I love laundry. Really. I love it. I love washing dirty clothes. I love hanging clean, damp washing. I love sleeping in crispy clean sheets. I love putting on clothes that smell of sunshine.
And here's the secret. I make my own laundry gel. It's 100% natural. It's 100% organic. And the bonus? Not only is it really easy to make but it's inexpensive. My family's clothes are clean and they last longer as there is no chemical damage which store bought laundry powders cause.
Have you ever considered what are the effects of regular laundry detergents? The chemical formulas in cleaning products harm your laundry, the environment (via the escaping grey water) and gradually build up in your body through contact with your skin, your body's biggest organ!
If there's a natural alternative - I want to know about it. Make it. Apply it. So I'm going to share my little piece of sunshine with you. You will need three ingredients only. Boiling water, your natural laundry soap and essential oils. My favourite for my sunshine liquid are lemon and sweet orange. Not only does their zesty smell permeate the washing, but they have powerful antibacterial properties and break down fatty residue. Each attribute vital for a good wash.
For the laundry soap I use boerseep. This is afrikaans meaning the soap of the farmer. Perfect name, isn't it? Other countries will have different options. For me (especially as I make my own boerseep) this is the best there is. Boerseep is made by saponifying tallow with water and is readily available as laundry bars in South Africa
NATURAL LAUNDRY GEL RECIPE:
2 litres boiling water
1/2 cup grated boerseep (natural laundry soap bar)
Essential oils (lemon and orange OR lavender OR tea tree and rosemary)
Whisk the grated soap into the 2 litres of boiling water until dissolved. Throughout the day, until gel forms, give the liquid a good whisk (every half hour or so). This is IMPORTANT. If you neglect stirring the liquid simply because it is dissolved it will go horribly snotty - usuable but nasty. Once the liquid has become gel add the essential oils. I do it according to smell so I'm very generous with the amount.
Bottle your lovely laundry gel. Use a quarter to half cup per load - depending on how dirty the washing it. This amazing liquid really goes far. You can also rub a bit into stains or leave clothing overnight in a bucket of water with a dash of the gel to be washed as normal after a long soak. I even travel with a small amount of the grated boerseep and a tiny bottle of citrus essential oils. Then make as you need. It's really that simple!
And there you have your own sunshine laundry!
