Homemade All Natural Garden Pest Repellant (Tam's Aphid Be Gone)

So it is Mid Term Election day here in the USA. Perfect day to talk about pest control, I think. I know it's Fall and chilly in most of the Northern hemisphere, but it's not here. I am writing this, sitting outside in 80 degree shade. (Global what??) Anyway. My garden is growing at a Spring like rate since it's so warm. I am on my FOURTH planting of greens. Normally, my Fall-Winter gardens are free of most pests and I worry more about cold than hot. I have a bumper crop of collards, lettuce, bok choy, and cabbage right now... and it's warm. One word. APHIDS. Again. This time without their farmer ants. Aphids are feasting on my cole crops. Not happening. We have the garden factored into our food budget and our holiday menus. We need this garden to eat well through the Winter. This is not a hobby garden...it's about actual nutritional health and survival for us.

Since greens don't require pollinators, I went out and washed the aphids off in soapy water. They came back. I soaped again. There they were again. My inner herbalist/ mad scientist thought long and hard and I came up with what has proven to be the only non-toxic, organic thing I have yet to find that makes them really go away. I remembered my Gram's neighbor spraying her cole garden in garlic and cayenne tea to repel pests, and then the memory of dipping aphid infested leaves in peppermint tea came back to me. Ah- ha!

1 cup of dried mint or lots of mint tea bags
1 head of garlic, peeled and pureed
1/4 cup of hot sauce
3 tablespoons of veg oil
1/2 gallon of water


Heat the water to boil. Add the herb or tea bags, turn the pot off and cover. Let seep for 1/2 an hour. Add the pureed garlic and mix well to combine. Pour through a mesh strainer, then add the  veg oil and hot sauce, and pour into a spray bottle. Shake well before using.


Spray the heck out of your cole crops, being sure to coat the under side of leaves and any tender young bunching leaves in the center of the plant. Remove any living aphids or eggs with your fingernail or a Q-Tip for the bug phobic. Spray daily until all signs of aphids are gone, then spray once a week. If the spray wilts your leaves, wash well with water. They'll pop right back up. 


This will burn the heck out of your eyes and sensitive skin...use caution and keep away from kiddos and pets! The dog won't go near the garden now, which is nice. He's been eating all sorts of sprouts and baby peas. Always wash your hands well after handling aphids or the spray. Aphids do like houseplants, so you can use this inside, too.
I sprinkled dried mint between the plants and planted garlic chives between rows, in hope of stopping future infestations. The aphids... are gone and our food garden is safe for now. 


I am buying ladybugs from a local company this Spring, and I have planted several pererinals that attract butterflies. Adding these benifical aphid eaters to my yard and garden makes me feel better than scraping bugs off and killing them. The ladbugs and butterflies will take care of the aphids and other pests as part of their survival and life cycle.

Homemade Automatic Dishwasher and Kitchen Scouring Powder

I am grateful simply for having hot water that now comes out of my tap to wash dishes in. We had to boil water for dishes, for months, until we figured out how to repair the hot water heater without money. A dishwasher seems like a far away dream and not really a necessity for a family of two w/ occasional guests. The Kid, has one in her apartment and uses it as a time saver. She's always in need of dish powder and her college kid budget is tight. I now make it for her at 1/2 the price or less, and she reports adding plain white vinegar to the rinsing agent dispenser clears any white spots that may occur.

She was out of cleaning supplies, so I suggested using some of the dish powder to clean a stained counter top and found it makes a great cleaning powder, though not on easily scratched surfaces. Her sink, toilet, tub, formica counters and the backsplash tiles, sure like it though. Crafty, huh?

MAKES JUST OVER ONE QUART

2 cups of borax powder
2 cups of baking soda
1/2 cup of salt. I bought cheap store brand salt.
Citric acid
I can buy citric acid in bulk locally.  I've also seen it in hardware stores near the caning equipment. It's Vitamin C, so if you can't find it in bulk or package, we have used the powder from 2 Vit. C capsules or 2 EmergenC Lemon-Lime packets. The Kid likes the scent of the EmergenC.


