Xanthan Gum

Xanthan gum is one of those behind-the-scenes ingredients that quietly make everything work better. It’s neutral in pH (around 7), which means it won’t interfere with the cleaning power of acidic or alkaline mixtures.

It acts as a:

• Thickener & stabiliser: It gives water-based recipes a nice gel texture, making them easier to apply and less likely to run off surfaces.
• Emulsifier: It stops oil and water from separating, so your essential-oil blends and cleaning sprays stay consistent.
• Binder & suspending agent: It holds solid particles in place and stops things settling at the bottom of the bottle.

In summary, xanthan gum might not do the cleaning itself, but it plays an important role in making DIY products easier and better! It brings texture, stability, and consistency to your recipes turning simple ingredients into practical, user-friendly solutions. I love it!

It’s not so much about what DIY recipe it’s in - it’s really about when you feel the need to use it. Let me explain.

Its main purpose is to thicken a water-based solution, it won’t thicken alcohol, there needs to be water content - the less water, the less it will thicken.

So, depending on what you want to thicken, that’s when you use it. In most cases, those situations will be:
• Turning vinegar or a citric acid solution into a toilet/bathroom cleaning gel
• Thickening a Castile soap and water solution for washing (dishes, hands, body, even the dog)
• Just for fun, as a safe science-play experiment with kiddies

Now, here’s the key: how to actually use it.
If you add xanthan gum straight into a water-based solution, you’ll see clumps form, just like when you add cornflour to soup! You can use a hand mixer, whisk, or even a stand mixer to blend it in, but there’s a clump-free trick and that’s where glycerine comes in.

I blend around 1 tablespoon of glycerine with 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum to thicken around 500ml–1L of solution. This creates a gel that’s much easier to stir through, with fewer annoying clumps that just won’t go away. You’ll still need to give it a whisk and stir, but it makes the job a whole lot easier.

A full green ethos, every step of the way! At Under Your Sink, I consider the environmental impact of everything - from sourcing to how it lands at your door.

Every ingredient is biodegradable, vegan-friendly, ethically sourced, and safe for septic systems. And because plastic-free is part of the plan, your order arrives with as little waste as possible. Low footprint, high standards.

Just store in a cool, dry place away from moisture.

Although this is technically food grade, please don’t consume it:
1. I’m not licensed to sell food, and
2. I can’t guarantee there hasn’t been cross-contamination at the atomic level.

So, just to be safe, stick to using it for DIY cleaning and beauty recipes only.

"Xanthan gum is a cleaner"
No, it’s not a cleaning agent itself. It doesn’t disinfect or degrease, it simply thickens water-based solutions to make them more practical.

"It only for cooking"
Yes, it’s food-grade, but it’s incredibly useful in DIY cleaning and beauty too! Think shampoo gel textures, body washes, face masks, and of course, clingy vinegar toilet gels.