Natural cleaning tips Part 2, laundry detergents

We are very careful about what we eat, drink and apply on skin, but for what concerns laundry, do we know what we are using in order to obtain clean and scented clothes and underwear? Also in this case indeed, as with the cosmetics for the beauty of body and face, the products that we buy may hide risks because of some contained chemical substances able to pollute the Planet, by settling to the bottom of seas and rivers, to cause allergies and irritations to our skin and also to ruin the clothes in the long run. But let’s try to better understand. For example, several laundry detergents that we find on the market contain optical brighteners, this means that the cloth we have just taken from the laundry is so white but in fact … it isn’t white at all, it is indeed impregnated with a substance that deceives the eye by increasing the reflection of blue rays and hiding in this way stains and yellowing. This substance that has caused the “miracle” is still in the cloth, even after drying, and may cause allergies, redness and itching. Also because the optical brighteners are often used in the products dedicated to underwear that stays in contact with skin and this may cause, in case of sensitive skin or in children, skin rash. When you change detergents and try eco bio products or DIY soaps strange stains on clothes may appear, these stains are in fact old and were hidden by the optical brighteners. Don’t forget then the softeners, added to detergents and able to create, thanks to several ingredients, such as the silicones, a layer that makes the cloth soft. This layer, however, may cause allergies to the skin. Moreover, these softeners tend to hold more water and this makes the cloth damp, in this way a favorable environment to bacteria is created, bad smells may be released and this causes more frequent washings. What to do in order to clean the clothes and underwear and respect at the same time our skin and the clothes? Let’s see some good habits. First, in case of stains it is better to treat them before the washing by rubbing a little Marseille soap and then rinse. Then, in the softener tank of the washer you should pour about 100 ml white vinegar, useful to remove every traces of detergent, able to counteract static electricity and to make the clothes soft. Together with vinegar, if you like also a scented note, you can add a few drops of an essential oil, for example, the lavender essential oil is really delicate. For what concerns the detergent, here what you can do (Stefania Rossini, Naturalmente), grate some Marseille soap and mix one tablespoon of this powder with half a tablespoon of baking soda and half a tablespoon of sodium percarbonate, with a whitening action but that should be avoided in case of delicates. These ingredients may be easily found in specialized or chemist’s shops. Pour this detergent in the dedicated tank of the washing machine together with 30-40 ml of sodium citrate, a teaspoon if in powder. The sodium citrate may be found in chemist’s or specialized shops and is really an essential ingredient, don’t forget it, because it acts as a sequestrant, namely it captures the heavy metals, it counteracts grey halos and the deposits in the washing machine.