Sometimes simply knowing that something is full of toxic chemicals isn’t good enough. Years ago, I heard how the comforting smells in laundry detergent and fabric softener are composed of toxins that are bad for us. Even as a child, certain friends had a “family smell” that consisted largely of their laundry detergent that permeated their whole house. It’s one thing to recognize something is bad; actually finding a good substitute that smells good and works is a different story. Nobody wants to stink! Am I right? So how do we find natural detergent and softener that smells good and avoid all the yucky chemicals none of us want in our homes?
Finding a Good Natural Detergent and Softener Can Take Time
For me, this process took years. I jumped right into experimenting with natural detergents that were more expensive than what I was using at the time. After realizing my clothes “stank” after washing, I then compromised with the “free and clear” versions of my old laundry detergent. I hopped around from brand to brand because even those couldn’t kill the smell of dirty clothes for a family of 6 (especially when we have a lot of sports seasons and boys in the house). I finally just gave up and swapped back to Gain Island Fresh detergent. If I had to compromise with the chemicals, at least we would smell good.
Then We Discovered the O3 Pure Laundry System
After just settling for a few years, my husband discovered a laundry system he wanted to install that didn’t even require laundry detergent. At first, I didn’t really understand what this meant. When we had some issues with our washer and I had him explain it to me, I realized there was a way to clean our clothes without even introducing toxic detergent into our home.
We installed the 03 Pure Laundry System months ago and are loving it! It transforms oxygen into ozone, which it adds to the water in your washing machine. You can use this with the washing machine you currently have. It only takes a few minutes to get it up and running. This cleans clothes in a natural way that works! For the first time, our clothes don’t stink and I’m totally skipping the step of adding chemical-laden laundry detergent into each load of laundry.
Does the 03 Pure Laundry System Actually Work?
I was a huge skeptic. Like I said, natural laundry has proven a fail for me for years, literally. The 03 Pure Laundry System actually breaks down the molecules that cause mildew and stinky smells. It uses cold water; the colder the water, the better it cleans. This means you don’t have to pay for hot water anymore whenever you do laundry.
The ozone water even gets rid of old laundry smells from previous detergent. It can take several washes to completely get rid of old smells. In addition, it cleans your washing machine from molds and old buildup. Over time, whenever we’ve found shirts that stink, we’ve realized they’re the ones we haven’t worn much or at all since we’ve gotten the new laundry system. The clothes that have been cleaned using this process no longer stink like they used to and we are loving it!
Other Reasons to Check Out the 03 Pure Laundry System
Because you’re not having to buy laundry detergent, you’re avoiding the whole process of purchasing detergent, storing it, and using it every time you wash clothes. This means, over time, you save that money from your grocery bill. The 03 Pure Laundry System does cost initially, but then you’re good. No need to keep buying laundry detergent. You can also save 10% using our link. I was so excited when they approved us to share this discount with you guys, because it has worked so great for our family. It’s been the perfect solution for natural detergent in our home. It is one of 3 brands that I have been beyond excited to get to share with you!
The very first week we got this system set up, I had just stocked up on laundry detergent because it was on sale. I was able to return $30 in detergent right away, which is only a small amount of the money we’ll save in detergent over time.
A Natural Detergent and Softener Can Help You Avoid Having Toxins and Unnecessary Waste in Your Home
If you’re not storing detergent in your home, you’re also avoiding any scary incidents if you have active kids or pets roaming your home. You don’t have to worry about a toddler getting into laundry chemicals if you don’t have any around for them to get into.
If environmental concerns are important to you, you’re also avoiding throwing away huge plastic containers every time you run out of laundry detergent. The ozone in the washer simply transforms back into oxygen after a wash, which is healthy for everyone.
I know it only takes a minute to pour detergent into the washer. But, I’m not gonna lie, I love skipping that step! I’ll take every second I can get back in my busy day as a mother of 4. Just hitting cold wash on the washer, and knowing it’s a better decision for our whole family, is a huge win!
What is the Best Natural Detergent and Softener if My Family is Sensitive to Allergens?
The 03 Pure Laundry System is perfect if members of your family are more sensitive to chemicals or break out easily. It’s amazing to be able to completely avoid chemicals altogether. The same is true if you have babies or pets. When my kids were little, I bought special laundry detergent specifically for their sensitive skin. With the Pure Laundry System, you can just wash everything together, without having to cater to specific members of the family. Washing your clothes this way is more natural for everybody!
What if I Want Both a Natural Detergent and Softener That Smells Good?
My absolute favorite part of a fabric softener is the scent. The more I’ve gone with natural scents around our home, sometimes the overwhelming smell is too strong, but I do like our clothes to smell nice and fresh. We’ve replaced our fabric softener with wool dryer balls and essential oils. I usually use about 6 drops total of essential oil (spread out between 2 or 3 dryer balls), and it lasts an entire day of laundry, sometimes more. I just put a few drops on the balls to let it soak in and toss it in the dryer with our clothes.
