced it lately, but an alternative is to use a sodium EDTA additive lime Calgon. That sequesters hardness and prevents it from reacting with the soap anion.
Not sure if regular use is more or less expensive than a softener.
Might be cheaper to buy a moderately priced laundry brand like Xtra or Surf. Those have very good hard water tolerance. Essentially the same as premium brands.

[Tarc]

8. Pass. There's plastic-free packaging out there that you can buy

Don't have the time to play Scientist-At-Home everytime we wanna do a laundry load.

[Maraya1969]

131. Borax and washing soda come in cartons, not plastic

[Tarc]

139. People aren't gonig to have the time or inclination

to play with Little Bobby's Science Kit and mix their own.

This is silly.

[Maraya1969]

141. Well then call m silly because that's what I do . It's quite easy.

[Maraya1969]

144. If it is too confusing for you just buy detergent in boxes. That way you don't have to pretend

you are a scientist and be silly about it.

[Tarc]

145. Ok, Wavy Gravy

[Maraya1969]

146. Running out of things to say so reducing to ad homonyms eh?

This entire conversation is silly.

[Torchlight]

9. We use the same recipe as you and it works great!

Reduce, Renew, Reuse, and Recycle! has strangely become our way of life. Not near as fancy as our snobby, sea-lion aquiantences may like, but then, we're not doing their laundry.

[eppur_se_muova]

10. Some water supplies contain dissolved hydrogen carbonate (bicarbonate) ions, which decompose ...

... on boiling to form insoluble carbonates. If the water is not boiled, the calcium and magnesium ions in solution will combine with the soap to form poorly insoluble solids ("hard water" ). If the water is boiled, it becomes "soft water", in which soap can function properly to emulsify oils.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_water#Temporary_hardness

[MadameButterfly]

21. I'm not sure I follow but I get the ghist

that the boiling matters. Thanks for helping us non-chemists do the right thing

[eppur_se_muova]

50. If you don't have trouble making suds without the boiling, then it's not needed.

But if the soap doesn't lather at all well, you may have a hard water problem. Boiling might or might not help, depending on what kind of salts are present.

If you live in an area with a real hard water problem, chances are everyone in the neighborhood knows it.

[Hekate]

13. You sound like a returnee. Enjoy your very brief stay, Les Samaad

[Torchlight]

14. Sounds serious.

Good luck, lil' cowboy.

[Hekate]

12. I have an HE front-loader washer. It came with the house & I'd like it to last...

Your recipe, sadly, sounds like a recipe for disaster in my household.

Does your recipe say how much to use per load? The hydrogen peroxide must be used fairly promptly once it is mixed into something, I believe.

[marybourg]

16. Yes, once hydrogen peroxide is opened

it degrades into uselessness fairly rapidly.

[RussellCattle]

31. I would think that the hydrogen peroxide, diluted as it is in this formulation (one cup of a 3%....

....solution into 16-17 cups of other ingredients for a resultant concentration of 19 parts in 10,000)
would be pretty useless.

[marybourg]

35. That's another issue.

[wnylib]

83. I'd worry about it leeching color from clothing, or

causing colors to bleed into each other.

[boston bean]

54. There is HE powdered detergent. Tide makes it.

[snowybirdie]

15. We all need to be mindful

of doing things to limit damage to the planet. But in these days of families with working moms, raising kids, being super sports fans and chauffeurs and all the other things that usually women have to do daily, I find the posting ambitious and a bit unrealistic. Its hard to get it all done in a 24 hour period. You can buy detergent pods in bags or soap sheets in cardboard boxes. Not perfect, but much better. Glad I'm done with all that. It was so exhausting. Kudos for all those tired ladies (and some dads).

[MadameButterfly]

22. I congratulate the poster who was doing all this before

the pods and soap sheets existed. Yes, there are easier options now.

[meadowlander]

97. The other good option if you've got a good bulk store near you is bring your own container

and just get refills when you need them.

[marybourg]

19. What is "dish soap"?

[Maraya1969]

125. I used the wrong word. I get environmentally friendly soaps from Etsy and that is what I use

[no_hypocrisy]

20. Have you noticed that there is less and less shelf space for POWDERED laundry soap

in the stores? I see nothing but the liquid detergents.

[MadameButterfly]

24. yes, and the trend is toward plastic.

