Natural Laundry Detergent And Deodorant

Soap Nuts

Soap nuts are another wonderful and natural way to keep your house and body clean. Different species of soap nut come from South-East Asia and America. They have been used as a "washing liquid" for thousands of years, and have recently started gaining popularity among modern folks. They actually create a soap-like substance that foams when soaked in water. These little fellows have a few different applications — they can be turned into a washing detergent, cleaning agent and shampoo for yourself as well as your pets.

To use soap nuts as a washing detergent, first place three to four nuts into a little bag. You can use one of those bags meant to put bras in, or designate a sock as a washing bag instead. In the latter, you'll have to tie the sock. Then, proceed to use the washing machine as usual. The good thing about using soap nuts to do your laundry is that it keeps your clothes nice and soft. It also smells pretty good. However, you can also add some lavender essential oil to your soft rinse compartment.

Caution: soap nuts work well for gently soiled clothes, but you don't want to use them on your white washing. It would turn brown. Don't ask me how I know. Grease stains also require more aggressive treatment, so you can pre-treat them with laundry soap instead.

To use soap nuts as a house cleaner, simply boil about a cup of them in a medium saucepan full of water. Mash the nuts with a potato masher while you are boiling the mixture. Let your mixture stand until the water has cooled down, remove the soap nuts, and place the liquid into a bottle. You can use the mashed soap nuts as a snail detergent in your garden.

You can use the mixture as a house cleaner, but an alternative is to wash your hair with it. I haven't personally had much luck with that, but some people swear by it. Do you have a cat or dog that needs washing occasionally? Once again, soap nut shampoo provides a non-toxic and cheap means towards getting your pet clean. There's no guarantee they'll enjoy the bath, though.

Natural Deodorant

All that cleaning will have made you sweaty and stinky! You'll need a nice deodorant to apply to your underarms after you've had a shower. There are several ways of making your own, completely natural deodorant for hardly any money.

What you can do is take two tablespoons of baking soda, two tablespoons of cornflour, and two tablespoons of coconut oil. Add a few drops of an essential oil of your choice — sage, lemon, tea tree and lavender are all excellent choices. To prepare it, you have to heat up the coconut oil so it's in liquid form. Stir in the cornflour, and afterwards the baking soda and your essential oil. The mixture will go hard again, and you can apply it with a little spatula.

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The other possibility is to use a little alum. Dissolve that in water and add essential oil. Then you shake it and put it in an old deodorant roller. It works like a dream. It really does.