My personal favorite oils to use are citrusy ones, or something clean and fruity. Anytime you use essential oils, you should stick with a company you trust that doesn’t add unnecessary additives to the oils. Otherwise, you can end up with toxic chemicals, the very thing you’re seeking to avoid.
Some of our favorite companies are Revive and Plant Therapy. For laundry, specifically, I like to use these oils: Citrus Burst or Sweet Orange. Check out Plant Therapy and save 15%. They have some of my absolute favorite blends for the diffuser (like Tropical Passion and Holiday Season), as well as Citrus Burst (my go-to for the dryer). My family also loves their deodorant and linen spray (we use it as a bathroom spray).
Why Should I Choose Natural Detergent and Softener Over Regular Fabric Softener and Detergent?
When I say that traditional laundry detergent and fabric softener are full of toxic chemicals, I’m not just making that up. You can look up your brand of laundry soap on a website like EWG’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning. Most detergents have a host of toxic chemicals in them, which can affect the endocrine system, respiratory system, cause reproductive issues, and act as allergens.
Many detergents, including common brands such as Gain and Tide, also have Ethanolamine in it, which can affect the organs and nervous system. Ethanolamine attacks materials like copper, rubber, and aluminum and is corrosive to tissue. It’s rated as a moderately toxic chemical that should be handled with proper safety precautions. Why would we soak our clothes in detergents containing Ethanolamine when we will be wearing these clothes every single day?
Are Clothes Washed Using the 03 Pure Laundry System Actually Clean?
I have been amazed by how much better our clothes smell since we started using the 03 Pure Laundry System. Before we started using it, I had multiple workout shirts that seemed to stink as soon as I put them on. Now, old clothes that used to smell no longer have a bad smell. If you’re sweating, you’ll still notice normal sweat smells, but our actual clothes smell so much better.
We also had a bad spill on some sheets right after we got the system installed. On a whim, I tossed it into the washer without pre-treating it. Mostly, I wanted to test it to see how it worked. It got the stain out completely. I was surprised! It worked even better than our normal washer, but without all the yucky chemicals! My previous detergent would have needed a pre-treat to work that well. I’m not saying not to pre-treat things that may leave a stain, we still have stains sometimes even with this system, but I’ve been amazed at how well it works!
Especially When You’re Getting Started, You May Need to Wash Things Twice
The first week we installed the 03 Laundry System, we did wash loads a couple of times. I believe these first few washes were cleaning out old laundry detergent smells as well as giving our washer a much-needed cleaning. I let the smell help me decide if something seemed clean enough.
Every once in awhile, if I notice an extra mildewy smell or stink before I toss something in the washer, I’ll check to make sure it’s gone before tossing it in the dryer. Usually, I can’t smell it at all. If I do, which has only happened a few times, I’ll do the cycle one more time. This always works and gets out any residual smells.
It’s so much better than the natural detergents I used to use that never got rid of the stinky smells in certain clothes. Just pay attention to if it needs an extra cycle, especially in those first few days when there’s so much extra chemicals for it to clean in both your clothes and your washer.
Why Should I Add Essential Oils to the Dryer if My Clothes Don’t Stink?
Honestly, this step isn’t entirely necessary. I just love having laundry that smells fresh and amazing. When I used regular laundry detergent, I used island fresh scents that made everything smell clean when it came out of the dryer. Because I love things that smell good, I like to have an after-scent that’s fresh and citrusy.
If you don’t add essential oils, your clothes won’t have a specific smell. They won’t stink, they just won’t have a “detergent” smell like you might be used to. I don’t always even notice the citrusy oils in my clothes, but a lot of times, I do catch a whiff of the clean orange scent as I’m folding the laundry.
Adding oils to wool dryer balls is definitely an optional step, especially if you’re using the 03 Laundry System that already gets rid of smells. However, I love adding that extra clean scent to our laundry, especially when I can do it without adding unwanted chemicals. It’s such a simple and inexpensive swap for fabric softener, and you can cater it to the smells you want to have for your laundry.
Don’t Settle for Chemicals When There Are Natural Detergent and Softeners You Can Use
Just don’t settle… We’re all different. Things that I love, you may not love as much. However, I think the more we share natural solutions that work for our families, the more everyone benefits. I do love finding things I like that are also healthy options. It can be things that make my house smell good, delicious treats, snacks my kids will eat, or even natural ways to clean our laundry.
Whatever things you are aware of that are toxic in your home, keep working to find healthy solutions that work for you. It is a process and it can take work, but you and your family are worth it. You’ll be so satisfied when you find solutions you love that actually work!
