Laundry Soaker

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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!

Washing Powder

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I have been making my own washing powder for a few months now and have had great results. If you think it is hard, think again. A little bit of effort to purchase individual ingredients and changing your habits and you won’t look back. I encourage you to have a look at what you are using and research if the product is safe for you.

Some of the ingredients I avoid include Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Phosphates, 1-4 dioxane. Side effects can cause skin irritation, respiratory problems, eye irritations to name a few.

I have settled on an a recipe that works well for me. I have modified a recipe published by Sistermixin.  These girls are doing wonders for raising awareness on additives and preservatives in food. If you have not had a look check them out.

Ingredients

  • 2 Bars of Dr Bronners soap purchase here *
  • 200g Epsom salts
  • 500 washing Soda
  • 500 Bi-carb soda
  • Essential Oils

Cut bars of soap into pieces. I do this in my thermomix but any blender should do. You want the soap to be as fine as possible. Add other ingredients and blend until combined. Store in a container in the laundry.

I add Essential oils 4-5 drops for the desired result

  • Degreasing- lemon Essential Oil
  • Stain removal- Eucalyptus Essentail Oil
  • Anti-bacterial(sports gear) Tea tree Essential Oil
  • Beautiful scent for linen- Lavender

At home we use a front loader and I use about 2 tablespoons. Dr Bronner’s bar soap is fragrance free. We also use it in our bathrooms. I purchase soap in bulk and store them in my laundry

Washing soda, bi-carb and Epsom salts can all be purchased from the supermarket. It is economical to also buy in bulk if you are going to make on a regular basis. I purchase from New Directions

I always use distilled vinegar in the rinse section of the washing machine. Vinegar will remove any soap residue and help soften the water. If using Lavender I would add in the rinse section too.

I hope you have success with this recipe and let me know how you go

Belinda

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