General Discussion

Maraya1969

(23,622 posts) Mon Oct 2, 2023, 05:57 PM Oct 2023

Please stop buying big plastic bottles of laundry detergent [View all]

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

146 replies

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Highlight:

Please stop buying big plastic bottles of laundry detergent [View all] Maraya1969 Oct 2023 OP

Thank you for this suggestion senseandsensibility Oct 2023 #1

I have bought several different kinds and truthfully I don't see much difference. I found a drying Maraya1969 Oct 2023 #58

You use a dryer??? This is a bit hypocritical. we can do it Oct 2023 #104

Good lord. intheflow Oct 2023 #107

I didn't start the discussion so back off. we can do it Oct 2023 #110

Oh, your vacation home is roomy enough to dry your laundry? intheflow Oct 2023 #115

Small hotel room, no vacation home. What is your problem? we can do it Oct 2023 #116

Thank you. In this day and age any attempt at saving the environment should be applauded Maraya1969 Oct 2023 #118

Gain makes washer sheets. They come in a cardboard box. wnylib Oct 2023 #74

I tried homemade but I couldn't find a combination that didn't make me itch like crazy. Elessar Zappa Oct 2023 #2

Maybe you need a good, natural dryer sheet? Maraya1969 Oct 2023 #59

I bought woolen dryer balls mgardener Oct 2023 #81

Oh I have them too!!! I forgot. But mine are about 4 years old......maybe I am just cheap and Maraya1969 Oct 2023 #99

Air drying should be suggested by person originizing this discussion. we can do it Oct 2023 #102

Dryer sheets are bad for the environment because you cannot recycle them. we can do it Oct 2023 #112

I use CLEAN PEOPLE detergent sheets, made in Canada, they work really well. Meadowoak Oct 2023 #3

Just find some environmental friendly concentrate sheets JCMach1 Oct 2023 #64

You know with the wolen balls I do not have to keep the dryer on that much. I put it on "Less dry" Maraya1969 Oct 2023 #121

My newer washer doesn't have a center agitator, so the balls help keep the agitation going JCMach1 Oct 2023 #127

We just received our first CleanPeople order. ariadne0614 Oct 2023 #76

Right on! We buy Ecos laundry sheets at Costco - link below Goddessartist Oct 2023 #4

Most cat litter also comes in plastic containers. CrispyQ Oct 2023 #5

And milk. It's hard to avoid plastic. wnylib Oct 2023 #75

We have a dairy in N. Indiana that has switched to glass bottles Cheezoholic Oct 2023 #89

WOW. I can't remember the last time that I saw a glass milk bottle. wnylib Oct 2023 #92

The cardboard liquid boxes were also problematic. intheflow Oct 2023 #109

Did not know that. Shit. Maraya1969 Oct 2023 #122

Weight a minute. I am not talking about liquid anything. It is powdered washing soda and borax Maraya1969 Oct 2023 #142

You can buy container milk at Whole Foods. I realize Whole Foods is not for everyone but may Maraya1969 Oct 2023 #119

No Whole Foods anywhere near me. wnylib Oct 2023 #120

Our cats just go outside like the rest of the family.. nt TeamProg Oct 2023 #87

Thank you for that!!!! Maraya1969 Oct 2023 #123

I buy Tide Evo vercetti2021 Oct 2023 #6

I'll Disagree ProfessorGAC Oct 2023 #7

When they say "dish soap", don't they mean "detergent"? sl8 Oct 2023 #17

Lately they have started to call it soap. I looked it up thinking it was marybourg Oct 2023 #51

Yes ProfessorGAC Oct 2023 #56

Thanks for the explanation. Good info. nt sl8 Oct 2023 #61

So that's why Dawn is more expensive than some other dish detergents, such as Ajax.Thanks, Professor raccoon Oct 2023 #133

The Active Ingredients Concentration Is Higher ProfessorGAC Oct 2023 #134

Always learn something from reading PGAC... thanks!! WarGamer Oct 2023 #140

Dish soap is very sudsy. I'd be wary of too many suds causing an overflow. wnylib Oct 2023 #80

As you said, there are options in biodegradable containers MadameButterfly Oct 2023 #18

That's What I Said ProfessorGAC Oct 2023 #57

Thank you for explaining the reasons why this won't work for many of us Hekate Oct 2023 #36

