I recently had an adventure in the laundry room. Not that kind of adventure, get your mind out of the gutter, people! Given that certain fabrics irritate my skin (polyester, I'm looking at you), I got to wondering if the corny detergents and dryer sheets I was using could be doing the same thing? Then I stopped wondering about it because I figured it would be super expensive and a giant hassle to try and replace detergent and dryer sheets.
Fast forward a few weeks to when I was wandering through a store and came across soapnuts. Now, if you are a lover of Dragon's Den (like myself), you will remember that soapnuts came through a few years ago and landed a deal with the Dragons... I have been wanting to try them ever since (they are actually fruits, so they are sometimes called soapberries. They contain saponins and work just like soap). So, I picked up a 1 kg bag for $22.99. Holy crap, I would NEVER pay that much for laundry detergent! Except, here's the math: it takes 6-8 soapnut halves for 2 loads of laundry. 6 soapnuts weigh ~10g (I would know, because I just weighed them for you). Because you can use them twice, that's ~5g per load. 1000g/5g= 200 loads for $22.99, which is $0.11/load. Now, a quick perusing through Walmart tells me that a 2.95L container of Tide is $15.95 and is advertised for 40 loads. $15.95/40= $0.40/load.
Wait, that can't be right? Except it is, because I totally nailed University calculus and my logic is flawless (even if you take into account that no one actually uses the amount of detergent recommended on the bottle). So soapnuts cost $0.11/load and mainstream detergent costs $0.40/load. Why would you ever buy detergent again? (see, and I didn't even have to tell you about chemical detergents and their affect on our clean water supply!).
Okay, but Vicki, what about fabric softener? One word: vinegar. I swear it! And I won't even bother with the math to convince you that 1L of vinegar is cheaper than 1L of fabric softener (and no, it doesn't actually make your clothes smell like vinegar). Add 1/2cup of white vinegar to your final rinse cycle and everything comes out super soft. In addition, vinegar doesn't leave behind the residue that fabric softener does, so things like towels and cloth diapers don't lose their absorbency. BAM! What else can I solve for you today? I'm totally on a roll.
Oh right, the dryer! After conquering the washing machine, I thought: "well, I don't want to do undo all this environmental and corny do-goodedness by throwing my clothes in the dryer with Bounce... perhaps I will just not use the dryer sheets?" And of course, anyone who has lived through Canadian winter will tell you that is a terrible idea. And so it was, and I found myself on google once more. My first concern was static, naturally. The solution: super expensive dryer balls imported from Italy. Just kidding, aluminum balls! Take out some aluminum foil, roll a few sheets into balls and toss them in the dryer. I find 3-5 work best, depending on the size of the load and how many unnatural fabrics you have in there (polyester, I'm looking at you). No math required to prove the fiscal incentive for this trick, because the aluminum balls can be used forever it seems.
And so, lastly, how can I make my clothes smell pretty without the artificial fragrances of detergent and dryer sheets? This one is super easy too. Throw a damp facecloth into the dryer with a few drops of essential oil. Essential oils are everywhere these days, so you shouldn't have a problem finding them, AND, you can pick whatever fragrance you want! I picked "Clove," so now I smell like chai tea. I would also like to try Orange and Lavendar. The possibilities are endless.
I have absolutely no idea if these changes will be less irritating to my skin, but who cares? I'm rich!!!
Fast forward a few weeks to when I was wandering through a store and came across soapnuts. Now, if you are a lover of Dragon's Den (like myself), you will remember that soapnuts came through a few years ago and landed a deal with the Dragons... I have been wanting to try them ever since (they are actually fruits, so they are sometimes called soapberries. They contain saponins and work just like soap). So, I picked up a 1 kg bag for $22.99. Holy crap, I would NEVER pay that much for laundry detergent! Except, here's the math: it takes 6-8 soapnut halves for 2 loads of laundry. 6 soapnuts weigh ~10g (I would know, because I just weighed them for you). Because you can use them twice, that's ~5g per load. 1000g/5g= 200 loads for $22.99, which is $0.11/load. Now, a quick perusing through Walmart tells me that a 2.95L container of Tide is $15.95 and is advertised for 40 loads. $15.95/40= $0.40/load. 
Okay, but Vicki, what about fabric softener? One word: vinegar. I swear it! And I won't even bother with the math to convince you that 1L of vinegar is cheaper than 1L of fabric softener (and no, it doesn't actually make your clothes smell like vinegar). Add 1/2cup of white vinegar to your final rinse cycle and everything comes out super soft. In addition, vinegar doesn't leave behind the residue that fabric softener does, so things like towels and cloth diapers don't lose their absorbency. BAM! What else can I solve for you today? I'm totally on a roll.
Oh right, the dryer! After conquering the washing machine, I thought: "well, I don't want to do undo all this environmental and corny do-goodedness by throwing my clothes in the dryer with Bounce... perhaps I will just not use the dryer sheets?" And of course, anyone who has lived through Canadian winter will tell you that is a terrible idea. And so it was, and I found myself on google once more. My first concern was static, naturally. The solution: super expensive dryer balls imported from Italy. Just kidding, aluminum balls! Take out some aluminum foil, roll a few sheets into balls and toss them in the dryer. I find 3-5 work best, depending on the size of the load and how many unnatural fabrics you have in there (polyester, I'm looking at you). No math required to prove the fiscal incentive for this trick, because the aluminum balls can be used forever it seems.
And so, lastly, how can I make my clothes smell pretty without the artificial fragrances of detergent and dryer sheets? This one is super easy too. Throw a damp facecloth into the dryer with a few drops of essential oil. Essential oils are everywhere these days, so you shouldn't have a problem finding them, AND, you can pick whatever fragrance you want! I picked "Clove," so now I smell like chai tea. I would also like to try Orange and Lavendar. The possibilities are endless.I have absolutely no idea if these changes will be less irritating to my skin, but who cares? I'm rich!!!