Whisk ingredients together. Store in a glass jar, plastic bag, or plastic container of choice. Use just like store bought, and don't forget to add the plain, white distilled vinegar to the rinse to help disolve spots. Use the powder like store- bought scouring powder and rinse well.


I found this recipe online last year but I can't find it again to credit it. Please, if this is yours, thanks!

Homemade Arnica Salve (Herbal Muscle Rub)

Arnica salve

Arnica (arnica montana) is possibly one of my best friends. We've been hanging out for years. I have arnica homeopathic remedies, bath teas, oils, and this wonderful salve. It's one of those things you can leave in your gym bag, on the bedside table, and in your medicine chest. People with neurological issues have reported a feeling of intense burning when we use menthol or cayenne based drug store store muscle balm. I agree. The only product (that I don't make) that I can use safely, and only on some parts of my body, is Tiger Balm. I keep that around for really bad arthritis/joint pain and use my own arnica salve for massage, muscle spasms, tightness, injury without broken skin, or bruising*. I'm sure to reach for this salve and use it liberally since it only contains 4 ingredients, all of which I can spell, pronounce, and identify.

Reminder to read this through before you start, especially the let herb sit in oil for 4 weeks part. If you miss that one...it's kind of all over. I'm making a very large batch, but I have come up with a 1/4 batch recipe that would suit a beginner. You can use the same method for many blossomy, herbaceous, verdant dry or fresh herbs such as St. John's Wort and it's blossoms, borage flowers, lemon balm, calendula or rose. Most drier woody things like to get ground and slowly heated in oil, or the volatile compounds need to be extracted with alcohol. I make creosote salve using that method.

WHAT
2 ounces of dried arnica flowers (you can use 1 ounce. I like a good arnica punch)
1 quart of cold pressed olive oil
bees wax, pellets, powder, or grated (less than an 1/4 ounce per batch, so I store my pound in the 'fridge)
1 Vitamin E 400 IU oil capsule or 2 drops of grapefruit seed extract (GSE)
1 quart size mason jar with lid
long handle metal spoon
1 craft use silicone spatula
tins, jars, or what have you for salve containers.

FIRST STEP/Seep the herb in oil
To a sterilized quart mason jar, add 2 ounces of dried arnica flowers. Add olive oil and fill jar half way. Use a sterilized long handled spoon to mush the flowers down and carefully top off with oil till just under the glass rings on the jar. Cover tightly and let seep for 4 weeks. A month longer is fine as long as the the oil is clean and cool. I like to let it sit in a window that gets some morning sun. Shake the jar gently once a day. The oil will turn colors, the flowers will do funky things...it's really quite beautiful.

SECOND STEP/Process into herbal oil
Using an fine mesh colander, drain the mason jar into a large 4 cup measuring cup. Let drain for 10 minutes, then transfer the oily herb sludge to an herb bag, old nut milk bag, pillow case, clean non-fuzzy kitchen towel, or double thick cheese cloth. Squeeze the herb until all of the oil has drained into the measuring cup. Compost the spent herb, and you now have a lovely arnica oil. Bottle and use as is for massage and compresses. Herb oils can also be used as a base for lip balms, lotions, creams, and other potions. It's a great skill to learn. (no photo. dark icky oily herb)

THIRD STEP/To make salve
Pour the arnica oil into a small sauce pan over low heat. Heat until hot, but not french fry hot, smoldering, or burning. Some people use a microwave for this step, but I don't. Turn the stove off, and start stirring in bee's wax a 1/4 teaspoon or a few pellets at a time. Stir until wax dissolves, adding more as needed until salve starts to thicken. As soon as it is starting to thicken up and feel like softening hardened coconut oil, pierce the Vitamin E capsule (or GSE) and squeeze the oil in. Stir well to combine, then pour salve into waiting containers of choice. The salve will thicken upon standing as it cools. Keep in a cool dry place and it will last for years. Arnica has been used for centuries for muscle strain, pain, tenderness, cramping, and bruising.

