Make your own DIY detergent
You probably know the feeling of wanting to get rid of the big pile of laundry that you brought home when you came back from a trip. Yesterday we came back from a work & family -related trip to the Netherlands and our house is now a big mess. The laundry waiting to be washed is part of this mess.
So I decided this morning to get rid of the laundry asap. Inconveniently enough I soon found out that I had no detergent anymore. Nada! And as we live #onthemountain, going to the nearest grocery shop is not really a quick option. Also I preferred to keep on my pyjamas for a couple of hours more, so the only thing I could do was make my own detergent without having to leave the mountain. I quickly did a search on the internet and soon found out that it was a very easy thing to make and it would only take me a handful of minutes to prepare it.
Because it was so easy and because I can’t imagine that it won’t work I decided to share the recipe with you. As soon as the laundry is washed and dried I will give you an update on the effectivity of this detergent.
How to make your own DIY detergent, the recipe:
ESSENTIAL:
– 80gr soap bar (of your own choosing)
– 5L boiled water (if you prefer a less dense liquid, you can use much more water, for example 10L)
OPTIONAL:
– 30 drops of essential oils (if your soap has enough scent, you don’t have to add this)
– 80gr washing soda (useful for white washes, but check first if your washing machine can handle the use of soda. I don’t use this.)
TOOLS:
– kitchen grinder
– big 5l pan
– kitchen funnel
– old detergent container
Start cooking the water in a big pan. While doing that, grate a soap bar with a general kitchen grater. I used the one below. My soap bar was 100gr. So I left a little piece for a next batch.
Add the grated soap bar to the water and stir until all the soap is dissolved in the water. Now let it cool down before you put it away in an old detergent container. I placed the pan outside on our terrace to speed up the cooling process. When it cooled down a bit I added the essential oils. I chose lavendin this time.
If you want to make detergent for white laundry, you can add at washing soda at this moment. Please check if your washing machine can handle soda before doing that.
When the mix is cooled down, I used the funnel to place the homemade detergent in the old container. I used this label maker
Last week one of my brothers in law asked me – after I explained how much I love living here #onthemountain – if it was very inconvenient living so far from grocery stores? I told him that we just have a different mindset. I kind of prefer now not to go to the grocery store, not only because it’s far, but also because I find it a waste of time to do grocery shopping. The kitchen garden makes it easier and for all the rest you have to be creative. Making this detergent reminded me of this conversation.
