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I really love using my homemade laundry detergent, but one thing that I don’t love is that my homemade detergent does not get my whites as white as they should be. But the smell of bleach makes me nauseated and gives me a horrible headache! So my house is a bleach-free zone, which is just fine with me! No yucky bleach smell is gonna permeate my house!
So I went on the hunt for an acceptable alternative and came across this one on Motherearthnews.com that has only three ingredients!
The results? Impressive, to say the least! It whitened really well, and my whites are no longer light gray, so I am a very happy camper! This recipe is inexpensive and quick to make. It only took me about 5 minutes to whip it together!
This recipe made a little less than a gallon and you will want to use 2 cups per load of laundry, or pour it into a spray bottle to use as a kitchen cleaner!
I have included a smaller 1 load recipe in the notes. I know that for me, I typically only use 1 small batch of this when I do my whites each week, and so with the smaller recipe, I don’t have to worry about trying to store it for a month and a half!
If you are making the larger batch, be aware that peroxide will break down when exposed to light, so you must store this in dark containers to keep the peroxide intact to do it’s intended job!
Natural Bleach Alternative
Ingredients
- 1 cup hydrogen peroxide
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 12 cups water
Instructions
- Mix ingredients in a large dark glass container to store.
- Use 2 cups per laundry load or put into a spray bottle as needed for household cleaning.
October 18, 2013
I never did like the smell of bleach. I gave me headaches, too. Thanks for the natural alternative!
October 18, 2013
You’re welcome!
October 20, 2013
I love this recipe. It is so great to be able to bleach clothing with such mild, natural ingredients. Awesome! I will share this with my friends. They’ll love it!
October 21, 2013
Thanks! I’m so glad that you like it! It works really well too!
October 21, 2013
This is just want I have been looking for.. thank you so much!!!
October 23, 2013
This is awesome, so much simpler than what I have been doing! I can’t wait to make some and try it out. Thanks!
October 23, 2013
I hope you love it as much as I do. It is super simple, but none of that nasty bleach smell! And it still disinfects as well as whitens! 🙂
July 5, 2014
keep in dark color container as hydrogen peroxide will degrade in light. thanks for the recipe.
July 7, 2014
Yep, always. I just hadn’t transferred mine yet!
March 17, 2015
Could I use this to my clean my toilet? By pouring some round the inside rim each night, for example? Thank you!
March 17, 2015
Yeah, I don’t see why that wouldn’t work for you.