1) Stir some alum in your pot of water.
2) Add a handful of Moringa (sehjan/drumstick)+Tulsi+Neem leaves.
3) Boil for 10~20minutes, depending upon the quantity.
4) Let it cool.
5) Strain the top water into an earthen pot, but leave the last few cups in the pot. Use this residual water for gardening/flushing.
Good luck :)
* Reusable water bottle
* Your own beverages to avoid the disposable cups when out (or empty cups, to get your favourite Barista to fill it for you)
* Packed meals or empty container, when going to eat out, to bring back leftovers without disposable packaging
* Ziplocked wet face towels, as wet wipes alternative
* A bunch of hankies, as tissue paper/paper napkin substitute
* A few extra container for snacks on the road (or empty ones, to use, if you feel like catching a bite to eat-out or take away)
* Reusable cutlery
* Reusable straw for coconut water (or anything else)
* Always shove a bunch of reusable shopping bags in your purse. You never know
Zero waste groceries shopping I...
Found this gem in Govindpuri market today. Another option, if the old Nirvaaha store in Defence Colony doesn't suit you...
We bought:
* Flour- wheat, ragi, soy, gram & jau (bought all these flours separately and then mixed them up to make a multigrain flour)
* Nuts- almonds, cashews and walnuts
* Largest packs of pre-packaged cornflakes and oats (the kind of size and healthier brands, you don't find in the modern kind of local stores)
...in our own reusable shopping bags
- If you buy larger quantities, they would sell their wares lose (bulk). Otherwise, they keep 500gms of flour and 250gms of nuts, packed in plastic, readily available.
-They also had soy chunks, badi (/vadi), puffed rice (mamra/murmura), Poha, all kinds of grains, beans, lentils and such things, loose as well.
There have to be such old-timey flour mills near you as well. Look them up on Google maps.
#bringyourownbag #bulkbuying #oldschoolmarketing #exploreyourneighbourhoods #supportyourlocalbusinesses
Good luck
https://www.facebook.com/bajpairupali/posts/10156656290255616
Zero waste grocery shopping II…
Zero waste spices, herbs, nuts and seeds. Bought at our local traveling market in Delhi (Shani Bazaar), in our old assorted reusable cloth bags.
Zero waste grocery shopping #bringyourownbag #bagbottlebins
Zero waste tea shopping…
#bringyourownbagbottlebox #sustainabileliving #ecofriendly #bulkbuying Shiv Shakti Agencies, CR Park, Shop no 139, Mkt No 2, 1st floor. #newdelhi
Along with a reusable tea strainer, instead of tea bags, of course!
Zero waste snacks shopping…
* Shop number 14, CR Park, market number 1. Bulk snacks.
* Any halwai or bakery.
All packed in our reusable containers, of course :0)
#bringyourowncontainers #bagbottlebins #saynotoplastics #lifestylechange #supportyourlocalbusinesses
Zero waste eating out/take away…
Simply bring your own box/bottle/bin and utensils and request them to serve/pack in your things!
Refuse! Reduce! Reuse! Upcycle! Donate! Compost! Recycle!
All natural, chemical free, DIY things made at home.
* Soapnuts soap (soapnuts + citrus peels)
* Moisturizer/lipbalm/hand cream/foot Cream/hair serum/massage oil (mix of oils)
* Sesame seed oil as sunscreen (doesn't block tan)
* Herbal shampoo (no poo)
* Conditioner (Apple Cider Vinegar diluted in water)
* Bugspray (Diluted Neem oil)
* Toner/Freshner (rose water)
* Perfume (patchouli oil)
* Acne/spot treatment (tea tree oil)
* Room freshner/deo spray (baking soda+water+essential oil)
* Cream deo (baking soda+coconut oil+essential oil)
* Bamboo toothbrush
* Toothpaste (coconut oil+baking soda+clove oil+Neem+peppermint essential oil)
* Eyeliner/Kajal (activated charcoal+castor oil+vegan wax)
* Decanted all the old lipsticks to use them up in small containers. Will make beetroot+vegan wax lipstick when these run out
#Zerowaste #toiletries
#DIYs #makeyourownconcoctions #saynotochemicals #saynotoplastics
* Bring your water bottle and refill it with filtered water, wherever possible.
* Bring your own meals and snacks in your own containers. Dry foods are allowed on planes as well.
* Bring your own drinks in reusables cups/tumblers.
* Once emptied at the airport, before security, empty cups and water bottles can be refilled at the airport wirh tea and other drinks to bring into the plane as well.
* Use all your reusable bottles, cups, containers, cutlery and straws on the go while you are sightseeing/driving on the highways too- wherever you find them being served in disposables.
* Support eateries where food is being served zero waste, wherever possible.