Not quite understanding but is the all natural soap OK. I scrape into thin little pieces and put Maraya1969 Oct 2023 #124

Borax Has Buffering Capability... ProfessorGAC Oct 2023 #126

They advertise that they only use essential oils. That's good right? Plus are you saying that Maraya1969 Oct 2023 #130

I Would Generally Say Yes... ProfessorGAC Oct 2023 #135

Pass. There's plastic-free packaging out there that you can buy Tarc Oct 2023 #8

Borax and washing soda come in cartons, not plastic Maraya1969 Oct 2023 #131

People aren't gonig to have the time or inclination Tarc Oct 2023 #139

Well then call m silly because that's what I do . It's quite easy. Maraya1969 Oct 2023 #141

If it is too confusing for you just buy detergent in boxes. That way you don't have to pretend Maraya1969 Oct 2023 #144

Ok, Wavy Gravy Tarc Oct 2023 #145

Running out of things to say so reducing to ad homonyms eh? Maraya1969 Oct 2023 #146

We use the same recipe as you and it works great! Torchlight Oct 2023 #9

Some water supplies contain dissolved hydrogen carbonate (bicarbonate) ions, which decompose ... eppur_se_muova Oct 2023 #10

I'm not sure I follow but I get the ghist MadameButterfly Oct 2023 #21

If you don't have trouble making suds without the boiling, then it's not needed. eppur_se_muova Oct 2023 #50

Post removed Post removed Oct 2023 #11

You sound like a returnee. Enjoy your very brief stay, Les Samaad Hekate Oct 2023 #13

Sounds serious. Torchlight Oct 2023 #14

I have an HE front-loader washer. It came with the house & I'd like it to last... Hekate Oct 2023 #12

Yes, once hydrogen peroxide is opened marybourg Oct 2023 #16

I would think that the hydrogen peroxide, diluted as it is in this formulation (one cup of a 3%.... RussellCattle Oct 2023 #31

That's another issue. marybourg Oct 2023 #35

I'd worry about it leeching color from clothing, or wnylib Oct 2023 #83

There is HE powdered detergent. Tide makes it. boston bean Oct 2023 #54

We all need to be mindful snowybirdie Oct 2023 #15

I congratulate the poster who was doing all this before MadameButterfly Oct 2023 #22

The other good option if you've got a good bulk store near you is bring your own container meadowlander Oct 2023 #97

What is "dish soap"? marybourg Oct 2023 #19

I used the wrong word. I get environmentally friendly soaps from Etsy and that is what I use Maraya1969 Oct 2023 #125

Have you noticed that there is less and less shelf space for POWDERED laundry soap no_hypocrisy Oct 2023 #20

yes, and the trend is toward plastic. MadameButterfly Oct 2023 #24

Glad to see this! Mossfern Oct 2023 #26

Costco carries powdered detergent, I believe. I took a quick look at their online warehouse... Hekate Oct 2023 #41

Great. I'm hooked on powdered Tide and there isn't any. no_hypocrisy Oct 2023 #68

What I was first in FL I found out that Publix would order pretty much anything you wanted Maraya1969 Oct 2023 #62

I've been trying to buy only powdered detergent in cardboard boxes. Sky Jewels Oct 2023 #72

I switched back to powder in the card board box a couple years ago. boston bean Oct 2023 #23

Those of us who are aware are a small minority MadameButterfly Oct 2023 #25

I'm aware, I just can't use powdered. Elessar Zappa Oct 2023 #30

Maybe we should take a hint from the anti-abortionists and protest in front of the stores with pictu Maraya1969 Oct 2023 #132

Where do you get it? Mossfern Oct 2023 #29

I have found it at the supermarket in smaller boxes. boston bean Oct 2023 #46

I get it delivered from Amazon and then I put it mixed in a big tub. Scrapping the soap in it fun Maraya1969 Oct 2023 #143

+1 I never left the card board box. ChazII Oct 2023 #37

I feel like powdered detergent cleans better, too Iris Oct 2023 #106

This sounds like a great project pinkstarburst Oct 2023 #27

Maybe for those who retire early and in good health. marybourg Oct 2023 #38

Agree. Let me amend my post pinkstarburst Oct 2023 #40

I was at the check out line at Whole Foods the other day Mossfern Oct 2023 #28

I got that beat. I never launder clothes, when they get to the point where they can Chainfire Oct 2023 #32

