Can you wash baby clothes with laundry soap?

The modern variety of baby care products has dissuaded many from using laundry soap, a time-honored staple. Despite its proven track record, many still prefer traditional powders or trendy capsules and gels for washing children's clothes. However, some parents are convinced that washing children's clothes with laundry soap is safer. So, which is the best choice?

Is soap harmful for children?

Anionic surfactants can be found in any laundry detergent. These chemicals, when absorbed into the body, weaken the immune system and can cause allergies in people of all ages. Allergic skin and respiratory problems are especially dangerous for newborns.

In contrast, laundry soap contains only natural ingredients that are safe for children. It is composed primarily of vegetable oils and naturally occurring fatty acids. This product does not contain harmful chemicals and does not cause allergic reactions, making it ideal for cleaning children's clothes and for adults prone to allergy-related skin inflammation.

Important! Pediatricians recommend using only laundry soap when washing small children's clothes.

Washing your laundry and clothes with laundry soap means you won't have any health risks, as no chemicals will settle on your items. However, there's a downside. This product isn't suitable for automatic washing machines, which many housewives rely on.

Why isn't soap suitable for the washing machine?

Obviously, large bars of soap cannot fit into a washing machine's detergent compartment. Even if you cut them into pieces for this purpose, they won't wash out into the drum at the right moment. Furthermore, laundry soap produces too much foam. Excess foam can penetrate the machine's electronics and cause a short circuit.

Soap scum is harmful to appliances, as it can clog the pump and impede the impeller's movement. This substance can also clog hoses and pipes, hindering their operation. Despite this, there are a number of techniques that many people use to successfully wash their washing machines with soap without causing damage. What's the secret?

Preparing soap for machine washing

Proven tips will help you ensure machine-safe washing with the healthiest detergent. Using them will allow you to fully utilize the benefits of laundry soap. First, you need to adapt it to machine washing. You can transform soap into a gel that does its job perfectly, using the following methods:

• grate laundry soap (100 g) on ​​a fine grater;
• stir the resulting shavings in a saucepan with hot water (1 l) until a homogeneous solution is formed over low heat, without bringing to a boil;
• in a similar way, in another pan, prepare a solution of soda (3 tbsp.) with water (3 l);
• combine the prepared solutions of soap and soda into one, letting it cool to room temperature;
• to add aroma, you can add 2-3 drops of essential oil;
• To make the mixture more homogeneous, mix it additionally with a blender;
• cool completely, which will form a gel-like detergent;
• Transfer the gel into a resealable container.

Add 150g of soap gel to the drum per 3kg of laundry. Alternatively, you can use 3 tablespoons of shredded laundry soap per wash. For this purpose, it's convenient to grind the soap using a meat grinder or a coarse grater. You can also use a soap solution made from 2 tablespoons of shredded soap and a cup (200ml) of hot water, adding it to the washing machine's detergent compartment.

Important! Do not wash silk or wool items with laundry soap.

How to care for the machine?

Regular automatic washing with laundry soap requires extra care. Experts recommend running an extra rinse cycle after each soap wash. It is necessary to periodically check the condition of the drum and cuff for the presence of greasy soap deposits. After just a few washes, you need to carry out preventative cleaning of the washing machine using any method.

If you frequently wash with alkaline detergent in hard water, you should take additional measures to maintain the machine's performance. Twice a month, run a wash cycle without any items, but with baking soda or a special cleaning agent. If you rarely use soap, cleaning the machine once a month is sufficient. If you use laundry soap only for baby clothes, then washing other items with regular detergents will remove any soap residue from the inside of the washing machine.

   

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