For several years now, as part off making our household pretty much 100% chemical-free, we’ve been using a home-made cleaning liquid that does a very very good job and is made of natural ingredients.

We use it in the washing machine and as an all-round household cleaner and have started using it as a washing up liquid as well. It is also very good at getting stains out of the carpet such as chocolate (me) or vomit (the cat).

It is odorless although you can add drops of essential oils of your choice if you want it scented.

The recipe below will make enough to last up to three months at a cost of 1 to 2 quid depending on which soap you use. We use an expensive natural olive-oil soap from France so the cost is around two quid for (we reckon) 4-8 weeks, which is pretty cheap considering we use it for almost everything.

I can’t claim any credit for this recipe as it is my wife Dominique who has been making it. But now she has given me the recipe and I have made my first batch so I feel qualified to write it up.

One thing I can say though is that while the wife has been making this product for several years, it is often me who gets to use it and I can vouch for what a good job it does.

Here is the recipe.

Take a block of natural olive oil soap (at least 78% olive oil plus other natural oils. You can use other soaps or soap flakes but the olive oil soap is the one we use.

Cut off 100g of the soap and grate it using a cheese grater into a large saucepan.

Add 1 lite of boiling water.

Stir thoroughly until the soap is all dissolved.

Allow the mixture to stand overnight.

Add 2 tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda plus 2 tablespoons of soda crystals.

Stir thoroughly.

Add 1 litre of water.

Stir thoroughly.

Add another litre of water.

Stir thoroughly.

And that’s it. You now have cleaning fluid/washing machine soda/washing-up liquid for 8+ weeks.

We store ours in an old 5L plastic spring water container.

You’ll need to give it a shake each time you use it. You’ll probably find that when your supply runs out there is a soapy sludge at the bottom of your container. Don’t throw it away. Mx it in with the water when you make your next batch.

Waste not, want not.