It was not just #plasticfreejulychallenge that prompted us to find more single use plastic that we can get rid of in our family but our general mission this year to bring down our plastic consumption.
With the current happenings it the world our perspective has shifted, quite drastically!
What started off as let’s try and see how much we can do has now changed an become an internal competition to outdo ourselves to do better in the plastic swap challenges we create.
Going by the world consensus that plastic bottles form the second most consumed single use plastic products, we decided to eliminate our dish washing liquid bottles that is part of our monthly essential supplies.
Its ironic that the liquid we usually purchase are plant based and natural but they are available in plastic bottles only.
Making household cleaning products is a little tricky and it took a while to for us to wrap our heads around it.
Thankfully a little nudge from a lovely friend who is an expert at DIY gave us that much-needed push.
We started with dish liquid as its used 3 to 4 times a day in our home (yes we cook a lot) and that gets over very quickly.
The same ingredients we used however with a little change in composition and adding one or two more extra things works very well to clean surfaces, the kitchen and other household stuff.
We used just 4 items to create a simple dish soap liquid;
¼ cup castile soap flakes (mentioned below source)
2 spoons white vinegar
3 cups water
4 to 5 drops any preferred essential oil (we used lemon for its citric properties and amazing fragrance)
Simple Steps:
Mix the soap flakes and water on medium gas until it blends, don’t let the water boil. Make sure you are melting the soap on medium and not high gas.
Once melted, mix the vinegar
Lastly add the essential oil and keep aside to cool down.
Once cool, if you find the mixture too thick add more hot water and let it cool down, if your happy with the consistency, pour it into a jar and it’s good to use.
Note: The recipe will make around 1 Ltr of dish soap, so save it for future use.
This liquid is to be used for hand washing dishes only and not suitable for the dishwasher.
This easy recipe has been tried and tested and works well on most of our dishes, for tough stains and grease we use a little extra baking soda. You can also add vegetable glycerin for thickness and better consistency.
Reality versus Market:
The liquid is rather gooey but does its job
Very little or no bubbles can be seen as this is homemade. It is usually the forming agents that is added to the soap that causes the bubbles, which doesn’t mean your dish is not clean.
Even after adding 5 drops of essential oil, there is hardly any fragrance which is fine for me, but you can add more drops if you prefer.
And lastly if this doesn’t work out for you don’t loose hope, its all about trying and coming up with the best consistency.
Once you have started on your journey of reducing plastic consumption, there is no looking back.
Now onward and upwards to our next mission DIY floor and surface cleaning products
Finding your tribe:
We went local for our soap flakes and other accessories as it’s not just economical but also supporting your community. You can also find them on amazon if you prefer.
Castile soap flakes: Can be purchased locally via https://www.thezerowastecollective.org/
The coconut scrubber: Set of 4 available via www.inkahaani.com