When I was a kid it was almost all powdered detergent in boxes.

And cardboard or glass containers for juice, milk, yogurt, take out food, etc. No need for those plastic screw tops on ingeniously designed milk cartons--I was proud when i was old enough to unfold the top myself.

Industry keeps making things more "convenient" without even asking us if we were unhappy with what came before. At the expense of the planet.

We need plastic for medical equipment and many other things that can't be done without it. We have to stop using it on products where it just isn't needed.

[Mossfern]

26. Glad to see this!

I've been thinking the same thing for months now. I remember when all laundry detergent was powdered and came in large cardboard boxes. Does that still exist?

[Hekate]

41. Costco carries powdered detergent, I believe. I took a quick look at their online warehouse...

You can check it out yourself at Costco.com — I counted four boxes of product among all the plastic jugs when I did a search for “laundry drtergent.”

[no_hypocrisy]

68. Great. I'm hooked on powdered Tide and there isn't any.

[Maraya1969]

62. What I was first in FL I found out that Publix would order pretty much anything you wanted

Yes I have been that and it pisses me off.

[Sky Jewels]

72. I've been trying to buy only powdered detergent in cardboard boxes.

It's getting more and more difficult.

I just ordered some laundry sheets that come in a cardboard box, but then there's the environmental impact of it being delivered to my house ... ugh.

[boston bean]

23. I switched back to powder in the card board box a couple years ago.

[MadameButterfly]

25. Those of us who are aware are a small minority

We need to make everyone aware. Maybe make more than plastic bags in stores illegal. We shouldn't wait until the plastic landfills are in our own back yard and going nowhere forever.

Thank you to the original poster.

[Elessar Zappa]

30. I'm aware, I just can't use powdered.

My skin gets extremely itchy unless I wash with sensitive-skin detergent. And at least where I live, it doesn’t come in powder.

[Maraya1969]

132. Maybe we should take a hint from the anti-abortionists and protest in front of the stores with pictu

of dead sea turtles or ones with plastics all caught up around them. Also encourage paper cartons. There are plenty of awful pictures on the net - but you don't want to go too awful OR FAKE like I see the anti-abortionists do.

I wonder how quick a big chain store would start to stock more environmentally friendly items if people were standing there?

[Mossfern]

29. Where do you get it?

[boston bean]

46. I have found it at the supermarket in smaller boxes.

But find big boxes at BJ’s Wholesale.

[Maraya1969]

143. I get it delivered from Amazon and then I put it mixed in a big tub. Scrapping the soap in it fun

Especially the ones that smell great.

[ChazII]

37. +1 I never left the card board box.

[Iris]

106. I feel like powdered detergent cleans better, too

[pinkstarburst]

27. This sounds like a great project

for someone who is retired, is in excellent health and will have no problem with all the boiling, measuring, extra shopping, gathering of ingredients, etc, and has a lot of free time on their hands. Not so much for working people, parents, or households where anyone in the family (including pets) has eczema, allergies, or a sensitive skin disorder where getting your little chemistry experiment off by even a little could have very bad results...

[marybourg]

38. Maybe for those who retire early and in good health.

I certainly am beyond such shopping and storing and retrieving and measuring and mixing and boiling and cleaning up. Even if I had any confidence that this was an effective formula. Which I don’t.

[pinkstarburst]

40. Agree. Let me amend my post

[Mossfern]

28. I was at the check out line at Whole Foods the other day

and the display at the end of the aisle was all plastic packaged goods. I should have taken a photo.

[Chainfire]

32. I got that beat. I never launder clothes, when they get to the point where they can

stand on their own I throw them away and go to Goodwill for more. I have also reduced bathing to four times a year, once per season.
You can all thank me later. I still have to brush my teeth at least once every couple of weeks.

[3catwoman3]

33. We have tried the Earthwash brand of detergent sheets and found...

...that in small loads, which is what we usually have, the sheet stuck to the side of the tub and did not completely dissolve. I had to scrape it off.

We think part of the problem is our type of washing machine. We have one of the ones that chooses the water level based on the size of the load, a Kenmore Oasis HE, and the water level is usually pretty low. This washing machine will likely soon need to be replaced and I want to be able to choose the water level myself in the next one.

I like the idea of the detergent sheets, and hope to be able to implement it soon.

