Why stop at laundry balls? We also use safe, natural products in our washing machine.

I was using a recipe that required grating Fels Naptha soap and used Borax. Grating is a pain and the jury’s out on how “safe and natural” Fels Naptha and Borax are. I did a little research and came up with this recipe that we used at a make and take last weekend.

Borax-free Laundry Soap Recipe  

(recipe updated on 10/24/17)

What you’ll need:

1/2 cup washing soda

1/2 cup baking soda

1 cup dōTERRA On Guard® Laundry Detergent 

1 cup liquid castile soap or 1 bar castile soap, finely grated*

*Using liquid soap is much more convenient. Using bar soap creates a thicker textured soap.

What to do:

1. Add enough water to the washing soda and baking soda in a saucepan to dissolve them. Heat on low/medium until all solids are completely dissolved. Stir occasionally. Be patient. This step can take about 30 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and add detergent and castile soap to the pot and stir gently.

3. Funnel the cooled mixture into a gallon jug and top off with water.

How to use:

1. Shake well. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of soap to detergent dispenser of washing machine for each load.

Laundry Tips:

• Pretreat stains with this awesome roller bottle.
• Use white vinegar with 3 drops of lemon, On Guard, or Purify essential oils in the fabric softener dispenser to eliminate odors and decrease static cling.
• Boost cleaning power with Oxi Clean or other oxygen bleach. (Spot test for color fastness before using on colored clothes.)
• Washing away dinginess with a tablespoon of citric acid.
• Whiten white loads by washing with hot water and a couple drops of bluing.
• Add 4 to 6 weighted, wool laundry balls to the dryer.

To receive a 25% discount on the laundry detergent, ask me about our simple membership with no monthly minimum ordering quota. It’s like having a Sam’s Club membership!

After a lot of experimenting and researching, I came up with the following routine:
(For the record, we have hard well water that does run through a natural salt softener to neutralize the pH).

To the main compartment add:

1 TBS of Citric Acid

1 TSP of Washing Soda

2 drop of Grapefruit essential oil

To the pre-wash compartment add:

1/4 to 1/2 tsp of liquid castile soap. I use the unscented Dr. Bronner’s.

Keep the rinse aid dispenser stocked with white vinegar.

Other tips:

1. Dishwashers are not designed to scrub, so be sure to soak dishes that have baked/caked on food. It will come off in the dishwasher better if it’s soft from soaking.

2. For extra greasy or food covered dishes, empty a food enzyme capsule into the main compartment with the other cleaning agents.

3. If are looking for a good recipe for dish liquid for hand washing dishes, I love Jill’s recipe at the Prairie Homestead. We use her Juniper Berry/Grapefruit scent recipe as well. It’s heavenly. I almost look forward to washing dishes.

We’ve chosen a specific brand of essential oils because of the company’s commitment to safety, sustainability, quality, and support. We believe life (including essential oils) is best done in community and this company has a similar mindset. Unfortunately, to protect myself from scrutiny from the FDA, I’ve chosen to not disclose the brand on my website. It’s crazy world we live in! If you want to learn more about who we chose and why, send me a message here.

Hair Care.

I use a simple solution of water, apple cider vinegar, and essential oils. My hair has always been greasy and oily. When I first started using a vinegar rinse instead of shampoo, I had a 10 to 14 day adjustment where it was a hot mess and stayed in a hat or ponytail. I almost threw in the towel—no pun intended. I’m glad I didn’t. Now, my hair is almost never greasy, only needs to be washed 3 to 4 times a week, and is more shiny and manageable.

How to: Start with about a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to a cup of water. (See? Much cheaper than shampoo.) Depending on the hardness of your water and your hair, you may need to adjust the ratio. Squirt, pour, or spray the solution onto wet hair. Let sit for about 2 minutes. Rinse thoroughly.

Suggested essential oils: Geranium, Melaleuca, Lavendar, Rosemary, Clary Sage

Skin Care.

If you need something that bubbles and feels like soap, I’m a huge fan of Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap. A little bit goes a long way, and you can add essential oils for scent and skin health. However, I’ve been loving just a sugar scrub in my shower routine. Just mix some melted coconut oil and plain, white sugar together, add your favorite essential and voila! Even with the dry, mid-Atlantic winter, my skin has been soft and silky without additional moisturizers.

Suggested essential oils: Geranium and Lavender for all skin types, Citrus oils for oily skin, Ylang Ylang or Cedarwood for dry skin, and Peppermint for invigoration.

Face care.

Depending on my mood and how much time I have, I either just splash with warm water OR I add a drop of essential oil to a dab of coconut oil and massage all over my face. I had oily skin for my entire post pubescent life. Counterintuitively, this routine has actually balanced my skin and reduced the oiliness. I don’t wear make up, so I’m pretty low maintenance. If you need a natural way to remove make up try using coconut oil and steaming off the excess with a hot washcloth or using almond milk.

Suggested essential oils: Grapefruit or Lavender for dry skin, Bergamot or Melaleuca for oily skin. I can also hook you up with a proprietary blend for faces that suffer with acne and an anti-aging blend.

We’ve chosen a specific brand of essential oils because of the company’s commitment to safety, sustainability, quality, and support. We believe life (including essential oils) is best done in community and this company has a similar mindset. Unfortunately, to protect myself from scrutiny from the FDA, I’ve chosen to not disclose the brand on my website. It’s crazy world we live in! If you want to learn more about who we chose and why, send me a message here. You can also sign up for my newsletter where I send out wellness tips, event invites, and ways to get FREE oils.

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