6 ecological alternatives to fabric softener
The good news is that there are environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional fabric softeners. Not only is this particularly important because of the harmful chemicals, but you also save yourself the hassle of lugging around plastic bottles and disposing of them. With home remedies, you can replace fabric softener in an ecological and affordable way.
Essig
Put around 30 to 50 milliliters of vinegar in the compartment for the fabric softener with every wash. The smell will dissipate during drying at the latest, but the vinegar ensures a smooth feel and reduces limescale deposits in the washing machine and on the clothes. This alternative to fabric softener is particularly suitable for colored laundry or black clothes. It is important that you use white household vinegar, which you can find in any supermarket, and that you do not use detergent with bleach at the same time.
Zitronensäure
Citric acid is particularly great for light-colored laundry, as it has a slightly bleaching effect. it is best to use citric acid powder, which you add directly to the fabric softener compartment, just like the vinegar. One teaspoon is enough for a normal wash load. This application is not suitable for washing machines with a narrow channel to the fabric softener compartment. In this case, it is better to dissolve three to five teaspoons of citric acid in one liter of water. For each wash, simply add around 50 to 100 milliliters of the solution to the compartment.
Natron
Hard water or stubborn stains don't stand a chance against baking soda. You can find out how hard the water is in your region on the website of the Swiss Gas and Water Industry Association (SVGW) (Link= http://trinkwasser.svgw.ch/index.php?id=813&L=0. Is your home in an area with hard water? Then use about two teaspoons of the powder dissolved in 100 ml of water as a fabric softener. If the water is soft, you can also use only half.
Soda-Pulver
Soda and baking soda work in a similar way, but soda has a slightly stronger cleaning effect. It is also known as washing soda or sodium carbonate. As with baking soda, dissolve two teaspoons of soda in 100 ml of water and use it as an inexpensive substitute for fabric softener. Be careful with animal fibers such as wool or merino: soda causes them to swell and should therefore not be used.
Ätherische Öle
Laundry doesn't have to be fragrant to be clean. On the contrary: synthetic substances are often used as fragrances that are neither healthy for you nor environmentally friendly. You can easily solve this problem with essential oils. Add a few drops of essential oils to suit your taste when doing the laundry.
You can either drizzle the oil directly onto the Washo or add it to the compartment with your fabric softener alternative. However, it is important that you use natural oils and use them sparingly.
Washo Dryer Balls
If you use the tumbler to dry your laundry, you can also use Washo Dryer Balls instead of fabric softener. They provide friction for softer fibers and less energy consumption during drying. You can find more information on this in the blog (Link= https://www.washo.ch/blogs/washo-blog/schneller-trocken-dank-der-washo-dryer-balls)