Simple. And now you have enough arnica oil or salve to last for 2 years, probably way more... but less if you're a Fibro-ite or an athlete. If you bought a quart of arnica oil from the health food store at would cost over $100.00...um, wait, you can't. You'd have to special order, pay for shipping, etc. Don't you feel crafty now? ;)



*Pregnant women:  Unless your midwife/ healthcare provider tells you to, ARNICA IS NOT CONSIDERED SAFE FOR USE DURING PREGNANCY.]


* Do not use if you are allergic to it; or to plants in the Asteraceae/daisy family such as, chrysanthemums, marigolds, and daisies.

I am not a doctor nor do I play one on TV. I am an herbal enthusiast sharing common herbal knowledge.

One change leads to another and so on...

We have made some big changes and some little changes. I am pretty happy with the level of conviction, determination, and effort I am seeing out of us. I am on day 26 of paper towel withdrawal. Balls of sliced up flannel sheets are all over the house, waiting to to be discovered and washed, not thrown into the recycling crate. By making several different sizes, there is a rag for every job waiting in the repurposed cloth bag that the sheets came in years ago, hanging from my baker's rack. I still find myself reaching for my roll for certain things. Pork fat and cloth just don't sound like they play well together, so I used a recycled unbleached coffee filter to drain the bacon for BLT's. It worked well.

Taking my car of the road out of financial need is turning into a challenge of sorts. If I can make it through the move without a car...do I really need one? Can I find a local in bike or walking distance job and give up my personal chef's life? If I'm not commuting anywhere for work, just what does a second car mean for a family of 2? I don't know. It's going to take some time before I have these answers, but these questions are really burning in me. I laughed really hard at my friends sarcasm when I told her my car is off the road..."Yeah, take the grease powered car off the road. That's an eco friendly change." I'm thinking Want VS Need, is a topic she may want to consider reflecting upon, which is what I replied in due sarcasm. Yes, I want my car. Need my car? That remains to be seen once the move is made.

Another issue swarming the move and the changes are the building supply chain stores, which we do not like to support. The days of the Mom and Pop hardware store is almost over. There are one or two, but they do cost so much more than a Home Depot or Lowes. I started looking through the free listings on our local share program and found a few things we needed. A little bell went off as I remember the Habitat For Humanity leftovers store. We are going next week to look for paints and shelving, and hopefully, a stall for our plumbing disaster of a shower in the new place. With the landlord open to us doing whatever needs to be done (in exchange for part of the deposit), I am building a frame out of discounted trim wood to staple shower curtains on, to place in the dense bamboo grove with a solar shower bag as a temporary shower. It's really hot through the end of October. Making an outdoor shower is an option for us, so we are. This will take some pressure off of what needs to be done, now, and what can wait until we are done with the actual move.

There's also a water lesson we will learn through using a 5 gallon shower bag...how much water is wasted in a normal shower. The current goal is 5 gallons a day for showers for 2 people, and using the bathroom sink for my hair washing (the Guy shaved his head for the Summer). An older shower head runs at about 5 gallons per minute. A new one, about 2.8 per minute. With only 5 gallons for TWO showers, we are saving 100's of gallons of water a day, and watering our bamboo grove at the same time. I think the bamboo will get a kick out of the Dr. Bronner's I infused with herbs, too.