We have tried the Earthwash brand of detergent sheets and found... 3catwoman3 Oct 2023 #33

We use sheets and have not had that issue edisdead Oct 2023 #49

Years ago, in seventh grade science class (so 1959) we learned about a new product that was... RussellCattle Oct 2023 #34

Going to try this malaise Oct 2023 #39

Guidance on better choices can be seen on the EWG site. vanlassie Oct 2023 #42

While every little bit might help some, until changes are made at an system-wide level... Silent3 Oct 2023 #43

you do it to help start trends edisdead Oct 2023 #52

I get the trend-starting thing Silent3 Oct 2023 #55

Quite true edisdead Oct 2023 #63

I started a mini trend on this thread. People are going to try something new. I realize that there Maraya1969 Oct 2023 #65

nobody does market research better than Proctor & Gamble. If you stop buying - they know. TomDaisy Oct 2023 #73

Started using sheets a couple weeks ago. LuvLoogie Oct 2023 #44

Also blueland dishwasher pods edisdead Oct 2023 #47

Oh shoot also don't forget edisdead Oct 2023 #48

We started buying sheets a long time ago edisdead Oct 2023 #45

Borax is not "environmentally friendly..." hunter Oct 2023 #53

Thanks for this information. I'll go back to the sheets by an environmentally friendly source. Maraya1969 Oct 2023 #69

I agree. I use just a small amt of liquid detergent. LeftInTX Oct 2023 #79

I buy the big tide plastic tubs. jimfields33 Oct 2023 #60

I don't have time to make detergent, but the sheets are interesting. SYFROYH Oct 2023 #66

I've always used powdered in cardboard boxes Raine Oct 2023 #67

While we're at it, check out Dr Tung's smart floss. No plastic container mahina Oct 2023 #70

a million reasons not to buy that blue goo. I don't. TomDaisy Oct 2023 #71

Check out Dropps.com moreland01 Oct 2023 #77

No. n/t elocs Oct 2023 #78

Okay, I just ordered Fragrance Free sheets from Clean People. Now please stop driving, it's TeamProg Oct 2023 #82

Stop driving? I take your point, but how am I supposed to buy what we need? Oopsie Daisy Oct 2023 #101

What's the point of adding the hydrogen peroxide? jmowreader Oct 2023 #84

Laundry detergent used to come as a powder in a cardboard box. Aussie105 Oct 2023 #85

My Grandma moniss Oct 2023 #86

Can't stand Rebl2 Oct 2023 #88

White vinegar only. Also brightens colors. No smell. Cheap. cbabe Oct 2023 #90

My grandmother made all her own soap Warpy Oct 2023 #91

The recycler for my township takes most plastics. roamer65 Oct 2023 #93

I think the big question is what happens to the plastic after it leaves the recycling center. sl8 Oct 2023 #105

I am doing my part. roamer65 Oct 2023 #108

Agree. We subscribe to getting detergent sheets every month. nt wiggs Oct 2023 #94

I miss the days of commercial powder in cardboard boxes. KentuckyWoman Oct 2023 #95

Nothing is worse for our planet than car-dependent infrastructure. Yavin4 Oct 2023 #96

I only buy "small" plastic bottles of laundry detergent... DemocraticPatriot Oct 2023 #98

Consumer Reports rates the sheet-style laundry detergent at the BOTTOM. The worst! Oopsie Daisy Oct 2023 #100

Very interesting, thank you. Do they also compare powdered detergents? nt sl8 Oct 2023 #103

I double checked the info at the links, and it seems not. Oopsie Daisy Oct 2023 #113

OK, thanks for checking. nt sl8 Oct 2023 #114

The last time you were in Portugal, were you able to find powdered detergent in the stores there? mahatmakanejeeves Oct 2023 #111

Could you just use a dry mixture. trof Oct 2023 #117

Yes, they still sell dry laundry detergent Mariana Oct 2023 #137

You misunderstand me. trof Oct 2023 #138

You know what's even better? llmart Oct 2023 #128

I've read that too and I try to do it. Also the clothes last much longer Maraya1969 Oct 2023 #129

What bothers me even more with regard to plastic and environmental waste... llmart Oct 2023 #136