Homemade Cleaners (Ulysses Press, 2014), by Mandy O’Brien and Dionna Ford offers a safer solution to commercial cleaners with toxic chemicals with tips, tricks and formulas to make your home sparkling and germ-free. Using ingredients like vinegar, baking soda and even vodka, O’Brien and Ford tackle everything from countertop cleaners to air-purifying plants, enabling you to avoid using products that can cause skin irritation, asthma and other harmful side effects. The following excerpt from the chapter “Laundry Simplified” teaches you how to make homemade dryer sheets.
There are four aspects of cleaning your clothing, freeing it from dirt, grime, and any viruses or bacteria. First is mechanical action. Whether you are scrubbing an item by hand or using a washing machine to agitate the clothes, mechanical action helps to remove dirt from fabric. Second is time. It would be nice to be able to clean clothes in no time at all, but anyone who has woken up to find the outfit he or she intended to wear sitting in the dirty clothes knows it is an unrealistic dream. It takes time to wash clothing. Third is chemical reactions. From pretreaters to laundry soap or detergent, the chemicals you use, toxic or natural, help clean your clothing. Fourth and last is temperature. Higher temperatures help to sanitize and clean clothing.
Quick-and-Easy Homemade Dryer Sheets
Have you stopped using commercial dryer sheets but find that you miss having your clothes scented? Try these all-natural Quick-and-Easy Homemade Dryer Sheets. Your clothes will come out lightly scented.
Ingredients:
• 4 or 5 drops essential oil of your choice
• Scrap fabric (cotton works well), washcloths, or unmatched socks
Instructions:
Place drops of essential oil on a scrap piece of cotton fabric and toss in the dryer.
Safely keep your house clean and sanitary: Read Make Your Own Natural Toilet Bowl Cleaner and Instructions for a Homemade Toilet Cleaner to keep your toilet clean and Disinfect Your House with Homemade Cleaning Wipes to make natural cleaning wipes.
Reprinted with permission from Homemade Cleaners: Quick-and-Easy, Toxic-Free Recipes to Replace Your Kitchen Cleaner, Bathroom Disinfectant, Laundry Detergent, Bleach, Bug Killer, Air Freshener and More … by Mandy O’Brien and Dionna Ford, and published by Ulysses Press, 2014.