Speaking of water. Our homemade laundry detergent is filled with naturally occurring salts. In our current greywater set up, this is not a problem, as it waters landscaping, not food. The new place may pose a problem, as that greywater does run into the fruit trees, including the fig tree, which was heavily damaged by wind last week and deserves no extra salt in it's damaged roots. Our soil here in the Inferno has a high salt content anyway, from the prehistoric ocean it once was. I'm wondering if anyone knows a plant friendly, budget friendly homemade detergent recipe for hard water, not made with borax or washing soda? The preferred natural brand of detergent for greywater is called, Oasis. It's pretty pricey and not very good at removing stains, to be honest. I use Dr. Bronner's for 100 other things, but don't care for as a laundry soap. I feel it leaves a residue and yellows my whites over time due to inefficiency in our hard water. The current idea and budget killing option is the Oasis w/distilled vinegar presoaks. More research, shall ensue...

Homemade All Natural Carpet Steam Cleaner Liquid

As we prepared to move into the new place, I kept thinking of the gross industrial carpet laying wall to wall in there. I ripped up a section only to find the sub floor and dirt, so there was no ripping it up. Money has too many places to go to think about replacing it, and we do have a beautiful selection of area rugs. The new house has not had a woman in it for years. It was a guy's hideaway and it smelled like it, too. Beer, does stain apparently, as does coffee, bike grease, foods, and goodness knows what else.

We rented a carpet steamer at the grocery store. The clerk tried her best to up-sell the carpet cleaning goo for the machine. I can not handle synthetic scents in my world. My eyes burn just walking down the detergent/air freshener isle. There was no way I was washing my rugs in something that smelled like perfumed Tide. "It won't work without it.", is what the clerk said. I didn't listen, since I knew better.
Soap attracts dirt to carpet fibers...I spent allot of time working in the family rug shop, trust me on this. Plain water is better than soap. The best all natural option? White vinegar and lavender oil. Really. Once dried, the vinegar smell disappears 100%. The lavender oil leaves a antimicrobial layer with a light, natural scent for us to plop our nice wool rugs on top of.

It's very simple. To every 2 gallons of warm water (the capacity of most rentals) add 1/2 cup of distilled while vinegar and a teaspoon (or more) of lavender oil to the warm water.

Make up a mix of the vinegar and lavender oil and rub directly on stains, let rest then continue with the steaming...they will come right up! This is the only natural solution that kills skunk odor and cat pee, too. Always test your carpet first, but we have used this on both natural and synthetic fiber carpets with much success over the years. If you own your own steamer, use it in that too. The mix works on most washable fabric furniture and when added to the wash with the dog bed. I also use it at the end of camping season to clean and deodorize the tent and to add to wash the when I prep the sleeping bags for storage.

Our Simplicity Plan, Part 5: Kermit was wrong.

Don't get me wrong. I do love me some Kermit. His rendition of Rainbow Connection is one of my favorite songs. What I have learned in over 20 years of bright green living, is that it's actually, with thought and planning, easier to be green than you think. The way I like to think of it as a paint pallet with every shade of green available to us all. Depending on your individual reality, circumstances, and living arrangement, you can be anywhere from pale celery just beginning to make changes green, to deep forest tree protecting green. They are all beautiful colors and all OK. It's about forward motion to lessen our personal impact on this one planet we share, increasing the sustainability of your future, and to allow room for simplicity in your life.

What do being green and living in simplicity have in common? Good question. When you live simply within your means and de-cluttler your life; you shop less, eat more local foods, use less chemicals on/in both your body and living space, use less packaging, create less trash, and are way more apt to reuse, repair, and recycle more, so you are deepening your hue of green just by the way you live. The more simply you live the more aware you become of excess both in your life and around you, and making green changes becomes second nature. And honestly, you do not have to smell like patchouli or wear Birkenstocks to be an eco- conscious person. You can be who YOU are already. Me? I'm me already.

I live green and have been eco- conscious for most of my life. I am both Native American and real old Celtic (ok, so I am prone to worshiping trees). My spirituality includes caring for the earth to the best of my ability. I have been a gardener for most of my life, and another part of my connection to nature comes from a childhood of wandering the woods of central MA and picking wild foods and herbs. I have been studying herbs since I was 16 and now... 23 years of studies, apprenticeships, field work in 4 bio-regions, and a lifetime of wild-crafting later, I will STILL not acknowledge myself as an Herbalist. I am no way a medical practitioner nor do I play one. I simply create herbal products according to requests by well informed people. The Guy, responds to herbs and homeopathic very well and so does the dog. I respond to herbs and supplements very well, but only a few homepathic remedies. The Kid, does well with flower essences. I make everything but the homepathics. To me, this my life, not a trend. If I can't make it, then and only then, will I buy it.

