In one of my previous posts, I outlined briefly what products I had found in my kitchen cupboard. In the meantime, these have all been replaced with just 5-6 ingredients with an average cost of about £2 per pack, all of which can then be used as versatile ingredients to make laundry liquid, washing up liquid, dishwasher powder etc. For an example on how much money you will safe, just do your maths and see the table below. Another bonus is that at the same time you can significantly reduce your plastic waste as most of these products come in carton boxes and are shipped with either very little or no plastic wrapped around them. Once you have opened the package, store them in old jam jars etc., and label them accordingly, otherwise you might be in for a little chemistry lesson.
- The products I needed to buy
Dri Pack Bicarbonate Soda £1.95/500g
Dri Pack Soda Crystals £1/1kg
Dri Pack Citric Acid £2.25/250g
Dri Pack Borax Substitute £1.93/500g
Sonett Curd Soap £0.89/100g
Golden Swan White Vinegar £5.09/5l
Washing Soda £1.13/500g
The prices listed are of course subject to change and dependent on the retailer you order them from. It does not factor in the shipping costs either, but these are the cheapest prices I could find. With Dri Pack products it often makes sense to look for local stockists which will reduce the amount of packaging you have to deal with yourself, all be it mainly cardboard.
2. The replacement and the average cost, or what I’ll be saving on average
This table is being updated on a regular basis as I am trying new things and finding out what works best.
| Product | Replacement | Average saving |
| Laundry Liquid (Persil) £7/2l
60 washes |
Homemade laundry liquid £0.39/2l
Up to 20 washes |
£ 0.1 per wash despite needing a little more of the liquid per load |
| Tesco multi purpose spray
£0.70/500 ml |
Homemade citrus spray
£0.25/500ml |
£ 0.45 |
| Fairy Washing up liquid
£1.30/500ml |
Homemade washing up liquid (grated curd soap and bicarbonate soda; be sure to shake it well before using it)
approx. £0.10/500ml |
£1 (you’ll probably need a little more) |
| Bathroom/Toilet cleaner | Soda crystals, Vinegar spray, Citric acid | / |
| Floorsoap | / | / |
| Oven Pride | Bicarbonate Soda | / |
| Mr Muscle Kitchen cleaner | Homemade scouring powder and vinegar | / |
| Dishwasher tabs (Everyday value) £0.05 per load | Homemade dishwasher powder (Citric Acid, Bicarbonate Soda, Washing Soda) 1-2 tsp (4-8g) per load £0.02-0.04 per load | £0.01 per load (only if you’re going for the cheapest product though) |
| Delicates laundry liquid | / | / |
| Rinse Aid | / | / |
I also invested in a bottle of Hydrogen peroxide, which is commonly used for bleaching hair etc. and is a great disinfectant but really needs to be stored away from the other products for health and safety reasons.
Prices for dishwasher taps vary greatly as Tesco Everyday Value Dishwasher tabs are to be had for as little as £1.60 per pack which means that a tap would cost you £0.05. Prices for Finish dishwasher tabs range from £12 to £6 depending which retailer/stockist you buy them from. In some cases the cost of using the product was so low that I didn’t even factor it in.
Please do let me know what you can find!
