Fabric Softening: 1/4 cup Epsom salt in a load of clothes (on hot again) will act as a natural and highly effective fabric softener. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to get that 'fabric softener' scent.
Salt is a super stain remover on clothing, helps maintain bright colors, and can even eliminate sticky spots on your iron. It can also reduce yellowing in clothes and mildew on shower curtains.
If you need a homemade fabric softener recipe fast, you can find various options, including white vinegar, baking soda, and Epsom salt.
By adding 1/2 cup of baking soda to each laundry load, detergents can work more effectively and reduce bacteria. For heavy odor problems like underarm perspiration or environmental odors like cigarette smoke, use baking soda and water as a pre-soak. Dissolve 1 or 2 cups of baking soda in some warm water.
In your washing machine, borax helps absorb dirt. In your kitchen and bathroom, it's great for cleaning rust, grout, and even mold and mildew. Borax helps laundry smell better and is also extremely effective at fighting pet urine odor because it combats the ammonia.
Boost laundry detergent. Add half a cup of Epsom salt to your laundry load along with your regular detergent to enhance its cleaning power and soften your clothes.
However, some people should not consume Epsom salt at all. These include those with kidney disease or heart disease, pregnant women, and children. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have not approved Epsom salt, so there are no official guidelines regarding the proper dosage or how to consume it.
Mildly acidic (5 to 6 percent), white vinegar will not only soften clothes, but also freshen the scent, and it is especially effective at removing and preventing mildew odors. The mild acid is just strong enough to dissolve the residue alkaline soap residue, which is where the softening action comes from.
Did you know that using white vinegar as your laundry softener is an effective and natural alternative. This one switch out can reduce a whole host of chemicals you're better off without. Primarily vinegar works to soften fabric by reducing soap and residues and by dissolving mineral build up.
Laundry Myth: Use Aspirin to Whiten Clothes
The chemical compound of aspirin is acetylsalicylic acid which will break down when exposed to moisture to become salicylic acid. Salicylic acid has no bleaching effect on fabrics. Pre-soaking clothes in hot water is actually what may make them appear whiter.
The sugar esters act as softening and whitening agents, and may be incorporated into detergent compositions which may be formulated into liquid or powdered form.
20 Mule Team recommends making a laundry boosting borax solution by adding one tablespoon of borax and two cups of hot water into a sealable container. Mix the solution and add to laundry as a laundry booster—or, in this case, in place of detergent if you're completely out.
Alkalies. Alkalies, a major component in most laundry detergents, are soluble salts and a base that reacts with an acid to neutralize it. They are effective in removing dirt and stains from fabric without excessive rubbing. Soluble salts of an alkali metal, such as potassium or sodium, are good grease removers.
The theory is that when you soak in an Epsom salts bath, these get into your body through your skin. That hasn't been proven, but just soaking in warm water can help relax muscles and loosen stiff joints. People use Epsom salts baths as a home treatment for: Arthritis pain and swelling.
The possible reason is that Epsom salt removes oil from the hair and scalp, reducing greasiness. Salt sprays also impart texture to the hair, adding natural waves and giving the strands a slightly crunchy texture. Anecdotal evidence claims that Epsom salt sprays may also help curb dandruff and improve scalp health.
Too lazy to find a dish? You can create the same soothing steam effect by sprinkling Epsom salt in your shower. Just take extra care not to slip!
Baking soda won't strip your laundry as well as borax or washing soda (more on that shortly), but it's also gentler on fabrics, and you're more likely to have it on hand!
Oxiclean powder is essentially washing soda with sodium percarbonate, which turns into hydrogen peroxide. It's color safe and works great to get rid of stains and keeps whites white and colors bright. It's also much safer / less toxic than Borax. Borax works well too, helps get rid of stains, and whitens clothes.
Borax has long been recognized for its disinfectant and deodorizing properties. Mix a 1/2 cup of Borax into 1 gallon of hot water or undiluted vinegar and clean with this solution.