That's me, my reality. Basic steps to start with?

A. A single compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) will pay for itself in about 6 months. It uses 75 percent less energy and lasts about 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb. We received a rebate from our electric company for drastically reducing our electric usage over the past year. Every socket in and on the house has one, and I have not changed a bulb in over a year. Not the heavy use on off bulbs like the hall light or bathroom. Not even the on from 7pm-7am porch light. I also am diligent, being the night owl of the house, to shut off all indoor lights, and being sure the non essential small appliances are unplugged. That leaves a porch light, a 'fridge, and a charging phone and computer. It's made a drastic difference.


B. Green household and personal needs do not have to cost allot of money. I make a basic first aid salve out of antimicrobial desert herbs, an arthritis/fibro soak, cough syrups and throat drops, lip balms, lotions of all sorts, talc free dusting and foot powders, flu remedies, soap, face scrubs and pectin fruit peel masks. There are so many basic needs that can be met in a more simple and green way. I've read about 100 household uses for vinegar alone. I've shared my laundry detergent recipe, and soon there will be more natural beauty and green household care posts. The money saved by the small initial investments for supplies is countless. You lessen your need to depend on the store for a cut or scrape, and the box and tube the Neosporin comes in. There is also an amazing feeling of accomplishment that comes over you when you see and use your handy work. I've refilled that laundry jug 2x so far with my detergent. Every time I open that bucket lid, I smile.

C. C is for compost. Before we got the Wonder Dog, we used to say we compost anything that can't run away. And we did. Everything not meat or oil based, from coffee ground, to tea bags, egg shells, young coconut shells, nut shells, every last bit of produce waste, and every weed free piece of yard waste. The dog likes to eat trash...because he's a dog. We have had to eliminate the egg shell because they make him gag, and the onion or garlic bits because they can make him really sick. I save all of my onion and garlic bits in my stock bag in my freezer, and grind up the egg shells to feed my hibiscus and houseplants. It's important to me to know our food waste is being returned to the earth, not gift wrapped in plastic and trapped for eternity.


While I was sick and not gardening, we slacked on the compost. 4 bags of garbage were leaving this house (of 3-4 people at the time) per week. We are back to worm farming, 2 people, and ONE garbage bag per week. Self contained kits are extremely useful for the novice composter. You just put some yard and produce waste in it daily and tumble it everyday until you have rich composted material. Here in the desert, I use an open round cage of chicken wire. The sun really accelerates the decomposing of plant matter. I need to spray it with a hose 2x weekly to be sure there is enough moisture. People not in Zone 9, probably won't need to do so as often. When we move, I am buying a bag of worms and worm casting to 'seed' my new pile. (And yes, I will be bringing any fully composted material with me as well as a truck load of my (finally perfected) desert garden soil)


I understand that some people just do not have the space or garden to do this. One alternative option is to contact your local community garden and ask if you can dump your compost bucket there. Another, if you live near a farmed area, is to ask local farmers (or petting zoos or rescues) to accept your produce waste for their compost or as animal food. We have a potbellied pig rescue here that loves broken melons, wilted produce, or spotty apples to be dropped off. Some progressive cities are starting compost pick up on trash day. Help make that a reality everywhere by spreading awareness that we ALL need to do something progressive with our food waste.