[edisdead]

49. We use sheets and have not had that issue

[RussellCattle]

34. Years ago, in seventh grade science class (so 1959) we learned about a new product that was...

....coming along, synthetic detergents, or "Syn-dets". It was supposed to an improvement, where detergents were once an improvement on soap, syndets were an improvement in detergents. Anyone here know more about the how and why of this?

[malaise]

39. Going to try this

Thanks

[vanlassie]

42. Guidance on better choices can be seen on the EWG site.

Environmental Working Group. EWG.org

[Silent3]

43. While every little bit might help some, until changes are made at an system-wide level...

...I'm afraid this kind of thing won't ever amount to much more than a way to feel better and/or reduce personal guilt, but sadly won't ever inspire the groundswell of support needed to make a truly substantial impact.

[edisdead]

52. you do it to help start trends

Not because your lone effort is going to make the difference.

Yes there needs to be legislation but there also needs to be consumer push.

[Silent3]

55. I get the trend-starting thing

Making your own laundry detergent simply isn't going to be one of those things that catches on as a trend.

We live in a country where people will eat cereal bars or pop-tarts because pouring milk on cereal is too much effort for them, especially messing up a bowl and a spoon that'll have to be washed later.

[edisdead]

63. Quite true

[Maraya1969]

65. I started a mini trend on this thread. People are going to try something new. I realize that there

is a long way to go but I want to play my part.

[TomDaisy]

73. nobody does market research better than Proctor & Gamble. If you stop buying - they know.

That's why they have the new Tide ads -- cheaper options just don't clean as well! Come back to Tide!

[LuvLoogie]

44. Started using sheets a couple weeks ago.

I think it will become the dominant form of laundry detergent in a few years. Supermarkets only carry a few brands for now, but I think it's coming.

[edisdead]

47. Also blueland dishwasher pods

no plastic there too!

Amazon link if only to view them:
BLUELAND Dishwasher Detergent Tablet Refill 2 Pack, 120 Tablets, Plastic-Free Alternative to Pods, Sheets, or Liquid - Natural, Sustainable, Eco-Friendly Dishwasher Detergent - 120 Washes https://a.co/d/58JybTG

[edisdead]

48. Oh shoot also don't forget

Don’t forget the Reel (brand name) bamboo toilet paper and paper towels

[edisdead]

45. We started buying sheets a long time ago

Haven’t looked back.

[hunter]

53. Borax is not "environmentally friendly..."

...especially in places where wastewater is recycled for agricultural or domestic uses. Boron is a micronutrient for plants but at high levels it becomes a toxin. Where I live it's mostly a toxin. We don't want any more of it in the soil or water.

I agree with ProfessorGAC as posted above. Biodegradable detergents are the superior option.

If you experiment with how much detergent you actually need to keep your clothes clean you might be surprised. Most people use far too much.

I think the amount of detergent they tell you to use is for fryer cooks, their diesel mechanic spouses, and their dumpster diving children. No offense to anyone, I've been a fry cook, mechanic, and dumpster diver.

Sitting on my butt at the computer requires much less detergent to keep my clothes clean.

Try a quarter of the recommended dose of detergent and see how that works for you.

I live in a hard water place. Soaps don't work in the laundry, even with washing soda. Soaps are actually sort of gross.

[Maraya1969]

69. Thanks for this information. I'll go back to the sheets by an environmentally friendly source.

[LeftInTX]

79. I agree. I use just a small amt of liquid detergent.

The only time I've used pods is when I travel.

The pH of our water is 8.5.

[jimfields33]

60. I buy the big tide plastic tubs.

I put the in recycling so at least they make new bottles out of it.

[SYFROYH]

66. I don't have time to make detergent, but the sheets are interesting.

I got to costco and will try a box

[Raine]

67. I've always used powdered in cardboard boxes

I like it better then liquid. It seems like its easier to measure and not end up using way too much

[mahina]

70. While we're at it, check out Dr Tung's smart floss. No plastic container

Unfortunately, the floss is still plastic, which we can figure out a way to reuse I hope.

I’ve been very happy with the laundry sheets that come in the mail right on time and they work like a charm. Hauling those big heavy laundry soap containers in was a hassle. I’m so thankful not to contribute more of those ridiculous plastic containers to the problem.

Thanks for the thread.

[TomDaisy]

71. a million reasons not to buy that blue goo. I don't.

