Do you need to use laundry detergent?

[AnopsStudier]

I dont like the idea of using laundry detergent.  I use Dr bronners soap and a little vinegar buts its got me thinking

Can I just wash my clothes in plain water???

[TylerDurden]

I dont like the idea of using laundry detergent.  I use Dr bronners soap and a little vinegar buts its got me thinking

Can I just wash my clothes in plain water???

I always wash clothes with washing powder. Just washing clothes in plain water never worked for me.

[jessica]

of course you dont.  you actually dont even need to wash your clothing.  i remember a friend of mine would just hang his clothes out in the sun for a few days and call it good.  only you will be the one who can determine whether or not you are comfortable with your results. 

[AnopsStudier]

"Need"?  well i gues you dont "Need" to do anything technically

But I think it can only benefit to remove dead skin cells, and pollution from the air off your clothing

as long as the water you are using isnt terribly polluted

[TylerDurden]

of course you dont.  you actually dont even need to wash your clothing.  i remember a friend of mine would just hang his clothes out in the sun for a few days and call it good.  only you will be the one who can determine whether or not you are comfortable with your results. 

I have read that people in the Middle Ages used to stink all the time, but, since  everyone else was the same no one noticed so much. However we live in a modern world where people are acutely sensitive, to a hysterical extent, to the smell of raw meat etc. In my own case, I was constantly told, when I switched to going rawpalaeo, that my breath stank like a dog's. So I went in for special chemical toothpaste which solved the problem. I never smelt anything myself but other non-RVAFers felt free to complain.....

[AnopsStudier]

Lol i hate those chemical Toothpastes... You should look into mudmouth by honeydew naturals...

http://shop.honeydewnaturals.com/Mud-Mouth-Herbal-Toothpaste-65oz-007.htm

Or maybe some paste from Redmond clay with some peppermint oil added? Also nothing works to cure bad breath as good as a tongue scraper does. 

Im asking these laundry questions because I just moved into my own place with a washer and dryer for the first time ( I never have had to do my own laundry before)
and Im a semi germaphope.. Not so much about food and raw meat but more so other things

I have been reading that you need to clean and sanitize your washing machine once in a while (once a month)
I did this at my parents house with white vinegar and baking soda

and am wondering does anybody do same with the dryer? Clean it with anything on the inside?

A few more questions-  Do you need to wash your under garments separate from your shirts, pants, etc...

Add what about towels and sheets? wash those separately?

[eveheart]

I have a washing machine but no dryer.

I use washing soda and Charlie's Soap. I'm not endorsing Charlie's soap, but I do want to mention that it contains a surfactant only - no optical brighteners, no bleach, no nuttin' - so depending on how you feel about using a surfactant, it might be an acceptable option.

When people clean their clothes with water only, vigorous agitation is necessary to dislodge the microscopic dirt. That's why you see the womenfolk kneeling on the riverbank, beating their clothes on the rocks. An old-fashioned corrugated metal washboard does the same job. Surfactants are "wetting agents" that hold the dirt in suspension so it can be washed away with only slight agitation, such as in a washing machine. My style of washing and air drying leaves clothes a little stiff, but not terribly so, because I am not using chemical softeners.

I run an extra water-only rinse cycle each week before I do the first load of laundry to flush out the stagnant water in the machine. If you have never smelled that water, try sticking your nose in that first drainage water after the machine has been sitting for a week.

[van]

ah good tip about the rinse water,,    I use baking soda, seems to do fine.   I still like to bleach the whites every once in a while.

[AnopsStudier]

I have a washing machine but no dryer.

I use washing soda and Charlie's Soap. I'm not endorsing Charlie's soap, but I do want to mention that it contains a surfactant only - no optical brighteners, no bleach, no nuttin' - so depending on how you feel about using a surfactant, it might be an acceptable option.

When people clean their clothes with water only, vigorous agitation is necessary to dislodge the microscopic dirt. That's why you see the womenfolk kneeling on the riverbank, beating their clothes on the rocks. An old-fashioned corrugated metal washboard does the same job. Surfactants are "wetting agents" that hold the dirt in suspension so it can be washed away with only slight agitation, such as in a washing machine. My style of washing and air drying leaves clothes a little stiff, but not terribly so, because I am not using chemical softeners.

I run an extra water-only rinse cycle each week before I do the first load of laundry to flush out the stagnant water in the machine. If you have never smelled that water, try sticking your nose in that first drainage water after the machine has been sitting for a week.

Thanks for the tip.. is it necessary to sanitize your washing machine and dyer once a month as recommended online?

And I also keep reading that water only doesnt get everything out of the clothes as good as sometime of detergent or soap does...
Is this true?  or just paranoid people?

[goodsamaritan]

My wife and mother in law and the laundry woman think this brand suits us for washing our clothes:

https://www.humanheartnature.com/

[eveheart]

Part of your laundry decision will be based on the type of clothes you wear. I wear clothes for work that would reflect poorly on me if they were dingy or smelly, so I have chosen the least chemicals that get my clothes clean. I wear the same ol' jeans and t-shirt all weekend long, then switch back to the work look on Monday.

If your washer gets smelly or gets mineral build-up, clean it. I have never used a product to clean mine, and I think that all that washer cleaning is just a lot of marketing. I could be wrong - maybe I never had the problems that some people have had. I've been doing laundry for 45 years, so (of course) I think I'm right.

Maybe you could start with the way your mother did the wash but substitute a natural detergent. Then, get creative and experimental with other methods that you learn about. I think you should try a few alternative suggestions and decide what works for you.

[AnopsStudier]

thanks Eveheart

See i keep reading articles like this saying I should be disinfecting laundry but wonder if its all hype

http://beforeitsnews.com/health/2012/10/5-tips-for-disinfecting-laundry-naturally-2452048.html

[eveheart]

The link you posted contains links to buy each natural product that it recommends. When I see that, I conclude that the whole article is an advertisement. The writer of the seemingly innocent article collects a commission on each product that is sold.

I'm not saying that the advice is good or bad, true or false. I'm just saying. This is not an evil that was invented by the internet. Magazines have linked articles with subtle ad placement for decades.

[AnopsStudier]

So If I use nothing but water will I be leaving any germs or poop particles  on my clothing that shouldnt be there?

I dont need to use vinegar or something to get that out or make sure there is nothing bad on there??

[eveheart]

That's why I recommend doing something similar to what your mother did: you survived that level of residual soil on your clothes.

Also, consider that most "germs" need a favorable environment. Poop germs won't live and reproduce on dry clothing.

OTOH, if you don't want poop stains on your clothing, harsher measures must be employed, such as scrubbing the stain, bleaching out the stain, or wearing fashionable poop-colored clothing wherever stains might prevail.

[AnopsStudier]

Lol thanks Eve... sorry i should of read your post above where you mentioned what you use.
(new to doing my own laundry)

Not that I have stains on my undergarments lol.. I just dont want to take any chances of harmful residue/germs etc...
(need to beat my germaphobia)

Even more of an ethical thing....  Does using soap or vinegar or baking soda (natural products) do anything harmful to the
water supply/enviornment?