D. I am rabid supporter of Farmer's Markets, Community Supported Agriculture,  and Co-op's. Local food supports local people! It allows you higher quality food that is produced within 50-100 miles of your house, is fresher, has little packaging, and requires less fuel to bring it to you. Co-op's often offer a large bulk food and household needs departments. I can refill my gallon of castile soap for less money than a new gallon AND reuse the same gallon for years. The same honey jar over and over. The same Bragg's bottle, the same olive oil can. I've been reusing the same containers to refill my grain, seed, nuts, and herb jars for at least 2 years. An old bread bag works great too. And this leads me to...


E. Bring your own shopping bags, every time! I have finally learned to leave my cloth bags in my car so I have NO excuses left. If I by some odd chance forget the bags in the laundry or I have walked, I ask for a box for my groceries. The cashier may look at me funny sometimes, but oh well. This is MY commitment. The box then gets broken down and placed in the recycling within 10 minutes of my bringing it home. It helps remind me I don't want to support a disposable lifestyle and to stay focused on my goals.


F. Set a goal to reduce your use and purchase of paper coffee cups, small water bottles, to-go containers, and other disposable lifestyle products. Some stores, like Whole Food's, now offer degradable corn based containers and picnic ware. Go for it. And don't be shy about bring your own containers with you to work or even a casual dinner out for the left-overs. I started doing this 2 years ago and I've never once been made to feel silly. People always say, "What a good idea!", not, "No, you stinky tree hugger." We buy distilled drinking water in bulk and have a myriad of water vessels of all shapes and sizes. If we run out of water and have to buy a liter to last till I get more, I feel bad. I'm just trained to use a reusable container. I don't like to drink hot drinks out of plastic and refused a reusable coffee mug until I bought a steel lined mug. There's no plastic seasoned bean beverage and no paper or plastic cup if it's my latte treat day.


G. G, could stand for garden and I hope it does for whomever has a strip of earth they can plant seeds in. For ANYONE, though, G, CAN at least stand for GROW. Caring for plants of any kind has many benefits. Your simple houseplant cleans the air your breathe in your house. They also like your music and energy. We've seen Frank Zappa make the ferns sway and the garden responds to my husband's morning watering chatter. If you can grow a tomato plant on a window ledge in NYC, then you are part of the cycle of the Seasons. That simple plant makes people feel more grounded and in rhythm with the natural world. Once the rhythm starts, it becomes a way of life. You feel part of the greater picture. You anticipate the Seasonal changes in diet and exercise. You start thinking about plants all over the world and how important they are to us. I don't want to get too Avatar, but...we really are connected to the natural world around us. Once you see and feel the connection...it gets really easy to be green all the time.


H. H, is for HUMAN. I have a paper towel addiction. It comes from following years of sanitary codes in a life of kitchen work. Crumbled balls of paper towels follow my path. The Kid, is taking my holder and the rest of my rolls from me in the spirit of intervention. (I own cloth feminine products but have 6 rolls of paper towels?) I cut up a huge king size flannel sheet into dozens of absorbent, cotton, reusable kitchen rags and everyday table napkins. The 12 most evenly cut will be set aside to sew to lace scraps I've been collecting for a special set of holiday napkins (using my textile addiction purge to halt my paper towel addiction is smart, I think). By using a neutral yet colorful cloth, they will work with any holiday table. With king sheet sets costing hundreds of dollars, why would I cut one? Do we have a king bed? No. Not since 2004. I am choosing to change what I know I need to. My destiny lies in my own hands, as do my choices.

Summary: Being green and eco conscious is PART of living simply. With some basic steps to start with, anyone, everyone, can make a small difference. Those small, individual differences add up to big changes. You may have to work at it, or it may come more naturally to you. It may be weird at first and you may meet some resistance from people that don't understand. I realized the most vocal opposition came from those less informed in general. They'd rather shoot down the ideas rather than admit they don't get it. Remember this is you life, your choice, your destiny. Make changes at your own pace, for your own reasons. Part 6: Choose your own destiny.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

I know this has nothing to do with gluten free cooking but I am just so amazed by it that I had to share. We have made a decision here. No more laundry detergent bottles will be deposited in landfills or inefficient plastic recycling centers from our house. For the low pretax cost of $10.70 in basic supplies, I am making laundry detergent. Wow, the savings, you must be thinking. Keep reading. For $10.70 in basic supplies, I have paid for almost 5 YEARS of laundry detergent. Each batch costs $2.00, most of which is spent on the soap bar, and makes 5 gallons of basic, really effective laundry detergent concentrate, or, 10 gallons of ready to use. That's 1280 ounces for $2.00. One year's worth for $2.00.