Blue goo is petroleum based, bad for clothes, bad for your machine, bad for your skin and bad for the environment.

Not to mention the UNRECYLABLE plastic jug (no matter what they say). The jug is going to the landfill no matter where you put it or how clean it is.

I use Nellie's powder. Light. Convenient. Effective. Comes in a metal container that can be used for a million things or actually recycled for real.

[moreland01]

77. Check out Dropps.com

We get our laundry, dish soap and dishwasher detergent from Dropps. Haven't had to buy plastic for these items for years. They work great. I've tried to make my own products but they didn't work very well.

[elocs]

78. No. n/t

[TeamProg]

82. Okay, I just ordered Fragrance Free sheets from Clean People. Now please stop driving, it's

ruining our planet.

Ordered 32 Ct box of sheets to try. Hope the wife likes them.

https://www.getcleanpeople.com/product/fresh-clean-laundry-detergent/

[Oopsie Daisy]

101. Stop driving? I take your point, but how am I supposed to buy what we need?

I suppose I could order online and have it delivered, but SOMEONE ends up driving.

[jmowreader]

84. What's the point of adding the hydrogen peroxide?

The heat of that gallon of boiling water is going to break it down to more water.

I'll stick with Persil pods.

[Aussie105]

85. Laundry detergent used to come as a powder in a cardboard box.

And nothing else.

We - as a society - really need to get off the plastic bottle thing.
They are convenient and cheap for a manufacturer of anything we want/need to buy, but the recycling for those plastic bottles isn't there.

How about a surcharge of $1 per plastic bottle, with the bottles returned to the manufacturer for recycling.
With the government watching that the recycling actually happens and the bottles don't go out the back door to landfill or the nearest waterway.

We (Australia) had a recycling process set up for soft plastics, supposedly they were going to be used to make other products like garden furniture, playground equipment, etc.

Turned out the collection process was just looking to on-sell the soft plastics, and it seeing there were too few buyers, it was being stockpiled.
It now goes into the general waste bin to landfill.

[moniss]

86. My Grandma

never used anything but homemade lye soap with her old round Maytag with the motor visible on the bottom and the wringer head that swiveled over or away from the tub as needed.

[Rebl2]

88. Can't stand

scented detergent or dryer sheets.

[cbabe]

90. White vinegar only. Also brightens colors. No smell. Cheap.

https://www.wikihow.com › Add-Vinegar-to-Laundry

How to Add Vinegar to Laundry: 9 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow

Sep 20, 20231 Keep your clothes clean with vinegar. Pour 1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar into your washing machine instead of the detergent you would normally use. This will clean your clothes without using the harsh chemicals found in many commercial laundry detergents. 2 Use vinegar as a fabric softener. Get 1 cup of white distilled vinegar ready.

[Warpy]

91. My grandmother made all her own soap

with rendered fat from scraps from a brother's butcher shop. She made a white soap that was mild enough for hands and faces plus a brown soap that would peel the hide off you if you tried to wash with it. The latter went into the washing machine, slices made with a pen knife. She didn't have any formulas, only a lifetime of experience starting in the late 1880s. I don't recall her using anything else but some aquamarine in the rinse water, to brighten the whites.

I'm afraid I still buy laundry detergent in plastic bottles, but the bottles are clear or white plastic, #1 or #2, those are the plastics that are recycled since they can take dyes later.

The above boiling water method would dissolve the powders more quickly. I don't think the peroxide, added as a color safe oxygen bleach, lasts through the process. I'd wait until the mixture was cool to add it or, preferably, just before using it to wash clothing. Heat and light both cause peroxide to break down, although you'd have to heat the 100% stuff to about 300F to get it to explode. Don't ask me how I know this.

Here's a laundry factoid, 3% peroxide right out of the bottle is great on fresh blood, takes it right out.

[roamer65]

93. The recycler for my township takes most plastics.

Last edited Mon Oct 2, 2023, 10:53 PM - Edit history (1)

90 percent of my garbage, including plastics, like laundry detergent bottles go into their recycling bin.

[sl8]

105. I think the big question is what happens to the plastic after it leaves the recycling center.

Last edited Tue Oct 3, 2023, 09:05 AM - Edit history (1)

There's been a lot of stories about the "recycled" plastic ending up in the landfill anyway, despite the consumer doing their part.

