eucalyptus in the laundry
1/30/18
As a massage therapist, a common issue I have is oil staining my work sheets and clothes with massage lotions. I am lucky if my yoga pants and work sheets last a year before I have to throw them out! Many commercial stain removers are expensive and have toxic ingredients. I want a safe method to clean laundry that will also save me money because I will not have to buy new clothes and sheets as often. I designed a stain removal recipe with the following ingredients, chosen because they are effective, environmentally friendly, and non-toxic:
Most clothing and sheets are made of microfiber, cotton, flannel, or blends. Over time, these materials can get ruined with grease stains from massage lotions. I needed something safe but effective to fight grease stains. I searched the internet for home-made grease stain removal recipes and found the following ingredients mentioned over and over again: vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, eucalyptus essential oil, dawn dish detergent, baking soda, and ammonia. I wanted a safe, environmentally friendly stain removal blend, so the ammonia was not included in the recipe. Below is my stain remover recipe. Pre-treat clothes with a few sprays before tossing in the washing machine.
Using this recipe, I have noticed a reduction in stains and the clothes smell clean and feel softer! Plus, this was very inexpensive and super easy to make with common household ingredients that I found just as effective as harsh chemical stain removers.
Caution: hydrogen peroxide can cause bleaching / whitening of colored clothes.
Wear gloves. Mix ingredients together in a large bucket in the sink. This is because, when you mix baking soda and vinegar, it can bubble up a bit. Then, pour the recipe into spray bottle. Pre-treat stains by spraying needed area before washing clothes.
*For added aromatic delight, use one teaspoon of eucalyptus and one teaspoon of lemon essential oil. Niaouli essential oil could also be used instead of eucalyptus.
References
[1] The Vinegar Institute (n.d.). Vinegar. Retrieved in December, 2015. Retrieved from http://versatilevinegar.org/index.html
[2] Using Hydrogen Peroxide. (n.d.). Hydrogen Peroxide. Retrieved in December, 2015. Retrieved from http://www.using-hydrogen-peroxide.com/
[3] Petersen, D. (2015). Aromatherapy materia medica. Essential oil monographs. American College of Healthcare Sciences
[4] Proctor & Gamble. (n.d.). Using Dawn as a laundry pre-treater. Retrieved in December, 2015, Retrieved from http://dawn-dish.com/en-us/solutions-tips/beyond-the-sink/laundry-stain-remover
[5] Arm and Hammer. (n.d.). Simple solutions for cleaning laundry. Retrieved in December, 2015. Retrieved from http://www.armandhammer.com/solutions/solution-74/Cleaner-Laundry.aspx
Learn More About Getting Stains Out of Clothing
Clark, J. (2019). How to get Stains out of Cloths. Retrieved in May, 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.tipsbulletin.com/how-to-get-oil-stains-out-of-clothes/