Can I wash without powder: old and new ways to safely wash
Not only eco-activists are talking about the dangers of household chemicals (and not without reason). But the idea of washing without powder clearly belongs either to the most economical person, or to an allergic person of the 80th level. The problem with this approach is understandable: washing powders began to be used for a reason. Having abandoned them, you will have to sacrifice the purity of the fabric.
Can I wash without using powder? Of course you can. Will washing be effective? Only if there is no visible dirt on the fabric. If your task is to get rid of stains, you will have to use something other than water.
Wasted
According to experts, the effectiveness of machine wash consists of three parameters:
- mechanical impact;
- temperature condition;
- quality detergents.
Will the washing machine start if it is not “fed” with powder? Yes, it will start and even honestly work out a full cycle.
But machine wash without powder entails two problems:
- Contaminated items do not come off. If there are spots on the fabric, you will have to remove them in advance.
- This is not safe for the device. The fact is that modern softeners add components that soften water. If all the time to do without them, the heater will quickly become scum - and the machine will fail.
The compromise is as follows: you can start washing without powder, if you need to refresh clothes that do not have serious contaminants or are just badly wrinkled. In this case, you will get the desired result.
If the washing machine has the “Steam Wash” mode and the composition of the fabric allows, you can use it: it perfectly eliminates the smell of sweat.
If the water in your area is soft, then the washing machine does not require additional worries. If not everything is so rosy, then you will periodically need to run it without things, pouring instead of a powder a product like Kalgon to protect it from scale.
Step forward and two back?
So, to do when washing with water alone is problematic. But the ranks of opponents of household chemicals are constantly replenished by young parents, radical minimalists and people with sensitive skin. All of them are looking for a worthy alternative: someone buys expensive “safe” powders, someone uses soap nuts, someone prepares their own funds.
Older people are sometimes interested: is it possible to wash only with air conditioning? The answer is no, you can’t. Air conditioning is not a substitute for washing powder, but an aid to soften the fabric and give a pleasant aroma.
We have collected the top 10 tools that can replace the standard washing powder:
- Washing gels. It would seem that they changed the "flea". But this makes sense if a person has an allergic reaction when they inhale the smallest particles of granular chemistry that rise into the air when the cuvette is filled. In addition, the gels are perfectly rinsed, unlike powders, particles of which can remain on the fabric.
- Korean powders. They hardly smell and have no aggressive components. Suitable for those who do not need a radical rejection of chemistry, but just a milder remedy.
- Powders without phosphates. Usually available in children's clothing lines. Examples: Stork IVF, Eared Nanny, Faberlic House.
- Sheets and plates for washing. Again, Korea is leading in terms of efficiency and safety (for example, Khanzhan). They do not contain parabens, phosphates or zeolites. The active ingredients are of natural origin.
- Universal washing liquids based on plant-based surfactants. Such funds are produced by Zero Ecover, Seventh Generation and others.But, when buying such a concentrate, you need to carefully read the instructions: not all of them are intended for use in a washing machine.
- Gel from laundry soap and soda. Soap (100 g) is grated, added to 2 l of water and, stirring, melt over low heat. Then add soda (100 g) and mix thoroughly until completely dissolved. You can use it in a day. The gel is more suitable for hand washing. Sometimes it can be put in a typewriter (in a drum along with things), but you will have to use a means to protect the heater.
- Soda, salt, borax and wine vinegar. Proportions: 2: 2: 2: 1. Bulk components are mixed and poured into the powder compartment, vinegar is poured into the air conditioning compartment. This method is suitable for washing, if things do not have persistent stains.
- Soap nuts. A few pieces are put in a canvas bag and sent to the drum along with things. They do not wash off heavy soiling, but they make the wash completely eco-friendly.
- A decoction of soap root. Suitable for hand wash only. 50 g of dried roots are crushed (can be broken with a hammer), poured with boiling water (0.5 l), insisted for a day, periodically mixing. Then put on fire and boil for an hour, cool, filter. Things are washed in two stages, each time adding 250 ml of decoction to the wash basin.
- Gall soap. In fact, this remedy is according to an old recipe (not suitable for vegans, as it is done on the basis of cow bile). Used to wash contaminated items, after which they can be sent to the machine without powder.
So, washing without powder is possible, but it is difficult to do without detergents at all. If this question is acute, two options remain:
- Use detergents based on natural ingredients. The downside is that they cost significantly more.
- First, wash things with household, baby, bile or other suitable soap, and then send them to the washing machine without powder. Minus - the complexity and archaic method.
The ideal solution, as always, is hard to find. It remains to be advised not to lose sight of the innovations that manufacturers of washing machines offer, for example, the steam washing function or Eco Bubble technology, which allows the use of much less household chemicals.