One mom is sharing a "healthy, homemade" formula that will keep your whites just as bright as bleach.
The scoop
In a video with more than 21,000 likes, TikToker LORAfied (@lorafied) advocates for viewers to "skip those toxic fumes" from bleach by creating an alternative.
@lorafied DIY: Healthy Bleach - 1 gallon jug 2 cups 3% hydrogen peroxide (the basic kind you get at the store) 3/4 cup lemon juice If desired, add 10 drops or so of essential oil, I used 🍋 Add peroxide & juice to jug, fill to top w/water & add essentail oil. 1 cup per load. Test on your darks. Don't pour directly on clothing. #laundrytok🧺 #laundryhacks #nobleachcleaning #homeec #howtodolaundry #toxicfreeliving #nontoxiclaundry ♬ Footloose (From "Footloose" Soundtrack) - Kenny Loggins
"We can do better," she began. "You'll need two cups of hydrogen peroxide and three-quarters of a cup of lemon juice."
"Pour both into a gallon jug, and fill to the top with water. Add some essential oil if desired," she continued, noting in the caption that you should first test the formula if you're washing darks and avoid putting it directly on clothing.
While the mixture doesn't disinfect, as LORAfied pointed out, it does keep your clothes "smelling great."
How it's helping
In addition to keeping your whites bright and saving you the hassle of replacing them, this homemade alternative includes versatile, inexpensive ingredients, meaning your money will be well spent.
Hydrogen peroxide or lemon juice can also be used separately in other concoctions, including for the removal of soap scum, to clean grout, and even for cocktail ice cubes.
Keeping your whites around longer reduces the amount of polluting textiles and water waste as well.
According to National Geographic, the production of one T-shirt requires 2,700 liters, or 713 gallons, of water. That volume of H20 would quench someone's thirst for a stunning 900 days.
The utilization of bleach, meanwhile, comes with potentially peace-stealing considerations. For one, as LORAfied alluded to, the popular whitening agent isn't so great for our health.
According to a study by Occupational & Environmental Medicine, published in the National Library of Medicine, frequent use of bleach may increase the risk of respiratory illnesses and other infections in children.
The cleaning agent can also harm wildlife if it makes its way into their environment through wastewater and accidentally poison pets.
What everyone's saying
Other TikTokers loved the hack, sharing the video more than 4,000 times.
"Thank you so much for this. Can't stand the smell of bleach!!" one person said.
"Thanks for this, first time trying lemon juice in [the] washer and I'm impressed!!" wrote another.
"Awesome! Will be trying this! Thank you!" another commenter said.
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