An alternative cleaning agent.

Our lives today are marked by industrialization on almost every level – from the clothes we wear, to the food we eat, to the cosmetics and cleaning agents we use. If we look at the timeline of human beings’ presence on the planet, it is a miniscule segment of time since humans have become so dependent on industrial, chemical cleaning agents such as detergents, bleaches etc.

When one considers the ecological damage brought about by the usage of such cleaning agents – the stinking, foaming and sometimes even flaming lakes of Bangalore city for example, not to mention the adverse effects of the industrial processes of manufacturing, packaging and transporting them – which all contribute to the sticky web of industrialization, it can quite obviously be concluded that we are in dire need of simple solutions which don’t harm Mother Earth – her blessed soil and the water bodies that are the lifeblood of our existence.

One such solution is a Bio-Enzyme, which is a cleaning agent that is so simple to make right at home! The recipe is so simple, essentially:

• 3 parts citrus peels
• 10 parts water
• 1 part Jaggery

All by weight, mixed together well and left to ferment in an airtight container. It requires a brief daily stir, before finally sieving out the fermentate after 90 days.

The above preparation works very well for the following applications:

• Cleaning toilets (it even leaves behind a fresh, citrusy fragrance).
• Cleaning cutlery and kitchen surfaces.
• Cleaning floors.
• As a detergent for clothes (with higher dilution).

All in all, it is a perfect substitute for all the harmful chemical detergents we use.

Making Bio-Enzymes can have a powerful social impact. If once a month, you bring a group of friends and make your own Bio-Enzyme together, it immediately translates to creating solutions on a collective level. This group effort can lay the foundation for inspiring, mutually-supportive and sustainable practices within a community, thereby ameliorating our collective values and priorities.