Laundry Soaker

Leave a comment August 7, 2020 belindaforsyth

Ever wanted to break up with store bought soaker?? I used to buy a product that promised to clean my clothes and had fantastic selling slogans like Oxy-clean and Oxy-action! However I now choose a low tox option for cleaning and personal care where possible. No fillers, no fragrance just all the ingredients that get the job done.

If you don’t know about the dangers of fragrance, I recommend you do some research.

The benefits of making your own means you will know exactly what goes in. Here is my recipe. The ingredients can be found at your local supermarket or as suggested.

I use Essential Oils as they have great cleansing properties, including degreasing and they are purely made from plants. No fillers, just plants! every home should have these and I highly recommend them.

Ingredients

3 cups Baking Soda
3 Cups Washing Soda ( Lectric brand from supermarket or purchase from your whole foods store)
1 cup Epsom salts
2 Cups Borax ( I found some at Bunnings)
1-2 cups Sodium per carbonate (Oxygen Bleach- buy from Biome)
20 drops Each of Thieves, Purification and Lemon Essential Oils ( Purchase these from Young Living here)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and store in a container with a tight fitting lid. Use 1/4-/12 cup per soak with warm water. Soakers work better with time and warm water. be patient and you will be rewarded!

Now this recipe makes quite a lot!!! You can easily halve the recipe to make a smaller quantity but I prefer to make in bulk.

Hope you like it!

Dishwash Powder

Leave a comment May 19, 2018 belindaforsyth

For quite some time I have been wanting to make Dish wash powder myself but I have never been able to get the results I wanted i.e clean glasses, plates etc. Everything has come out cloudy. So frustrating!

Most dishwasher powders and detergents have artificial fragrances in them which is a big red flag for phthalates- endocrine disruptors. You will notice this when you open the door at the end of the cycle and are greeted with a strong artificial smell, not something I wanted my dishes coated with.

Some powders include Chlorine based bleaches which are not great for your digestive tract, and also kill off organisms in the environment which is why chlorine bleach is used in swimming pools.

Colours in your dishwasher powders are simply artificial, more than likely derived from petroleum with small amounts always left on your dishes. No thank you.

Finally I have come up with a mix that I am happy with

Ingredients

1 cup Sodium Bi-carbonate
1 cup Citric Acid
1 cup Oxygen Bleach- Sodium Per carbonate
1/2 cup salt
1 cup washing soda- Lectric brand from the supermarket.
20 drops Purification or Lemon Essential Oil

Mix all ingredients in a stainless steel bowl and store in either a glass jar or repurposed container.

Use 1-2 tablespoons per wash.

For best results

don’t overload your dishwasher
rinse dishes of large particles of food before hand
use hot water

Results will vary depending on the hardness of your water. Hot water works better as there are no harsh chemicals used to clean your dishes.

For bulk supplies of salts I like to shop at Blants. Bulk goods come in handy for cleaning, bath bombs, bath salts, scrubs. otherwise try your local health food shop or hardware store.

If making your own is not your thing, because it is not everyone’s I love the Ecostore powder. The best low tox option that I have found from the supermarket.

3 Reasons not to use Bleach

Leave a comment February 28, 2018 belindaforsyth

Bleach for many of us means Chlorine Bleach. It has been used to disinfect surfaces and remove stains and whiten clothes. Chlorine bleach is typically a solution of sodium hydrochloride. There are so many reasons not to use it in your home and here is my take on the top 3.

It is bad for your health. As reported in the Sydney Morning herald Passive exposure to Chlorine bleach has been linked to an increase in cases of Flu, tonsillitis and other infections in school aged children. This Research was published in the British Medical Journal’s Occupational and Environmental Medicine and was performed across 3 countries and included over 9000 children. Another study published by the American Journal of critical care medicine, concluded that Women cleaning at home or working as occupational cleaners had accelerated decline in lung function, suggesting that exposures related to cleaning activities may constitute a risk to long-term respiratory health(source). This is such a worry for many women and men who are the responsible party for cleaning their homes in addition to the cleaning workforce. Another potential problem of using Chlorine Bleach is that it can react with other Cleaning products producing toxic gases, chloramine.
It is bad for the Environment. Chlorine is released into waterways via sewage. Once it reaches the water, chlorine reacts with other minerals and elements to form a host of dangerous toxins. These toxins, including dioxins, furams and PCDDs are often referred to as “persistent organic pollutants” because they linger in the water or soil and take many years to disappear. (source)
There are other, safer alternatives. How do I whiten my clothes and clean my home? the answer is Hydrogen Peroxide or Sodium Percarbonate and plant based cleaners. Hydrogen peroxide available from your local Pharmacy, or the powdered form Sodium Percarbonate ( purchase here). Hydrogen peroxide is a double Hydrogen Oxygen compound that is used as an oxidiser, bleaching agent and antiseptic. Sodium Percarbonate breaks down into hydrogen peroxide and soda ash in water and in powdered form makes it an easy addition to laundry. Thieves household cleaner is my all time favourite plant based cleaner that actually works infused with a blend of essential oils that are perfect for cleaning your home.

For liquid bleach try this recipe I love sodium percarbonate as I can easily add a tsp to my washing detergent and my whites are brighter. A little bit goes a long way. You will also be avoiding synthetic fragrance as most supermarket products have synthetic fragrance included- I only use Essential oils as synthetic fragrance can have any number of chemicals and are known endocrine disruptors! (source)

Removing stains- try some bi-carb soda and half a lemon. One of the simplest low tox cleaners you can try and you probably have both ingredients in your kitchen. If you don’t have lemons try some Lemon Essential Oil. I use this frequently to clean my sink and it smells great.

Surface disinfection. I get it, you have been cooking, maybe with chicken or other meat (if you choose) and you want to make sure there are no nasties growing on your bench. For this I have a spray bottle with Thieves Household Cleaner. Do I need a study to verify it? Well actually there are many which show anti-microbial effects of essential oils, like this one. or watch here Did I ever check about Bleach or the health effects? No I did not, but I wish I did!

What is it? Thieves Household Cleaner is a plant based essential oil infused concentrate that I use to clean my bathroom, kitchen, dishwasher, car, washing machine, floors, everything. The other thing I like about it is it is biodegradable and complies with EPA standards. It is economical and it works. You can even clean your dog with it.

Check out my Thieves recipes here A versatile and affordable concentrate that you can use on all surfaces of your home. To get your hands on the Thieves household cleaner, simply purchase from Your Young Living account or open one here The Thieves healthy home starter kit will set you up!

I encourage you to re-think why you use what you use in your home.

Belinda