Epsom salt is one of my top five cleaning secrets. I’ve found it particularly helpful for laundry. There are over ten different ways Epsom salt can be used in our homes – from body soaking to facial and body scrub, down to cleaning duties and laundry. We cannot overestimate the importance of Epsom salt on the list of household ingredients.
Epsom salt is also known as magnesium sulfate. It is a chemical compound made up of magnesium, sulfur, and oxygen. Even though it behaves like your regular table salt, it is entirely different from table salt. Try not to put it in your meal because you won’t like the taste.
Why Put Epsom Salt in Laundry?
There are different reasons people put Epsom salt in their laundry or make it part of their laundry plan. One of which is to soften clothes. Adding Epsom salt to laundry has softened clothes like a fabric softener.
Epsom salt is also added to laundry to help prevent color fade in clothed clothes and to brighten laundry. It can also be added to help keep the washing machine clean after washing; however, to use Epsom salt for washing machine clean-up and maintenance, the salt should not be added to your laundry. It works better when it is placed after using the washing machine.
What Does Epsom Salt Do To Laundry?
We have talked about the reasons Epsom salt is added to laundry. Now we will be talking about what Epsom salt does to our laundry and also what happens when Epsom salt is combined with other products. Below are the effects of Epsom salt on laundry:
1. Hardens Water
Epsom salt causes the hardness of the water. Hard water is caused by basically two minerals: calcium and magnesium, and as we know, Epsom salt contains magnesium. So by adding Epsom salt to your laundry, you are making your hard water.
Hard water can cause soap and detergent to be less effective. The harder your water is, the more soap or detergent you will have to use for it to be effective. Epsom salt should be used in the right quantity to prevent water hardness during laundry.
2. Softens Laundry
The most popular effect of Epsom salt on laundry is that it softens laundry. Epsom salt can be used as a natural and homemade alternative instead of a store-bought fabric softener. If you run out of fabric softeners or need a natural alternative, then Epsom salt is a suitable alternative for softening clothes. Mixing Epsom salt with baking soda can boost its softening qualities, making your laundry as soft as any fabric softener would make them.
3. Boosts Laundry Scent
Scent boosters are a great addition to our laundry because they can make our clothes feel fresh, but what happens when you run out of your store-bought scent booster or if you want to create homemade scent boosters?
Epsom salt, when mixed with baking soda and essential oil, can create an amazing scent booster that might make you forget about buying a scent booster next time you visit a store. This scent booster is safe and cost-effective.
4. Prevents Color Bleeding Of Clothes
One problem we face during laundry is color bleeding. New clothes or clothes that aren’t colorfast often bleed out during laundry. This causes us to wash some of these clothes separately to avoid stains.
Epsom salt with a mixture of vinegar can easily solve this problem by making our clothes our clothes color set.
5. Brighten Clothes
Using Epsom salt in laundry has proven to help brighten clothes. It helps clothes regain their colors, making them pleasing again.
How To Use Epsom Salt In Laundry
The misuse of Epsom salt or excessive use of Epsom salt during laundry can cause water Hardness. To prevent this, a guideline on how to use Epsom salt for your desired effect has been provided, just as promised. Below are the guidelines on how to use Epsom salt:
1. How To Use Epsom Salt As A Fabric Softener
Epsom salt can soften laundry, making them comfy just like store-bought fabric softener would. Below is the guideline on how to use Epsom salt as a fabric softener:
Step 1: Pour a cup of Epsom salt into a jar and add 1/4 cup baking soda. Then stir the mixture.
Step 2: Use 2-4 tablespoons for each load of laundry. Keep the remaining mixture safe for future usage.
2. How To Use Epsom Salt As A Scent Booster
As mentioned above, Epsom salt can be used as a scent booster when mixed with other products, like an essential oil. Below is the guideline;
Step 1: Pour a cup of Epsom salt into a jar. An airtight container is recommended. Add 1/4 cup of baking soda.
Step 2: Add about fifteen drops of essential oil and stir until they mix perfectly together. Use 2-4 tablespoons for each load of laundry.
3. How To Use Epsom Salt To Prevent Color Bleeding In Clothes
As we mentioned earlier, a solution like Epsom salt can be used to keep clothes from fading and bleeding while they are being laundered. Here is a guideline on how to use Epsom salt to prevent color bleeding in clothes:
Step 1: Pour about two liters of water into a bowl and add half a cup of white vinegar with one tablespoon of Epsom salt.
Step 2: Mix the solution until the salt dissolves, then place the cloth in the solution and let it soak. Squeeze the wet cloth and then wash as usual.