[roamer65]

108. I am doing my part.

That would be dishonesty on their part.

I would hope that’s not the case.

[wiggs]

94. Agree. We subscribe to getting detergent sheets every month. nt

[KentuckyWoman]

95. I miss the days of commercial powder in cardboard boxes.

Home Depot here carries several brands still packed in a box, though the last Arm & Hammer I bought was in a plastic zip bag inside of a box. Most everyone has switched to selling laundry powder in plastic buckets. I will probably make the switch next time I buy detergent and find a use for the buckets. They are a good size for repurpose.

[Yavin4]

96. Nothing is worse for our planet than car-dependent infrastructure.

Everything else is not even close. If we don't alter our infrastructure soon, the planet will be uninhabitable by humans.

[DemocraticPatriot]

98. I only buy "small" plastic bottles of laundry detergent...

from the dollar store, which now cost $1.25...

[Oopsie Daisy]

100. Consumer Reports rates the sheet-style laundry detergent at the BOTTOM. The worst!

COMPACT VIEW:
https://www.consumerreports.org/products/laundry-detergents-33034/laundry-detergent-33031/view1/

FULL VIEW:
https://www.consumerreports.org/products/laundry-detergents-33034/laundry-detergent-33031/view2/



I'll stick with Kirkland Ultra (which I believe is currently being manufactured by the folks who make Persil.) It's a good value. It's an effective detergent (not soap) and I don't worry that it will ruin our HE washer which I love.

[sl8]

103. Very interesting, thank you. Do they also compare powdered detergents? nt

[Oopsie Daisy]

113. I double checked the info at the links, and it seems not.

For this ratings test it was limited to liquids, pods and sheets/strips. I imagine that if there's a resurgence of use of powdered detergents, we can expect them to be included again for a more comprehensive evaluation/comparison.

[sl8]

114. OK, thanks for checking. nt

[mahatmakanejeeves]

111. The last time you were in Portugal, were you able to find powdered detergent in the stores there?

Wed Sep 20, 2023: I am going back to Portugal and this time I will be looking for a place. The problem I am having

I am going back to Portugal and this time I will be looking for a place. The problem I am having

is, even though I read online that I can rent a car there with an American driver's license the particular place that I rented from says I need an international license. I hope I did not go to the wrong agency. It is called CarJet and I think they book for Avis because it says to pick up the car there.

I am so confused now. And even though I have Whatsapp it never lets me call anyone unless they have added me as a contact.

I am leaving in 2 days!!!!

EDIT - I have sent this information to 2 friends to see if they can call the place but I am not so sure they are familiar with car rentals as I am the only one renting a car.

Ah. I see you are there now. How was the flight over?

Sun Oct 1, 2023: Please help. I was just bitten by a huge hornet or something. I am in Portugal and the numbers

Please help. I was just bitten by a huge hornet or something. I am in Portugal and the numbers

I've called don't work. Am I going to be ok


It hurts so bad

Maybe you could send us some pictures of the store shelves.

Thanks. And good morning.

[trof]

117. Could you just use a dry mixture.

The washer supplies the water?

[Mariana]

137. Yes, they still sell dry laundry detergent

and it still comes in cardboard boxes.

[trof]

138. You misunderstand me.

Could you just use a dry mixture of the borax, washing soda and flaked soap?

[llmart]

128. You know what's even better?

Don't wash your clothes that often. It is a fact that people today wash their clothes way too often.

[Maraya1969]

129. I've read that too and I try to do it. Also the clothes last much longer

[llmart]

136. What bothers me even more with regard to plastic and environmental waste...

are the plastic water bottles. It seems everybody and their brother has been brainwashed into thinking you have to buy cases and cases of these things. I have never purchased water in a plastic bottle and refuse to use them if I'm offered one in a meeting or other situation. I have a very good thermos and my refrigerator has filtered water on it - most of them do these days. Even before I had the newer refrigerator, I used a Brita pitcher. I filled my thermos with water from that and put some ice cubes in the thermos and it was what I took to work every single day.

People like to justify using them by saying, "But I recycle the plastic bottles" which I've learned only about a third or less of it can be recycled. I often wonder how I got to be 74 years old with no health problems and we never had plastic water bottles. I feel the same way about plastic shopping bags, but that's a whole other story.