Would you like to have a natural alternative to Downy Unstoppable to add the laundry scent boosting and odor removing benefit to those special loads of laundry that need some extra special attention?
Well, there is a very affordable and easy way to make your own. We try to use homemade and natural products for cleaning and most personal care. But we have used Downy Unstoppables before, but not in our laundry – but in the vacuum – it is awesome for this purpose!
However, my family’s skin and allergies are too sensitive to wash this with their clothing and be rubbing against their skin. But there are some loads of laundry where it would be nice to add a “scent boosting and odor removing” bonus. But did you know that baking soda is an odor remover? That’s why we have all been putting it our fridges for so long and why one of our most popular recipes, car and carpet deodorizing powder, includes Baking Soda!
Then for your scent boosting, just combine the baking soda with essential oils and you have an effective natural alternative!
You can add any scent of pure essential oil (this is NOT fragrance oil, but the aromatherapy essential oils. Read about them HERE as well as a good deal on them!). We personally like lavender as it is calming, smells great and is florally like many of the Downy Unstoppables fragrances.
Here’s how to make it:
- Before you wash your load of laundry that needs some extra special attention, mix 1-cup of baking soda with 10 drops of essential oil.
- Then start your load and add it to the basin of the washer at the beginning of the load or in your “pre-wash” slot in your front loader machine.
- Then wash and dry as normal!
That’s it!
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Michelle Nettles
I have tried using baking soda in washing machine before and it did not dissolve well. Does it work better if you use hot water (I usually wash in cold)?
Cassie
Every once in a while, we will get a clump remaining and I think it is from the cold water vs. hot water. I just leave it for the next load and it always totally dissolves by run #2. We put ours in the pre-wash slot in our machine too. I don’t know if it makes a difference regarding the dissolving based on how it is put in your washer. That would be interesting to find out. How do you put yours in?
Jennifer T.
I’ve tried adding essential oils to my homemade detergent (that contains baking soda) but the good smells from the essential oils don’t seem to carry over to my clothes (like the Downy Unstoppables or Purex Crystals). Have you had this same experience, or am I doing something wrong? I’d love to hear your input!
Pam
I wonder if you mix the baking soda up really good with enough water and then add the oil fragrance you would have more of a liquid mixture and it wouldn’t clump up. Then add it to your prewash.
Just a thought.
Victoria
To add a scent to my clothes, I don’t rely on the wash since it seems like the washing cycle just rinses the scent right out (boo!, what I do is I use dryer balls sprinkled with some essential oil. I made my own from some old knee high socks that I think I wore a grand total of once because I’m a knitter and didn’t want to waste good wool yarn on dryer balls… Yet. Works like a charm! The smell doesn’t last forever, but it’s good to know that there aren’t a bunch of weird chemicals lingering on our clothes.
Kristin
Victoria-
Have you ever experienced oil stains on any clothing from using the EO? How many drops do you use?
Holly McCammack
When I have extra wool yarn, I will roll it into a ball and place the ball inside an old pair of knee high’s or panty hose that have runs in them (I save them for this purpose). I knot the hose on each side of the ball and make another ball if I have more yarn! I try to keep the size close to a tennis ball. When I finish, I place the hose with the wool balls into a load of laundry and wash in a hot cycle & cold rinse then place with the clothes into the dryer on the highest heat setting. You are wanting to “Felt” the wool balls so they will not unwind. It may take 2 or 3 times but you will love these balls and they save so much money!!! Once they “felt” you will add drops of essential oils to the balls then toss them into the dryer to add scent to clothing instead of using scent boosters!! They will also help dry your clothes faster by helping absorb moisture!