* Support local business that are zero waste too, wherever possible, while sightseeing and shopping
* Chose the right snacks throughout the journey. For instance, fresh fruits, vegetables (salad), biscuits bought from the bakery loose in your own containers, namakparas or mixtures bought loose from the mithaiwalas in your own containers, nuts bought loose etc will be healthier for both you and the environment.
* Wherever you see something litered, please take a moment to pick it and drop into bins, if possible too.
* Avoid airplanes, if you can since they also cause immense pollution.
* Be mindful of your consumption of all our resources, like electricity, fuel, water, etc even during the holiday as well
Happy journey! :)
Zero-Waste Cleaning and Bathroom Supplies
1. Glass cleaner: one part white vinegar, nine parts tap water. Fill directly in old colin kind of a spray bottle
2. Toilet bowl/bathroom sink/taps/faucets etc cleaner: plain old baking soda (meetha soda)...sprinkle for five minutes of surface which needs to be cleaned. Wipe down with a wet rag. And done.
3. Leave a ziplock baggie full of white vinegar, tied around the taps/shower heads, for full night, for the toughest strained
4. Natural cleanser/ conventional soap alternative recipe:
• Soak about a 100gms of dry reetha (while herb, not powder), which is called soap nuts in English, in a couple of litres of hot water for 8 to 12 hours (not boiling hot. Just more than lukewarm). I have only ordered these online so far. But these can be found in the neighbourhood weekly bazaars as well, unpackaged, apparently. Cost around Rs.250 for 750gms. And last a bit more than 3weeks.
• Press them with your hands and squeeze out the seeds after an overnight soak.
• Boil for five to ten minutes.
• Add about 20 to 30 drops of your favourite organic essential oil (lemon/orange/lemongrass/rose/sandalwood/ceader wood etc can be ordered online and cost about 250/- on average, for a bottle which lasts me 4 months)
• Let this cool down.
• Mash out the pulp with hands, as the innermost part, closest to the seed is what gives it cleansing properties.
• Strain twice. Bottle up and keep in dispensers, all around the house.
• I use the same thing as body wash, face wash, hand wash, baby shampoo, dishwashing liquid, laundry soap, surface cleaner, etc.
5. Lemon halves also work on sink stains
6. Coconut husk instead of dishwashing scrub pads.
7. Rags, cut out of old torn clothes, instead of paper kitchen rolls
8. Hankies instead of tissue-paper
9. I also use my daughter's old baby washcloths, or face towels, instead of buying plastic based loofahs
10. Soak a face-towel in water/rose water and freeze it in a ziplock/air tight container. Take a couple of these every time you leave home, to avoid using wet-tissues
11. Bamboo toothbrushes, instead of plastic
12. Old-school metal razors, instead of disposable ones
13. Menstrual cups, reusable cloth pads/ panty liners
14. The Soaps by Sangi's, Stain Stick. Coconut oil based eco-friendly, packaging free laundry stain removal stick
All purpose DIY Natural chemical free soap recipe:
Soak around fifteen soapnuts (reetha/Aritha) in lukewarm water overnight.
Squeeze out all the seeds in the morning.
Boil with citrus peels from four to five lemon/orange/limes for ten minutes or so.
After it cools down, squish the pulp with your wands and fish them out of the mix.
Strain, store and use for all your cleaning requirements...handwashes, facewash, body wash, mild shampoo, dishwashing liquid, laundry soap, surface cleaner (Colin/lizol substitute) and wherever else you are required to use a mild soap.
It stays good for three days or so.
Apparently, if you add bioenzymes to this mixture, it'll last months.
DIY natural, chemical free shampoo recipes:
* Soak 100grams each of Amla, reetha, shikakai, brahmi, bhringraj, methi seeds, onions seeds, black sesame seeds in a litre of lukewarm black tea (100gms) overnight.
The next morning, squeeze out the seeds from the reetha (soapnuts/Aritha) and shikakai.
Then boil the entire mixture- along with a 100grams each of aloe Vera gel, curry leaves, Tulsi leaves, Neem leaves, mehendi leaves and hibiscus flowers- for ten minutes.
Once the liquid cools down, squish all the ingredients with your wands and fish them out.
Strain and store.
This would stay good for months too.
* If you can't find whole herb or fresh versions of any of the ingredients, you can use powders are well, in the same quantities.
* The basic cleaner in this is soapnuts. Which can be used as it is.
* Traditionally, most popular version of this is amla-reetha-shikakai.
* Black tea and onion seeds especially darken hair. So skip them, if you don't want that.
* For blonde hair, you can use green tea or chamomile tea as a substitute for the above darkening ingredients.
* I add all the other ingredients in addition to amla-reetha-shikakai, for their added benefits. None are compulsory.
