Eco Friendly DIY washing powder UK recipe

Last week I made my first ever batch of natural eco-friendly washing powder.

This recipe is to make a 3.2kg batch which will wash around 40 loads of washing - I adapted the recipe from The Village Witch because with just two of us living in the flat, we don't do anywhere near 10 loads of washing a week. I also wanted the washing powder to smell more so added lots of essential oil and used one of the strongest smelling soaps from Lush. (Sweet orange essential oil and Sexy Peel soap.)

Essential oils are relatively cheap to buy on eBay. You can get lavender for £1 and sweet orange for £2 a bottle with free postage. I've written to use 25 drops in the recipe but to be honest I think I put nearly half a bottle of essential oil in. 

As for the chlorine-free oxygenated bleach... this is optional but it has magical stain removing properties and is well worth chucking in there if you have stubborn stains to get out of clothes. It is also brilliant at neutralising odours and brightening clothes. It doesn't bleach colour out - just brightens. 

Make sure you store your powder in an air-tight container. We used a big plastic box and scoop it out with an old laundry liquid measurer thing. An egg cup would work well too.

p.s. Borax is banned in the UK, but natural borax substitute is easy to buy online. All in all, making your own washing powder is not only much better for your skin and the environment, but it is massively cheaper than the commercial chemical-laden alternatives :)  Hooray.

Things to remember:

• Wear gloves when you're mixing your washing powder.
• Store it in an airtight container.
• Vinegar is a natural fabric softener. Consider putting some white vinegar in the softener section of your washing machine's detergent drawer. 
• This washing powder is good for your washing machine and reduces limescale etc. No nasty build up of washing slime.
• Making your own washing powder is good for your skin, good for the environment and good for your wallet.

P.s. I bought my ingredients from biggreensmile.com. I am in no way affiliated with them but they were reasonably priced, delivered quickly and offer free samples with all orders.