My friend had the idea of a fix - to make life as environmentally friendly as possible and use simple, natural products instead of synthetic household chemicals. For example, she prepares a washing gel with her own hands. And very pleased with the results.
How it all started
In our world, she said, you need to be able to fend for yourself. This is not about fists, although this is also important. They impose something at every step. Advertising taught to buy specific products, without even thinking about their need. We, in fact, are already used to living by someone else's mind.
If you think about it, there is a grain of truth in this. But using advertising tips is very convenient. In the store you know exactly what to take washing powder, bleach, rinse aid or detergent for dishes. And you don’t have to study the contents of numerous crowded shop windows for a long time and lose precious time.
Not so long ago, as an alternative to powders, a variety of gels appeared on the market - new detergents. They are more expensive, but more efficient. Easily soluble in water and copes with the task. And, as the same advertisement says, they achieve the best result. I bought Power Wash washing gel for testing, I liked the reviews:
- thick consistency
- nice smell,
- no need to add descaler,
- no air conditioning required
- perfect for delicate washing,
- for a long time enough.
But a friend insists - washing gel from laundry soap is no worse. Meets all of the listed benefits. Moreover, it has a very important plus - a guarantee of safety for health. She was convinced of the results in practice.
Engine of progress
She had to give up household chemicals because of a banal allergy. She went to hospitals a lot, and found out from specialists where the itching and rash on the body came from. An allergy is caused by phosphates, which manufacturers of washing powders use to improve the quality of their products.
Thanks to all kinds of chemical additives, we get the desired purity effect, regardless of the hardness of the water or the origin of the stains. Remember the commercial “... then we go to you” about solving the problem with spots, about perfect cleanliness with shining whiteness? Of course, household chemical manufacturers are trying very hard to please the customer. And they find more and more new means for this.
But as it turned out, all these wonderful bleaches, softeners and flavors are poorly rinsed. It is not surprising that the skin protests - itching and staining, in contact with such tissues. Moreover, we inhale the vapors of industrial “perfumes” and slowly poison our body, without noticing it ourselves.
For a long time, a friend went through laundry detergents. She became a true expert on the quality of washing powders. He saved the situation.
washing gel from laundry soap.
The Internet provides a lot of such information. People try, experiment, share experiences and impressions. After a long study of useful tips, forums and websites, a friend began to make a home washing product herself, because it solves almost all everyday problems.
Gel recipes
Honestly, I asked out of politeness how to make a washing gel with my own hands. It turns out that everything is pretty banal. The recipe is taken from the practice of our grandmothers who did not have any ultramodern drugs, but cleanliness was always perfect.
We take laundry soap, grate it to make fine chips. Add the soda ash. And to our taste we choose essential oil - for aroma. Amazing simplicity. And if you count for money - the benefits are obvious.
Many people also use borax or ordinary tea leaves in the recipe. The amount of essential oils also depends on your mood, desire and tastes. I also note that the DIY gel for washing is good, because you can choose the components for yourself. But first things first.
How to make a washing gel
The traditional recipe provides for 50 g of laundry soap and 100 g of soda ash per liter of water. Essential oil is enough 3-4 drops. But not a lot of gel comes out. So it’s best to immediately increase the amount of ingredients several times. And you do not have to prepare a detergent for each wash separately.
The method is simple, like all ingenious.
1. Soap rubbed smaller to dissolve faster in water. In the cold, it will take a whole day, so we fall asleep in boiling water and stir until a homogeneous consistency is obtained. We cook everything on low heat to prevent the mass from boiling.
2. Now add soda - it is better to pre-dissolve it in warm water. And again, stir well so that there are no lumps left. After all, even a small, not washed off white soap speck can spoil our entire mood. So it’s better to mix the solution thoroughly to completely dissolve the ingredients.
3. We add essential oils after cooling our gel. And again, carefully mix. It is best to use a blender. The result will be perfect.
Now we leave the gel to cool and pour into a convenient dish. For this, the empty jars from under the rinse aid are quite suitable.
