Trying Something New

By Wade Wiebe

A while ago I tried something new. I made my own dishwasher soap! While I was at it, I checked out how to make laundry and dish soap, and tried that too – all in one evening. Making dishwasher soap is easier than making a batch of muffins... and laundry soap is even easier than that! Most of the ingredients are the same for both, so I got everything I needed in one trip to the grocery store. What goes in it? Glad you asked! DIYNatural.com has a recipe for laundry soap that goes like this:

•1 bar (or 4.5 ounces) of shaved bar soap (Ivory, ZOTE, Fels-Naptha)

•1 cup of borax

•1 cup of washing soda

Stir. That’s it!

It’s usually best to dissolve the soap in warm water before adding it to the wash, so you don’t get any residue. It takes 1Tbsp/load because there are no fillers, which works out to just $0.05/load. Compared that to $0.21/load for the bought stuff!

So it’s much cheaper, fun to try and environmentally friendly at the same time. I only wish I had bothered to try it a long time ago – and that is the point. For a long time, I’ve felt that there were better, simpler ways of doing things than the usual “just buy it” option. I think lots of people feel that way and, like me, find it intimidating to try something new. Lately I’ve been trying new things to do myself (how novel!) – with astonishing success. Roasting my own coffee, canning fruit, making sauerkraut, growing shiitake mushrooms... all these small things have been a joy to explore. To me it’s a form of self-responsibility and independence. I can enjoy a better quality of living while being less of a burden on society, and that appeals to me greatly. Rather than taking for granted the unsustainable direction of society, I’m choosing to do something better, however small.

South Eastman Transition Initiative has been a great source of inspiration for this kind of thing. The people I meet at events & meetings are thoughtful, interesting people who’ve tried a lot of things themselves – much more than I have. Joey Peters from Mitchell taught me how to make my own artisanal soap; Andrea Wheeldon showed us how to expIore the amazing possibilities and flavours of fermented foods (it’s canning with none of the hassle!)... I could go on. I’m certain there are people in and around Steinbach who have thought often about trying something new like this, but feel like it would be too difficult. I would encourage you to go ahead and do it. You’re very lucky to have a heritage of self-sufficiency here in Steinbach, and to have a group of people that are dedicated to reinvigorating that tradition.    

Sometimes after learning something new, it’s strange to look back and think “I can’t believe I thought this was complicated”. Just like learning to read - which seems so impossible at first – today is as natural as breathing. You’re doing it right now! If there is something you want to try like making maple syrup, grinding your own flour, sewing, caring for chickens, establishing a food garden, beekeeping, building a sustainable house, preserving food or saving money on gas, then let us know. Maybe there’s something we can help you start – or finish!