Safe Alternative to Soap and Detergent

Before the dawn of large-scale manufacturing, liquid soaps were made from saponins, foaming, sudsy substances found in the roots of soapwort, soapberry, and yucca. The typical liquid dishwashing soap bought from the grocery store is made from a petroleum distillate, a toxic pollutant and nonrenewable resource. This product is actually a detergent, not soap. The safe and natural alternative is a vegetable-based soap called castile, a pure soap made from coconut or olive oil. It is readily biodegradable and made from renewable sources.

Castile soap can be found in liquid or solid form in health food stores and, thankfully, some supermarkets. One of the best known brands (and my personal favorite) is Dr. Bronner’s, which comes in concentrated form and often “pretreated” with herbal oils. The company also allots at least 10 percent of its profits to rain-forest preservation and homeless shelter support. Does the manufacturer of your commercial liquid detergent do the same?

Whether you choose to wash your clothes and designer lingerie by hand or machine, you need a soap or detergent that is safe for clothes. Nowadays many soaps on the market that are safe for the environment, good for our planet, and an excellent choice for washing laundry.

At best, you must see on the manufacturer’s label and provides guidelines relating to wash, but if you still are not sure the best way to clean your laundry, wash following tips can help you.

Some natural detergents are free of perfumes and fragrances, while other products of natural oils like lavender, grapefruit, or can contain eucalyptus.