Home by Natural Harry
Harriet Birrell’s new book Home by Natural Harry celebrates a slower, more thoughtful way of life.
Photography: Nikole Ramsay.
Harriet Birrell’s wonderful bedroom nook complete with a highlight window which frames views of trees surrounding the home. Photo - Nikole Ramsay.
Plywood drawers and shelving stocked with DIY products made by Harriett. Photo - Nikole Ramsay.
Harriet Birrell (aka Naturally Harry) is always looking for new and creative ways to tread lighter on the earth, reduce her household waste and remove toxins from her immediate environment, a philosophy that extends to her Bellarine Peninsula home, which she shares with her husband, sustainable building designer Fraser West.
Her latest (and third!) book Home by Natural Harry is a compendium of DIY recipes, tips, tricks and hacks for a calm, resourceful and tox-free existence. The book considers every room of the house, focusing on keeping things simple and fuss-free – stain remover in the laundry, shower cleaner in the bathroom, dishwashing liquid in the kitchen – all presenting alternatives to store-bought cleaning products, as well as a comprehensive chapter on body care – from toothpaste to shampoo to foaming hand wash. To get us started, Harriet shares her laundry liquid recipe from her new book below.
Harriet Birrell’s new book, Home by Natural Harry, demonstrates how small steps can help drive significant change on the environment. Photo - Nikole Ramsay.
“The book is a modern reference for anyone who wants to ditch their joyless supermarket habits, reduce plastic waste and save money and the world. ”
Harriet Birrell aims to live as minimally as possible. Photo - Nikole Ramsay.
Harriet Birrell shares her laundry liquid recipe (below) from her new book Home by Natural Harry. Photo - Nikole Ramsay.
LAUNDRY LIQUID
Laundry detergents can contain all sorts of nasty chemicals, polluting our environment and leaving residue on clothes that you then wear against your skin. Not to mention the overpowering synthetic fragrances! These simple ingredients do a beautiful job of cleaning our clothes, which is no mean feat after a big gardening session or a trip away with mountain bikes, surf boards and hiking gear in tow. Try playing around with the essential oils in this recipe to create your favourite scent. Some of my favourite combinations for laundry liquid are lemon + tea-tree, orange + eucalyptus and tea-tree + lavender. For this version I have used geranium + eucalyptus for a fresh and floral scent.
Makes about 1 litre (34 fl oz/4 cups)
Prep time: 10 minutes
Equipment: medium saucepan, natural rubber gloves, whisk, spoon, funnel + large jar or bottle
INGREDIENTS
1 litre (34 fl oz/4 cups) filtered water
160 g (5½ oz/⅔ cup) washing soda 45 g (1½ oz/¼ cup) bicarbonate of soda
125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) sal suds, 10 drops eucalyptus essential oil and 2 drops geranium essential oil
METHOD
Pour the water into a saucepan and bring it to the boil. Pull on rubber gloves to protect your hands from the washing soda. Turn the heat off, then add the washing and bicarb sodas. Whisk until dissolved. Add the sal suds and stir well. Add the essential oils and stir again. Once the mixture has cooled to room temperature, use a funnel to transfer it to a bottle or jar.
TO USE: Shake the mixture a few times before each use, as the bicarb soda can settle at the bottom. Use 40–60 ml (1¼–2 fl oz) per load of washing, depending on your machine and the size of the load. Where we live it gets fairly chilly over winter, and I have found that this mixture can solidify a little after a few cold nights. All I do is add a little water and shake until it is liquid again.
Home by Natural Harry by Harriet Birrell, published by Hardie Grant Books, RRP $34.99, is available where all good books are sold and also online.