It’s true that our little balls of wonder can be used for so many household cleaning applications and all roads lead to our soapberry liquid! It’s the base for most of our 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 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 a 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 smell with your shine!
(Hint: storing your Soapberry liquid in the fridge will significantly increase its lifespan!)