Baking soda for washing clothes?

Question

can you use baking soda instead of nasty chemical detergent? i've heard about lemon juice working as well as bleach to whiten clothes... are there any other environmentally responsible (and responsible as a parent!) solutions to using caustic chemicals like bleach and detergents? NATURAL only, please!

Answer 1

try a cup of baking soda with a Mrs Meyers (all natural/green) laundry detergent

www.mrsmeyers.com/

LOVELY scents!!!!

Answer 2

my wife is not here but she just started using baking soda, borax, and arm and hammer washing soda for the laundry, I don't know what the portions of each are but so far it seems to work pretty well

Answer 3

Look for non-phosphate detergent - it's green.

Baking soda is a little weak, but it'll work. Washing soda (sodium carbonate, as opposed to baking soda which is sodium BIcarbonate) is stronger, but it is a little hard to procure. Also, you have to make sure it's completely washed out of clothing because it's an irritant whereas baking soda is not.

Answer 4

now there are many other brand of detergent that are MUCH less harmful for the environment . Check for the green label and bio-degradable stuff, with no phosphorus .

Baking Soda only help to make the detergent more effective by changing the PH of the water..  so yes you can use less detergent if you use baking soda with it.

Answer 5

Baking soda is okay, but a little abrasive.  It is hard on fabrics.  There are "green" detergents that you can buy that reduce surface tension so that your clothes get clean.  The detergents break down into simple compounds soon after they get flushed down the drain.