DIY Your Laundry Spot Remover & Banish Stains The Chemical-Free Way

There are a lot of products involved when it comes to doing your laundry. Not only do you need laundry detergent and fabric softener, but you can also get beads, balls, and sprays to make the process even more efficient. You can get scent-releasing beads to make your laundry smell even fresher, and spot remover to help tackle difficult stains. You can get dryer balls to help reduce wrinkles in the dryer, or wrinkle release spray to help you smooth out creases without an iron. While these are all super convenient, they're also full of iffy chemicals. However, if you want to be more natural or greener, most of them are easy to DIY, including the laundry spot remover.

You might be surprised about that since spot removers are usually filled with grime-fighting chemicals that work overtime to lift stubborn stains. While that might be true, it turns out there are all sorts of natural ingredients that do just the same. They can lift anything from red wine to grass stains, all without using something harsh. Whether you want to be more eco-friendly or just have sensitive skin, here is how to DIY your own pre-treatment.

You will need a few common cleaning items to create your own spot remover, some of which you might already have in your pantry. To pull off this hack, you will need castile soap, lemon essential oil, liquid vegetable glycerin, water, and a spray bottle. And that's it! No harsh chemicals in sight. Mix 1.5 cups of water with 1/4 cup castile soap and 1/4 cup liquid vegetable glycerin to create your cleaning agent. Then add around 10 drops of lemon essential oil into the mix for added scent and disinfecting properties. Then shake the bottle thoroughly so everything combines. Make sure to do so every time you use it, since the ingredients will separate if left to sit for a few days. 

To apply it, spray your stain liberally with the mixture and allow it to sit for 10 minutes before throwing it into the wash. This will let the mixture penetrate into the stain, lifting it from the fabric's fibers. However, the longer you can let it sit, the better the results will be, so try going up to an hour for stubborn stains. Then wash it as you normally would.