The Mad Hippy

Washing powder, soap powder, laundry detergent.  Whatever you want to call it, it is a basic need in most households these days.  First and foremost, I have to hold my hands up and let you know that this is not as cheap as some of the detergents out there that you can buy.  I make my own because my fiancé suffers with really bad eczema all over his back and from years of using perfumed, chemical laden soap powders, his back is literally a mess of scars from where he has scratched so hard the skin has broken. Our little 18 month old has inherited his sensitive skin, so for us it is best all round if I make my own.  This recipe makes enough for about a month of detergent and I put a wash on everyday at the moment so will yield around 30 washes.

The ‘recipe’ is really simple but may require some ordering from amazon for the borax. We can’t actually get borax in this country anymore but you can buy a borax substitute from amazon which does the trick. I buy mine in packs of 3 for £6.48. Each batch of washing powder uses half a pack so it works out at around £1.08 per wash for the Borax substitute.

Soda crystals are sold in Wilkos, Tesco and most other supermarkets and are very economical at around £2.00 per bag. Again, a bag will usually do 2 batches of the homemade detergent. The costly part is the soap.  I usually use Dr Bronners bars of soap which, depending on the scent/ type that you get can be anything from £4.50 to £7.00 and again, they are most readily available on amazon so there will be postage and packaging fees on top don’t forget!

If you know of another cheaper pure castille type soap then please use that instead (and also let me know the name!!) I usually use about 3/4 of a bar of soap for each recipe just to try and save money.

Okay, so enough of my thoughts and ideas – here is the ‘recipe’:

HOMEMADE CHEMICAL FREE WASHING POWDER

250g (half a box) borax substitute

half a bag of soda crystals

half a bar of soap -grated (use the smaller grater so it mixes better with the grains from the soda crystals and borax)

I use a large Kilner jar to store the detergent and usually layer the 3 ingredients into it then close the lid and give it a bloody good shake.

I also store a 1/3 cup measuring cup inside the Kilner with the powder and fill that scoop out the powder for each wash I put on with that.

 

Just as a little note – I have done my sums and it works out at around £7.00 per batch for 30 washes. Not the most expensive in the world and in my opinion definitely worth it!

Please leave any feedback/ questions/ improvements below!!

I first got in to this clean living malarkey about 2 years ago.  It started with little changes like making my own shower gel, moisturiser, washing powder and has now leached into (almost) every part of my life.

A lot of people have told me that I did it the wrong way round and should have started with food first because surely what you put into your body is more important than what goes on it. They are probably right but here’s the thing; I do actually like to eat shitty, processed food!! Monday to Thursday I am more than happy to survive on lean meats and leafy greens, nothing processed whatsoever touches my lips, but when Friday night comes, I turn into the junk food equivalent of a werewolf, consuming my own body weight in chilli heatwave Doritos , and whatever else I can get my hands on!

so that’s my deal.  I want to share with you recipes, my struggles (Diet Coke may feature a lot) and just anything interesting about this life I have chosen to try and lead.