No one will argue that detergents work better than soap in all but the softest water. However, the environmentally damaging aspect of using detergents offsets their powerful cleaning ability.
Although it has been relatively easy to develop biodegradable detergents, it has not been easy to find a substitute for the phosphates, which are an essential ingredient.
These phosphates travel through the sewerage system and drains into our rivers and oceans where they provide food for algae.
This pernicious plant then thrives by starving our rivers and creeks of oxygen, killing our fish and choking our waterways.
There is no need to use harsh detergents in our homes. You will get excellent results in both the kitchen and laundry with pure soap.
For washing the dishes use one of those old-fashion type wire-mesh soap holders that allows you to swish up the suds. Specialty kitchen shops are your best source to purchase one, or if you're handy simply make one from some stainless steel or plastic fly wire mesh.
Alternatively, keep left over bits of soap in a jar and then add boiling water to make a nice liquid washing-up soap. To remove tough grease from dishes, add a dash of white vinegar to the soapy water or wash dishes with bicarbonate of soda.
In the laundry you can wash clothes with the following soft gel! Add 50 grams of pure grated soap to a saucepan half filled with water, stir over a medium heat until boiling, then turn down to simmer. Whisk or mash to completely dissolve the soap.
Add 60 grams of washing soda (this will act as a water softener), remove from the stove and add to a bucket containing four litres of water, stirring until well blended.
One or two cups of this gel in a full washing load should be sufficient. In areas of extremely hard water, add in addition to the washing gel a handful of washing soda to the wash and rinse cycles. Washing soda is available from the laundry section of supermarkets. In the final rinse, add half a cup of white vinegar to remove all traces of soap, or one cup of white vinegar to eliminate fluff and lint on your sheets.
Before switching from detergent to a pure soap-based product, put your laundry through a cycle of washing soda. This will remove the traces of detergent left in your clothes and prevent them from yellowing when you change to the gel. Dissolve 250 grams of washing soda in nine cups of hot water, and add two cups of this solution to every full load. Use in moderation, as indiscriminate use of washing soda may cause damage to delicate fabrics, giving an unacceptable result.