How Your Kit Works
How Your Kit Works
Yay, your kit has arrived! This guide is to help you set up your glassware, learn what each jar does, and work out which solution to reach for around your home.
You do not need to memorise it all. Start with the setup, then come back whenever you need to check a dose, method or surface.
1. Set up your kit
Most of your powders are ready to scoop straight from the jar. There are just a few things to prepare before you start.
1. Make your Cleaning Paste 1L heatproof jar
Your Cleaning Paste Mix needs boiling water added before its first use.
- The jar provided is suitable for hot filling, so you can simply boil the kettle and fill the jar to just under the top, leaving a 1cm gap to allow space for the paste to thicken.
- Stir thoroughly using a large spoon or whisk.
- Leave it to cool and thicken before replacing the lid.
Alternatively, tip the mix into a heatproof jug, add the boiling water and blend until smooth, then return it to the jar.
Setting time: It will start to thicken as it cools, but give it at least a few hours to fully set. For the best consistency, leave it overnight.
What it becomes: A thick, multi-purpose scrub for jobs where a spray is not quite enough.
Think of this as your alternative to a cream cleanser or scrub paste like Jif or Gumption. It clings where a spray runs off and gives you extra cleaning action through soap, alkalinity and gentle friction.
Reach for it when
- Soap scum needs more than a spray
- Sinks or splashbacks are greasy
- Pots, pans or baking trays need scrubbing
- Grout or tiles need targeted cleaning
- You need to clean the oven
- You are tackling washable outdoor surfaces
Where to use it
1. Bathroom
- Baths, basins and ceramic sinks: use a small amount on a damp cloth or sponge, scrub gently, then rinse well. It's useful when soap scum or body oils need more than a spray.
- Tiles and grout: apply directly to problem areas, or dilute a spoonful in hot water for a bucket clean. Scrub with a suitable brush, then rinse thoroughly.
- Toilets: use for scrubbing the bowl when there's grime or residue. For mineral scale, rust marks or hard water staining, an acidic cleaner is usually the better choice.
2. Kitchen
- Sinks and splashbacks: excellent for stainless steel sinks, greasy splashbacks and general kitchen build-up. Rinse well to avoid residue.
- Pots, pans and baking trays: apply with hot water, leave briefly, then scrub. Avoid aluminium cookware, as alkaline cleaners can cause discolouration and pitting.
- Stovetops and rangehoods: use carefully with a soft cloth or non-scratch pad. Always test first on coated or glossy finishes.
3. Laundry
Use 1 heaped tablespoon in place of laundry powder or laundry liquid. It can also be used as a stain remover on robust (tough) fabrics.
4. Outdoor & heavy-duty
For BBQ parts, outdoor furniture, pavers and other washable outdoor surfaces, dilute a spoonful of paste in hot water, scrub, then rinse well. For very heavy build-up, that's where sodium percarbonate can help, see below.
5. Avoid use on
- Aluminium
- Painted or varnished surfaces
- Marble, unsealed stone and delicate finishes
Use care on coated appliances, induction cooktops and glossy surfaces, and always test a small hidden area first if unsure.
More is not always better. Start with a small amount, then add more only if the job needs it.
Boosting it for tougher jobs
For tougher jobs, you can add sodium percarbonate at the time of use only, never into the stored paste itself.
- Scoop the amount of paste you need into a separate bowl.
- Add 1–2 teaspoons of sodium percarbonate.
- Add a small amount of hot or boiling water slowly until it bubbles and activates.
- Apply, scrub, then rinse well.
Do not store paste once sodium percarbonate has been added. Discard leftovers after use.
Good to know
1. How should I store it?
Store in a clearly labelled, sealed container once cool. Keep away from children and pets.
2. What's the shelf life?
The paste stores well when kept sealed and dry between uses. If it changes smell, grows visible mould, separates unusually, or looks contaminated, discard it. If it dries out, add a little boiling water and remix.
3. Can I add essential oils?
Essential oils are optional and only needed if you want scent. They're not needed for cleaning performance. Avoid adding them if you're using the paste for oven cleaning or areas where strong scent isn't suitable.
2. Fill your Foaming Hand Wash 250ml foaming pump
This will make a foaming hand/body wash perfect for the bathroom sink.
- 1–2 teaspoons Castile Soap
- Top up slowly with water
- Optional: 5–10 drops essential oil
Replace the pump and gently mix.
Do not add xanthan gum or other thickeners to the foaming pump. The pump needs a thin liquid to create foam.
3. Fill your Dish Liquid 500ml stainless steel pump
You have three options, depending on how you like to use it.
Simple diluted version
Add 25–50ml (1–2 tablespoons) of the Castile Soap and top up with water. This will be runny, and can be made into a thicker gel if you prefer.
Thicken the simple diluted version
- Mix 1 tablespoon glycerine with ¼–½ teaspoon xanthan gum until completely smooth.