Let's do some more math. Each $2.00 batch makes enough detergent for 180 loads. Because we don't own allot of clothing, we do up to 3 loads of laundry a week, or, 156 loads per year. That makes our new cost for detergent: 0.01, or, a tenth of a penny per load. Based on the on-sale price of 7th Generation's 50 ounce/32 loads unscented laundry detergent of $12.99, we're looking at just over .40 cents per load. Doesn't sound like much until you figure out that .40 cents per load for one year, before tax, is $1662.72. Sales tax here in the Inferno runs close to 10%, so another $160.00+ is saved there. 


Making this detergent is an answered prayer for large families, who should know they spend upwards of $2,000.00-5,000.00 per year on this ONE product alone. I found by accident that this is also an effective stain remover by leaving some white kitchen rags that were soaking, overnight. When I woke up and finished the wash, they were the whitest whites I have ever seen, without adding chlorine bleach to the landscaping. It dissolved food stains set in weeks before.


We've committed the $1660.72 in savings to a full year's worth of shares in our local Community Supported Agriculture program. The final math? Financial breathing room to access a diet of 90%+ farm fresh local food just by making this one simple change= Priceless.


YOU NEED
1 bar of Kirk's Hardwater Castile Soap or Fels-Naptha. Fels-Naptha is my second choice...but only because it's scented and contains ingredients I don't normally use.
1 cup of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda (NOT baking soda!)
1/2 cup of Borax
4 cups of water
1 new 5 gallon bucket with a lid
A box grater, that you will use for crafts after you use it
1 medium sized 4 quart saucepan. I'm using my very used for crafts and herbal products only pan.
1 paint stick, yard stick, or long handled spoon, for craft use only.
5-15 drops of essential oils if desired: lavender, any citrus oil, tea tree oil, rosemary, cedar, cinnamon or rose are all nice thoughts.


HOW TO MAKE
Grate the soap bar into the saucepan. Place saucepn on the stove, add the water, and turn on the stove, set to medium high. Stir continuously until the soap melts and dissolves. Turn off the stove.


Fill the 5 gallon bucket 1/2 full with hot tap water. Add the melted soap, the borax, and washing powder and still well. When the powders are dissolved... fill the bucket to the top with more hot tap water. Stir well to combine, cover and let sit overnight to thicken. 

We found the best place to fill and mix the bucket, was in the tub, under the water spout. A nice bonus...the splashes cleaned the tub!

HOW TO USE
You fill your last ever empty laundry detergent bottle 1/2 full with the concentrate, which is now a gloppy yet effective gel, top it off with water and shake to combine. You can add the essential oils to it now, if you want, to the bucket or the batch in your jug. I'm leaving mine unscented, for the sole purpose of never eating lavender or tea tree oil flavored tortillas created by steaming/resting them in freshly washed kitchen towels. I can scent non kitchen loads when desired. 


People have pointed out that natural borax mineral based detergents are filled with salts, thus harmful to some plant life. Here in the desert, which was once an OCEAN floor, our soil is salty anyway. My greywater... waters landscaping. If it watered my food garden, I'd use something else. The plants here just want water, any way they can get it. They and the soil, filter out most harmful compounds. My greywater watered garden is more than thriving...it's lush and flourishing. A friend on the East Coast uses this. She say's the rain washes the salts and the plants thrive near her greywater, too!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borax

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washing_soda

http://www.kirksnatural.com/barsoap.html