Making Homemade Bleach Alternative
If you’re trying to make your laundry room more eco-friendly, one thing you can consider is learning how to make homemade bleach alternative. Not only does a natural bleach alternative actually work, but it’s also safer for your family and the environment.
In addition to this excellent DIY bleach alternative, don’t forget to check out our posts on how to make homemade laundry detergent, how to make a homemade stain remover, and learn more about washing clothes with soap nuts so you can create safe, natural, and green laundry room.
Why You Shouldn’t Use Bleach
There are a variety of reasons why you might not want to use bleach in your laundry room. First, if you have a septic tank, you don’t want to use a lot of bleach because it can kill the beneficial bacteria that you need in the septic tank.
This is also why you shouldn’t use many chemical drain cleaners with a septic tank. If you do have a septic tank, discover the best natural ways to clear a clogged pipe so you don’t tip the balance in this delicate system.
Even if you don’t have a septic tank, you might not want to use bleach because it’s a very toxic chemical. If you have kids or pets in your home, you might decide not to keep bleach around for health and safety reasons.
Exposure to bleach can cause eye, nose, throat, lung, and skin irritation. Plus, a study published in Occupational & Environmental Medicine suggests that even passive exposure to bleach can give children a higher chance of respiratory illness and other infections.
Related: Are Cleaning Products Toxic? Learn the Scary Truth
Finally, bleach can sometimes create dangerous and even deadly chemicals when mixed with other items. That’s why you should never mix bleach and these natural cleaning ingredients.
How to Make Homemade Bleach Alternative
Now that you know some of the reasons why you shouldn’t keep bleach in your home, you might be wondering if there’s a way for you to naturally whiten your clothes. Fortunately, there is! And that answer is homemade bleach alternative.
Natural Bleach Alternative Ingredients
- 2 cups of 3% hydrogen peroxide
- 2/3 cup of washing soda
- 4 cups of warm water
- 10 drops of lemon essential oil
Natural Bleach Alternative Directions
- Pour the warm water into a bucket or sink.
- Add the washing soda, hydrogen peroxide, and lemon essential oil to the water.
- Use a spoon to combine the ingredients.
- Add any whites that need cleaned to the mixture and let them soak for 1 to 3 hours.
- When they’re done soaking, wash them in your washing machine as you normally would.
Storing Your Natural Bleach Alternative
Since air and light can breakdown hydrogen peroxide, I recommend making this homemade bleach alternative as needed so the hydrogen peroxide is as strong as possible. If you end up making more than you actually need, consider pouring the natural bleach alternative in a dark glass spray bottle and keeping it in a cool and dark space.
More Eco-Friendly Cleaning Tips
Now that you see how easy it is to make your own homemade bleach alternative, are you interested in even more eco-friendly cleaning tips? Then be sure to check out some of our other popular posts:
- Streak-Free Glass Cleaner
- Reusable Disinfecting Wipes
- DIY Hardwood Floor Cleaner
- Homemade Furniture Polish