Product recommendations
In fact, when we prepare a liquid soap-gel for washing with our own hands, we sort through different options. Suitable for any natural with a small percentage of overweight - Castilian, Marseille, anti-stain, from coconut oil. Glycerin soap is not good here. You can take the baby and even the rest of the toilet.
If not soda, take baking soda, the proportion is about 5 times larger. Although the household is more convenient, because the people call it that - washing.
Gel application
Oddly enough, but used cooked do-it-yourself gel just like industrial gels. If there are not many things, 100 ml will be enough. This is about a quarter cup. And for a large volume we take 200-300 ml (0.5–1 cup) of gel. You can use measuring glasses, caps from branded jars. I don’t know about you, but I pawn funds a couple of times according to the instructions, and then - based on the experience gained.
The amount, as usual, depends on the volume and contamination. Most importantly, it is better to pour the gel into the drum of the washing machine before laying the laundry. And if it turned out to be very thick with you, we dilute it in water and fill it in the appropriate cell of the machine.
Another point. The laundry soap gel is also good for soaking dirty things. But it can not be used for woolen products or clothing with a special coating.
Effective Tricks
Practice shows that before hand washing or washing in a machine according to the program “hand wash” the gel is nevertheless better to dilute well in warm water so that it then dissolves easily at low temperatures.
For a better washing of bed linen, white kitchen towels, it is very useful to add hydrogen peroxide - just a teaspoon. If you want to take bleach, make sure that it does not mix with the gel. It is better to put it at high temperature in the powder cell.
There is still an interesting experience - add vinegar so that the color is not lost. This is done only at the time of rinsing. Enough 2 tablespoons of 9% vinegar to remove the remaining soap and deodorize our things.
Life without chemistry
Yes, it turns out that even expensive ultramodern products are not needed when we do the washing gel with our own hands. To make the clothes look like brand new, and the house always shone with cleanliness, enough simple and affordable components. Recall how our grandmothers once did this.
My grandmother used plain gelatin to rinse and starch. And to add shine to a
silk blouse, sugar and a little citric acid were added to the water. For the thinnest cambric blouses, I always took soda, and then rinsed in water with a drop of vinegar.
Cost savings
Once risking a try, you will not give up this idea. The washing result is more than impressive. Everything is clean, fresh and the aroma is exactly as we love. You do not need any air conditioning. And this is a great option for washing children's things.
The gel is used sparingly, easy to store, well soluble in water and completely rinsed out. It is very convenient for treating individual stains on clothes and is suitable for both hand and machine wash.
But the piquant thing is that you no longer have to bother with the dilemma "expensive powder is more effective, and cheap powder is more affordable." Because you will not only save on the cost of household chemicals, but also on trips to the pharmacy. As my friend says: when the ecology of life firmly occupies our reality, life takes on completely different, bright colors!
A bit of science
For a long time I could not understand why laundry soap and ordinary soda at times do better with dirty clothes. Curiosity was transferred to her husband and he began to study chemistry.
It turns out that in the composition of laundry soap the main active ingredient is alkali. As well as acid, it corrodes almost any compound, but it does not harm fabrics and paints.
Fat is also abundant. It softens and regenerates tissues. Adding soda increases the percentage of alkali in the finished mixture, as a result, the gel cleans the spots better.
P.S
And so she herself was fired up with the idea of moving to natural, natural, and most importantly, harmless home remedies. Moreover, I already knew how to prepare a washing gel. There are options for experiment and fantasy.
You need to try different types of soap, conjure with aromas. Households will certainly be pleased with new smells and extraordinary freshness of things. In addition, every woman can feel like a real fairy.
There are other reasons to switch to environmentally friendly detergents. Firstly, they are absolutely harmless to humans, do not emit hazardous chemicals during evaporation, and do not cause allergic reactions.
Secondly, homemade gels are very gentle on tissues. They allow you to save bright colors, while removing even the most complex types of spots.