* For long term travel, get dry herb versions of the above ingredients and dry the fresh ingredients yourself of the ingredients that arent available in dried form.
Then grind all of the dry ingredients in a mixy/food processor to make a powder mix. Or buy them all in powder forms.
This powder can be used as it is for shampooing as well...Take a spoonful of the mix, rub it onto your scalp, shake the excess off, then rinse thoroughly with water.
Or add lukewarm water to a spoonful of the powder to create a paste and use that a shampoo and then rinse with water.
** Disclaimer: all DIYs are plenty of trial and error kinda experiments. So, don't give up if the first result doesn't seem perfect.
Also, everybody's body, skin, hair etc are different. Please do check the properties of all the ingredients individually to check what your body needs more or less off.
Lastly, it would take at least 3months for your body to detoxify from the chemical abuse of the past. It would also take your body as much time to get used to your new regimen. So, don't give up. Stick it out.
Good luck
Simplest DIY natural zero waste travel friendly powder shampoo recipe:
Amla powder: 1 part
Reetha powder: 2 parts
Shikakai powder: 1 part
Mix and store in an upcycled container.
(All the above dry herbs can be bought in bulk (loose) in your own reusable bag/box and then ground at home. Or you can directly buy the powdered versions)
Either add a bit or water to a tablespoon full of the mix and create a creamy paste, if you want to use it as a hair pack. Leave in for as much time as you can (anywhere from 2 minutes to 2hrs) and then wash.
Or add more water to create a runny (watery) liquid to a tablespoon of the powder mix. Use it as you would use a normal (conventional) shampoo.
Good luck
Diy natural chemical free Conditioner recipe:
Dilute apple cider vinegar in water. One part acv to give parts water.
ACV smells really strong. Dilute the mix with more after, if you can't stand the strong smell.
Use this, as you would use the conventional conditioners.
DIY Natural Cream Deodorant recipe:
Baking soda
Cold pressed coconut oil
Essential oil of your choice (tea tree, lavender, lemon, orange, lemongrass, etc have cleansing and anti-bacterial properties) few drops, as per your preference
Mix baking soda and coconut oil, to create a paste like consistency. Then add a few drops of pure skin/ therapeutic-grade essential oil. Mix well and store in a glass jar. Lasts months.
DIY Natural Spray Deodorant Recipe:
Baking soda 1/2 tsp
Essential oil (pure therapeutic/skin/food grade) of your choice (tea tree, lavender, lemon, orange, lemongrass, etc have cleansing and anti-bacterial properties), as per your preference 10drops
Drinking water 250ml
Repurposed spray bottle 300ml
Put the baking soda in the spray bottle.
Add the water.
Add the essential oil.
Close the spray bottle.
Shake well before every use.
DIY Natural Mosquito Repellant Recipe 1:
Neem Oil
Coconut Oil
Mix both food grade (cold pressed, purest forms), in equal quantities and store in a dark glass bottle. Ready for use
DIY Natural Mosquito Repellant Recipe 2:
Citronella Oil 10drops
Drinking water 250ml
Spray bottle 300ml
Mix citronella oil in water, directly in the spray bottle. Shake well before each use.
DIY Natural Mosquito Repellant cum Natural Pesticide Recipe 3:
Neem oil
Water
Mix a few drops of neem oil in water and store in a spray bottle. Shake well before each use.
DIY Natural Sunscreen Recipe 1:
Sesame Seed oil 80%
Non-nano zinc oxide 20%
Mix the two well. Store. Shake well before each use.
DIY Natural Sunscreen Recipe 2:
Sesame seed oil, as it is.
DIY Natural Toothpaste Recipe:
Cold pressed coconut oil- 1 tbp
Baking soda- 1 tbp
Peppermint essential oil- 5 drops
Neem powder (optional)- 1 pinch
Turmeric powder (optional)- 1 pinch
Mix all the ingredients to create a paste-like consistency. Feel free to increase or decrease any of the ingredient’s quantities to choose your taste. Lasts months
Natural Perfume:
Essential Oil Blends like- Ylang ylang, frankincense, patchouli, bergamot, myrrh, ciderwood etc
DIY Natural Moisturizer cum Hair Serum:
Coconut oil
Olive oil
Almond oil
Jojoba oil
Argan oil
Mustard oil
Sesame seed oil
Neem oil
Vitamin E oil
A few drops of an essential oil (pure therapeutic/skin/food grade) of your choice (tea tree, lavender, lemon, orange, lemongrass, etc have cleansing and anti-bacterial properties)
Mix all ingredients to suit your own preference for fragrance and properties (do read up on each ingredients’ properties before attempting this). Store in a dark glass bottle. Shake well before each use.
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