Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Homemade Laundry Powder and etc.

My never ending quest to live with a sustainable attitude explains my post about Laundry powder...



I got this recipe from Consumption Rebellion. We have been using this for now... umm ... say at least four years. I got ta say I am very happy with this mix. If I have a stubborn stain or very dirty wash I may add a table spoon of preen. Here it is...

4 cups grated laundry soap or soap flakes (I use Lux)
2 cups Borax (shame I cannot get this in a plastic free container. I did write a letter to the company but no reply... If you know where I can get this in large non plastic version - let me know)
2 cups Washing Soda

Mix thoroughly. Use two table spoons per wash. It does not make suds according to Consumption Rebellion. But mine does... Just for interest sake I worked out the cost to make this powder using my very stringent scientifc measurements and calculations and it is .45 cents (AUS) per wash. EDIT: My stringent calculations were rechecked as it seemed so much and it is in fact .06 c per wash... Much better!


Oh and it is VERY time to spray your stone-fruit for leaf curl and brownrot disease in Tasmania. Just did it today... will do it again every week (or sooner if it rains) till the blossoms swell and turn pink. SO mainlanders if this has not happened yet - do.it.today. Mix 50 g of washing soda in 5 L of water. Dissolve. Then add 50 g of copper sulphate to the water and mix till dissolved. Put in spray bottle and spray well - your trees look pale blue! Keep agitating the mixture while spraying - it can block easily. Thank you Peter Cundall for you informative article in Sundays Mercury.

OH and I am going to take the wash your face with honey challenge. I use an organic face washer which is pricey. I am hoping this is a better alternative... again back to basic pure form.


Here is Abby. After ten days with us. She is beautiful and everything about her makes us all melt... except when she does a wee in the house! Humph.

7 comments:

Ange Moore said...

Lots of wees at our house too - a nearly 3 year old boy has decided he wants to wear big-boy pants!!

Thanks for the hint about spraying fruit trees.

Sarah said...

Hey Sarah!
Might get some of that stuff to make my own too......
LOL about the pee! I hope she gets out of that habbit REAL fast! Our Miss Sophie only ever did a couple :=)

Tanya Murray said...

WOW wee what an info packed post! So much good stuff shared. Big thanks for the fruit tree reminder.

Tammy said...

Oh she is gorgeous! I use this washing powder too and it works fine for me ;) I rinse my hair with Diluted Apple cider vinegar and wash my face with ...soap! The handmade kind not the supermarket chemically kind.

Jan Gartlan said...

Thanks for that info. Sounds like the washing powder is a great solution to buying it. Abby is so cute. PS I sprayed my pear tree this week too.

Gina said...

Abby = cuteness personified!

As for the laundry powder... that definitely sounds very cheap. Is it actually more environmentally friendly? (Or is the point more about frugality?)

Cathie said...

good idea about the laundry powder!
such a cute pic..funny about the wee.
just like our chooks, cute but not so much the mess!