Laundry is a fact of life for most of us, we have it easier compared to the homemakers of a 100 years ago. Imagine, having to wash all your family's laundry on a washboard with a bar of lye soap, like they did! It was hard work back then, but today, it's still a challenge to get clean, fresh smelling laundry. We are faced with another challenge as well, what type of laundry products should we use? Convention laundry products or all natural laundry detergent? We want something that is safe for our family and effective too.

The supermarket isles are filled with an overwhelming number of products that all promise to do the best job in helping you with your toughest laundry challenges. They not only clean your clothes they also contend your laundry will smell delightful, like fresh fruit, exotic flowers, or even outdoorsy scents. I wonder how they do that?



Unfortunately, most of these conventional laundry detergents leave some sort of residue on fabrics. These residues are the by products of the numerous chemicals contained in modern detergents and fabric softeners. The problem is these chemicals are actually not very good for your laundry, as well they are not particularly healthy for your family either. Since wearing clothing is an every day, all day occurrence your family's cumulative exposure to these chemicals may cause some concern. So what can you do?

Using a laundry detergent with more natural ingredients is a good option. Here are some tips to help you find the best natural solution for your laundry.

• Conventional detergents are made with petrochemical ingredients, look for laundry products that are made with natural oils, plants and minerals. Watkins offer you several safe, yet effective laundry detergents to choose from.
  
• Skip the synthetic fragrances and opt for a detergent that is unscented or utilizes natural fragrances such as essential oils.
• Avoid detergents with optical brighteners. Optical brighteners intentionally leave a residue on the surface of the fabric. These brighteners stick to your clothing to reflect light and give the appearance of cleaner, brighter clothes.  These chemical residues have been known to cause skin irritations and allergic reactions.
• Forget the fabric softener, it leaves a water-repelling residue on your laundry. Especially for items such as towels or cloth diapers, as it will make them less absorbent which defeats the very purpose that they serve.
  
• If you need extra help softening your laundry try using a natural fabric softener or some dryer balls.
  
• Dryer sheets are no better, as many of the chemicals in them designed to keep your clothes wrinkle and static free have been linked to cancer.
  
• Use a vinegar rinse while clothes are in the wash instead or use a small sachet of dried lavender in the dryer.
• Hang you laundry outdoors, it will smell great and if there is a breeze it will naturally soften the fabric as well.
  

Laundry stain removal tips:

• Conventional stain removers are too harsh, use a baking soda paste to scrub and pre-treat stains.
  
• For oil or grease based stains Watkins degreaser is a natural choice.
• Instead of using chlorine bleach on your clothes, soak clothes that need brightening in a solution of one part hydrogen peroxide to 8 parts cold water and then wash.
• Another natural alternative you might also try is a half cup of lemon juice and baking soda as a pre-soak.
• Buy a washboard! Yes, the old fashioned scrub board can be your secret weapon to the cleanest socks in town and it's great for spot removal too. I wouldn't suggest you do all your washing on it though.

All of these tips should help you get clean, fresh smelling laundry, safely and naturally! Watkins offers you a several highly effective, non-toxic laundry care products for you to choose from. Leave a comment to ask a question or share your own natural laundry tips and I'll give you a copy of The All Natural Cleaning And Home Care Guide with more easy tips for natural, effect cleaning and laundry care.