FLOWER POT KITCHEN: NATURAL LAUNDRY SOAP RECIPE

1 Feb 2015

NATURAL LAUNDRY SOAP RECIPE

This does more than clean your clothes, it gives you that feel good factor that you are using natural mineral compounds which are green environmentally friendly ingredients, what's more you are giving your family a healthier environment to grow in.

So quick and simple to make and uses just 3 ingredients and five minutes of your time, making the powder recipe will yield 40 washes for 0.17p/0.12c a wash and making the liquid recipe you will yield 169 washes for 0.04p/0.06c.

Ingredients

(makes 40 washes)

Washing Powder

140g bar of Dr Bronners magic soap scented

6 cups of washing soda crystals

6 cups borax substitute

6 tsp bicarbonate soda

Ingredients

(makes 169 washes)

Washing Liquid

140g bar of Dr Bronners magic soap scented

2 ltrs water

18 ltrs water

1 cup borax substitute

1 cup soda crystals

Washing Powder

Grate or blitz in a food processor the bar of soap, add the soda crystals, borax substitute and if using the bicarbonate soda, mix well and store in a air tight container, 1/4 cup per wash, if a heavy load 1/8 cup. I used the bicarbonate of soda as an anti-caking agent and just to give that extra kick of cleaning oxygen bubbles.

Washing Liquid

Grate or blitz in a food processor the bar of soap place in a sauce pan with the two litres of water and gently heat just to melt the soap, remove from the heat. In a large 25ltr container or saucepan add the 18 ltrs of hot tap water, stir in the borax and soda crystals until completely dissolved. Pour in the reserved soap mix and mix well, cover and leave all day or over night, then stir well to emulsify into a smooth liquid and pour into smaller containers for ease of use when needed. I use glass kilner jars, 1/2 cup per wash.

BORAX and BORAX SUBSTITUTE

I am just going to jump straight in and say Borax!

In my research about cleaner healthier living for my family I found Wellness Mama and Crunchybetty.com's research very clear, concise, through and helpful.

There is often some confusion between Boric acid which is NOT borax and borax. Borax is a natural chemical that is on the low end of the toxicity scale, this I am very comfortable with (you will have to make your own mind up) when considering the alternative use of manufactured chemical cleaning products that contain phenols, sulfates, chemical fragrances and petroleum among many.

Borax is a complete natural mined product, that can be turned into the toxic Boric acid chemical by adding sulphur or hydrochloric acid and heat, this is BORIC ACID and is found occurring naturally around erupting volcano's, it is also found in seawater. Boric acid has a PH 5.0, where as Borax has a PH 9.3 alkaline.

Borax is no longer available in the EU and UK because of concerns of high levels in the soil that may affect crop farming, a borax substitute is now available as a replacement option and this is a natural mined mineral compound that is less harsh than borax.

Borax can not be absorbed through the skin from use in laundry soaps and it is not harmful to the environment. However borax is only acutely toxic in the same manner as salt if ingested in very moderate quantities, it is also linked to reproductive problems in animals, borax is also a mild irritant to skin and eyes. Boron is an essential mineral that we absorbed from eating soil grown vegetables, our bodies need boron for bone building, immune and brain function.

I have chosen not to use borax substitute in my dishwasher detergent as a personal choice.

For my family I am just heading back in time where my grandparents made do and mended, they made their own cleaning products, up-cycled old newspapers for cleaning windows and wrapping up kitchen waste for the compost, re-used glass containers, among many things, not only is this lifestyle greener for the environment and your family's long term health, you also lower your outgoings.

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LIFE MY PASSION

Welcome to my daily life of cooking, one winters day many years ago my family and I were all inspired by a back to back rainy day of River Cottage this got us to stop talking about and start actually doing, suddenly three weeks later eight vegetable beds were dug, greenhouse erected and our first vegetables were propagating, this was the start to raising and growing our own food, our fabulous son Oscar changed our path in life which lead us to sell our small thriving restaurant of 10 yrs and to start our new life (Terrifying!) a life of the self sufficient in touch with nature and seasons, taking a step back and looking forward to a slower change of pace and making the most of every moment.

My passion for cooking was stronger than ever and having time at home with Oscar I found I had a new direction and I was no longer striving for perfection, I was suddenly very passionate for the enjoyment of the other side of food, something I had not realised, being the Chef/Cook and every other duty of your own small restaurant made me see that I never actually took time to cook what I wanted!

So there I was muddy boots and hands digging deep in more than one sense and I found myself transported back in time to where everyone grew some of their own food, it is a wonderful world with a real sense of achievement and loss, Slugs Snails and Caterpillars! But thats another story! Childhood memories of summers when I lived with my grand parents reminded me of so much that I had learnt about the make do and mend generation that I had forgotten.

Now as a family we love our free wild food days where we gather what nature has provided, have gone from being mini mini garden urban small holders, who did raised pigs at home because we could not wait to find land and supporting ourselves from our garden to now owning a very small farm that allows us to grow more vegetables for the whole of our family and neighbours, raise our own gorgeous Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs, (Sausages!) and pets! Dorset Down sheep, chickens for eggs and pet goats! Suddenly having large quantities of produce started to wake up the Cook in me!

The Cook was awake that part of me that wants to cook for the masses and I found myself setting up Flowerpot Kitchen, a Farmers Market Stall, I wanted to use our honest raised meats and make old fashioned pork pies, rabbit pies and game pies from the local game keeper along with old fashioned techniques and the best hot water crust pastry. This in turn grew to a small cottage industry from home weekly supplying three farm shops and a deli along with also attending three farmers markets A few years later there came a time when my son Oscar's health changed and it was an easy decision to stop.

I still hold the occasional pop up 40 seater restaurant or gourmet lunch which we do for local charities for the love of sharing food and to remind that Cook in me why I love our go slower self sufficient life!

So here I am sitting amoung the vegetables watching the chickens loving that every season nature teaches me something new and that nature is in charge! She has taught me to just go with it and grow. Give it a try from a tray of salad on your windowsill to a few tomato plants it all counts.