It’s likely it’s happened to you at least once in your lifetime. You have nothing clean to wear, you’re about to do laundry, and suddenly you realize you’re out of laundry detergent. You don’t have time to run to the store, so what do you do? Rinse out your empty laundry detergent bottle and pour in one-half cup of baking soda and a cup of water. Shake it up and pour it into the washer like you would your normal detergent. The clothing will be cleaner than you imagine, thanks to the action of the cleaning agent in baking soda. There are, however, things you should never use in a clothes washer. Although you might be tempted to reach for dishwashing detergent, don’t. Most dishwashing detergents contain ingredients that are much harsher than laundry detergent and can cause fading and bleaching of colors. You can also forget about shampoo, bubble bath and body wash. All of those products produce too many bubbles that will be difficult to remove during the rinse cycle. Finally, don’t ever think of using household cleaners or ammonia. Those products are way too harsh for most fabrics and can be irritating to the skin as well. They also contain ingredients that cause color loss and spotting on fabrics, not to mention how harmful they can be to your washer. Of course, the best way to avoid having to even think about these things is to make sure you keep laundry detergent firmly on your shopping list.
