That Red House DIY’s

That Red House Soapberry uses are endless! We’ve got four great DIY body care and home cleaning recipes for you try at home, they are all super simple and 100% natural! All these recipes require you to make a Sopaberries ‘Mother Broth’ as a base, so first things first…

Making the mother broth! Soapberry liquid.

It’s true that these little balls of wonder can be used for so many household cleaning applications and all roads lead to soapberry liquid! It’s the base for most of The Red House chemical free household and personal care recipes. So once you’ve mastered the craft (slight exaggeration of the effort it will take) of boiling up some berries, you’ll be on your way to eliminating chemicals from so many other areas of your home.

Here is how to make the mother broth

Add about 10 whole soapberry shells (or equivalent) per litre of water and boil for 15-20 minutes.

Use the back of a large spoon to gently press the soft berries to squeeze out extra saponins. Be sure not to break them…

Strain the cooled liquid through a cloth (the small cotton bag in your soapberry bag is perfect, or use an old sock/stocking) to make sure there is no sediment or stray soapberry particles left behind.

We recommend adding citric acid to the hot liquid after boiling and straining the soapberries – this will extend the life of your liquid.

Add 1 tsp citric acid per 500ml liquid and stir until dissolved. Because the soapberries are a natural product, the liquid will need to be preserved, or it will spoil over time (chemicals are why your traditional surface spray will last 1+ year or more!). Citric acid is a natural preservative which is edible and available at all supermarkets in the baking section. We recommend making enough to liquid to last you no more than 4 weeks.

Pour the liquid into a spray bottle, channel your shiny inner god or goddess and get your cleaning on! Naturally antibacterial and antifungal the liquid is perfect for treating mould in the bathroom, kitchen and general cleaning around the house. Add a few drops of essential oil to the bottle if you want a lovely scent with your shine!

(Hint: storing your Soapberry liquid in the fridge will significantly increase its lifespan!)

Organic Shaving Cream & Moisturising Baby Wash? Yep, Soapberries can do that too!

One recipe, multiple uses! Waste-free living at it’s best!

Method:

• Strain your boiled ‘mother broth’ soapberry liquid (see above for recipe).
• Add 2-4 tsp of guar gum per 500ml of soapberry liquid. The viscosity of the liquid is a personal choice, so experiment with what works best and add more if needed.
• Mix with a stick blender.
• Drizzle olive oil (or coconut oil) into the mixture. 1tbs of oil per 100ml of the thickened shampoo liquid.
• Add a few drops of one of our Laundry Tonics (which are pure 100% essential oils) prior to blending.

BABY WASH – ‘Clean Linen’ Laundry Tonic is perfect as it contains Spike Lavender, which is soothing and relaxing.

SHAVING CREAM – Earth Spice Laundry Tonic which is a hearty blend of Rosemary, Cedarwood, Tea Tree and Clove. This masculine concoction will put hairs on your manly chest and appeals to those who don’t use hankies and don’t really like quiche.

Using a blender to mix the oil and liquid together to form an emulsified cream. The cream will be soft and suitable for shaving and will be a perfect moisturising baby wash for delicate newborn skin.

100% Natural Stainless Steel & Glass Cleaner.

That Red House Soapberries are amazing in the washing machine, in the kitchen, in the shower and hell, if we could find a use for them, we know they’d kick arse in the bedroom too! These little balls of wonder will never cease to amaze us with their variety of talents.

We are adding to their list of superpowers – 100% natural squeaky clean streak-free stainless steel and glass cleaner! It is beyond simple to make and will leave you with a gorgeous reflective streak-free shine.

To whip up this concoction, firstly you will need the ‘Mother broth’. Recipe for this is at the top of the page.

Method:

Mix together
2/3 soapberry liquid (mother broth)
1/3 vinegar
A few drops of eucalyptus oil in a spray bottle.

Voila!! Seriously, THAT IS IT!
Chemical free! 100% natural! Get on it!

We would love to hear what you think and if you have any other tips to share. Leave us a comment below!