- Add 450–475ml water and mix.
- Add 25–50ml Castile Soap last and stir gently.
Use Castile Soap undiluted
Fill the bottle directly with Castile Soap and use a smaller amount on your sponge or dish brush.
4. Fill your Multi Purpose Sprays 2 × 500ml black trigger bottles
- 1–2 tablespoons Castile Soap
- Top up with water
- Optional: a few drops essential oil
Use for everyday cleaning of benches, splashbacks, stovetops and other washable kitchen surfaces.
Keep one in the bathroom and use it for sinks, vanities, tiles and general bathroom surfaces.
5. Fill your Bath, Glass & Window Spray 500ml white trigger bottle
- 1 teaspoon Laundry Rinse (citric acid)
- Top up with warm water
Replace the trigger and shake until dissolved. Use for glass, mirrors, shower screens, chrome and mineral build-up.
Keep this one off natural stone such as marble, travertine and limestone.
2. Your jars
The labels tell you the main job, but several of these ingredients do much more than one thing.
1. Laundry Wash Pre-mixed everyday washing powder
This is already mixed and ready to scoop. Use it for everyday washing of robust fabrics.
How much to use
Roughly half a scoop for a lightly soiled or small load.
Around 1 scoop, or 1 tablespoon, for your everyday wash.
Around 2 scoops, or 2 tablespoons, for bigger or dirtier loads.
Temperature
- Warm, 40–55°C: a good everyday range that helps the soap dissolve and the formula perform.
- Hot, 60°C+: useful for robust whites, towels, sheets and heavily soiled loads when care labels allow.
- Cold, below 30°C: the soap and powders may not dissolve as readily. For top loaders, dissolve your dose in hot water first.
Avoid wool, silk, lace and other delicate fabrics. Always check the garment care label.
2. Laundry Rinse Pure citric acid
This jar contains pure citric acid. It helps dissolve mineral residue, limescale and soap scum, so it is useful well beyond the laundry.
1. Use it as a fabric softener / laundry rinse
Add 1 tablespoon to the fabric softener compartment or use during the rinse cycle.
2. Use it as your glass and shower spray
Add 1 teaspoon to your 500ml white-trigger spray bottle and top up with warm water.
3. Use it as dishwasher rinse aid
Dissolve ½–1 teaspoon in approximately 60ml water and add to the rinse aid compartment.
4. Use it as a clinging bathroom gel
Use it with glycerine and xanthan gum when you need your acidic solution to stay on a vertical surface for longer.
Do not use on natural stone or mix with Castile Soap or other alkaline cleaners.
3. Laundry Soak Pure sodium percarbonate / oxygen bleach
Reach for this when a normal wash is not enough. Sodium percarbonate is particularly useful for whitening, brightening, stains and built-up organic grime.
How much to use as a soak
A small amount for a single stained item or spot treatment.
The standard soak dose for most loads.
For a full soak, such as towels, sheets or bedding.
Dissolve fully in warm or hot water, then submerge the item.
Why temperature matters
Sodium percarbonate releases oxygen once dissolved in water. Warmer water speeds up the reaction, so temperature and contact time work together.
Beyond laundry
Use it for burnt-on cookware and tougher soaks, or add a small amount to a separate scoop of Cleaning Paste at the time of use for more bleaching and stain-lifting power.
Avoid aluminium, wool, silk, leather, delicate dyes, natural stone and sensitive finishes. Make diluted solutions fresh and never store them.
4. Dish Powder Dishwasher powder + tough kitchen soak
Add approximately 1 tablespoon, or 1 scoop, to the detergent compartment of your dishwasher.
For best results
- Do not overload the detergent compartment.
- Hotter, full-length cycles can be more reliable than very short cycles.
- Use your Laundry Rinse as rinse aid if mineral residue is an issue.
Sink soak
Dissolve around 1 tablespoon in a sink of hot water and soak pots, pans, mugs or baked-on mess before scrubbing.
Avoid aluminium and anything that is not dishwasher safe.
The important rules
You do not need to know every bit of cleaning chemistry. These are the things worth remembering.
Do not combine citric acid with Castile Soap, Laundry Wash, Cleaning Paste or other alkaline cleaners. Use the right one for the job, rinse if needed, then move to the next step.
It releases oxygen once dissolved in water. Warm or hot water makes that reaction happen faster.
Start with the recommended amount. Too much product can create residue without improving the clean.
Natural stone, aluminium, wool, silk and delicate finishes need particular care. Check the relevant guide or test a small hidden area when unsure.
Your kit is designed for everyday cleaning and removing dirt, grease, stains and mineral build-up. Disinfect only when there is a reason to, and do it as a separate step after cleaning.
You do not have to learn it all today
The point of the kit is not to give you another complicated cleaning routine. It is to help you become familiar with a small number of ingredients and solutions that can do many jobs around your home.
It may be worth exploring the guides: