DIY Washing powder and Toilet Fizz Bombs

Fresh, Clean, Cheap and better for you

Over the last couple of months I have been running a laundry/Loo trial and hey, I have to say they work.

Homemade washing powder is number 1

After reading about this stuff on Pintrest I thought I had to give it a try – I have and I hereby declare it a success.

3 simple ingredients, and not much time and you have washing powder that just costs a few pence for each wash, not full of nasty chemicals either.

OK so how??

4 cups of Bicarbonate of Soda (Wilko’s sell this for £1.50 a box)

3 cups Soda crystals (about 70p in most supermarkets)

1 bar of Knights castile soap (4 bars for 99p in Home Bargains) this needs grating (Very therapeutic!)

The blog I took this from:-

 http://www.bouvardian.com/diy-laundry-detergent-for-sensitive-skin/ advises that you put this in a processor which I did, it didn’t affect the processor at all and didn’t leave a smell.

The washing powder in itself is a great money saver but then if you then use white vinegar instead of conditioner (about 40p a bottle available in most supermarkets)……..Yes that’s right put it in the conditioner slot of your machine, and no it doesn’t leave a smell on your clothes, in fact it fluffs up towels etc a treat.

Super cheap effective wash days available to all.

Secondly the Loo trial

Again after seeing them on Pintrest I have also made a batch of toilet bombs for our downstairs toilet http://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/pins-procrastination-11988173/how-to-make-homemade-toilet-fizz-bombs-only-3154472165/

Not only are they fun to make – My son came in from collage and said the house smelt like a science lab (Don’t know about you but my school science labs didn’t smell of lemon, peppermint and lavender), they use basic ingredients they are easy to pop in the loo when you are passing, keeping it clean and fresh whilst you get on with something else, they look pretty in a jar on top of the toilet, and small nieces find them highly entertaining (Just don’t leave them unsupervised they might throw the whole lot in!!)

How?

1 1/3 cup of our old friend Bicarbonate of soda

½ cup Citric acid (available online and I think in places that sell home brew items, though I get mine online)

And lots of drops of your favourite essential oils.

Mix the soda and acid in a bowl then gently start adding drops of oil (this will fizz so you have to take it slowly) as you add more drops you will finish up with a damp clumping mixture, this can then be pressed into silicone moulds and left out in the open to set/dry out, you will notice them puffing up as they dry, I just kept on squishing everything down until they were hard (overnight should be enough)

All you need now is a pretty jar, keep them handy for a quick toilet freshening blast.

Befriend your freezer (and save time as well as money)

Most of us have a freezer these days, but how many of us use it to its full potential?

Well anybody that has their freezer crammed full of ready meals is guilty of wasting money and space, September is harvest time, and for me time to squirrel, even if you don’t grow your own produce you can take advantage of floods of veggies at low prices, before the winter sets in and everything is imported and the prices hiked.   Aldi’s have a range of cheap fruit and veg every week, and local markets will have loads of good offers, buy extra and make up into sauces, jams and pickles!   I’m not going to lie and tell you that no effort is required, because basically, effort is required!!!   I personally feel that the effort is worth it.

Use freezer space wisely, I have seen many recipes for freezer meals that yes are a great idea, but I think you have to be choosey about what is useful and what isn’t, for instance do you really need to fill up the space with cooked rice and pasta? Both rice and pasta are easy to cook and really don’t take that long.   As they are both dry goods, is it not better to have those stored in a cupboard or pantry and use freezer space for things that aren’t as sustainable, like sauces for the pasta and rice, whip up some large batches of your favourite sauces and pack portions in boxes or bags, you can have a meal ready in no time especially if you can be super organised and remember to take them out of the freezer at the start of the day (though you can cheat and defrost them in the microwave if needs be!!)

Here are some of my favourite freezer basics

Bolognaise Sauce             One lot of washing up, lots of meals, keep an eye out for offers on mince and hopefully save money as well as time.

Pasta sauce                        Again less washing up, and a great way to use up a glut of home grown produce, lots of markets will have tomatoes etc at good prices at the moment, take advantage!

Sliced green beans          I do freeze other veg but as we grow these I always have a loads, wash slice and blanch in boiling water for 4 minutes cool quickly and dry, pack them into freezer bags (sucking the air out with a straw as you close the bag)

Soup Starter                       Snatch up any cheap onions, leaks or celery, wash/peel and dice, hey presto ready for freezing, either in individual bags or if you are prepping all three at once , mix them up making up bags of some of each, the thought of making a soup or sauce is less daunting if you have a head start.

Braised Red Cabbage     Well if you are going to the trouble of braising one cabbage, you may as well do two or even three, once cooled the braised cabbage can be packed into boxes or bags (not a good idea to use foil containers here as the vinegar can affect the metal), defrost and heat through as required.

Cheese                                 Always handy to have a stash of cheese in the freezer especially if you happen to have dropped on a great offer or reduction, you can freeze it in a block but mostly I pre-grate mine I add a smidge of cornflour (shake it through in the box or bag – this helps prevent clumping when defrosting) I pack a variety of quantities, so I have grab and go bags for toppings, sauces toasted sandwiches etc.

Crumble topping              Just like the cabbage If you are going to the bother of making one batch, why not make more – multiple batches is still only one lot of washing up, that’s got to make it worth it for a start. No need for any prepping either just make up as normal, put into usable quantities and pop it in the freezer.

When you come in from work and have a meal on the table in less than an hour, you will know that the effort was worth it